• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Harlequins Gardens

Harlequins Gardens

Boulder's specialist in well-adapted plants

We’re Open for the Season! Thursday – Sunday 9 – 5 in March!

Gift Memberships & Gift Certificates  – available online!
See our seasonal hours and address, below.

Read our latest e-newsletter!

 

FacebookPinterestInstagram
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Staff
    • Display Gardens
    • Why the Name “Harlequin’s” Gardens?
    • Sustainability
    • Policy on Pesticides Including Neonicotinoids
    • Careers
  • What We Offer
    • Products
    • Plants
    • Gift Certificates
    • Membership
  • Plants
    • Annuals
    • Bulbs
    • Fruits
    • Groundcovers
    • Herbs
    • Natives
    • Ornamental Grasses
    • Perennials
      • Plants for Pollinators List
    • Roses
    • Vegetables
      • Tomato Starts
      • Pepper Starts
      • Other Vegetable Starts
      • Fall Vegetable Starts
      • Garlic
    • Xeriscape
  • Resources
    • Mikl’s Articles
    • Handouts
    • Newsletters
    • Links
  • Garden Tours
    • Virtual Garden Tours
    • Submit Your Garden!
  • Events
  • Classes
  • Blog
  • Wholesale
    • Wholesale Mailing List Sign Up
    • Who Qualifies
    • Wholesale Availability
  • Contact
Home | Blog

Blog

HARLEQUIN’S GARDENS 2023 SPRING NEWSLETTER

Dear Friends and Fellow Gardeners,

Welcome to Spring, to Harlequin’s Gardens and to another opportunity to mix your molecules with soil biology and partner with nature. Those of us who garden reap tremendous benefits, no matter how experienced or inexperienced we are. It’s no wonder gardeners are healthier and more cheerful.

          The 21st Century is an exciting time to be gardening because we are outgrowing the petroleum mentality of solving food and landscaping problems with chemicals and poisons. We are learning how to support Life with biological solutions. It is said that we are now in the Age of Biology because our biggest problems are biological and our most successful solutions are biological. And the United Nations has designated 2021-2030 the “Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.” Some people aren’t paying attention, but a lot of us have already assumed the job of helping to heal our environment, our people and our planet. Every act of kindness, of support, of nurturing and sharing, helps to uplift some pollinator, some frog, some bird, some microbe, some child, some hungry person, or somebody just like you.

[Read More]

TOMATO OFFERINGS – 2023 Spring Newsletter

A Few New & ‘New Again’ TOMATOES:  Offering 73 varieties!

BURRELL’S SPECIAL – New Again! 70-75 days, Hybrid, Determinate
A very productive and ‘picture perfect’ large red salad/slicer tomato developed by Burrell’s seed company of Rocky Ford, CO. The flattened globe fruits average 8 oz, 3” x 2.5”, and have excellent sweet, balanced flavor, plump, meaty texture and small cores, good heat tolerance, and demonstrated ability to set fruit in hot weather. Vines grow to 4’.

 

CASCADE VILLAGE BLUE – New Again!   75 days, Open-Pollinated, Indeterminate
This lovely indigo saladette type tomato holds well on and off the vine, is beautiful, and tastes great, too. Dark purple-skinned, 3 oz globes ripen to red on the bottom, with a red star shape that forms under the calyx, common to indigo tomatoes. Flesh is red, foliage has a dark purple tinge.

Dr. WYCHE’s YELLOW – New Again!   80 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate
Dr. Wyche’s has been away too long! One of the great heirloom tomatoes featured in Dr. Carolyn Male’s book ‘100 Heirloom Tomatoes’. The yellow fruits are large (up to 1 lb), slightly flattened globes, with very richly flavored flesh , fruity and complex, meaty and blemish-free. When completely ripe, they are golden-orange.

FLAMING BURST – New!    70 days, Open-pollinated, Indeterminate
These crack-resistant, 1oz, 1.25 x 1.75”, golden orange fruits look like a cross between a pear tomato and a cherry tomato, in clusters on a steadily productive plant. Meaty but not dense; juicy and sweet but tangy, not insipid, with the  flavor and nuance that so many yellow pears tomatoes lack. The high-yielding plants grow to a manageable 4′ tall.

JERSEY DEVIL– New!   85 days, Open-pollinated, Indeterminate
Jersey Devil is a brilliant red, very prolific heirloom paste-type variety shaped like a plump banana pepper. These sweet and richly flavored, 4 to 6” tomatoes are solid and very meaty, great for making into sauces and salsas, and even eating fresh, and have very few seeds. Vines grow 3’ to 5’ tall, , fruits can be colossal! They yield very heavily.

