Some people repeat Ralph W. Emerson, saying “A weed is a plant whose virtues remain undiscovered.” But although I appreciate that many weeds do have virtues, I doubt that many gardeners would accept that definition as the final word. Most of us have had extensive experience with Bindweed, Thistle, Goathead, Ragweed, Dandelion and Cheat Grass; not to mention some aggressive natives like Whiplash Daisy, Wood’s Rose and Hairy Goldenaster; and certain herbs like mints, Comfrey and Sweet Grass. So in talking about managing weeds non-toxically, the main point seems to be: How can we keep certain plants under control?[Read More]
MANAGING WEEDS WITHOUT POISONS by Mikl Brawner
BUILDING TOPSOIL AND SOIL FERTILITY by Mikl Brawner
“Where can I get some good topsoil?” That’s a question I hear frequently at our nursery. And I often look wistfully towards the plains and say, only half-jokingly, “You can get good topsoil about 800 miles east of here.” That’s where I grew up, in Iowa, and where two tomato plants feed a family of six. It’s not that local suppliers are trying to deceive us when they sell Colorado clay as topsoil; it’s just that the glaciers didn’t dump three feet of loam on top of our clay.[Read More]
Virtually Touring Local Gardens
For over a quarter century Harlequin’s Gardens has shared plants, Eco-products, and advice for organic methods of gardening with our community. We are proud of the success so many have had and have wanted to share their results! So, we’ve created Harlequin’s Virtual Garden Tour for our community to share not just photos of their gardens but also a little about gardening goals, styles and experiences–especially sustainable approaches. [Read More]
Recycle your Planting Trays, Pots & Bags
Clear your shed and help us out!
Since Harlequin’s Gardens began in 1992, we’ve been dedicated to sustainability. In general, this means providing plants that are well adapted to Colorado conditions so they will be successful with less water, fertilizers and pest management. But Sustainability is also reusing existing products, helping to reduce new plastics being introduced into the system. Over the years, Harlequin’s Gardens has constructed 50% of our structures with recycled materials, we reuse and recycle nursery trays, pots, and our clear soil product bags, and we make compost with our biodiesel tractor! [Read More]
It’s Okay to Prune Now
Important techniques
All spring we have been advising you not to prune out branches without leaves yet. After last October’s flash freeze and this March’s freeze of the new leaves, it was important to give shrubs, trees and roses time for a second set of leaves to come out before removing wood. By now we should be seeing new green leaves forming if the wood is still alive.
So now we can prune away any branches that are not leafing out. Do cut back to a leafed-out branch or sprout; don’t leave a stub. Some evergreens may still be looking very brown. Look closely to see if tiny leaves are forming amongst the brown ones. Use a broom or gloved-hand to brush away dead needles. If you start removing branches from a conifer it may never look good again, so if you see any green, give it a chance. [Read More]
Inter-dependence Day
We will be closed Saturday, July 4 for Inter-dependence Day.
It is clear that we have achieved our independence from England. We don’t really have to celebrate that anymore.
The next goal and success might be to understand and cultivate an awareness of our inter-dependence with all the peoples of our planet as well as an inter-connectedness with all the life forms that create a healthy, vital ecosystem-community.
The “self-made man” ideal and the “us versus them” point of view are really not realistic in the 21st Century. Our successful evolution and survival depend on a bigger, global, more inclusive, and more interconnected view.
BUZZZZ …. It’s Pollinator Week!
Pollinator week is a special time for Harlequin’s Gardens – a time when we can 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! Our perennial signage is marked with bee, hummingbird, and butterfly icons, but almost everything is important to bees, of which we have over 500 species here in Boulder County alone. Even our native bunch grasses can provide nesting sites for bumblebees in the dried leaves at the bottom. [Read More]
Watermelon Dreams
(and Winter Squash, Canteloupe, Honeydew, and Pumpkin, too!)
Do you love the sweet fruits and vegetables of late summer as much as we do? Well then, PLANT THEM NOW! We’ve got the heat now, which they thrive on. To develop those natural sugars, these crops take more time to mature than many other veggies, mostly between 70 and 100 days from seeding. We’ve saved you some time by growing starts, LOTS of them, and most of the varieties we’ve chosen will mature relatively early.
