We cut, dig and store our dahlia tubers just after the first frost – so we know what we’ll be doing this weekend! Our friends at Arrowhead Dahlias have easy instructions.
Dahlia tubers will not survive if they freeze, so they must be dug in cold climates like ours.
You can divide in spring or fall – it takes practice and patience, but it is well worth the trouble.[Read More]
We still have Lavender (Munstead, Buena Vista, Hidcote and Grosso), and if you want to plant them this season, get them this week on sale for 20% off! Any plants left after that will be potted up for next year. Because it is evergreen, newly planted lavender is more sensitive to hard frost than many other hardy perennials, so to give them a chance to establish before very cold weather arrives, plant them NOW. If you garden at an elevation higher than 6,000’, we recommend waiting to plant lavender next spring.
Rosemary ‘Madeline Hill’ is still in stock, and on sale! [Read More]
Designing a garden or planting bed can be a daunting project without the knowledge of where to start. These steps can help you develop a successful planting design for your garden the first time around. And if you’ve taken these steps, we can give you optimal assistance when you come to Harlequin’s for your plants, soils and products. Please note that larger spaces, new builds or landscapes that need full renovations will need more preliminary work to determine placement of areas for people moving through the yard, retaining or screening views, hardscape design (patios & walkways) and other important planning steps.[Read More]
Vilma Tomato courtesy Sara’s Kitchen Garden
It’s been a tough summer for my garden. I had the best of intentions; in early spring I was going to broadcast organic fertilizer (Yum Yum Mix in native and xeric areas, Alpha One elsewhere) and top-dress with compost (EKO lawn topdressing). It snowed whenever I had time. I was going to amend and prepare the raised vegetable garden beds, but couldn’t get myself to tear out the self-sown alpine strawberries, miner’s lettuce, wild arugula and parsley that had proliferated and offered ‘free food’. So I missed my window of opportunity to plant my usual greens and onions, and planted only tomatoes (late), which I amended and fertilized only in their individual planting holes. I don’t recommend this approach! Those tomatoes are seriously sub-par, only Anasazi and Maglia Rosa doing well.[Read More]
Native Currant
Normally, we would hold onto these beautiful, hard-to-find native shrubs through the winter, and offer them for sale in spring. But we looked around at our Native Shrubs sales area, and the few plants still there looked a little lonesome. So we decided to bring out our fresh, new crop of native shrubs to join them! Most are in easy-to-plant “2-gallon” pots. Not discounted.
We’ve got both Hard-neck and Soft-neck varieties! Get your garlic ‘seed’ bulbs NOW for planting from mid-October to mid-November!
SOFT-NECK Varieties:
If you’d like to be eating your own home-grown organic garlic for 9 months (or more!) after harvesting, you should be growing some of our excellent Soft-Neck varieties. All of them are very flavorful without being excessively hot, they are cold-hardy and easy to grow here, and produce large, easy-to-peel outer cloves. [Read More]
The end of summer doesn’t mean the end to color in the garden, on the contrary, you can plan and plant now for a vibrant wave of color, and habitat for our insects and birds, that continues all the way to frost! From native and water-wise perennials, to trees (including fruit trees), shrubs and grasses, the selection is nearly endless.
Our Fall sale is a great opportunity to extend color and interest well into autumn.
A grove of Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, four to six feet tall, has grown up alongside my driveway, where I almost never water, and is now in its full glory. From dawn to dusk, the buzz of pollinators at work is intense; honeybees, bumblebees large, medium and small, plus sweat bees, hoverflies, little tiny bees and wasps, constantly trading places, collecting pollen and sipping nectar. Yesterday, as I made my way slowly and carefully past the grove to get to my car door, one of the abovementioned made a wrong turn and found herself between my capri pants and my thigh, and panicked. The sting was painful for a few minutes, no big deal, but may have been fatal for the unwitting trespasser.
The moral of the story is: Cleome serrulata supports an amazing diversity of pollinators, and gets big, so park on the street in August![Read More]
The hardy and drought-tolerant Rose of Sharon – Hibiscus syriacus – is an easy shrub for Colorado, and August is a great time to plant one.
Rose of Sharon are large upright shrubs to 8’-12’ tall and 6′ wide, blooming in mid and late summer with large, tropical-looking flowers in various colors that draw bees, butterflies and hummingbirds in July and August. The ‘Goddess’ series have large, tropical single flowers that are longer blooming than old varieties, and sterile, eliminating unwanted seedlings. We offer 3 dependable varieties.
Claret Cup Cactus
The answer is: Our local and regional native cold-hardy ‘succulent’ plants!
So-called ‘succulents’ are plants that store water in their above-ground stems and/or foliage, and some in swollen roots. They may be from unrelated plant families, but what they all have in common is that they evolved with similar environmental pressures. Some, like barrel cactus, have forgone leaves altogether, and their fat stems function essentially as water-storage tanks. Their spines and structural characteristics give them sculptural and geometrical features that function as built-in shade mechanisms. And on top of all that amazing adaptation, cacti bloom in brilliant Technicolor, with stunning, silky flowers that are loaded with pollen and draw native bees of many kinds.[Read More]
Your Fall Vegetable Garden Starts Here!Hard to believe we’re just over 60 days from the average first frost in Boulder County! It’s the perfect time to get your fall vegetable garden in. We have the seeds, and seedlings you’ll need (seedlings expected to be available this weekend or early next week).
Choose from Botanical Interest seeds like beets, radish, greens, and more. Choose plants with 45 – 50 ‘days to harvest’ to ensure a harvest before the first hard frost. Or, be prepared to extend the season with ‘Ensulate’ row-cover fabric.
Wavyleaf Oak, courtesy Colorado Springs Utilities
We don’t want you to miss the opportunity to buy these exceptional trees, which are very hard to find, and when you can find them, they are in short supply.
Wavy Leaf Oak (Quercus x undulata)
These small, xeric, native oak trees are natural hybrids between native Gambel Oak and the less common evergreen Turbinella Oak.They were propagated from seed collected by the late, remarkable explorer of native plants, Alan Taylor in SE Colorado, NE New Mexico and the Oklahoma panhandle.[Read More]
The pickling and slicing cucumber starts from Harlequin’s Gardens are now producing a bounty of cucumbers in community gardens! This salad is easy to make and great for a hot summer day!
