February 22 - March 1
Denver Convention Center
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Join Master Gardener volunteers from Arapahoe County and other Denver metro counties as they host the CSU Extension Exhibit at the 2020 Colorado Garden and Home Show. The theme of the exhibit is The Good, The Bad, and The Bugly and will feature larger-than-life specimens of our “good” pollinator insects, the “bad” insects, like Japanese Beetle and Emerald Ash Borer.
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Houseplants Have a Job to Do
By Paula Szilard, Colorado Master Gardener
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Gardeners have mixed feelings when fall arrives. There is relief that our hard work is finally over, but there is also a sadness that comes with seeing all that green splendor vanish.
Humans seem to be programmed to live surrounded by green. Research has shown that plants provide many psychological and health benefits. For instance, patients in hospital rooms overlooking green areas improve more rapidly than others. Businesses use indoor plants to enhance productivity. And, in the winter months in the home, plants may help lift our spirits if we suffer from seasonal affective disorder.
In addition to enhancing the visual appeal of our indoor spaces, houseplants bring the green indoors and may be our best bet to improve indoor air quality. They release oxygen and moisture into our dry environment. They clean our indoor air of pollutants, sometimes referred to as volatile organic compounds or VOCs.
Photo Credit: UC Master Gardeners Napa County
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Volunteer Spotlight: Pam Rosendal
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Colorado Master Gardener℠ (CMG) volunteers are a dedicated group of individuals who are knowledgeable and passionate about sharing gardening, landscape and horticulture education. This month, we are highlighting Pam Rosendal!
Pam Rosendal has been a Colorado Master Gardener in Arapahoe County since 2016. Growing up in a family of gardeners, she loved playing in the dirt since she was old enough to hold a trowel.
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It was an easy decision for her to join the program because she wanted to refine her practical gardening experience with science-based knowledge and share it with others.
Pam's favorite part of the program is volunteering with other Master Gardeners. It has been a wonderful experience for her to meet and work with terrific people who are inspired by gardening, nature and life-long learning.
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CMGs Guilty of Murdering 123,059
By Donnetta Wilhelm,
Colorado Master Gardener
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Japanese Beetles in soapy water.
Photo credit: Lisa Mason
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Houseguest blues? You know, the ones who eat all your food, make a mess, sit around waiting to be entertained and overstay their welcome? Like those houseguests, Japanese beetles (
Popillia japonica
) are the unwanted guests of gardeners. Japanese beetles (JB) have previously been found in Colorado in miniscule numbers but died before permanently moving in.
The Japanese beetle finally began overstaying its welcome in the Metro area in the early 2000s, quickly finding suitable dwellings in well-irrigated landscapes and golf courses. At a reproduction rate of 40-60 eggs per female each season, populations have exploded. Most become sightseers, flying considerable distances to find other lodging, furthering their spread.
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Give your Evergreens a Break!
By Judy Kunz,
Colorado Master Gardener
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Photo Credit: Denver Botanic Gardens
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Picture in your mind a vast plain. No trees. Only miles of native grasses punctuated by scrub oak, other drought tolerant shrubs and a few native cottonwoods growing along the Platte River. That is what the Denver area looked like prior to the arrival of European settlers in the 1800s.
Situated on the leeward side of the Rockies and located on the western edge of the Central North American Steppe, Denver exists in a rain shadow. That means high and dry. Weather systems arriving here have, in many cases, precipitated out much of their moisture as they made their journey over the Continental Divide. Sometimes systems skirt to the north, both tracks leaving the Front Range area with only about 20 inches of moisture per year.
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Since you know by now that this is my favorite topic, I couldn’t let the holiday season pass by without praising pollinators!
We have so much to be thankful for this holiday season including the meals we eat. Have you ever wondered how much of the food is on our tables for which we can thank pollinators? Approximately 1/3 of our diet is dependent on pollinators, including some of our most nutritious fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Even our meat and dairy industries depend on pollinators because bees pollinate alfalfa and clover, which are food sources for cattle. (Food staples like corn, rice, soybeans, and wheat are either wind-pollinated or self-pollinated.)
As you plan your holiday meals with family and friends, we can think about all the delicious foods we have because of pollinators. Keep reading for a list of common food items and who pollinates them, provided by
The Pollinator Partnership.
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Lisa Mason
CSU Extension Horticulture Agent
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Both native bees and honey bees provide valuable crop pollination services.
Photo Credit: Lisa Mason
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We've Got the Numbers!
By Lucinda Greene, Horticulture Assistant/Master Gardener Coordinator
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It was a fabulous year at the Master Gardener help desk! From April 1 through October 15, we fielded over 900 requests for information in 108 volunteer office shifts for a total of 432 hours. 42% of the calls concerned trees and shrubs. Turf calls were next at 18%. Annuals, perennials and vegetables followed closely at 17%. Insect inquiries, focusing primarily on Japanese beetle questions, comprised 9% of the calls. Volume peaked in May, July and August with 168, 176, and 186 contacts respectively. Our call volume and specific requests were consistent with the unusual Colorado weather pattern this year.
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A Gardener's Wish List
By Martha Kirk, Colorado Master Gardener
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The holidays are upon us and you know what that means…there’s no better time to start thinking about the gardeners in your life. After all, they work hard to bring a generous bounty of fresh produce to the supper table and overflowing zucchini to unsuspecting neighbors!
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Photo credit: wallaroohats.com
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They work hard to create beauty everywhere they go, especially in the place they call home. For their hard work, they deserve some payback (consideration, love)!
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PHONE
(303) 730-1920
EMAIL
CSU-Extension@ArapahoeGov.com
LOCATION
6934 S. Lima St., Suite B
Centennial, CO 80112
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CSU Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.
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