Questions And Answers On Home Gardens In Colorado
Kirstie asks…
What herbs would grow outside and come back next year in the Denver Colorado area?
I’ve tried growing them indoors and keep killing them, so I thought I’d try outside now that I have moved into a home with a great garden.
Thanks!
Home Gardener answers:
I’m not sure what growing zone you’re in but it’s probably either 4 or 5. I’ve gardened for years in zone 4 and the herbs that invariably survive winter include: Mint, Oregano, Tarragon, Lovage, Parsley, Sorrel and Chives. In milder winters and/or with a thick mulch blanket I have also wintered over: Sage, Thyme, Salad Burnet, Lavender and Winter Savory. Dill will self sow as will Cilantro and Parsley. Marjoram, Basil, Summer Savory, Bay and Rosemary are tender and will not survive your winters.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, it’s just what I have experience with in MN, but I hope it helps you out a little. Good luck with your herbs, I love my herb garden!
Ken asks…
Anyone have some good suggestions for flowering trees to plant for new home?
I just bought a house and it needs some personality so I was thinking a couple of flowering trees to spruce things up a bit. Would love something fragrant and gorgeous. I live in Colorado so it can’t be anything that won’t survive winter here.
Would like to find something hearty, grows fast and doesnt need to be pampered too much. Im a beginner at gardening so I dont want to kill it.
Home Gardener answers:
I believe you are probably in growing Zone 4. You can check this out by going to this site and entering your zip code. Www.naturehills.com. My suggestions for flowering trees hardy to zone 4 are, Autumn Blooming Cherry (ornamental not fruit bearing); Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry (more of shrub type tree) Camelot Crabapple; Redstone Dogwood. You may be Zone 5 and then many more great selections open open up for you. Don’t let being a beginner slow you down. Most companies that you purchase from will give free advice and tips to plant your trees or shrubs. We all had to start somewhere. If you purchase from a local nursery they should provide technical assistance to help you through your projects. I always suggest going to a local nursery and not a box store to purchase plants and trees or buying from a catalog. These companies have a vested interest in your products looking and doing well. Box stores are mass merchants and great for some items but when it comes to living things such as trees or plants I have found very little advice to help me with my plantings.
Jemima asks…
Ecology student wanting to move to Colorado..?
I am a 25 year old from a small Illinois tourist town. I have had many travels, some taking me around the world. As much as I do love my home town, which is in a beautiful area along the Mississippi, with great bluffs, hills and water, which have provided years of hiking, biking, cliff climbing, kayaking, canoeing, camping, etc… But I have thought about Colorado since I was 14. It has always just seemed to be the place to go and do everything I love to do. The only other place that I have picked up and actually moved to was Florida, it was difficult, but eventually worked out great, so I am not afraid of relocating.. I have many friends throughout the state of Colorado so am sure I could spend some time just wandering the state a bit before picking a spot to settle into. My main priority is finding a decent school, I’m studying environmental sciences. The other is that I am thinking of the cost of living out there, how difficult is it to find an outdoor job? I enjoy horticulture and landscaping, which I know is seasonal.. Ideally I know that I would be better off to wait until spring to go, but I want to be there on New Years… So is it impossible to find any enjoyable work in the winter, while the weathers crazy? also, it would be nice to find an area with a nice atmosphere, I am pretty much a guitar, hike, bike, kayak, long board, swim, dive, cave, climb, camp, nature pics, snowboard, garden, music lovin kinda guy and I really do enjoy a good time. ha
So I guess my questions are:
area of good eco school.
outdoor work.
general cost of living.
a place for me….
Home Gardener answers:
Colorado State University at Ft Collins has a School of Global Environmental Sustainability which might work well for you.
Unemployment is high as is cost of living. Here is a link to CraigsList that will give you an idea of costs and possible jobs
http://fortcollins.craigslist.org/
Jane asks…
I am looking for a place to get married in Colorado. Prefer Colorado Springs area.?
I’ve been engaged for a little over a week now and have been scouring the internet for places to get married in Colorado Springs. We are from Kansas and have been looking for the “perfect” outdoor backdrop of a lake with mountains behind it. We’re going to have an intimate ceremony with 30 people or less and then have the reception when we get back home. All I see are all-inclusive packages that are fairly expensive for what I want to spend and they either include the reception or the reception must be included. Any ideas? I don’t want Royal Gorge because I don’t want a bridge in my pictures. Garden of the Gods Club is beautiful but out of my price range. Any other ideas? You name it, I’ve probably searched it on the internet. Also looked into getting park permits and finding something in a national or state park but that doesn’t guarantee reservation and tourists/other people coming through the area if you do that. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! I’m starting to go insane looking for a place to get married!
Home Gardener answers:
Http://www.hillsidegardens.net/wedding.htm
http://www.eastholme.com/weddings.htm
http://www.foreverweddingsincolorado.com/Halls-Venues.html
http://www.gatheringguide.com/event_directory/co_colorado/event_venue_6587.html
Lisa asks…
I miss my old friend. should i just forget him or try to find him?
im 12 yrs old. im a girl too. and i had a best friend names matt. we were best friends since kinder garden. we used to do EVERYTHING together. he slept over in 3rd grade. we went to each others parties. we shared all of our secrets. he moved to colorado in 4th grade. now that im in 7th grade im starting to get really curious about him. i miss him. a lot. ive looked him up on myspace, but nobody matches his name. i don’t have his email address or his home address in Colorado. if i should forget about him, how? i miss him too much. any tips on what to do? and on how to do them?
Home Gardener answers:
Nah if u really want to find him then keep trying
he just moved thats all
it doesnt mean the friendship ended
Mandy asks…
Advice on starting a new garden?
Okay, so I live in Denver, Colorado, and I’m trying to start a garden in my backyard.
I was just wondering what I should do to prepare the garden for the winter? What things should I do before the first freeze?
I know I need to get the ph level of the soil tested. Can you do this at Home Depot’s or Lowe’s gardening centers? I know there’s the home testers, but aren’t there also things that should be tested such as minerals to what kind/how much fertilizer to add?
Also what are the basic fertilizers I would need to put in after I till the soil?
Any advice for a beginner would be appreciated, today is my first day doing any research so I don’t know too much. Thank you in advance!
Home Gardener answers:
To hell with that crap.Dig your garden add some peat moss some sheep manure and it you think you need it go get some top soil ,router till or turn it all and let it sit for the winter.If you want to plant some bulbs for spring then do it.As long as you have good black soil and you add fertilizer things grow.If you want plants like poppy,s and bulbs then they have to be planted in the fall for spring and they are probably cheaper now,Put in rose bushes but make sure that you cover them with mulch same with other bushes.plants like nasturtiums, morning glories, moon flowers and sun flowers that seed themselves can be planted as long as they are covered.All these i grow and put the seeds right back into the ground and have beautiful crops.
Daniel asks…
Where can you buy pulverized dolomite lime…?
…aside from online? I am looking to buy pulverized dolomite lime (NOT hydrated lime) locally to avoid paying shipping charges since I plan on buying a large amount. I have tried Lowes, Home Depot and a couple local gardening stores but they all either sell the dolomite lime pellets or the hydrated lime.
I live in a decent sized city (Colorado Springs) so there has to be a store somewhere near me that has what I am looking for.
Home Gardener answers:
Have you tried the farmers supply or feed stores? They’re the ones that would probably have what you are looking for.