June 2025 E-Magazine
- Jane Shellenberger
- Jun 5
- 5 min read
This gloriously cool, rainy spring, plus the number of years that many plants have had to establish, mature, fill in, and “prove” themselves have resulted in a diverse, textured, colorful display in my garden that is lasting longer than usual. As the saying goes: First year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap! It’s satisfying to be able to share plants with friends and I don’t feel bad at all anymore about composting or discarding plants that aren’t working for whatever reason.
It’s still cool enough that many of us are still planting. I’m including an article Kelly Grummons wrote for us on Plant Establishment when he was still at Timberline Gardens in Arvada. It’s full of great information – everything from how to shop for plants to getting new plants to take root. The biggest mistake many people make is not watering new drought tolerant plants enough. They need to establish those deep roots before you wean them!
In this month’s Q&A Keith Funk reports on how to reduce summer water use to avoid those high water bills and let’s you know that you can absolutely still plant a vegetable garden. It's not too late! He also lists annuals, perennials, and herbs that are great at sustaining pollinators & other beneficial insects.
Ever since my mother gave me a leaf cutting of her night blooming cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) several decades ago, I’ve been intrigued by the idea of an all white garden, especially a night-blooming one. So far I’ve been content to put the mostly reliable and impressive night blooming cereus outside on the shaded deck in the summer and inhale the scent of mock orange and, later, datura near the front and back doors. This year though, with weather conducive to longer blooms, the variety of white flowering plants blooming simultaneously in my gardens is stunning so I thought I’d share some. Even if they aren’t actually growing together I can at least imagine their varied forms and scents in a white garden. (So many are fragrant since they can’t rely on color to attract pollinators.)
I’ve always felt I’d made a mistake by planting a white hardy 'Alba' geranium next to the cascading, white native Boulder Raspberry (Rubus deliciosus) but now I appreciate their contrasting textures and growth habits.
A large petalled, pink-tinged white evening primrose, another native, has spread around nicely, mingling with the starry spikes of Asphodel. The bee-magnet “Mt Everest” alliums are almost done, but the pure white verbascums are still going strong and the Star of Bethlehem, a bulb, has definitely flourished with more abundant moisture this spring.
I made a birthday bouquet for a friend with the lacy blooms of flowering sea kale, a branch of the stringy Chinese fringe tree blossoms, and one deep red peony.
In the veggie gardens I planted a lot of leeks and onions from sets early this spring, and plenty of potatoes. All are coming right along but very few snow peas germinated and I’ve heard the same from others. I’m going to keep trying with a method Frank (Father Earth) Hodge recommends: Soak peas in water overnight, then drain the water and spread them out on a wet, not soaked, towel on a tray or cookie sheet. I cover them with a wet towel and by the second or third day, they will have sprouted half inch to one inch. No need for innoculant.
I just planted out my tomatoes recently and squash seeds (squash are always better and stronger from seed). No rush when it’s still cold.
Gardening and growing food still feels like the best use of my energy in such chaotic, disturbing times. I find I’m literally grounding and stabilizing myself in the process.
Happy spring gardening,
– Jane Shellenberger
Plant Establishment
by Kelly Grummons
ESTABLISHING NEW PLANTS
Ensuring Success with New Plantings
I can’t tell you how many times a customer has failed with a particular plant and says “I wish I’d known that was the wrong plant for that spot!” Some plants that are described as easy to grow in our dry climate take some time to develop the deep roots that sustain them and need some extra care at first. As nurserymen we try our best to guide and coach our customers through the plant selection process. If our customer fails we fail. When looking at the big picture of successful gardening, this is only the first consideration. As gardeners, we eventually figure out ways to help our plants become established and minimize loss. Hopefully these thoughts will help you succeed in the garden with new plantings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE YOUR PLANTS
Buy Healthy Plants
Customers always assume that plants are healthy when they buy them, but buyers beware! A seasoned gardener will have some skill in choosing healthy plants. If you are unsure, ask the nurseryperson “Is this plant healthy?” or “Would you buy this plant?” When making a significant purchase, take along an experienced gardener to help you make choices. As nurseryfolk, we can fail during the rush of the busy season to notice all pests and diseases. Often, plants come off a truck from the wholesale nursery and go into the customer’s cart the same day. (In light of this, we’ll discuss plant acclimatization later).
Buy the Appropriate Species
Of course, there are numerous considerations when choosing a plant for a particular location. Is the spot sunny, shady or part sun? Is it easily irrigated or do you prefer something that once established won’t require much water? What kind of soil do you have? Is it well drained? It’s easier to establish a plant that likes your soil type than to try and change your soil type to suit the plant’s preference. Where do you live? Your elevation can be an important factor in choosing the right species.
Consider the level of difficulty and your dedication to the plant’s needs. A woodland plant may be more difficult than a tulip bulb. Do you have time to pay attention to the new planting daily during the establishment period?
Kelly Grummons owns coldhardycactus.com, finding and selling the most cold hardy and low water cacti and succulents in the world. He previously worked for many years at his nursery in Arvada, Timberline Gardens.
By Keith Funk
Q: My water bill was pretty high last summer. Is there anything I can do now to reduce water use this summer?
A: Yes. There are several very effective ways to save water.
1) Examine your existing plant choices and rank them according to water use. You may want to eliminate the high water use species in favor of more Colorado-adapted varieties. I have all my high water use plants in one area, on one zone, protected from wind and well mulched. It’s not too late to play musical chairs with your plants.
2) Water early in the morning to reduce evaporation.
3) Deep, infrequent watering (2-3 times/week) is better than shallow, daily watering. I’m surprised at how many people have been advised by “experts” to water 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening. When you split your watering schedule like this, the water doesn’t penetrate very deeply, encouraging shallow root systems causing your plants to suffer during our hot dry summers.
4) Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses where possible. These methods require much longer run times as they apply the water very slowly.
5) Apply a moisture-retaining mulch approximately 2” deep to conserve water, moderate soil temps, and suppress weeds.
Gardening Events
Lots of events are coming up! Check our Colorado Gardener Calendar for an updated list of events including gardening classes, webinars, conventions, plant swaps, and presentations. Do you have some Colorado Gardening events to submit to us? Fill out our form »
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