All are open-pollinated unless otherwise indicated. Our selection includes:[Read More]
Prime Time for Selecting Roses
The shelves in our Rose section are ablaze with colorful and fragrant blooms, which you can smell, see, touch, select and plant now!
Hardy roses are a long-standing specialty of our nursery, which provides the region’s largest selection of roses grown on their own roots. You may have thought all roses were difficult to grow and ‘high maintenance’, but we’d like to show you that roses can be very successful in Colorado with very little maintenance. An important key to rose survival lies in growing them on their own roots. This means that instead of being grafted onto a standard ‘root-stock’, the roses are grown from cuttings that are allowed to grow their own roots. Why is this important? [Read More]
The History of Harlequin’s Gardens
In October of 2018, we were asked by the Rocky Mt. Chapter of the Rock Garden Society to give a program that would include a history of Harlequin’s Gardens. Mikl has been a member of that excellent organization since the mid-1980s and so he composed and presented this playful and humorous account of the evolution of our nursery. We think you will enjoy it!
A Not-so-BRIEF HISTORY OF HARLEQUIN’S GARDENS
Harlequin’s Gardens has just completed our 26th year in business. It’s practically a miracle. We were able to get our start and have survived this long because of some remarkable circumstances, some remarkable people, a genuine vision, strong determination, and just plain luck.
In the beginning, my ignorance kept me from knowing the depth of the hole I was digging myself into. I had no idea of how complex and all-consuming the nursery business can be. But it wasn’t all ignorance; I was smart too. Early on, I joined the Rock Garden Society, and later I married Eve Reshetnik. But I’m getting ahead of the story. [Read More]
Edible Flowers
Incorporating edible flowers in your cuisine not only adds visual appeal, but also can offer high nutritional value and great flavors. Edible flowers have been used for millennia in many cultures to enhance everything from salad to beer and wine. A quick internet query on “ancient edible flower recipes” revealed many results. It could be a fun family event to recreate a heritage recipe!
The flavor of many flowers is improved by removing the sexual parts – stamens, anthers and pistils. And, you will notice how a flowers’ flavor can vary as the plant ages throughout the season, and with variations in the soil, and climate (think terroir!) [Read More]
Protecting New Plantings in Hot Weather
The best time of day to plant your new vegetable starts, or any other container-grown plants, is after sundown, when the temperature has decreased a bit and the sunlight is not direct. Avoid planting in windy conditions, which can desiccate the fragile plant. If you plant in the evening, plants will have all night and early morning to make some adjustment to their new homes.
We have found that applying mycorrhizae to the roots while planting vastly improves a plant’s ability to adapt successfully. You can use either a granular or water-soluble form.[Read More]
Who Knew?
We couldn’t be happier to see so many people taking up gardening this spring! We can’t think of a healthier, more nourishing occupation (on many levels!) to engage in while spending a lot more time at home, especially with kids. We continue to do all we can to supply you with plants, soil-building products and other gardening supplies. Yet we know there will be some disappointments as we run out of some items prematurely.
But we have to tell you that this great surge in demand was not anticipated; not by us, not by our suppliers, and not by their suppliers either! [Read More]
Hippety Hop …. Right into your garden!
Have you found that rabbits are becoming more rampant?
Due to habitat reduction and fewer predators, many people are seeing more rabbits in their garden. Here are tactics that can help you.
- Strategically place deterrent plants among your more delectable plants. These include: very aromatic plants; prickly and spiny plants; tough, leathery leaves; toxic plants; and milky sap plants. (Ask to see our rabbit-resistant and deterrent list at the Nursery.)
- Newly transplanted plants are especially vulnerable and need extra structural protections or odor repellents (below).
- Cultural controls include removing protective cover such as brush piles where rabbits may hide. Remember, open space often makes animals more vulnerable to predators.
- Chicken wire fencing can be fairly effective if buried 4-8″ under the soil and at least 2′ high – although Eve reports rabbits jumping over 3′ high wire!