INGREDIENTS
2 large cucumbers, quartered lengthways
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tsp rice-wine vinegar
3 tbsp lime juice
3 tsp flaked sea salt
3 tbsp sunflower oil
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced on an angle
½ tbsp black sesame seeds
FOR THE DRESSING
1/3C tahini
2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari, to make the dish gluten-free)
1½ tbsp mirin
1½ tbsp rice-wine vinegar
PREPARATION
Scoop out and discard the seeds from the cucumber quarters, then cut the flesh widthways into chunky pieces. Put the cucumber in a bowl with the garlic, vinegar, lime juice and three teaspoons of flaked sea salt, then mix with your hands, lightly crushing the cucumber pieces as you do so.
Gently heat the oil in a small saucepan until warm – about two minutes – then pour over the cucumber and leave to marinate on a counter for two hours.
Whisk all the dressing ingredients and two tablespoons of water until you end up with a very
smooth sauce (it will seize up a bit to start with but persevere and it will come together smoothly).
Pour the tahini mixture on to a large plate with a lip, so it naturally pools into a circle in the middle.
Drain the cucumbers very well, discarding the liquid, then pile on top of the sauce. Scatter over the sliced spring onion and the sesame seeds and serve at once.
This recipe was adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe which was featured in The Guardian on Red Hill Medical Center’s website, along with a great collection of additional fresh, healthy recipes.
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/jul/13/yotam-ottolenghi-tomato-cucumber-freekeh-tabbouleh-
summer-salad-recipes
As a gardener and as a person with very limited heat tolerance, I am thrilled that the autumnal equinox is just a few weeks away! Late summer through November is my favorite and most successful time to plant nearly all types of perennials and woody plants. As heat, sun and evaporation are reduced, the new transplants can establish more quickly and with less stress. They don’t need as much water and shade, so in the fall I can plant in the most exposed, hot and challenging parts of my garden. And thank goodness, because I’ve got dozens of plants still in pots, waiting for gentler planting conditions. And at Harlequin’s, we have a steady stream of late ‘newcomers’ arriving on our tables – beautifully grown plants that are just now ready for sale – and on sale – so come take a look![Read More]
Argemone hispida, courtesy Kelly Manley
There’s nothing like temperatures in the 90s and higher to inspire an escape to the higher elevations. Mikl and I did just that last week, checking out Golden Gate Canyon State Park for the first time. Along the 15-mile canyon road leading to the park, the rocky slopes were rich in flowers, mostly a yellow-flowered buckwheat (Sulphur Flower, Eriogonum sp.) and lots of prickly poppy (either Argemone polyanthemos or A. hispida). On arrival, we chose the Horseshoe Trail, [Read More]
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes an annual ‘Dirty Dozen’ report on toxic residue on non-organic produce, and in the 2024 report PEARS are called out as among the most dangerous to eat. 95% of pears had pesticide residues, and more than 6 of 10 non-organic pears tested by the Department of Agriculture have traces of five or more pesticides, a dramatic jump from earlier tests.
At Harlequin’s Gardens we grow plants naturally, without pesticides [Read More]
Boulder herbalist and wellness coach Mitten Lowe offers this cooling tea blend. Read more at her website Journey to Wellness.
This is my Summer and late Spring everyday Herbal Blend.
Every time I make it I’m just blown away by how beautiful and delicious it is. My family says that it “tastes amazing” and I was just thinking that I couldn’t agree more.[Read More]
Dear Friends and Fellow Gardeners,Whether we call it xeriscape, water-wise or Western Gardening, it is smart for us to water sparingly in our gardens. Water is a very limited resource, especially here in the West. In May it rained .44” in Boulder and 1.7” in Denver; in June .27” in Boulder, .36” in Denver. And it has been a dry July and hot. If (when) there is a drought and we have trained our gardens for low-water, they will survive. When we have ample rainfall (usually not more than 20”-22” in a year), our gardens will be full of flowers and fruit. Can we really train our gardens for hotter, dryer conditions? Yes. But it’s not as easy as turning on the sprinkler.
[Read More]
We’re seeing cherries everywhere we go this summer! There were so many on the trees in the Harlequin’s Wholesale area that our Retail Manager Beth just had to make a pie for our co-workers.
We love the pie she made, and we’re sharing the recipe with you.
It has been almost 250 years since the USA declared its independence from Great Britain, and it IS good that we are no longer a British colony. We could say that that battle was clearly won a long time ago. In 2024 we might see that our current challenge as human beings, and as Americans, is the recognition and realization that we are not separate from our environment or from each other; that we are inter-dependent.
Focusing on our inter-dependence with pollinators and other insects, bacteria and fungi, birds and other creatures, might help us to be better farmers and gardeners. Focusing on our inter-dependence with our air and water might help us to take care of our planet so our children will have a decent place to live. [Read More]
Eriogonum umbellatum var. aureum – Kannah Creek® buckwheat, courtesy Plant Select
native, ‘nativar’, variety, subspecies, selection, hybrid, and why you might care
Eriogonum umbellatum. Eriogonum umbellatum var. aureum ‘Kannah Creek’. Aquilegia chrysantha. Aquilegia chrysantha ‘Denver Gold’. Physocarpus monogynus ‘Greylock’. Prunus besseyi ‘Pawnee Buttes’. Shepherdia argentea ‘Silver Totem’. Gaillardia aristata. Gaillardia aristata ‘Meriwether’. Gaillardia aristata BoCo. Gaillardia x grandiflora “Mesa Yellow’. Asclepias incarnata. Asclepias incarnata ‘Cinderella’.
What are gardeners to think when they encounter these plant names? What do the names mean? How can you tell if this plant is the same as its kind that grows in the wild? Is it a native or a “nativar”? [Read More]
Acantholimon litvinovii
This week we’re featuring a few SPECIAL PLANTS now available in limited quantities.
