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Issues & Articles
WE'VE GONE DIGITAL!
Our 2023 Harvest issue was our last printed issue. However, don't worry, we're not going away – we'll be adding articles regularly online and will send out our e-magazine to subscribers.
Colorado Gardener provides our readers with the ideas, information, resources, inspiration and sense of humor needed to grow ornamental and edible plants successfully in our fast changing, unpredictable climate. We emphasize waterwise and environmentally sound practices.
Colorado Gardener is an independently owned gardening newsmagazine that went all-digital in 2024.
We do have a limited number of printed back issues that are available for $3 each if desired, contact us if interested in obtaining any copies.
RECENT ARTICLES
July 2026 E-Magazine
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.
Jul 1
The Sting of Summer
On a scale of zero to four, zero being barely perceptible and four being agonizing, how would you rate Colorado's stinging insects?
Jul 1
Gardening with Hummingbirds
Experience the joy of seeing hummingbirds up close, busily darting from flower to flower, feeding on the natural nectar provided by your colorful flowers.
Jul 1
Specks on Cucumber Leaves
Q: My cucumber leaves have small silver specks on them. Is this normal or a problem?
Jun 30
Fertilizers: Organic vs. Natural
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
Jun 30
Hackberry “Pimples”
Q: My hackberry tree leaves have strange “pimples” on the underside of many of the leaves. Is this a problem?
Jun 30
Deformed Hollyhock Flowers
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?
Jun 30
Is it bad to water the leaves of plants in the sun?
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?
Jun 30
June 2026 E-Magazine: Greener Pastures
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.
Jun 2
Frozen Trumpet Lilies: Will they come back?
Lilium longiflorum (Easter Lily) Q: My trumpet lilies were up and growing beautifully until the freeze a few weeks ago killed them to the ground. What should I do? Will they come back? A: Yes — in most cases your lilies should come back just fine. A hard spring frost often damages the tender above-ground growth, but the underground bulb will survive. The leaves and flower buds turn black, mushy, or collapsed after the frost. Cut the damaged stems off at ground level. Do
Jun 1
Why Do Roses Change Color?
Q: One of my roses doesn’t look like it has in the past. The color and size of the flowers is different and the leaves aren’t the same. What’s going on? Is it the weird winter/spring we’ve had? A: It could be weather stress from our strange Colorado winter and spring, but when a rose suddenly changes flower color, bloom size, and leaf shape all at once, there’s a very common explanation: your original rose may have died back below the graft, and the rootstock is taking ove
Jun 1
Fastest Growing Vegetables to plant in June
Q: What vegetables can I plant in June that will give me a harvest yet this summer.
Jun 1
Can Colorado Native Plant Gardens be Beautiful?
Natives from Left to right: Artemisia frigida (Fringed Sage), Berlandiera lyrata (Chocolate Flower), and the purple Penstemon strictus (Rocky mountain penstemon) Q: I read a lot about planting natives but they are difficult to find and not always that attractive, especially as a small plant in a pot in the nursery. How can I be environmentally responsible and still have a beautiful landscape? A: In recent years native plants have garnered more and more interest for the h
Jun 1
Gardening for Night Owls & Moths
By Marcia Tatroe: Oenothera caespitosa, Boysen Lake WY Disappearing honeybees and butterflies get a lot of press but other, less glamorous, pollinators are also in trouble. Pesticide use, habitat degradation, light pollution and predatory European wasps are all taking a toll on moths. You might be thinking “good riddance.” After all, some of the worst garden pests belong to the moth tribe. But moths pollinate more flowers than do butterflies and are essential to the reproduct
Jun 1
May 2026 E-Magazine
The recent hard frost hit a lot of the too-early spring growth on trees and shrubs when they were already struggling after so many hot, dry, windy days. It's been cloudy & cooler this week but we didn't get much moisture. I abandoned surface watering in favor of deep root waterers for trees. The late Steven Pfeifer, my go-to arborist for many years, always recommended them. It’s more time-consuming but more effective. I topped off all my woody plants and trees with small bark
May 1
Will my perennials survive the watering restrictions this summer?
A: More than likely they will. Some won’t grow as large or bloom as heavily, but they should all survive. Be sure to mulch bare soil to keep the soil cooler, reduce water loss and keep down weeds.
Apr 30
Drought Resistant Potted Plants
Q: I love my patio pots of summer annuals but I know they need watering often. How can I keep my pots and still be water conscious? A: Plant in large containers (14” diameter and larger) as more soil holds more moisture. Avoid porous, terra cotta pots. Plant fewer plants in each pot to reduce the competition for the water. Choose lower water varieties like lantana, portulaca, verbena, gazania, cosmos, zinnia, periwinkle, dusty miller, gomphrena, and helichrysum. Plant mo
Apr 30
A Waterwise Cut Flower Garden
Living in the semi-arid west doesn't have to preclude us from growing wonderful gardens, resplendent with blooms that will last in the yard as well as in the vase.
Apr 30
Drought Resistant Vegetables
Culinary Mediterranean herbs like Sage are good low-water choices Q: I want to grow veggies this year but I’m concerned about the drought. Are there such things as low water veggies? A: During a drought, focus on growing deep-rooted and heat-tolerant vegetables like melons, potatoes, kohlrabi, sunchokes and Mediterranean herbs. Choose drought-resistant varieties and maximize water efficiency by using drip irrigation, thick mulch to reduce evaporation, and improving soil with
Apr 30
Freeze Damage to Trees
Terminal buds after freeze Q: I’m worried about my trees after our recent freeze. A number of mine had started to leaf out and now the new growth is black. I’m also worried about my fruit trees. Did the freeze destroy the crop? Your trees will be just fine after the freeze. They have backup systems in place for this very situation. They know Mother Nature can be unpredictable so there are reserve buds to take over if the primary buds are damaged. Whatever you do, don’t cut
Apr 30
April 2026 E-Magazine
For over two weeks now the huge ‘Carol Mackie’ Daphne that’s right outside our front door has been delighting us and all visitors with its sweet scent. One of the first and best Plant Select offerings, it has put up admirably with very dry years and it never needs pruning or fussing over. Though I’ve heard these shrubs can die suddenly, mine is close to 25 years old.
Apr 3
Leaf miner on Spinach
Q: Every year my spinach gets leaf miner making the leaves inedible. How do I get miner free spinach?
Apr 3
Where to hang bird houses
Q: When I install a bird house, should it be attached to a surface that doesn’t move, or is it okay to hang it from a branch.
Apr 3
How to keep wasps out of birdhouses
Q: I have a wren house I want to put out this spring. Previous houses I’ve put up had wasp nests, I have heard of applying wax to the inside of the roof but haven't tried it. Do you have other suggestions?
Apr 3
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