Many odor repellents can be helpful, including our non-toxic Plantskyyd (in liquid and pellet forms), and Bobbex liquid concentrate or ready-to-use spray. Although non-toxic, you may not want to use these products on edibles. Also, remember to reapply according to directions taking into account current precipitation and irrigation rates.
Harlequin’s has the Best Customers!
THANK YOU!
We’ve all been through a lot of challenges together in the 28 years since Harlequin’s Gardens first opened: drought, watering restrictions, flood, the advent of genetically engineered seeds and foods and neonicotinoid systemic pesticides, wars overseas, wildlife extinctions, immigration bans, political divisiveness, economic crises, increased crowding and traffic, rising costs and stagnant wages, rising obesity and auto-immune disorders, alarming gun violence, the COVID-19 pandemic, increased stress altogether…….. [Read More]
Shrub and Tree Recovery Fertilizers and Mineral Supplements
AGE OLD ORGANICS DRY BLENDS
Grow Formula: 8-4-1. a naturally based, high nitrogen blend of nutrients, including 1% calcium, which are slowly converted by soil microbes into plant available forms. Grow Formula is an excellent nutrient addition to potting mixes or soils and can be used as a top dressing on existing gardens and lawns.
Support Tree and Shrub Recovery
The ancient proverb “March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers” could be revised for Colorado as “March and April heavy snow, freezing temps, and strong winds bring forth May flowers”! And this year was no exception. Two recent cold snaps with temperatures reaching lows of 3 degrees F in our neighborhood, snows up to 36” in the foothills, and winds that will bring down any weak tree branches, wreaked havoc and impacted flower and fruit productivity. So now it’s time to help support our shrubs and trees to recover.
The most influential factor in this process is soil biology, which is activated by warmth in the soil. [Read More]
Solar Cap Step-by-Step Demo
We love Solar Caps, and so do our tomato starts! Solar Caps consist of a sturdy welded galvanized steel wire frame that lasts for years, over which you drape the water-filled plastic bag that comes with the kit. By positioning the Solar Cap where your tomato (or other warm-season veggies) will be planted, in 5-7 days your soil will be warm enough for planting (55+ F). Following planting, Solar Caps form a personal greenhouse for your veggies, which improves growth throughout the season and won’t tip over or collapse. They protect plants from drastic spring temperature fluctuations and from nightly cooling. We leave the Solar caps on our tomatoes though the season, enlarging the opening in the top from a small slit at first to a fully open circle when plants have put on height and weather is consistently warm. We’ve had great success using them for many years and regularly plant our tomatoes by April 15!
Follow Eve as she sets-up her own Solar Cap:
1-Place the wire cage on the desired spot, pressing the legs firmly into the soil so the bottom ring sits on the soil surface. [Read More]
This Week’s Plan
Designated as an essential Food Production and Agriculture business by Boulder County and the State of Colorado, Harlequin’s Gardens is open every Thursday through Sunday, 9am to 5 pm. We take this privilege seriously and do not want to contribute to the spread of COVID-19. We are working hard to keep our space as safe as possible (sanitizing, limiting numbers of customers in our store, wearing face masks) and we need the support of our community. When you come to Harlequin’s Gardens, we ask that you wear a face mask to protect yourself and others, and practice social distancing. Thank you![Read More]
Mother Nature Marches On
We’re wearing our masks, keeping our distance, disinfecting, etc. It couldn’t be more obvious that we are all connected by the air we breathe in and the biology we breathe out and share through what we touch. It’s not all bad. The microbes in our guts are responsible for helping digest our food and supporting our immune system. Not only that, but 90% of the cells in our bodies are microbe cells, and only 10% are human cells. Kinda makes ya think.
Launching On-Line Ordering!
It wasn’t too long ago when Harlequin’s Gardens only accepted cash (and we would extend credit to those customers who didn’t have cash with them). And now here we are, only accepting credit cards to help minimize contact and maximize social distancing. (Thankfully we had set-up our credit card system a few years ago.) We’re continuing to evolve by introducing on-line orders! Who would have thought?