Prickly Thrift – Acantholimon sp.: a rare xeric steppe native from Turkey to Iran; prickly evergreen mounds 4”-6” high, 12”-24” diameter; very hard to propagate, we almost never have them, and neither does any other nursery. 3 varieties; wonderful, we’ve grown them in our gardens for years.
Yucca nana
Yucca nana: an 8”-12” miniature yucca! Seed rarely available, so we may never have them again. [Read More]
We generally agree that the term “Xeriscape” (water–conserving landscape) applies to plantings watered deeply one a week. However, in July it’s safer to water twice a week. At Harlequin’s Gardens, some of our shrubs and trees are only watered once a month, and twice in July. One of our gardens of mostly native shrubs and trees is never watered.
What does that mean, “water deeply“? It means that when you irrigate by hand or sprinkler or drip, the soil should be moist to a depth of at least 4″. Moisture meters and the old ‘screwdriver test‘ are not as accurate as digging a small hole 4 to 6” deep and feeling the soil. If it is dry at 4″ just after watering, you will need to water longer.
You can water less frequently if:
1-You have added compost to your soil
2-You have added expanded shale (10-20% by volume) to your soil
3-You have inoculated your plant roots (especially at planting time) with beneficial mycorrhizal fungi 4- you have covered your soil with mulch, or if your plants cover and shade the soil.
Do not:
1-Water lightly every day (except if temperatures exceed 95 degrees); it encourages shallow rooting and evaporates rapidly.
2-Water deeply more than twice a week, creating saturated soil that excludes air (plants and beneficial soil life need air as much as they need water).
3-Plant too close together, creating competition for water. It’s better to mulch the gaps between plants while you wait for them to fill in.
4-Mix plants with high and low water needs in the same planting bed.
When you plant in July:
1-Prepare the soil well, incorporating 30% compost (a 1-2” layer spread on top and then dug in to a depth of 6“)
2-Inoculate the roots of the new plants with mycorrhizae, which will vastly improve transplanting success of most species
3-Treat your new ‘babies‘ as if you’d just brought them home from the hospital, i.e. water them frequently, shield them from hot sun with shade cloth or another source of shade until you see new growth. Then you will know that their roots have reached into the surrounding soil.
4-Place a ‘flag‘ next to every new plant so you can quickly see which plants need the most attention. 5- If your soil is very dense clay (a 10“-deep hole holds water for 30 minutes or longer, add expanded shale (10-20% by volume) along with compost.
6-If you’re leaving town, even for just a few days, give your special watering jobs to someone you would trust with your life.
Fire-wise landscaping should focus on creating a ‘defensible space’ around your home. In “Firewise Plant Materials,” a fact-sheet for the CO Cooperative Extension, F. C. Dennis defines this: “Defensible space is the area between a structure and an oncoming wildfire where nearby vegetation has been modified to reduce a wildfire’s intensity,” and therefore, reduces risk to property.
These modifications could be accomplished by: increasing moisture content, choosing the most fire-resistant plants, spacing plants in smaller, disconnected groups, and proper maintenance and clean-up.
Some specific suggestions:[Read More]
Acantholimon Ready for Sale!
What is Acantholimon, you ask? As a group, their common name is Prickly Thrift, but this genus is anything but common! They are native to the Steppes from Turkey to Central Asia, in conditions similar to ours. Highly prized gems of the rock garden, and especially of the water-wise garden, they form evergreen perennial mounds, cushiony mats or hummocks of evergreen, tightly packed, pointed linear leaves that look downright pettable. Not. Acantholimon are fairly difficult to propagate and are rarely offered by nurseries, even specialty mail-order growers. [Read More]
It’s officially Summertime. We are struggling with an unprecedented June heat-wave and very low precipitation. But along with the heat, sun and lack of significant rainfall, there are some wonderful things happening that we can appreciate and be grateful for, like the bold, stand-out colors of summer blooms! Of the summer-blooming perennials we grow, both native and non-native, many are in bud or starting to bloom, are looking great and are ready now to bring out for sale. They ALL provide important sustenance for our pollinators, from tiny native bees, wasps and flies, to bumblebees, butterflies, and hummingbirds! And most are in 4” ‘deep pots’, easier to establish in the heat of the summer!
Some that we’re adding this week:
Tall Garden Phlox varieties ‘Nikki’, ‘Starfire’ and ‘Laura’
Monarda (Beebalm) ‘Balmy Purple’[Read More]
There are plenty of insects that eat plants and these can be damaging. At Harlequin’s we usually recommend supporting plant and soil health, creating diversity and allowing some insect damage before acting. With some pests, it is good to be prepared to act quickly, and sometimes there isn’t a good solution. Even poisons, which we never recommend, can be ineffective.
Here are some safe methods and products we have found helpful.[Read More]
Welcome to Summer! Experientially, summer began last week with several days of intense heat that were challenging for people, pets, other critters, and plants. But in terms of hours of sunlight, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere will occur this Thursday, June 20 at 2:50 pm here in Colorado, officially beginning our summer season. Mikl has some thoughts on one of the interesting opportunities the Summer Solstice offers for gardeners with trees and shrubs. [Read More]
With Summer come pest problems. Eggs hatch and spores germinate, and plants are food for all of us folks that don’t photosynthesize. So, what can we do? Share and defend, intelligently.
We have been taught to respond to these pest problems with a war-like attitude: point and shoot, poison and kill. At Harlequin’s we do resort to killing when necessary and we do provide non-toxic products that will kill pests, but first, let’s look at a bigger picture.
Harlequin’s Gardens has not used toxic chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in its 32 year history and we have grown and supplied hundreds of thousands of plants to satisfied customers. [Read More]
We’re celebrating all month, and we’d love to encourage you to support pollinators in your gardens.
Pollinator Month is a special time for Harlequin’s Gardens – a time when we celebrate the hard work of bees (honeybees, solitary bees, bumblebees) wasps, ants, flies and bee flies, butterflies and moths, beetles, some bats and birds, and some mammals. They’re all around us, connecting the dots between flowers and food.