LARGE RED CHERRY – New!   75-80 days, Open-pollinated, Indeterminate
This famous 19th century cross between a smaller currant-type wild tomato and a domesticated garden tomato bears clusters of sweet, juicy, bright red 1″ to 1.25” diameter round fruits over a long season on tall, vigorous vines. Ideal for salads, stuffing, and snacking.  

MOUNTAIN DELIGHT – New!    70 days, Hybrid, Determinate
One of the Mountain series developed by NC State University and similar to Mountain Fresh and Mountain Spring, but plants are more compact with higher yields. Bright red flattened globes weigh 10 oz. and are firm and flavorful, great for salads, slicing and sandwiches. Healthy determinate vines grow to 3 to 5’ tall and are resistant to many diseases.

ORANGE KING – New Again!   65 days. Open-pollinated, Semi-Determinate
One of the earliest full-size tomatoes to ripen and one of the best producers of tennis-ball-size, very meaty, bright orange globes that can weigh up to ¾ lb. Blemish-free  fruit grow on stocky 3’ bushes that are easy to cage. An excellent short-season slicing variety, it has great low-acid, sweet, fruity flavor. This Orange King was bred by Tim Peters

PINK BUMBLE BEE – New!   65-70 days, Open-pollinated, Indeterminate
Recently bred by Artisan Seeds to perform under tough conditions, these gorgeous, streaked cherry
tomatoes hang in trusses of pinks, yellows and oranges. Vigorous, tall vines  yield loads of crack-resistant fruit over a very long season; bright, sweet flavor; tolerates cool nights and hot days.

SUNRAY – New! 75 days, Open-Pollinated, Indeterminate                                                                                                             The beautiful golden orange, blemish-free, 6 to 9oz fruits have a meaty texture and rich, sweet and tangy flavor, said to rival the best reds and perfect for salads, sandwiches, slicing or canning. Vigorous, leafy, high-yielding vines have strong resistance to Fusarium wilt. They are known to be very drought-tolerant and thrive in hot, dry climates.

Returning Varieties: ‘Anasazi’, Aunt Ruby’s German Green, Big Rainbow, Black from Tula, Black Krim, Black Prince, Black Sea Man, Cherokee Purple, Chianti Rose, Dona, Gold Medal, Italian Heirloom, Moskvitch, Pink Brandywine (Sudduth), Pruden’s Purple, Striped German, Burrell’s Special, chocolate Cherry, Isis Candy, Juliet, Large Red Cherry, Lemon Drop, Matt’s Wild Cherry, Mexico Midget, SunGold, Supersweet 100, Tommy Toe, Gold Nugget, Red Robin, Stupice, Tasmanian Chocolate, Tidy Treats, Tumbling Tom Yellow, Cuor di Bue, Martino’s Roma, Native Sun, Jaune Flamme, Principe Borghese, San Marzano Redorta, Blush, Garden Peach, Glacier, Green Zebra, Indigo Apple, Floradade, Better Boy, Bella Rosa, Bush Early Girl, Carmello, Chocolate Stripes, Cosmonaut Volkov, Orange King, Sasha’s Altai, Azoychka, Black Truffle, Paul Robeson, Pink Berkeley Tie Dye, Taxi, Thessaloniki, Super Sioux (Lakota).

Hold off on Spring Cleanup and Build a Strong Backyard Ecosystem

Praying Mantis Egg Case

It’s the time of year when we’re itching to begin planting for the season and preparing for this year’s growth. But hold onto those shears! We know that regeneration is occurring in our soil, with microbes and  overwintering insects. Delaying Spring cleanup for another few weeks will ensure a healthy, vibrant ecosystem that best supports your plants.  Here are tips for you to best help this process take place, while still having an aesthetically pleasing garden.  [Read More]

Plants You’ll Find In-Store this Week!

We’re excited to offer you some of the first plants of the season!

Cool season veggies and ornamentals are here! Our favorite varieties of Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Kale, Leeks, Onions, Shallots, Pansies and Violas!

[Read More]

Get Involved! 2023 Farm Bill

Every 5 years or so Congress has the opportunity to transform our food system by revising a piece of legislation known as the Farm Bill, which covers everything from supporting farmers to ensuring food security for all. Politicians and local and national advocacy organizations are working to determine how nearly a billion dollars a year will be spent. You can help!

