Taking a cue from the gardeners at the Epcot Center in Florida,who grew a single tomato plant that covered a quarter-acre and produced 32,000 fruit, we’re trying our hand at it. In the back of the main greenhouse we’ve got a Sun Gold tomato plant that has currently hit 29 feet and still growing. Stop by and take a gander and pick a tomato in winter, if you can reach them.
The Tomato Plant That Swallowed Boulder - 29 Feet and Growing
February 6th, 2010 .FYI: Wedding Invitation Timeline
January 29th, 2010 .
One of the most frequently asked questions regarding planning for a wedding is “What exactly is the time line for ordering and sending my wedding invitations?” Below is a guide to help you with this all import task:
- Engagement announcements - Soon after engagement is announced.
- Solidify the guest list to the wedding prior to making any stationery decisions. Make sure you order at least ten extra invitations for any last minute additions to the guest list.
- Save the Date - At least three months prior to wedding. These are especially important if there are a lot of out-of-town guests or if the wedding is planned during the holiday season or summer.
- Invitations - Sent four to six weeks prior to wedding. So plan on ordering about two to three months prior to the date of the wedding.
- Announcements - These are sent out to announce that a wedding has taken place so they should be sent after the wedding and within a year of the wedding date.
- Thank you notes - Should be sent as soon after the wedding as possible to let the sender know not only that the gift was appreciated, but that it was received.
Living Christmas Trees
November 27th, 2009 .While Christmas trees are grown to be sacrificed (kind of ironic, huh?) , some of us recoil at the thought of cutting down a living tree and watching it slowly die in our living rooms. There are alternatives.
A lovely houseplant, the Norfolk Island Pine, makes a swell Christmas tree. It needs bright to indirect light. Water regularly during warmer months and cut back in the cooler months. They can reach 7 to 8 feet tall and live for years.
The Italian Stone Pine is another option. They do quite well inside and typically have a more traditional shape than the Norfolk Pine. They tend to be on the smaller side, but have very pretty needles. They’re rated zone six and could survive in our climate if planted in a sunny, south-facing, protected spot.
Evergreens typically grown for outdoor use can also be used as Christmas trees, but it can be a bit tricky. And keep in mind that a tree that’s 6 feet tall can weigh 200 pounds or more.
Since they’ve been outdoors, chances are that they’ve become somewhat dormant. Bringing them in to a heated home can stress them to the point of no return.
You’ll want to transition them into your home slowly, getting them gradually warmer over the course of a week. Spraying them with an antidessicant like Wilt-Pruf will help.
Plan on keeping them inside for only 3 to 4 days, then transition them back out. Plant them if the ground isn’t frozen. If it is, try to keep the pot or burlap-wrapped root ball well watered, insulated with straw and out of strong sun or wind.
One way some of our customers keep their living trees alive is by not bringing them inside at all. They keep their decorated tree outside, in the front of a picture window.
And others just decorate one of their larger houseplants.
Christmas Tree Tips
November 20th, 2009 .
When selecting a tree, brush your hand over the needles and see how many needles fall off — if it seems like a lot, forgo that tree.
Check that the needles are green all the way down the stem right up to the trunk of the tree. Trees lose their needles from the inside out, so if the stems are barren except at the tips, skip that tree.
Pick the tree up and try to sense if it seems heavy for its size. Fresh trees are full of water and feel heavy. If a tree feels light, skip it.
When you go to put a fresh cut on the bottom of the tree use a hand saw rather than a power saw. The xylem, the cells which carry water up the trunk and keep your tree fresh, suffer less damage when hand cut. Cut at least one inch, preferably three or more, off the bottom and immerse the base immediately in water.
The first two or three days, it’s critical to check the water levels two or three times a day. If the water level has dropped and the base of the tree has dried out you’ll want to cut it again. Some trees drink a lot, others very little. As long as the tree seems flexible, things are probably okay.
Be careful about what you add to the water. Formulations including sugar, soda pop, bleach, copper, etc. are almost all bad for your tree. A few years ago we put evergreen sprigs in water tubes with different formulations and the only one that surpassed tap water was tap water with a trace of aspirin. Take a gallon of warm water, and add a half-dozen crushed aspirin. You need only do this in the initial watering. After that use warm tap water.
Positioning the tree is important. Sunlight, heating vents and drafts can all hasten a tree’s demise. If it’s cold out let the tree have some transition time in your garage — a day or two is fine. Antidessicants such as Wilt-Pruf can be sprayed on a tree to keep it fresher longer.
Keep in mind that smaller trees are easier for the growers to groom so that they tend to be more symmetrical than the big boys.
And take a good hard look at your tree stand. If it’s one of those creaky, shaky discount stands with the three or four little screws and a shallow bowl — don’t hesitate — toss it. Cheap stands are dangerous. Spend a little more and get a good stand– we sell excellent ones — and save yourself from a holiday’s worth of frustration.
Winter Watering
November 14th, 2009 .
One of the Glorious things about Front Range winters is the warm spell. It’s not unusual to hit 60 or even 70 degrees in winter, but however much we enjoy it, it can be tough on our perennials and shrubs.