Come check out our special pollinator display, which is our whole facility! The descriptive signage for most of our plants is marked with bee, hummingbird, and butterfly icons.[Read More]
Yesterday we managed to sneak away from work and visit a couple of the fabulous Open Space parks in the foothills. We were too late to see the Pasque Flowers in bloom, but we were surrounded by botanical treasures, nonetheless. A picture is worth a thousand words, so this will be mostly a photo essay of most of the species we encountered. However, you might want to know that in spite of being difficult or impossible to find in nursery production, quite a few of these native treasures have been offered or are currently offered at Harlequin’s Gardens this year.
Planting, weeding, mulching, watering and amending soil are your key June garden tasks.
The soil is warm enough now for final annual seed sowing and transplanting. Edible crops that need warm soil to germinate (and to keep from rotting), like beans, corn and squash (the Three Sisters!) and okra can be sown direct now.
Nasturtium, marigold, zinnia, sunflower, scarlet runner beans and morning glory seeds can be
sown directly in the soil – for August flowering. For earlier flowers, consider transplanting Cypress Vine, Spanish Flag Vine and Black-eyed Susan Vine (while supplies last).
We finally got a chance to bring out our excellent and unique selection of Native Conifers! Most of them are special dwarf forms that can easily fit in a home garden. These accent plants can give structure and winter interest to elevate your garden design in all seasons.
What’s special about our dwarf conifers? First of all, most of them are Colorado and regional (CO, UT, NM) native species. This makes them easy to grow in Colorado gardens.
Second, most are selections made by the late, great plantsman Jerry Morris, who devoted his career to searching out the dwarf forms of conifers in our forests.
We know that not all of customers live in a house with a yard. Many of you live in apartments or condominiums or townhomes and have only a balcony or a very small patio on which to grow anything outdoors. We would love to help you make the most of your outdoor space, even if it’s tiny.
Many vegetables, ornamental annuals, and most culinary herbs can be planted in almost any kind of container as long as there’s sufficient width and depth to accommodate the roots and enough soil mass to hold sufficient water. That means that you should be sure the pot is big enough to hold the roots and potting soil. There should be enough room for potting soil so that when you water, it can be absorbed into the soil around the roots. Make sure your container has at least one drainage hole, and won’t require watering more than once a day. DO NOT fill the base of the pot with gravel, rocks, Styrofoam, or any material other than soil. This creates a perched water table and will be harmful to plant roots.
Sungold Tomato
Best Vegetables for Containers
The following types and varieties of vegetables that we offer this year can do very well grown in pots. Varieties requiring extra- large or specialty containers are listed with an (L) after the name. Read their descriptions in the PLANTS section of our website.
GREENS: Arugula, Sorrel, Kale, Mizuna, Shiso, Mustards, Lettuce (especially when heavily seeded and treated as cut-and-come-again through spring), Watercress, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Scallions, Endive
POTATOES: In large fabric grow-bags or half-barrels (plant tubers by end of April)
PEAS: Dwarf varieties (plant seeds of this cool-season veggie early in the spring, or in August for fall peapods)
CUCUMBERS: Spacemaster, Bush Champion, and Mexican Gherkin are successful in containers. Provide stakes for the relatively short vines, or allow the Mexican Gherkin to hang down from a container atop a wall.
TOMATOES:
Dwarf and micro-dwarf varieties: Jochalos, Pinocchio Orange, Tasmanian Chocolate, Vilma.
Cascading varieties: Hundreds and Thousands or Rosy Falls.
Determinate varieties: Black Sea Man, Burrell’s Special, Bush Early Girl, Glacier, Gold Nugget, Healani, Juliet, Lemon Drop, Martino’s Roma, Mountain Delight, Native Sun, Orange King, Red Robin (in shade or indoors), Stupice, Sunrise Sauce, Super Sioux, Taxi, Tidy Treats, Tumbling Tom.
Note: Larger indeterminate varieties can be grown in Earth Box self-watering planters or other large containers if support trellising is provided. Transplant by June 15 to ensure a crop from these long-season vegetables.
PEPPERS: All peppers can be grown in containers, but varieties over 16” tall should have support. Peppers appreciate a bit of shade, especially in the afternoon, to prevent sunscald. Especially well suited to containers are Shishito, Jalapeno, Adaptive Early Thai, Aurora, Mini Bell, Purple Cayenne, Fish, Lanterna Piccante (L), Cambucci (L), Bishop’s Hat (L), Gypsy Queens. Transplant by June 15 to ensure a crop from these long-season vegetables.
EGGPLANTS: Asian varieties like Orient Express, Pingtung Long Purple Comet, and shorter classic varieties like Morden Midget do very well. And all eggplants do well in containers with rich soil and consistent watering. Provide support, specially for heavy-fruited varieties. Eggplants like heat, so dark pots in a sunny location work well. Transplant by June 15 to ensure a crop from these long-season vegetables.
STRAWBERRIES: Most Strawberry varieties can grow well in containers, especially if protected from critters. If the container is large enough, like a wooden half-barrel, they should overwinter successfully. We do not recommend using ‘strawberry pots’ with multiple side ‘pockets’ because they are difficult to keep watered in our climate conditions.
CARROTS: Most carrots are not good candidates for container growing. The exceptions are varieties ‘Little Fingers’ and ‘Tonda di Parigi’ (Round of Paris). These are meant to be harvested small and are fairly quick to mature, leaving room for a late crop, like basil or kale.
VEGETABLES NOT SUITED TO CONTAINER GROWING
The following are less likely to grow well in containers: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Brussel Sprouts, Celery, Celery Root, Artichoke, Asparagus, full-sized Carrot, Beet, Turnip, Rutabaga, Parsnip, Squash, Melon, Watermelon, most Cucumber, Onion, Leek, Garlic, Shallot, Bean, Corn.
ANNUALS IN CONTAINERS
Nasturtium, ‘Orchid Flame’
Nearly all annual flowers can be grown in containers. If you want to grow it in a pot, give it a try! If you are planning to mix annuals in a pot, be sure to do a little homework to find out what each variety’s soil, fertilizer, light and water needs are, and group them accordingly. For example: In rich soil, Nasturtiums grow lots of leaves and few flowers, while Petunias bloom well.
