Volunteer Spotlight: Courtney Cowgill | | |
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 Courtney Cowgill. | |
When and why did you join the Colorado Master Gardener program?
I completed Green School in 2018. I have been a lifelong gardener, mainly growing vegetables and house plants. I also own five acres of pasture land, virtually destroyed by livestock over-grazing by previous owners. The pasture was mostly sand, bare dirt, and noxious weeds. Without success, I spent a lot of time researching what I could and shouldn’t grow in my attempts to revegetate that acreage.
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Emerald Ash Borer - 10 Years Later
By Pam Rosendal, Colorado Master Gardener
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Emerald Ash Borer, Photo: Howard Russell, Michigan State University, bugwood.org | |
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an iridescent green beetle, native to China, that was first identified in the U.S. in 2002. In that time, EAB has killed more than 100 million ash trees from the east coast to Colorado, costing around $1 billion each year. The first time EAB was discovered in Colorado was in Boulder in 2013. Approximately 15% of the trees in Colorado urban areas are ash, with an estimated 1.45 million ash trees in the Denver Metro area. With what’s at stake in mind, an update on the status of EAB ten years after its appearance in Colorado seems warranted. | |
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Monet's Garden a la Rocky Mountain Style
By Kathi Thistlethwaite, Colorado Master Gardener
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Monet's irises, Photo: Mark Craft | |
What would Impressionist painter Claude Monet's flower garden in Giverny, France have looked like if he lived in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains? We do not know. What we do know is his choice of flowers was based on color, bloom time, light and climate. Applying these principles rather than copying the exact cultivars for beds, borders, containers or entire landscapes can add a sense of artistry to urban surroundings. | |
We are pleased to have guest author, Denyse Schrenker, Extension Specialist - Horticulture and Small Acreage Management at Eagle County Extension, contribute a timely article on mowing practices to help turf and pollinators. Thank you Denyse! | No Mow May? Let's Help Pollinators All Year! | No Mow May keeps popping up on my news feeds so I decided to do a little digging. The idea is that pausing mowing for a month in the spring gives flowers in the lawn a chance to bloom. The goal behind the movement is to provide floral resources for pollinators at a time they are often limited. I don’t have to mow in May and it helps the bees! Sounds like a win-win to me. | |
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Denyse Schrenker
Eagle County Extension Specialist
Horticulture and Small Acreage Management
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Sauces, Salsas and Salads
By Heide Dolan, Colorado Master Gardener
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So many great tomato varieties. Photo: Heide Dolan | |
Spring has arrived here in Colorado and, for many, vegetable garden planning is in full swing. Whether you start seeds yourself, or buy plant seedlings, there are a few tomato tips you need to know when picking your summer tomato varieties. If you want scrumptious sauces, salsas and salads, did you know certain variety types perform better for specific purposes? | |
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Have You Been Audited?
By Donnetta Wilhelm, Colorado Master Gardener
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Photo: resourcecentral.org | |
Tax season is finished. Now let the audits begin. Cambridge Dictionary defines an audit to be an official examination of the quality or condition of something. In this case, an audit of a watered landscape is a good way to use water wisely. | |
WATER AUDIT
Spring start-up is the time to check the overall health of a sprinkler system. Invest the time to inspect for leaks, broken sprinkler heads, misaligned nozzles, missing emitters, overspray, low or blocked heads, clogged nozzles, misting, broken pipes, broken valves, improper pressure, and incorrect head or nozzle type.
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I Didn't Know That!
By Martha Kirk, Colorado Master Gardener
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Photos: left, epod.usra.edu, right Martha Kirk. | Here’s a new word for you Scrabble lovers – guttation. Guttation refers to the formation of dew drops that you see on plant leaves in the morning. You notice it commonly on turf. Turgor pressure in the roots causes water to move up the plant and out to the tips and edges of leaves. Sounds harmless, right? Not always. Dew drops may contain minerals and sugars, and they are a source of food for fungal pathogens. To avoid potential disease problems, simply run your irrigation system for a short while to wash off the turf. Voilà! | | |
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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. | | | | |
