If you’re new to Colorado and the inter-mountain West, and you’re longing for those lush, green lawns that are so plentiful east of the Mississippi, we’ve got news for you. Much of Colorado is High Plains and relatively arid. What doesn’t fit that description is mountainous, with lots of snow in the winter and spring, monsoonal storms in the summer, and drought in the fall. Turf-style lawns, such as Kentucky Bluegrass, just don’t cut it here. A water-wise investment that looks as beautiful as turf can be had, according to the Denver Post: Continue reading “Native Grasses”

BEFORE

AFTER

Canada Thistle (Late Summer)

You might as well mow the area now (saving the step of cutting the seed heads only).  We can’t stress enough that if you will use a bag on your mower to collect all cuttings, you will greatly reduce the number of seeds left on the ground to germinate next year. Continue reading “Thistle Before and After/ Fall & Late Summer Information”

DALMATIAN TOADFLAX

Linaria dalmatica ssp. dalmatica
Figwort Family

Colorado Dept. of Agriculture Class B

Aliases: Balkan toadflax, broadleaf toadflax, wild snapdragon, smooth toadflax
Perennial: Forb
Flowers/Fruit: Seeds Mature July – September. (Oct. after the 1^st year)
Flowers: Snapdragon type, bright yellow, tinged with orange,  1-1/2″ long spur. The upper lip is 2-lobed and the lower is 3-lobed.
Bloom: May – August Continue reading “Dalmatian Toadflax”

DIFFUSE KNAPWEED

Centaurea diffusa Lam. Asteraceae (sunflower family)

Colorado Dept. of Agriculture Class B

List B Eradication Required

Aliases: Spreading Knapweed, tumble knapweed, white knapweed
Annual: (1 yr life cycle). Most commonly a short-lived perennial (survives the winter but doesn’t do well the 2^nd yr.); occasionally a biennial (needs 2 yrs to complete its life cycle).

Continue reading “Diffuse Knapweed”

Licensed Applicators in the local area*

Ark Ecological Services LLC
6560 Dover Street Arvada, CO 80004
303-985-4849
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-sperger-9b95598/

Continue reading “Licensed Applicators”

Fertilizer vendors in the local area*

Abners Garden Center
12280 West 44th Avenue
Wheatridge CO 80033
(303) 424-0180
https://www.abnersgardencenter.com/ Continue reading “Fertilizer Sources”

COMMON MULLEIN

Verbascum thapsus L. (Scrophulariaceae)
Colorado Dept. of Agriculture C List for Containment

Dig the rosettes or spray. Cut off flowering heads and Bag

Aliases: Aaron’s rod, Adam’s flannel, beggar’s blanket, beggar’s flannel, beggar’s stalk, big taper, blanket herb, blanket leaf, bullock’s lungwort, candlewick plant, clot, clown’s lungwort, cow’s lungwort, cuddy’s lungs, devil’s tobacco, duffle, feltwort, flannel leaf, flannel plant, fluffweed, golden rod, great mullein, hag’s taper, hare’s beard, hedge-taper, ice leaf, Jacob’s staff, Jupiter’s staff, lungwort, miner’s candle, mullein, mullein dock, old man’s flannel, Our Lady’s flannel, Quaker rouge, rag paper, shepherd’s club, shepherd’s staff, St. Peter’s staff, torches, torchwort, velvet dock, velvet plant, white man’s footsteps, wild ice leaf, witch’s taper, woolen, wooly mullein.

Continue reading “Common Mullein”