By Nancy Bauer
So what’s on your wish list for this year’s gardening season?
Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:
- Decide what you want to see when you’re sitting on the patio. Is it more color, another tree or just a bigger, nicer patio?
- Could you change just one thing that would require less maintenance? For example, is there a shrub you hate to prune because it has thorns? How about replacing it with a colorful and lower maintenance plant?
- Is it too dark in the areas where you would like to expand outdoor living? Would it be more usable if there were outdoor lights?
- Can you find a place for the fire feature that is now on your outdoor living wish list?
- Also, walk across the street and look at your house with the perspective the neighbors have. This is how they see your yard every day. Rate the curb appeal. If it reminds you of grandma’s place, think about a facelift.
- ID the worst eyesore in the yard and put it at the top of the to-do list.
Books for those new to gardening in Colorado:
The Colorado Gardener’s Companion, by Jodi Torpey
Durable Plants for the Garden: A Plant Select Guide, by Plant Select
For gardening help or horticultural concerns, contact Arapahoe County Extension, 303-730-1920, www.csu-extention@arapahoegov.com
April Landscape Tips
- Prepare to activate the sprinkler system. When your system is running make sure to walk around your property to ensure proper coverage is attained. Look for leaks, broken sprinkler heads, and improperly directed heads.
- Although fertilizer should be used sparingly, lawns need supplemental nutrients to promote new leaf and root growth, and control weeds. Bluegrass and fescue lawns benefit from a twice– yearly dose of quick and slow-release nitrogen. It’s best to follow up by watering ½ inch.
- Over seeding may be beneficial for areas in your lawn that are thin or suffer with damaged or bare spots. A perennial rye and bluegrass seed mix is recommended. Seeding can be performed in spring or fall. It may require both.
- Cut back perennials (except evergreen perennials that stay green all year long) with sharp pruners / scissors, remove dead plant material all the way to the ground.
- Prepare the soil for gardens
Dogs Spots
Straw colored grass or dead spots with dark green borders are common in lawns of dog owners. The concentrated salts in the urine of dogs, particularly female dogs, cause these problems. Water is the only thing that can reverse the effects of dog urine on grass. Do not apply baking soda, dishwashing detergent, or products claiming to dissolve or leach the salts. They will be ineffective and compound the problem. Sometimes the damaged areas cannot be revived, making reseeding necessary. The damaged spots should be heavily watered with a hose for a few days before reseeding or re-sodding.
No Pile Left Behind: Avoid conventional plastic bags and pick up poop in biodegradable bags, including some that might even be safe to flush.