You can crowd plants closer together in a container of Annuals, but don’t overdo it. We usually plant them 4” apart. Some annuals can grow exceptionally tall, like Lion’s Mane (Leonotis nepetifolia or L. leonurus) and could be vulnerable to breaking and spoiling the display. If you are using trailing plants, choose a pot that is tall enough to let the trailing plants trail.
Ocean Forest Potting Soil
POTTING SOILS: We recommend Ocean Forest and Coco Loco potting soils for most container plantings. See product descriptions here. We add Harlequin’s Fertility Mix or Age Old ‘Grow’ or one of Thompson’s Organic Fertilizers to most vegetable and ornamental containers. When transplanting into the container, we use a mycorrhizal inoculant product.
A valuable product to add to you potting soil is Hydrosource. It can save you a lot of time and worry by holding more water and holding it longer, making it available to you plants throughout the day. This can be especially helpful when you are growing multiple plants together in a pot. Don’t use more than the recommended amount (too much of a good thing can be very bad!).
Annual Culinary Herbs such as basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, Mexican Oregano, Chives, and Vietnamese Coriander appreciate rich soil.
Perennial Herbs like Rosemary, Oregano, Sage, Savory and Thyme do better with Yum Yum Mix fertilizer, which offers trace minerals, phosphorus and potassium but not much nitrogen.
Succulents and Cacti are better grown in a mix that is composed of about two-thirds granular material (gravel, scoria, tufa, coarse sand) and the remainder organic material (conventional potting mix of peat moss and perlite. Our Crump’s Cactus Succulent Potting Mix does well. Do not add compost or worm castings.
YEAR-ROUND PLANTINGS IN OUTDOOR POTS
A good rule of thumb: If you are planning to grow perennials, roses, shrubs or trees in them year-round, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens recommend that your plants should be cold-hardy to three USDA zones colder than the zone where you are gardening. This is because the roots are above the ground, exposed to much more cold than if they were planted in the earth. When looking at USDA hardiness zone ratings, the lower the number, the colder the winter temperature the plant can withstand. In the cities of Boulder and Denver, our USDA hardiness zone changed several years ago from Zone 5 to Zone 6 because our low temperatures in winter have been less cold than they used to be. So here in Zone 6, plantings in pots that remain outdoors all year should be rated as hardy to USDA zone 3, 2 or 1. Most outdoor pots or planters offer little or no insulation from cold air temperatures. If it is possible to move the container for winter against a north-facing wall and pack sealed bags of loosely-packed leaves around them, the insulation can add an extra zone or two. Against a north wall, temperatures will fluctuate less and snow, which is a very good insulator, will stay on and around the pots much longer. If there isn’t consistent snow-cover, be sure to water pots a couple of times per month.
Our personal experience: At Harlequin’s, we have successfully grown some shrubs and small trees in very large pots. A small ‘character’ Russian Hawthorn, which is hardy to Zone 2, has lived for about 10 years in a big, thick stoneware pot. We move it every winter and pack shredded leaves all around it. A ‘Walker’ Weeping Peashrub, hardy to Zone 3, lived in a 24” diameter foam pot at the nursery for about 5 years, but died from lack of winter watering. Eve used to successfully grow a few roses in wooden pots, moving them to a sheltered north wall and packing bags of leaves around them until mid-April.
There are other factors to be considered, namely your micro-climate, and the size, material and thickness of your container. If your pot is very large, say at least 24” diameter, and at least 18” deep (unlikely on a balcony!), you can plant in the center and the surrounding mass of soil will give the plant roots extra insulation. As for materials, ceramic, metal, concrete, resin and plastic conduct cold readily. Wood and double-walled plastic or resin pots do not conduct cold so they offer some insulation. Fabric pots are too thin to function as insulators.
TERRACOTTA (unglazed, low-fire clay)
Terracotta pots are the classic flower pot. They look great. They work very well in places like England, southern Europe, the Middle East, Southern California and Mexico. But because the humidity here is usually very low and the wind is so often present, unglazed terracotta clay pots, which are fired at low temperatures and are quite porous, dry out quickly and draw moisture out of the potting soil within. So they are only suitable for desert plants. Even cacti and desert succulents will need more frequent watering if placed outdoors in a terracotta pot. Large terracotta pots are fairly heavy, are easily broken or cracked, and cannot withstand the freezing and thawing of winter weather. They will need to be brought indoors to a frost-free space for the winter.
STONEWARE (high-fired clay, unglazed or glazed)
Stoneware pots can usually be left outdoors year-round if the plantings in them are very hardy. The glazed stoneware pots we carry are considered ‘frost-resistant’. Pots with soil in them should be covered (with an overturned saucer or similar) or brought indoors for winter, and empty pots should be overturned or covered.
PLASTIC or RESIN
These cast pots have the advantage of being very light-weight, but they can differ widely in their durability. Try to assess the outside finish, whether it will chip or scratch easily. Thin plastic can crack, but Resin seems stronger. Make sure the pot has drain holes or that holes can be drilled in the bottom of the pot. We offer used large black plastic nursery pots (#7 and #10) for sale a t very reasonable prices. These are economical, perform very well, but are not ornamental or stylish. We used to have a source for wonderful, clay-toned double-walled cast resin pots The 3/8” air space between the inner and outer walls provided excellent insulation and the finishes held up for many years. Covid put an end to our supply, and we haven’t been able to find any since. Keep an eye out for them at yard sales!!
FABRIC
We are carrying a very economical fabric pot by Root Pouch. These are practically weightless, the color of the felt-like fabric is a neutral gray. They have two well-attached handles for ease of moving the pot. And under normal use, they will last for three or four years. The dimensions are 12” high and 14” diameter, making them large enough for growing a tomato, pepper or eggplant. At only $7.50 each, they are a great bargain and a very practical choice for growing plants on a balcony.
WOOD
Wooden planters are usually not as heavy as ceramic, have some insulation value and hold moisture in. They will usually fall apart within about 10 years, depending on how well they are made. Half-barrels from whiskey distilleries are heavy-duty (and heavy!) and can last longer. They are some of the best containers for planting shrubs or trees.