Our Order On-Line Page lists all of our big-bag soil products (composts, fertilizers, potting soils, mulches). Each product has a link to description information, our current inventory count, along with a link to order your desired[Read More]
Open for Business
HARLEQUIN’S GARDENS IS
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Harlequin’s Gardens will be open this week and hopefully longer. We are disinfecting and keeping a 6’ distance from each other, and only allowing 4 people at a time into our store. And we have plenty of unscented soap to wash your hands. Please help us maintain these precautions. If even one of our staff gets sick, we may have to close our doors.
There are some positive things we can do for our health, like getting exercise out in the fresh air and sunshine, and eating organic food fresh from the garden or our local farms. Get rest, meditate, pray, sleep, laugh a little. Just really do what we know is good for us. If we take good care of ourselves, we will be more capable of helping others.[Read More]
COVID-19
Harlequin’s Gardens and COVID-19
After much deliberation and soul searching, the staff of Harlequin’s Gardens has committed to staying open for as long as possible. We truly believe that we can provide a much-needed service to the community, now more than ever. Many people have asked us not to close: “Please don’t close Harlequin’s! Gardening is one of the few good things we can still do.” People depend on us for organic veggie starts, herbs, fruiting plants, and just plain beautiful, happy plants, all of which help support our physical and spiritual well-being. Plants, humans, animals, soil, can come together in the fresh air, sunshine, joy, exercise, and feeling of community that is gardening.[Read More]
Amish Paste
Heirloom, indeterminate, 85 days
Very meaty, rich, sweet flavor intensifies in sauces. Consistent taste test winner, fresh or cooked into sauce/paste. Makes “tomato candy” when dried! Droopy foliage is normal.
Botanical Iris
We’re open for the season March 5th!
Every Thursday to Sunday, 9am-5pm, in March
SPRINGing into Action! Can it really be Spring again (well, almost)? In sunny gardens the first treasures have already started blooming – Species Crocus, Botanical Iris, our native Townsendia hookeri (Easter Daisy), ‘Christmas Rose’ Hellebore, with many more to follow soon, including Snowdrops, species Tulips, early Daffodils, Glory of the Snow, miniature bearded Iris, more Crocus, and many more!
It’s not quite time to plant outdoors yet, but it is time to start peppers, tomatoes and eggplants indoors. [Read More]
https://harlequinsgardens.com/open-for-the-season-march-5-every-thurs-to-sun-9am-5pm-in-march/
Seasonal Blooms for Bees’ Sake
Having plants that flower through the growing season are one of the best protections for helping bees (and other beneficial insects) to survive and thrive. Early and Late bloomers are especially important and ideally there will be always something in bloom. To help you achieve this we’ve prepared the guide below. Bloom time varies by variety, by year, by sun exposure, by elevation, and by soil type and moisture. [Read More]
Seed Dreaming
By Eve Reshetnik Brawner
“Every day, millions upon millions of seeds lift their two green wings” (Janisse Ray)
(Okay, if it’s a ‘monocot’, it only lifts one green wing, but we can allow a bit of poetic license)
I love seeds. They’ve fascinated me since early childhood. Some of my earliest memories involve examining maple samaras, sycamore balls, acorns and pine cones, and planting peas and Sweet Alyssum and lima beans in cut-off milk cartons on the kitchen windowsill. I am still in awe of the power packed into a seed. [Read More]
Holiday Gift Market
At Harlequin’s Gardens we always knew that nurseries in Colorado are seasonal, but our commitment to local, sustainable, high quality, beautiful, delightful, unusual and innovative is eternal. One of our owners, Eve Reshetnik Brawner, also happened to be a multi genre artist with artisan friends making amazing items without enough ways to sell them. So nine years ago we germinated the idea of a Holiday Gift Market that would not only provide our cherished customers with items that reflected the reputation we’ve tended with our outstanding nursery stock and sustainable garden center items, but would also keep our dedicated and amazing staff working in the off-season.
The market has flourished under Eve’s care and every year new artisans bloom and are discovered, while like a favorite perennial, beloved returning artisans continue to intrigue us and bring forth new delights, too. So regardless of whether you’ve been coming since that very first opening weekend or have yet to discover the most rewarding, enjoyable and entertaining place to shop for your holiday gifts (or yourself) please join us![Read More]
Botanical Interests 2022 Desk Calendar – NEW!
