May 31, 2002
A blooming tribute

The melted snow from a late spring storm forms a pool inside a cavernous rock in Kathleen Adair's Boulder garden. Droplets off the leaves of an elm tree hovering above send floating petals of pink pansies, purple violets and yellow violas into a swirling motion.

Time to sacrifice some bluegrass

I'm as sick of writing about it as you are reading about it, but from the number of questions I'm getting, it seems necessary.

Countertop materials can match pizazz of trendy appliances

Countertop materials can match pizazz of trendy appliances

May 24, 2002
Make your back yard a haven for birds and butterflies

Make your back yard a haven for birds and butterflies

Raise — and release — your own

One recent spring morning, Molly Pitcher let her babies go. Like a proud parent, she smiled as they tested their new wings. Then the painted lady butterflies that she raised from caterpillars spread their delicate wings and flew away in the warm Colorado sun.

Colorado-based group helps mountain gorillas

Five days after two mountain gorillas were killed, and with an infant still missing, the silverback of the Susa Group in Rwanda's Virunga mountains is lethargic, researchers say.

Cover up perennials, annuals

NOW IS THE TIME...TO: Prevent transplant shock by giving those new perennials and annuals a cover to put them in the dark. Not only does the cover give the plant a dark and humid environment in which to recover, but also it reduces transpiration and respiration. This is the same principle as when a physician induces a coma in a trauma patient. The dark (unconscious) environment gives the roots of the plant or the patient in a coma the chance to recover. Don't forget, however, to remove the cover after about three days. The best cover is an old broken basket big enough to cover the entire plant, yet lightweight and with enough holes to allow heat to escape and a little light to enter. Who, besides me, saves broken baskets? Black plastic one-gallon pots are OK for a shade plant, but they may cook a plant in full sun even though heat can escape through the drainage holes. Berry baskets are good for the little annuals; even the plastic ones protect from wind and wayward feet. Metal cans will cook a plant, even one in the shade. Bottomless plastic milk jugs are for frost and wind protection, not transplant shock.

Tips to deal with water restrictions

With precipitation, snowpack, stream flow, and reservoir levels significantly lower in Boulder County this year, voluntary or mandatory water restrictions ranging from 10 to 75 percent of last year's usage are in effect for most communities. During years of normal precipitation in our region, about 50 percent or more of urban water is used during the summer months for landscape irrigation. So how to cope?

May 17, 2002
Try these xeric plants to save water

At the end of a sloped gravel road off 75th Street and Valmont Road, sit the thorny stems of a bonica rose shrub. Every summer it blooms with fragrant clusters of pale pink flowers become the gateway to the Treehouse Nursery.

Home tours can spark design inspiration

Stuck in a design rut? Tired of wandering around showrooms and leafing through magazines in search of inspiration or a cool idea? Relax, here's a chance to walk into other people's homes and see what they've tried.

Think drought resistance

NOW IS THE TIME ... TO: Encourage new homeowners with new landscapes to plant drought resistant shrubs. Three shrubs on the Plant Select list this year from CSU, Nurserymen's Association, and Denver Botanic Garden testing programs give you special attention with these drought-resistant selections that will look good in your landscape for many years.

Easing gardening aches and pains

Gardening is physical labor, but it shouldn't be a strain. The following suggestions will help you avoid sore muscles and injuries:

May 10, 2002
Retirement home fosters midful life

Lynda Chavez has no doubt it was the ghost of Sister Mary Theodore O'Connor who made the padlocked door rattle. It was the spring of 1998, weeks before the Mount Saint Gertrude Academy in Boulder would open as The Academy retirement home, and Chavez was taking a break from a day of early tours. She sat on the carpeted stairs leading up to the chapel when she heard the noise.

Look at wildflowers

NOW IS THE TIME ... TO: Get out into the hills to view the few wildflowers we will have this season. Don't pick, stay on the trails and tread very lightly. Those hills are going to have a very tough time this year.

Protect your pet against poisonings

It's every dog guardian's worst nightmare and it happened to Kirsten Muskat.

May 3, 2002
Insulation 'sandwiches' make up Earth-friendly mountain home

Insulation 'sandwiches' make up Earth-friendly mountain home

Plant trees and shrubs

NOW IS THE TIME ... TO: Continue to plant new trees and shrubs. Be aware that Kentucky bluegrass is one of the toughest competitors in the plant world. If these trees and shrubs are to be planted near bluegrass, remove a wide island of grass around each. Not only is the bluegrass a competitor, but it also makes watering it a hazard for the new tree or shrub. The tendency to want to keep the grass green is too much water for the new roots of the tree or shrub. Get rid of the grass and promote the healthy growth of trees and shrubs.

Groups disagree on dangers of arsenic-treated decks

SEATTLE — Whether you'd sunbathe on an arsenic-treated wood deck or watch your toddler eat dirt under a treated play set probably depends on your answer to this question: What is acceptable risk?

April 26, 2002
Birdhouse builders transform salvage materials into quirky art

Birdhouse builders transform salvage materials into quirky art

Making a birdhouse functional

There's no reason a practical birdhouse — also called a box — can't be attractive to the eye, but it should meet certain criteria to serve its intended purpose.

Niwot mom a lifesaver for unwanted birds

School is out and Jeremie Seufert-Nevel rushes home to watch cartoons and hang out with his best friend, Jubilee, a 29-year-old Amazon parrot his mom adopted last year.

Thin seedlings

NOW IS THE TIME ... TO: Thin emerging seedlings of come-again annuals, such as larkspur or Love-in-a Mist, and poppies. These are welcome additions to the color of the perennial border, but they come up thick as hair and will kill themselves off if not thinned. You can use nail scissors to clip off all but one from a clump, thus not disturbing the roots of the one destined to live.

Consider a xeriscape garden

Responsible gardening includes water conservation, and spring is an excellent time for planning a xeriscape garden. Xeriscape refers to a water conserving landscape that includes many types of flowers, trees and shrubs, all suited for our climate and area.

April 19, 2002
Water features add beauty, feeling of serenity

Catherine Allegra's backyard is like the Rocky Mountains, but in miniature. Giant, craggy rocks loom above the house, piercing the bright-blue sky. Purple and gold crocuses spread a patchwork of color across the dry, rolling landscape. And a bubbling mountain stream tumbles and splashes over smooth rocks, into sparkling, reflective ponds.

Deep watering needed

NOW IS THE TIME...TO: Deep water trees and shrubs. My electronic device that measures soil moisture is registering only slightly moist at 8 inches in depth. This is not good.

How does your garden grow?

In February, Heath, a Boulder writer and gardener, was inspired to help the people of war-torn Afghanistan. The daughter of a U.S. diplomat, she wanted to help rebuild the country where she grew up. As the planting season was approaching, the answer became obvious: Send them seeds.

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