Warm weather can lure plants out of dormancy only to freeze off new growth days later. One of the most important things you can do in winter — especially for recently transplanted plants — is to remember to water in winter. If it hasn’t rained or snowed for more than two weeks and the ground has thawed, it’s a good idea to water your plants. Give them a good drink in the winter and you’ll have much better plants next spring.
Beware the Checkered Dealth Lily!
October 27th, 2009 .
The only plaid flower you’ll ever see is that of the Fritillaria meleagris a.k.a. The Guinea Hen Flower or the Checkered Death Lily. While other members of the family can grow three feet tall and sport impressive clusters of blossoms, the Death Lily is rather unassuming. At least until you look closely. Their inverted, tulip-shaped blooms are, by God, finely checkered in red and white. Only six to eight inches tall, they like lightly shaded areas with rich soil. Now’s the time to plant their bulbs for a show next May.
Amaryllis and Paperwhites
October 23rd, 2009 .For those of you who want to grow something, anything during these dark months, amaryllis and paperwhites will give you heartening, long-lasting blooms in the depths of winter. They couldn’t be simpler to grow. Bury the bottom third of paperwhites in gravel, sand or even marbles in a low, drainable pot. Water them and give them some light and you’re off to the races. They’ll sport lovely white flowers within a few weeks.
Plant amaryllis to the same depth but in good quality potting soil. Once again, water and sunshine give the bulb all the help it needs to produce astonishingly pretty blooms. There are varieties like Red Lion, which can grow three feet tall and sport a quartet of blossoms 8 inches or more across. The pallette of amaryllis colors is amazing, featuring, red, orange, pink, white and even green flowers. Antey they can be kept from year to year, growing even better with age.
Winter Veggies
October 22nd, 2009 .Once a good hard frost has nuked your cukes, it’s time to get out there and clean house. There’s no greather pleasure than to walk out in spring and find a well-fertilized, perfectly raked and shaped bed in which to plant.
So now’s the time to rip out all the dead vegetation, add manure and compost, till,rake smooth and await the spring. Wtih cold frames and row cover you can extend your current season and get a jump on your next.
It’s always a good idea to sow some spinach, chard, kale, peas and even brococoli in the fall and cover them with row cover or a light mulch of straw. They’ll come up in their own sweet time, often much earlier than you’d expect. A good resource is Elliot Coleman’s The Four-Season Garden. Even he’s reduced to blanching endive in late winter, but there are a lot of good tips on extending your growing season.
Bulbs On The Brain
October 20th, 2009 .
If you love daffodils, tulips, crocouses and hyacinths, now’s the time to plant them. It has gotten cool enough to be sure that they”ll be properly chilled to put on a great show in the spring. Select bulbs that are firm and blemish-free, with no sign of growth. It’s important to plant them at the proper depth. Plant some that will bloom at the first breath of spring, like crocuses, and others that will bloom later. There are spectacular parrot tulips, gorgeous Rembrandt tulips and quaint little species of tulips. Daffodils range from the tiny Tete-aTe to the hulking Dutch Masters. They come in yellow, white orange and pink, not to mention combinations thereof.
One of the best things to remember is that they look best in large groups - massed plantings. Find a variety you really adore and plant a lot of them.
If you’re going to plant a lot of bulbs, we’ve discovered a terrific way to do it. You’ll need an electric drill, a bulb auger, a shop vac and a piece of 1″ PVC pipe. With the auger in the drill, take a marker and mark on the shaft of the auger the depth you want to plant. Pick an area a few feet in either direction. Start drilling holds to the right depth and spacing, but don’t worry about dirt that may slide back into the holes. Duct tape the foot-long piece of PVC pipe to the end of the shop vac hose. Once you’ve finished a section, insert the pipe into the bottom of the holes and drop in the bulbs, pointy end up. They are all now at5 the same correct depth. Dump the topsoil out of the shop vac and rake the soil back into the holes. You8 can cover a lot of ground with this method and save yourself the agony of planting them one at a time. You also ensure that they’ll all come up and bloom at about the same time.
Though bulbs may seem expensive, keep in mind that you’re paying for a garden show that has potential to go on a decade or more. Once the blooms are gone give them a good feeding and let the leaves stand. This will give you an even better show the next year.
Pansies
October 16th, 2009 .
One of the delights of Colorado gardening is how well pansies grow here. They like cool weather, will tolerate heavy frosts and pop right back up after a snowstorm. It’s wonderful to see their cheery little faces nodding in the breeze. While you’d plant them in a semi-shady spot in the spring and summer they’ll thrive in a protected, preferably sunny and south-facing location in the winter. They like rich, humusy soil and a good watering when the weather warms up. If the temperature is headed for a big drop for a longer period of time - say below zero for more tan a few days - protecting them with straw, leaves, row cover or even limbs off your discarded Christmas tree is a good idea. No other flowering plant comes in such a dizzying array of colors and patterns. And they drop seeds everywhere. Plant pansies for a few years and you’ll have pansies in places you didn’t plant them. The colors may change, the blooms may get smaller and ultimately they seem to lose some of their intensive breeding. They revert to what can be assumed to be thier parent plant, the sweet little purple and yellow Johnny Jump-Up.
Once the spring arrives pansies put on their best show of all, witha burst of vigorous color. It’s still not too late to add some winter color to your garden!