The award-winning design of Botanical Interests’ desk calendar is botanically inspired, with beautiful illustrations, by LOCAL artists, of their newly introduced varieties. Consider it a little window into your garden with space for keeping garden notes on the back of the tent.
This is one of their most requested items, as they are handy as well as beautiful, and make excellent gifts!
Engrid’s Luxury Socks, Leg Warmers & Boot Cuffs – Harlequin’s Exclusive!
Our own Engrid Winslow hand knits these soft, warm and beautiful wool socks in washable wool/poly blend and Pashmina yarns, in lovely color blends with reinforced heels and toes, in sizes for women and men.
Quantities are limited – the early bird gets the socks!
Native Plants We Often Have for Sale
These are native plants that we often have for sale. Availability does change every year, but we grow and buy a wide variety of natives because they are so successful in our gardens.
KEY: t = tree, s = shrub, v = vine, gr = grass, gc = ground cover, p = perennial,
b = biennial, a = annual
Abronia fragrans (Sand Verbena) (p)
Acer glabrum (Rocky Mt. Maple) (t)
Acer grandidentatum (Bigtooth Maple) (t)
Achillea lanulosa (Native White Yarrow) (p)
Agastache cana (Hummingbird Mint) (p)
Agave parryi (Hardy Century Plant) (s)[Read More]
Native Plants In Harlequin’s Gardens Display Gardens
Achillea lanulosa (Achillea millefolium var. lanulosa) (Yarrow)
Agave havardii (Havard’s Century Plant)
Agave parryi neomexicana (New Mexico Century Plant)
Amelanchier alnifolia (Serviceberry)
Amorpha canescens (Leadplant)
Amorpha fruticosa (False Indigo)[Read More]
Eve Weaves – Harlequin’s Exclusive!
Eve has been weaving for several years now, satisfying her fiber addiction and design aptitude by weaving distinctive scarves from unique and unusual natural-fiber yarns. She has designed many of her scarves to feature locally handspun and hand dyed yarns, often from local farms raising alpacas, llamas and sheep.
Eve enjoys working with materials that have a story. Some of her yarn is even from animals raised by Harlequin’s Gardens’ own custom propagator. Her collection includes soft, warm, one-of-a-kind scarves for both women and men, made on a small rigid heddle table loom.
Cultura Chocolate
A Denver-based, micro-batch, bean-to-bar artisan chocolate, Cultura is produced in Denver and woman-owned. They use only beans from ethically sourced and organic cacao farms in Latin America, which they hand sort, crack, roast, winnow, grind, conche, temper and mold to bring out the richest aromas and flavors and the smoothest textures.
We are offering their superlative chocolate bars in multiple flavors and sizes, as well as their delicious Mexican style Sipping Chocolate!
Dr. Brawner’s Healing Aftershave – Harlequin’s Exclusive!
Formulated and made in Boulder by ‘the doctor’ himself (Mikl Brawner), from 99% pure Aloe Vera Gel, with cold-pressed, organic Rosehip Seed Oil; 100% pure Jojoba Oil, and 32,000 IU Vitamin E Oil, along with essential oils of Lavender, Vetiver, and Rose. That’s all. No alcohol, nothing synthetic, non-greasy. All the ingredients are natural plant products, chosen for their skin-healing qualities. The steam-distilled Rose Oil is a powerful anti-viral and antiseptic. The other ingredients are good for healing burns and dry and damaged skin, inflammation, wrinkles. They are moisturizing and uplifting to the spirits.
Mikl has made and used this formula for more than 15 years to heal his Irish skin from the abrasion of shaving and the drying effects of the Colorado sun (and keep him looking youthful and handsome!). And it smells wonderful (and it’s not just for men!).
Indigo Blues Napkins – NEW!
Eve’s friend Sue Hagedorn is a Longmont fiber artist. She has brought us an assortment of beautiful indigo-dyed napkins, scarves and recycled clothing.