CONCRETE & HYPERTUFA
Concrete containers are expensive, extremely heavy and difficult to move. They conduct cold and heat. However, if they are large enough and you get help placing them, they can be very durable and have good potential for long-term plantings.
Echinocereus viridiflorus in trough garden
HyperTufa is made from a concrete mix with peatmoss, and often perlite and fiberglass added. They are thick-walled and insulating, and are durable if made well and are not as heavy as concrete. One of the best things about them is that they look a lot like stone. Hypertufa containers are usually called ‘troughs’ because they imitate ancient stone troughs from Europe. Because they are made with concrete, they offer an environment that is perfect for rockery plants that grow in limestone formations.
It’s not ideal, but sometimes you have to plant in the middle of a heatwave. Fortunately, it can be done successfully, even here in the high, windy and dry zone. High temperatures, wind and strong sunlight cause water to evaporate from plant leaves faster than the roots can take up water.
The key to survival of new plantings is shade – for the plant and for the soil. Here are some tips:[Read More]
Penstemon virgatus
Few genera are as synonymous with Western North America as penstemons or beardtongues. The genus is almost entirely native only to North America with the center of diversity falling west of the 100th meridian. Over 250 species are found in North America with one outlier in
Japan. The outlier is often placed in its own genus. Penstemons are native to every state in the union except Hawaii and almost every Canadian province besides Nunavut.
Right now, we have our biggest selection of highly desirable plants for the season. Some of them are unusual and available in limited quantities. This includes a number of very choice native perennials that are very hard to find and will sell out fast, like:
Scrophularia macrantha (Red Birds In A Tree) – This rare New Mexico wildflower was first brought into cultivation, and given its delightful common name, by the late, great plantsman David Salman, only a couple of decades ago. Subsequently promoted by the Plant Select program, it won the hearts of native plant gardeners and pollinator gardeners, and is a great favorite of hummingbirds. [Read More]
Vilma Tomato courtesy Sara’s Kitchen Garden
A Special Tomato Offer! 2 half-price plants in return for your evaluations!
We know that many of our customers need to grow small but bountiful vegetables in containers.
So we searched out and grew a group of very special, rare varieties of tomato that are specifically intended for growing in containers – Dwarf, Micro dwarf and even hanging tomatoes! They are ready this week, but quantities are limited – only 25 to 60 plants of each variety.[Read More]
So many very special experiences!
We were delighted with the turnout for our May Day festivities and sales, and loved seeing and helping old friends and new, first-time customers and loyal Harlequin’s supporters. The live music and gentle weather kept us all smiling and we so appreciate everyone’s cheerful patience in the check-out line. The Mothers’ Day weekend was equally exciting and heartwarming, and it was preceded by a rare and thrilling display of the Northern Lights on Friday night. We hope many of you were able to see it!
Walks on foothills trails this week reveal the earliest Penstemons (Beardtongues) in our area – the xeric, and showy Sidebells Penstemon (Penstemon secundiflorus). [Read More]
XERISCAPE TREES AND SHRUBS for SUN
Harlequin’s Gardens 303-939-9403 www.harlequinsgardens.com
Note: plants listed in bold are native to our region
Acer ginnala / Amur maple
Acer ginnala ‘Compacta’ / Dwf. Amur Maple
Acer grandidentatum / Bigtooth Maple
Acer negundo / Boxelder
Acer negundo ‘Sensation’ / ‘Sensation’ Boxelder, male selection
Acer tataricum ‘Hot Wings’ / Hot Wings Tatarian Maple
Aesculus glabra / Ohio Buckeye
Amelanchier utahensis / Utah Serviceberry
Catalpa speciosa / Western Catalpa
Celtis occidentalis / Western Hackberry
Celtis reticulata / Netleaf Hackberry
Crataegus ambigua / Russian Hawthorn
Crataegus crus-galli / Cockspur Hawthorn
Crataegus mollis / Downy Hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna / Singleseed Hawthorn
Crataegus phaenopyrum / Washington Hawthorn
Cupressus arizonica / Arizona Cypress
Gleditsia triacanthos inermis / Honeylocust
Gymnocladus dioica / Kentucky Coffeetree
Juniperus monosperma / One-seed Juniper
Juniperus scopulorum & selections / Rocky Mt. Juniper
Koelreuteria paniculata / Goldenrain Tree
Malus species / Flowering Crabapple selections
Morus alba / White Mulberry
Pinus aristata / Bristlecone Pine
Pinus cembroides edulis / Pinyon Pine
Pinus contorta v. latifolia / Lodgepole Pine
Pinus flexilis / Limber Pine
Pinus ponderosa / Ponderosa Pine
Prunus americana / American Wild Plum
Prunus padus / Mayday Tree, Bird Cherry
Prunus virginiana / Native Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana ‘Shubert’ / Canada Red Chokecherry
Prunus x virginiana ‘Sucker Punch’ / Non-suckering Chokecherry
Pseudotsuga menziesii v. glauca / Rocky Mt. Douglas Fir
Ptelea trifoliata / Wafer Ash, Hop Tree
Pyrus ussuriensis / Ussurian Pear
Quercus bicolor / Swamp White Oak
Quercus gambelii / Gambel Oak
Quercus macrocarpa / Bur Oak
Quercus muehlenbergii / Chinkapin Oak
