May 2026 E-Magazine
- May 1
- 7 min read
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 mulch, keeping the circle about 8-12 inches away from the trunks as recommended. Over 25 years I have planted 90% of the mature trees & shrubs here, many of them bareroot, so I do whatever I can to take care of them.
The plants in my bigger beds prefer pea gravel mulch. It supports their growth by keeping the soil cool and preventing evaporation, while keeping the plants’ crowns dry. Because these plants are suited to our climate they reward my efforts instead of creating more work and disappointment. I learned this and discovered many beautiful plants by joining some of our amazing local plant societies: the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society (RMCNARGS), the Colorado Cactus & Succulent Society (CCSS), and the Colorado Native Plant Society (CONPS).
There are lots of public gardens all over Colorado from which to draw inspiration: The Gardens on Spring Creek and Fort Collins Xeriscape Demonstration Garden in Fort Collins; the High Plains Environmental Center in Loveland; the Conservation Gardens at Northern Water in Berthoud; Harlequins Gardens Sustainable Nursery in Boulder; The Gardens at Kendrick Lake in Lakewood, Summerhome Garden in Denver; Colorado Springs Utilities Demonstration Garden; Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail; Montrose Botanic Gardens; the huge Rock Garden (among others) at Denver Botanic Gardens; and Plant Select Demonstration Gardens all around the state (plantselect.org) - to name just a few. Local garden tours can be another good source; most happen in June. (See our Calendar).
The extreme weather conditions we face this year are probably not a one-off. So how do we plant-loving gardeners cope? I love this quote by Graham Stuart Thomas in the introduction to his book, The Rock Garden and its Plants; “Though it is nature’s way to make every living thing pliable and adaptable to the forces extant, it is man’s way to create a rigid, lasting world. And yet, in spite of this, the impermanence of man’s endeavors is in strong contrast to nature’s flexible permanence.”
For several decades experienced, knowledgeable local plant people have been steering us toward “adapting to the forces extant”, i.e., our semi-arid steppe climate which features drought as part of the natural cycle. To me this means recognizing water as the precious resource it is, not to be wasted on washing cars or propping up what my friend Gail Felzein calls “the fluffy stuff” – plants that are better suited to milder, wetter environments, or that don’t support our local insects - especially pollinators - or offer any other “environmental services.” This may be mainstream obvious to many of you regular readers, but it may take an extreme year like this one for it all to sink in. Plus, we are picking up a lot of new subscribers every month, some of them new to gardening here.
In this May issue Elena Fischer, a landscape architect, horticulturist, and sustainability professional, writes about water-wise flowers to use in a western cutting garden. Her choices hold up in the vase too. All these plants are cultivars of western natives, and while this may be a difficult year for plants to establish, she offers a blueprint for a much better chance of flower garden success going forward.
Growing food is probably more of a priority this year considering the increasing cost of groceries. If you’re worried about watering restrictions simply scale back. In his Q&A, Keith Funk talks about ways to do this.
At a 4th of July party last summer I noticed that our host had installed a couple of very simply constructed wooden frameworks with a piece of lattice over some vegetable beds.
The partial shade protection these provided made a huge difference, she said, allowing her to grow greens and other veggies for a much longer season. There are, of course, plenty of creative ideas for small space veggie gardening online and on social media.
We had a lot of excitement here about a week ago when a bobcat chased our cat, following it up into the high branches of large green ash. We weren’t home but my neighbor Lianna saw it, ran over and yelled until it backed down and ran off. She called us but it returned to the base of the tree so she ran over and chased it away again, while noticing a second bobcat nearby.
We soon got home and Oscar positioned a 16’ ladder, calmly climbed to the top and, heroically, up another 10 feet into the treetop to retrieve the poor cat that flailed around all the way down.
We‘re surrounded by bobcat habitat though sightings are rare. But our hefty, ravenous rabbit population, which I’ve been known to complain about, has plummeted in the last several weeks giving the plants a reprieve. Nature is keeping the balance.