An Anchorage, AK native, she became interested in indigo dyeing at a workshop there and was drawn to its healing and quiet contemplative properties. She has explored dyeing with a variety of natural materials on natural fiber fabrics, table linens, clothing and paper of all kinds. Sue and Longmont artist Stephanie Hilvitz share their passion for indigo and eco-dying by offering wonderful workshops; their latest one is about natural dyeing with materials from the forest floor. She can be contacted at iowacreek@nullhotmail.com .
Julie Neri Pottery
Years ago, Julie and Eve were classmates at the Boulder Potters Guild. Her passion for clay subsequently led her to create her own home studio in Longmont, where she applies her hand-building skills and sense of whimsy to making delightful decorative and functional pieces.
Now a Guild member and a teacher there, Julie says “I am drawn to texture and find my roots coming through in my work. I am inspired by nature and by the patterns of repetition: the simplicity of a house, the design formed by bicycle gears, the delicate texture in a leaf, the rolling rocks in a rambling stone wall, and the ridges on a sea turtle’s shell.”
Kathleen Lanzoni Artwork
Back by popular demand! Notecards of vibrant paintings by renowned Boulder watercolor artist and muralist Kathleen Lanzoni feature local landscapes and floral subjects. This year Kathleen will also offer some of her giclee prints and several original paintings.
Kathleen has been the recipient of numerous awards, especially for her plein air paintings (painted from life on-site, not in the studio). She is also a wonderful painting teacher and mentor.
Kelly Manley Pastel Paintings – Harlequin’s Exclusive!
Kelly is a font of creativity: writer, singer, painter, and more. This year, Kelly has been able to devote a lot of time to honing her skills in a life-long passion, pastel painting, and we reap the benefits! We offer some of her smaller pieces, mostly local Boulder County landscapes.
Haystack Gardens Fruit Preserves – Harlequin’s Exclusive!
Many of you already know that our own Engrid Winslow makes jams and jellies that make you close your eyes and sigh with pleasure. She uses fresh fruit, (local and organic whenever possible) and very little sugar, so the fruit flavors shine. She makes the classics as well as many delicious originals, like Pear with Vanilla Bean, and Blueberry Lemonade, to name just a couple.
You’ll find delicious uses for Engrid’s preserves, in breakfasts, hors d’oeuvres, salad dressings, glazes, and desserts. This years flavors include Apricot, Apricot & Cocoa Nibs, Apricot Rosemary, Berry Blend, Black Raspberry, Ginger Peach Marmalade, Green Tomato Apple Chutney, Hot Pepper Jelly, Marionberry, Peach, Pear & Vanilla Bean, Raspberry Peach, Santa Rosa Plum, Sour Cherry, Strawberry, and Strawberry Rhubarb,!
Indigo Blues Shibori & Eco-dyed Clothing – NEW!
Eve’s friend Sue Hagedorn is a Longmont fiber artist. She has brought us an assortment of beautiful indigo-dyed napkins, scarves, lace shawls, and recycled clothing.
An Anchorage, AK native, she became interested in indigo dyeing at a workshop there and was drawn to its healing and quiet contemplative properties. She has explored dyeing with a variety of natural materials on natural fiber fabrics, table linens, clothing and paper of all kinds. Sue and Longmont artist Stephanie Hilvitz share their passion for indigo and eco-dying by offering wonderful workshops; their latest one is about natural dyeing with materials from the forest floor. She can be contacted at iowacreek@nullhotmail.com .
Pebble Art Jewelry
Eve discovered Pebble Art Jewelry when she was lured into their little shop by an arresting display of jewelry made from ancient Roman glass. This year Kate Head brings us wonderful pieces featuring fragments of 1200 year old Roman era glass from the Mediterranean region in gorgeous shades of blues, greens and iridescent pearl combined with modern styling, and at very reasonable prices.
She will also bring a variety of lovely pieces with semi-precious and other natural stones. Pebble is located at 7980 Niwot Road next door to the Niwot Market.
Khala Cloths
We love using Khala cloths, the original Beeswax Wraps in the US. They are the creation of Asa and Tamar McKee, who now reside in Boulder, where they produce their environmentally responsible alternatives to plastic wrap and plastic bags. Khala Cloths can be used to cover and seal a bowl of left-overs, and make the best wrapping for keeping cheeses, breads and vegetables fresh longer.