Quercus undulata / Rocky Mt. Scrub Oak
Robinia neomexicana / New Mexico Locust
Agave parryi ssp. neomexicana
Amelanchier alnifolia / Saskatoon Serviceberry
Amelanchier aln. ‘Regent’ / Regent Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis / Shadblow Serviceberry
Amelanchier laevis / Allegheny Serviceberry
Amorpha canescens / Great Plains Leadplant
Amorpha nana / Dwarf Leadplant
Artemisia cana / Silver Sagebrush
Artemisia filifolia / Sand Sagebrush
Artemisia tridentata / Tall Western Sagebrush
Artemisia versicolor (canescens) / Seafoam Sage
Atriplex canescens / Four Wing Saltbush
Atriplex confertifolia / Spiny Saltbush
Buddleia alternifolia ‘Argentea” / Silver Butterfly Bush
Buddleia dav. nanhoensis cultivars / Compact Butterfly Bush
Buddleia davidii cultivars / Butterfly Bush
Caragana arborescens / Siberian Peashrub
Caragana pygmaea / Pygmy Peashrub
Caryopteris x clandonensis cultivars / Blue Mist Spirea
Ceanothus fendleri / Mountain Lilac
Ceratoides lantana / Winterfat
Cercocarpus brevifolius / Little-flowered Mt. Mahogany
Cercocarpus intricatus / Littleleaf Mountain Mahogany
Cercocarpus ledifolius / Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany
Cercocarpus montanus / Common Mountain Mahogany
Chamaebatieria millefolium / Fernbush
Chrysothamnus n. ssp. graveolens / Tall Grn. Rabbitbrush
Chrysothamnus naus. ssp. albicaulis / Tall Blue Rabbitbrush
Chrysothamnus naus. ssp. nauseosus / Dwf. Blue Rabbitbrush
Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus / Dwf. Grn. Rabbitbrush
Cotinus coggygria / Smoke Tree
Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ / Royal Purple Smoke Tree
Cotinus x ‘Grace / ‘Grace’ Smoketree
Cotoneaster divaricatus / Spreading Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster lucidus / Peking Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster multiflora / Big-flowered Cotoneaster
Cowania mexicana (Purshia stansburyana) / Cliffrose
Cytissus purgans ‘Spanish Gold’ / Andora Broom
Cytissus scoparius ‘Moonlight’ / Moonlight Broom
Ephedra americana / American Ephedra
Ephedra viridis / Mormon Tea
Fallugia paradoxa / Apache Plume
Forestiera neomexicana / New Mexico Privet
Genista lydia / Lydian Broom, Dwarf Broom
Genista tinctoria / Woadwaxen
Hesperaloe parviflora / Red Yucca
Hippophae rhamnoides / Sea Buckthorn
Holodiscus dumosus / Rock Spirea
Ligustrum vulgare ‘Cheyenne’ / ‘Cheyenne’ Privet
Ligustrum vulgare ‘Lodense’ / Lodense Privet
Lonicera k. v. floribunda ‘Blue Velvet’ / Blue Velvet Honeysuckle
Lonicera syringantha v. wolfii / Tiny Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera tatarica selections / Shrub Honeysuckle
Mahonia aqu. Compactum / Compact Oregon Grapeholly
Mahonia aquifolium / Oregon Grapeholly
Mahonia fremontii / Fremont’s Mahonia
Mahonia haematocarpa / Desert Holly
Opuntia species / Cholla Cactus
Perovskia atriplicifolia / Russian Sage
Philadelphus lewisii / Lewis Mockorange
Physocarpus opulifolius cultivars / Ninebark
Juniperus communus/Common Juniper selections
Prunus besseyi / Western Sandcherry
Prunus besseyi ‘Pawnee Buttes’ / Pawnee Buttes Sandcherry
Prunus besseyi ‘Boulder Weeping’ / Boulder Weeping Sandcherry
Prunus tenella / Dwarf Russian Almond
Purshia tridentata / Antelope Bitterbrush
Pyracantha coccinea / Firethorn
Rhamnus smithii / Smith’s Buckthorn
Rhus aromatica / Fragrant Sumac
Rhus glabra / Smooth Sumac
Rhus glabra v. cismontana / Rocky Mt. Sumac
Rhus trilobata / Threeleaf Sumac
Rhus typhina / Staghorn Sumac
Rhus typhina laciniata / Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac
Ribes aureum / Native Golden Currant
Ribes cereum / Wax Currant
Ribes odoratum / Golden Currant
Robinia neomexicana / New Mexico Locust
Rosa ‘Alba Maxima’
Rosa ‘Alba semi-plena’
Rosa ‘Alba Suaveolens’
Rosa ‘Felicite Parmentier’
Rosa ‘Fruhlingsgold’
Rosa ‘Golden Wings’
Rosa ‘Harison’s Yellow
Rosa ‘Henry Kelsey’
Rosa ‘John Cabot’
Rosa ‘John Davis’
Rosa ‘Konigen von Danemark’
Rosa ‘Lawrence Johnston’
Rosa ‘Maiden’s Blush’
Rosa “Banshee”
Rosa arvensis
Rosa ‘Complicata’
Rosa eglanteria / Sweetbriar
Rosa foet. Persiana / Persian Yellow Rose
Rosa foetida bicolor / Austrian Copper Rose
Rosa glauca (rubrifolia) / Redleaf Rose
Rosa hugonis / Father Hugo’s Rose
Rosa woodsii / Wood’s Rose
Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Arp’ / Arp Rosemary
Shepherdia argentea / Silver Buffaloberry
Robinia neomexicana / New Mexico Locust
Spiraea ‘Cheyenne Snowmound’
Spiraea jap. ‘Goldflame’ / Goldflame Spirea
Syringa patula ‘Miss Kim’ / Miss Kim Dwf. Korean Lilac
Syringa prestoniae cultivars / Canadian Lilacs
Syringa vulgaris cultivars / Common Lilacs
Yucca baccata / Banana Yucca
Yucca filamentosa / Adam’s Needle
Yucca glauca / Native Soapweed, Narrowleaf Yucca
Yucca harrimanii / Harriman’s Dwf. Yucca
2024 Rose Availability List
Austrian Copper
Above and Beyond
Darlow’s Enigma
Cream Veranda
Golden Wings
Fred’s Loads
Morden Sunrise
Lilian Austin
Victorian Memory
Tess of the d’Urbervilles
An article in the Guardian caught our eye with the alarming headline ‘Vegetables are Losing Their Nutrients’. It begins with the findings in a 2004 University of Texas study showing dramatic declines in the nutrient content of 43 foods, mostly vegetables, between the mid and late 20th century: green beans have seen a nearly 50% drop in calcium, while asparagus has lost almost half its Vitamin A content.
