Colorado Gardener

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What a summer to support the resurgence in home gardening! Though my heart goes out to all of you whose gardens were minced by hail, the moisture we’ve received has made it easy to establish trees, shrubs, and gardens of all kinds this year. The cool wet weather delayed the wasps’ appearance in my vegetable garden and cabbage worms took advantage by chewing the brassica leaves to bits. A frenzied, single-handed campaign, (neither my daughter nor my mate were especially keen to join in), to handpick these green worms, very well camouflaged on the kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbages, eventually gave way to just squishing them in place with gloved or, if I’d forgotten them, bare fingers. After a half hour of this each morning or afternoon for a few days, their numbers dwindled; they became difficult to find. I knew about Bt, (bacillus thuringiensis – a soil bacterium approved for organic growing that kills these and some other caterpillars), but never before felt compelled to use it. On the advice of a friend who gave up growing brassicas without Bt, I bought some. But I didn’t end up using it. I checked the leaves for a few more days and then the wasps started showing up. Cabbage butterflies are still flying around but there are few, if any, worms on the plants, which are healthy again. Patience and a lack of squeamishness paid off. I moved to my house, a ranchette on a few acres between Boulder and Longmont, eight years ago. My neighbors and I share some water rights, which we use to irrigate in early summer, though it often isn’t quite enough to cover my more or less flat pasture. The house came with two sump pumps, one connected to an emergency generator fueled by a propane tank that exists solely for that purpose, in case the electricity goes out. That seemed a lot like overkill to me, considering how dry it was those first three years; then my basement flooded in 2004. This year the sump pump has been running for five weeks so far and I wonder where I would be without it. It’s a clear reminder that we go through wet and dry cycles all the time. Conservation always comes to the fore when it’s dry and watering restrictions are imposed. Since we just turn on the tap whenever we want, it’s easy to forget about the dry years and the bigger picture. So, by all means, luxuriate in the moist, unusually humid and cooler days of this wonderful green summer. Just don’t forget that drought cycles are inevitable here. Dry years will come again and there will be more of us wanting water when they do. Mikl Brawner has been a xeriscape pioneer for decades, seeking out and growing trees, shrubs, and plants that use less water and offering them for sale at his Boulder nursery, Harlequin’s Gardens. Most established plants in the gardens there have been watered five times a year. (Without city water or a well, he can’t “cheat” and turn on the water if he feels like it.) He writes about some of his favorite mature trees and shrubs raised under these conditions, which are looking especially good this summer. He calls it “Xeriscape Harvest.” Once in a while someone sends me a well-written essay about gardening in Colorado out of the blue. Remarkably, this time I had three. Alas, there is only room for one, “Growing Victory” on page three. Rebekah Doyle Guss writes about her arrival in the Four Corners Area, where she doggedly pursued her vision to create a community garden for young people. The garden bloomed and produced on many levels and she makes it clear that anyone can do this. Look forward to reading the other essays in future issues. Penn Parmenter from Westcliffe, who covered how to grow vegetables in the mountains in past issues, writes here about eating them. And Niki Hayden discusses winter squash, with their voluptuously rambling vines that would love to take over your entire yard and the deliciously hearty meals they provide. Gary Raham explores what chili peppers get out of being hot, while Paula Olgivie describes how bulbs work in “Bulb Botany.” Even though we earthy gardeners spend a lot time with hands in the soil, (mine certainly show it), we have at least heard of hydroponics. Wendy Underhill presents an overview – past, present and future – of this other cleaner and promising way to grow. Creating gardens of sensory delight in the middle of asphalt urban alleys may sound like an impossible task, but Dana Seeleye, formerly of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, has pulled it off. Cheryl Conklin tells the story. We publish our Education Supplement in mid January. Until then, Happy Harvesting! Jane Shellenberger

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