Colorado Gardener Articles

Petrichor. We had a few rumbles of thunder and a very light rain here last night, but it was enough to notice that relaxing, earthy scent that accompanies the release of aromatic compounds when moisture hits dry soil and rocks.

On a scale of zero to four, zero being barely perceptible and four being agonizing, how would you rate Colorado's stinging insects?

Experience the joy of seeing hummingbirds up close, busily darting from flower to flower, feeding on the natural nectar provided by your colorful flowers.

Q: My cucumber leaves have small silver specks on them. Is this normal or a problem?

Q: I see fertilizers labeled as “Organic Based.” What does that mean? What’s the difference between organic and natural? A: Organic fertilizers are made from materials that were once living, such as compost, manure, bone meal, feather meal, kelp, or alfalfa. Organic means the material contains carbon atoms. The nutrients are released slowly as soil microbes break them down, feeding both your plants and the soil. Natural fertilizers simply come from naturally occurring sou

Q: My hackberry tree leaves have strange “pimples” on the underside of many of the leaves. Is this a problem?

Q: My hollyhocks have lovely flower spikes and flower buds, but they fall off or open with deformed flowers. I see small brown little brown bugs among the buds at the tip of the flower spikes. Are they the culprit?

Q: I’m told not to get water on the leaves of my plants when the sun is out because the droplets act like a magnifying glass and burn the leaves. Is that true?

Just when you think it’s going to dry up and turn arid instead of semi-arid, Colorado’s weather surprises. Three days of steady, gentle rain and cooler temperatures in May transformed the dried out, dusty Front Range land here into green pastures.