Our compost tea will be ready this week, hopefully by Friday. Our tea has always been good, but this year we are working on making it even better. Please let us know if you can see good results from using it, and if it seems to be more effective.
Say Hello to ECOPLUS Organic Compost! We are replacing our A-1 Eco-Grow compost with the newly-available ECOPLUS Organic Compost, an OMRI certified organic compost made by A-1 Organics in Colorado.[Read More]
They’re hardy, evergreen, fragrant, gorgeous! Some of you are familiar with Daphne ‘Carol Mackie’, a much sought-after semi-evergreen shrub with cream-edged leaves that try to be evergreen all winter but usually defoliate by February.
But there are less well-known, compact, mounding Daphne shrubs, like ‘Lawrence Crocker’ and D. neapolitanum that are much easier, completely evergreen, and even more gorgeous and fragrant, and we’ve got some very nice ones right now! [Read More]
Miss planting bulbs last fall? No worries, we’ve got you covered. Choose from miniature daffodils, chionodoxa, hyacinth, tulips and more.
You can enjoy these in their pots while they bloom and plant in-ground later, or plant the blooming flowers now. Either way, you’ll have blooms for years to come!
The fields and the foothills are turning green! So many trees are blooming or beginning to leaf out! There is so much energy bursting forth everywhere I look! After the lovely rain last weekend we emerged from our Sunday class to be greeted by the singing of frogs in a big puddle in the parking lot! How can they develop that fast???
To help celebrate Spring, we’ve got a really exciting line-up of local live music and dance for this coming weekend and for Mother’s Day, too! And some great deals on beautiful, Harlequin-grown, pesticide-free plants.
It could have been worse. We are grateful that the severe winds didn’t cause any fires, blow down very many trees, kill or maim anyone (at least not that we’ve heard) or tear off roofs. It must have been a terrible time for anyone that was unhoused.
We lost one small hoophouse that was empty at the time, but the others made it through with little damage. And we were forced to stay closed on Saturday with no electricity, no heat, no water pumps, no internet and no phone. Our huge thanks go to the customers who came out on Sunday and helped us recoup a bit of our Saturday losses. Our phone and internet are still down, but we were blown away by the gracious patience of our customers as we tallied their purchases by hand and if they didn’t have cash or checkbooks, we wrote down their information so we can call them and complete credit card transactions over the phone when we have our service restored. We will continue to provide this service until our internet service is back, and we hope you will come and shop at Harlequin’s with cash or checks. [Read More]
There’s much to do in the garden in April, from finalizing your garden plan, attending to your tools, to the annual spring clean up and pruning and lawn and vegetable garden prep, and PLANTING, DIVIDING and TRANSPLANTING!
We have your checklist and the information and products you’ll need this month, here.
Cherokee Purple
THE FIRST TOMATOES!
Anasazi
Black from Tula
Black Krim
Bush Early Girl
Cherokee Purple
Glacier
Green Zebra
Large Red Cherry
Mexico Midget
Moskovitch
Pink Berkeley Tie Dye
Pink Brandywine
San Marzano II
Sun Gold
Taxi
ANNUALS
Poppies: Papavar glaucum (scarlet), Papavar paeoniflorum (“Purple Peony” and “Violet Blush”), Papavar somniferum (“Heritage”)
Yellow Wonder, courtesy PracticalSelf Reliance.com
FRUIT
Strawberries: Fragaria vesca, Alexandria Alpine Strawberry and Yellow Wonder Alpine Strawberry
HERBS
Chives; Cilantro; Mint ‘Kentucky Colonel”; Greek Oregano; Creeping and Arp Rosemary; Lemon and German Winter Thyme; Stinging Nettle
PERENNIALS
Agastache, Blue Fortune Anise Hyssop
Aquilegia barnebyi, Barneby’s Columbine, native
Aquilegia chrysantha, Yellow Columbine, native
Berlandiera lyrata, Chocolate Flower, native
Coreopsis lanceolata, Sterntaler, native
Delosperma nubigenum, Yellow Hardy Iceplant
Dianthus arpadianus
Digitalis x mertonensis, Strawberry Foxglove
Eriogonum umbellatum, Sulfur Flower, native
Gaillardia aristata BoCo, Yellow-rayed Blanket Flower, native
Gaillardia grandiflora ‘Goblin’, Dwarf Blanket Flower
Gallium odoratium, Sweet William
Hablitzia tamnoides, Caucasian Spinach Vine
Lallemantia canescens, Dragon Head
Monarda fistulosa, Bee Balm, native
Monarda ‘Jacob Cline’
Oenothera berlandieri, ‘Siskyou Pink’
Perennial Poppies – Papavar nudicaule, Icelandic Poppy ‘Champagne Bubbles’, ‘Matador’ (scarlet), ‘Meadow Pastels’; Papavar orientale ‘Beauty of Livermere’ (deep red), ‘Brilliant’ (scarlet), ‘Fruit Punch’, ‘Prince of Orange’, ‘Princess Victoria Louise’ (salmon pink)
Physaria bellii, BoCo, Bell’s Twinpod, native
Ratbida columnifera, Yellow Prairie Coneflower, native
Salvia nemorosa, ‘East Friesland’, ‘Cardonna’
Scabiosa columbaria, ‘Flutter Blue’
Thymus, creeping thyme ‘Pink Chintz’; praecox ‘Elfin’, serpyllum ‘Magic Carpet’
Veronica ‘Waterperry Blue’
VEGETABLES
Nutribud Broccoli, OP
Radicchio ‘Fiero’
Rhubarb ‘Glaskin’s Perpetual’
Japanese Tree Lilac, courtesy Morton Arboretum
While supplies last (some in very short supply)! All are container-grown so they have complete root systems, ready to adapt to and grow in your garden right away!
Japanese Tree Lilac, 5 gallon @ $60 (was $140)
Compact, water-wise patio/accent tree, very showy large ivory flower clusters, cherry-like bark, cold-hardy to Zone 3
Snowdance Tree Lilac, courtesy FirstEditions
Snowdance Tree Lilac, 15 gallon @ $80 (was $140)[Read More]
