Gardening Q & A

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

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

Q: What vegetables can I plant in June that will give me a harvest yet this summer.

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

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.

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

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

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

Q: Every year my spinach gets leaf miner making the leaves inedible. How do I get miner free spinach?