May is plant sale month so check our calendar to see all the listings.
The venerable Garden Club of Denver is presenting a special “Colorful Colorado Flower Show” and more to celebrate our state’s 150th Anniversary on June 4 at Denver Botanic Gardens. See their ad on our website and check www.gardenclubofdenver.com for details.
Have a beautiful May,
- Jane Shellenberger
By Elena Fischer
Having fresh cut flowers in your home has long been known to improve our health and well-being, by increasing serotonin, improving our immune system, and decreasing allergies. Studies have shown that having cut flowers in our homes could have the same relative positive effect as eating vegetables. Add onto that all the joys and benefits of keeping something beautiful and natural around, and we really should be adding flowers to our weekly grocery list as readily as we add vegetables. Or better yet, our own gardens can supply them!
Keeping a personal cutting garden has a longer standing tradition in the eastern U.S., but many of those cut flower favorites just can’t hack the rugged climate of the Mountain West, or they require so much water to stay alive that it’s just not a reasonable or responsible choice.
But 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. What's better, many of the best cut flowers are perennials, so they’ll come back year after year and with the proper care will only get stronger each season.
By Keith Funk
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?
A: 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 them back. I’ve already seen new growth starting on many of the damaged trees around town. All you can do is be patient and wait. If you are tempted to go out and stimulate new growth with fertilizer, wait until you see signs of new growth.
Same with your fruit crop. It often depends on whether your trees were planted at the top of a slope or at the bottom. Cold air sinks. Mine are at the top of a slope. The foliage looks fine but it looks like I lost all the fruit that had set. I guess I’ll be visiting the farmer’s markets this summer.
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 compost.
Low Water Vegetables
Root Crops: Sunchokes, turnips, beets and various radish types.
Legumes: pole beans, cowpeas (black-eyed peas), and lima beans are highly resilient.
Fruit/Squash: Okra, Armenian cucumbers, melons (watermelon, cantaloupe), and squash (especially Butternut and 'Dark Star' zucchini), small fruited peppers (like jalapeno, serrano, shishito and cayenne), eggplant.
Leafy Greens: Swiss chard, collards, kale.
Herbs: Rosemary, oregano, lavender, thyme, borage, marjoram, comfrey and sage.
Water-Saving Tips for Drought
Apply a thick layer of organic mulch like straw or dried grass clippings to keep roots cool and retain soil moisture.
Use drip irrigation to deliver water directly to the roots, avoiding evaporation losses from sprinklers.
Water Deeply and Early: Water early in the morning to reduce evaporation. Deep watering encourages roots to grow deeper, making them more drought-resistant.
Improve Soil: Amend soil with compost to increase its water-holding capacity.
Reduce Plant Density: Space plants farther apart to reduce competition for limited soil moisture.
Vegetables to Avoid or Water Heavily
Leafy Greens (Lettuce, Spinach): Need constant moisture.
Cole Crops (Broccoli, Cauliflower): Sensitive to dry soil.
Corn: Very high water needs, especially during pollination.
Celery: Extremely high water requirements.
Finally, whether planting veggies, a tree, shrub, perennial or vine, keep in mind that hand watering is not restricted to specific days. So new plants can be watered as needed on any day as long as your hose has a shutoff at the end or you are using a watering can or similar.
Gardening Events
Check our Colorado Gardener Calendar for our list of events including seed swaps, gardening classes, webinars, garden tours, plant sales, and conferences.
Coming up:
Breckenridge Brewery, Fort Collins
May 3: Mother's Day Floral Arrangements Class taught by Bath Garden Center
Growing Garden Community Plant Sale in Boulder
May 2-3, 9-10, 16-17: Organically grown veggies, herbs, annuals & perennials
Blue Shed Urban Gardens, Denver
May 8-9: Plant Sale
Do you have a Colorado Gardening class or event to submit to us for a listing on our Calendars?
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