Get A Head Start on Yellowjacket Control by Carol King

Yellowjacket photo by Whitney Cranshaw

I noticed wasps are waking up from their winter naps, which made me think of that old meanie, the yellow jacket.  Yellow jackets can be controlled to some extent if we start early, rather than waiting until they are buzzing around our barbecues. The traps will catch the queens before they can find a place to nest.

Whitney Cranshaw, Entomology Professor and Extension Specialist from CSU tells us that the western yellowjacket (V. pensylvanica) is, by far, the most important stinging insect in Colorado. Late in the season, when colonies may include up to 200 individuals, they become serious nuisance pests around outdoor sources of food or garbage. The western yellowjacket is estimated to cause at least 90 percent of the “bee stings” in the state. Yellowjackets (Vespula spp.) are banded yellow or orange and black and are commonly mistaken for honey bees, but they lack the hairy body and are more intensely colored. Yellowjackets typically nest underground using existing hollows. Occasionally nests can be found in dark, enclosed areas of a building, such as crawl spaces or wall voids.

Spring Yard and Garden Cleanup, or “Spring – Glorious Spring!” by Gardener Dave

Agastache Ava by Dave Moland

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt”
                                        - Margaret Atwood

This may be “one of our many springs” on the Front Range, but we will take the weather as it comes, because after all, what choice do we have? We can only hope and pray that our foolish and idealistic trees, operating on their own sense of the season, do not get frosted – thus losing their first crop of leaves and, in the case of the fruit trees, their precious blossoms.

We, as practical gardeners, will just make use of the pleasant warm days to start our “Spring Yard and Garden Cleanup” in preparation for “our actual spring” – which will come eventually, as it does every year. Meanwhile, let’s look at a few of the things we can do at this time of year. These have worked well for me over the many years I have been gardening.

Pasque Flower Signals that Spring is Here by Elaine Lockey

Spring arrives officially today, March 20, the vernal equinox.  By now you’ve probably been wandering around your garden looking for signs of spring’s arrival: buds opening on the serviceberry, bright yellow Winter Aconite flowers, Narcissus leaves emerging, or the sight of a robin.  One of the signs I look for is the emergence of Pasque Flowers, Pulsatilla patens (syn. Anemone patens). 

A Celebration of Irish Plants by Donna Duffy

You probably know that in Ireland, all shamrocks are considered lucky and are worn and given as gifts on St. Patrick's Day. However, there is some disagreement among the Irish as to the exact plant, but most Irish growers will tell you that Trifolium repens, White Clover, is the plant most commonly known as a shamrock. In Colorado, this Irish shamrock grows in our lawns, in prairies, pastures and foothills. If you enjoy clover honey, you can thank this lovely little plant.

White Clover, Trifolium repens, the Irish Shamrock

It’s Time to Prune Your Summer Flowering Shrubs by Elaine Lockey

Rejuvenation pruning on an older Potentilla. The one on the left needs similar work.

Get out your pruners and loppers - it's time to do some pruning. Summer-flowering shrubs bloom on new growth from this year. Some examples are Potentilla, butterflybush, blue mist spirea and Rose of Sharon. They should be thinned or rejuvenated in the late winter or early spring before growth starts.  

Growing Plants From Seed

Photo courtesy Carl Wilson, CSU Extension

Finally March has arrived and it's time to begin starting plants from seeds!  When to start them is determined by their growing needs.  Here is a great CSU Extension Fact sheet that will set your seeds on the right track!

Read about it here.


And good luck with this growing season.

Daylight Savings Time! Turn the Clocks Forward!

Today's the day.  You either love it or hate it but turn those clocks forward one hour.

Here's an interesting article from Organic Gardening Magazine about the history of Daylight Savings Time.

Much of what you believe about it is false!

Read it here.

Caring for Backyard Chickens by Elizabeth Buckingham

Backyard chickens have become a popular trend over the past few years, and for good reason: chickens are a great source of entertainment, fertilizer, and of course fresh eggs. Chickens are relatively low-maintenance and low-cost, and unlike many other types of livestock, chickens can be kept in a modestly-sized backyard. As with any animal, it is imperative that you first honestly evaluate your household and lifestyle to ensure that you can devote the time, energy and money necessary to keeping your animals healthy and safe. Although chickens require very little effort relative to other household pets, they do still require care and protection.