Every Khala Cloth comes in zero waste packaging and the cloth used is organic cotton and hemp grown in North America – no bleaching, no chemicals! Khala Cloths will have a long life (several years) when properly cared for.
Renee’s Glass Jewelry
Artisan Renée McDougall of Longmont became interested in crafting with glass while working at the Stained Glass Supply Company. At her home studio, she works mostly in fused glass, a process that can take up to 11 hours from start to finish.
We have her fun and very affordable earrings and hair ornaments, both popular stocking-stuffers every year!
Retuned Jewelry
Retuned Jewelry makes striking, stylish bracelets, earrings and necklaces for gals and guys from repurposed, used guitar strings. Did you know that because of the various alloys used to make guitar strings, they are extremely difficult to recycle? At least 700 tons of strings end up in the dump every year. Retuned works with local musicians and music shops to collect used strings that would have otherwise been thrown away. Their jewelry, made by Christina Lacey and her husband in Frederick CO, gives these hard-working strings new life and allows their stories to live on. We think they are a perfect fit for our Holiday Gift Market, don’t you?
Christina says “Music has always been a big part of our lives. When we started Retuned, one of our goals was to be able to give back to the community that has meant so much to us. The Blue Star Connection mission is to provide access and ownership of musical instruments for children and young adults with cancer and other serious life challenges. We’re happy to say, with your help, we are able to help support Blue Star Connection.”
Nature Anatomy Puzzles – NEW!
Piece together a fascinating visual exploration of the natural world. Featuring illustrations from Julia Rothman’s best-selling book Nature Anatomy, this jigsaw puzzle will open your eyes to new ways of seeing earth and sky, flora and fauna. With each of the 500 pieces you put in place, nature’s wonders unfold: the crystalline structure of a single snowflake, the different types of feathers on a bird, a constellation of stars. A distinctive blend of art and science, this sweeping study of the universe will delight, educate, and enlighten.
Also offered is the Nature Anatomy: Birds Puzzle, a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle featuring a selection of Rothman’s colorful illustrations of birds, nests, feathers, and more. These make great gifts for nature enthusiasts, design fans, homeschooling families, and curious learners of all ages.
Lois Edgar Cards & Ceramics
Lois Edgar is a longtime member of the Boulder Potters Guild. She has been exploring techniques with clay for many years and has developed a style that is both earthy and charming. Many of her pieces are embellished with her delightful paintings of chickadees, owls, quail, horses, and other birds and wildlife.
This year we feature her porcelain wares and salt-fired pieces.
Puzzles from Maia Toll’s Wild Wisdom series – NEW!
Enlightening, illuminating and visually extravagant, Maia Toll’s Wild Wisdom series sheds light on the magic and mystery that abounds in the natural world — animal, vegetable and mineral, and features the opulent art of Kate O’Hara. We are offering two of the stunning 750-piece puzzles from O’Hara’s fabulous illustrations.
Lynn Mattingly Quilts
Our dear friend Lynn Mattingly is a renowned fiber artist and has been practicing and teaching quilting for decades. An exceptional sense of color-combining, a fabulous collection of fabrics and a mastery of design and craftsmanship combine to make Lynn’s work really special. We love seeing her beautiful potholders hanging on our stove, and they have held up in our kitchen for a very long time. Sturdy and machine-washable, they are not only gorgeous but also practical.
This year we offer her Baby Quilts, Quilted Potholders, Table-Runners, and Eyeglass cases, and Peace Garlands. Lynn lives just over the hills in Paonia, CO.
Gardening Tools
Plants are, of course, the main thing every gardener wants in their garden. But to garden, one also needs some tools, and the quality of those tools makes a BIG difference in the comfort, ease, and speed of getting those garden chores done. Durability, reliability, precision, and ergonomic design don’t generally come cheap. A quality handsaw or pole-saw, a pair of pruning shears, loppers or hedge-trimmers will, with a little maintenance, last a lifetime.
Did someone you love just plant a home orchard? A berry patch? A new landscape? They’re going to need some good tools, and we’ve got them!