Volunteer Spotlight: Nina Mbengue | |
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 Nina Mbengue. | | |
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When and why did you join the Colorado Master Gardener program?
I joined the Colorado Master Gardener program in 2021. I retired September 2020 after nearly 25 years working on child welfare state legislative policy for the National Conference of State Legislatures. Gardening in my backyard had always been very cathartic and rejuvenating while I was working, and I knew that I wanted to be a master gardener after I retired. I also wanted to become a better gardener; I learned how to garden from my aunts and uncles in rural Virginia, but gardening in Colorado is much more challenging. I’ve always loved the beauty of gardening and farming. I grew up in the brownstones of the worst part of the South Bronx in the 1960s and 70s. I don’t even remember a tree in my neighborhood, although my mother took me regularly to a tiny nearby park when I was very young. Going to Virginia to my aunt’s farm every summer was a wonderful treat. And now, I can’t believe I get to live in suburban Aurora and get to volunteer in some fabulous garden settings. I am so grateful.
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Sporting a New Look at Silo
By Judy Kunz, Colorado Master Gardener
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Barn at Silo Park, Photo: Judy Kunz | |
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Since partnering with the city of Greenwood Village in 2012, Arapahoe County Master Gardeners have planned, maintained and harvested more than 13,000 pounds of produce at Silo Park, donating it to those in need through the Covenant Cupboard Food Pantry. However, after 11 plus years of use, the basic garden structures were deteriorating, and, as a result, the city constructed new beds last spring, adding new soil specially mixed for the garden.
The garden is back in operation this season and thriving in spite of two heavy spring hail storms that did considerable damage and almost wiped out many of the young seedlings. Particularly vulnerable tomatoes and eggplant were replanted and many of the other plants that sustained minor damage are still in the process of catching up, just in time for harvest.
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Fall Cleanup: Remove Disease and
Support Beneficial Wildlife
By Lucinda Greene, Colorado Master Gardener
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Rose rust, Photo: Lucinda Greene | |
We have experienced an unusual growing season in the Denver metro area with higher-than-normal precipitation, damaging hail, and hot daytime temperatures. Before too long, winter weather will be coming along. How do you care for your garden to prepare for the change in seasons? While many gardeners clean up perennial beds shortly after the first freeze of the season, experts now agree that keeping some plant material untrimmed can be beneficial for wildlife and insects who depend on dried and dead plant matter for nesting and food sources. | |
Taking the Sting out of Insect Encounters | |
Summer is here. Time to play outside and enjoy the sunshine! Outdoor activities often involve observations and interactions with insects. While most insects are harmless, we do have some species that can sting.
Both bees and wasps can sting. A stinger is a modified ovipositor (the egg-laying mechanism in insects), so only females can sting. The purpose of a stinger is defense, and in some species, predation on other insects. Generally, insects will only sting if they are provoked or if they feel their colony/nest is threatened. Wasps can sting more than once, while honey bees can only sting once.
Western Yellowjackets
Western yellowjackets are responsible for 90%+ of all stings in Colorado. When someone says, “I was stung by a bee,” they were likely stung by a yellowjacket. The western yellowjacket is much more likely to sting because they are scavengers. Their role in the ecosystem is to be part of the “clean-up crew” by feeding on carrion (dead animals). They also happen to be attracted to human foods, and tend to fly around picnics, BBQs, trash cans, etc. They tend to be more aggressive in the late summer/fall when temperatures cool down and food is harder to find.
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Lisa Mason
CSU Extension Horticulture Agent
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Fantastic Fall Blooms
By Martha Kirk, Colorado Master Gardener
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Allium millenium, Photo: Martha Kirk | |
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Is your garden facing the late summer doldrums? Need color to extend the season? Try these perennials to zhuzh up the garden with diversity, texture and color.
Allium
Typically, allium is known as a spring-blooming bulb, but Allium millenium is a bulbous perennial that blooms in late summer. It is a cross between Allium nutans and A. lusitanicum and was named Perennial Plant of the Year in 2018. It likes well-drained soil, a sunny location and grows about 12” tall. This compact, handsome plant attracts bees and butterflies, and is rabbit and deer resistant.
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What You May Not Know About Pumpkins
By Pam Rosendal, Colorado Master Gardener
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Colorful pumpkins and gourds, Photo: graffitiwallpaper.com | |
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Nothing heralds the advent of fall quite like a pumpkin. Whether it’s a pumpkin-spice latte, doughnut, pancake, tea or cookie, there’s no denying we love our pumpkins. In observance of the season, some little known facts about pumpkins:
- The word “pumpkin” originates from the Greek “peopon” meaning “large melon.” That evolved to “pompon” in French and “pumpion” in Britain. Americans later changed it to “pumpkin,” the name we still use today.
- It’s believed that pumpkins originated in North America about 9000 years ago with the oldest pumpkin seeds discovered in Mexico dating back to 7000-5550 BCE.
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I Didn't Know That!
By Donnetta Wilhelm, Colorado Master Gardener
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Kebler Pass, Photo: Fox 21 News Colorado | |
Fall Colors on the Way
It won’t be long before we see the beautiful assortment of yellows, oranges, reds, and maroons that paint gorgeous leaf colors across our landscapes. The green pigment in leaves is chlorophyll, which requires sunlight and warm temperatures. Long, hot, summer days are ideal conditions for producing chlorophyll. As days get shorter and cooler, these lower temperatures destroy the chlorophyll. As the green pigment slows and eventually stops, this exposes the carotenoids and anthocyanins. Carotenoids are the yellow, orange, and red pigments, and anthocyanins are the blue, red, and purple pigments found in leaves, flowers, and fruits. Read all about tree chemistry here.
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PHONE
(303) 730-1920
EMAIL
mastergardener@arapahoegov.com
LOCATION
6934 S. Lima St., Suite B
Centennial, CO 80112
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Colorado State University Extension is an equal opportunity provider. | Colorado State University does not discriminate on the basis of disability and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations. | CSU’s Office of Engagement and Extension ensures meaningful access and equal opportunities to participate to individuals whose first language is not English. Colorado State University Extension es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades. | Colorado State University no discrimina por motivos de discapacidad y se compromete a proporcionar adaptaciones razonables. | Office of Engagement and Extension de CSU garantiza acceso significativo e igualdad de oportunidades para participar a las personas quienes su primer idioma no es el inglés. | | | | |