 

 

[Read More]

New Year’s Greeting!

January sun on the gardenTwo quotations greet me every morning, posted on our bathroom mirror: “Tell me. What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” (poet Mary Oliver) and “I wake up each morning torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. This makes it very hard to plan the day.” (author/editor E. B. White). The first inspires me to define my priorities, while the second, which perfectly describes my daily dilemma, allows me a little slack and sense of humor in the midst of my personal chaos and the chaos of life on Earth in this time. Perhaps you can take some inspiration and comfort from them, too.

 

[Read More]

Save The Date For March Classes

Classes

Classes in the greenhouse

Looking forward to spring gardening? Harlequin’s Gardens is bringing together the area’s most experienced and beloved educators to help you take your gardening to the next level. Classes fill up quickly, so save these dates for the first classes of 2023. Beginning in March you’ll learn about planting for climate change and the environment, the ins and outs of seed saving and propagation,Permaculture, and native pollinators. We can’t wait to see you! (Registration opens later in January!)

 

[Read More]

Join the Harlequin Family! 2023 Job Opportunities

Harlequin’s Gardens has Two Positions to fill for our 2023 Season!

When applying, please send a resume and a cover letter sharing why you think you’re a good fit for the position at Harlequin’s Gardens. Please indicate the Position you are applying for in the email subject line. Send to: staff@nullharlequinsgardens.com

If you know of someone who may be interested in one of these positions, please share this with them. To become more familiar with our nursery, view our website.

Our nursery provides a busy, fun and stimulating educational work environment. We’re looking for positive, energetic and dedicated, earth- minded folks who love plants, love people, learn fast, and are dedicated to an organic approach, and want to be part of a successful eco-nursery with a great reputation. Our seasonal positions are great opportunities to learn in a friendly, healthy atmosphere. Experience in nursery or other plant-related work and/or studies is greatly preferred but most important is your can-do attitude, organic commitment and friendly demeanor.

CASHIER
We are looking for someone who loves people and loves plants, is good natured, patient, and detail-oriented, and has experience with Square POS or a similar system. The ideal candidate will be able to stand for long periods of time, be content to work inside the store the majority of the time, be physically fit to lift heavy soil products based on customer needs, is a good listener, comfortable with the ever-changing needs in a sales and retail environment, reliable and team-oriented. If this speaks to you please apply!

Ideally, we are seeking a Full-time team member who could commit to Wednesday through Sunday, but we encourage you to apply if you are able to commit to one of the following two shifts:  Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday OR Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Please indicate which shifts you are applying for when you submit your cover letter and resume.

Full Time from mid-March through mid-June, 9am-5pm, $15.50 an hour (see preferred days and/or options above. Includes one full day of training. Possibility of continuing through end-of-season to be determined based on staffing needs.

SALES & CUSTOMER SERVICE + PRODUCT ORDERING/RECEIVING
A great opportunity to share your knowledge while assisting our wonderful customers with their selections of plants and products, while contributing to the sustainable success of our gardening community. The ideal candidate will have gardening and/or nursery experience (especially in our region), be able to stand for long periods of time, be content to work inside the store as well as outside regardless of weather, be physically fit to lift heavy product boxes as received including our heavy soil products, is a good listener, comfortable with the ever-changing needs in a sales and retail environment, have excellent communication skills, reliable and team-oriented. You will work closely with our Retail Manager to ensure success and vigilance in receiving and stocking our extensive line of products.  If this speaks to you and you feel excited just picturing yourself in this setting, please apply!

Part-time (4 days/wk) including one weekend day, from March, 2023, through October 2023. $15.50/hour. Includes one full day of training. 1 – 2 days per week may be spent on products. 

Harlequin’s Gardens, Celebrating 31 Sustainable Years, is a great place to learn about organic plant culture, native plants, fruits, and perennials etc. We have a fun and respectful atmosphere!

 

Thanks, Volunteers!

Gary Meis teaching

Gary Meis teaching

Last Saturday a group of dedicated plantspeople came in from the cold to learn and volunteer with Harlequin’s Gardens’ expert propagator Gary Meis. We’re passing a few of his native plant seeding and propagation tips along to you.

[Read More]

What’s Growing in our Greenhouses

Among the thousands of seedlings that we are propagating is a special new Plant Select® addition: Guernsey Green Juniper, WINDWALKER® Series (Juniperus horizontalis ‘Guernsey Green’).  [Read More]

GARDEN VEGGIES & HERBS – 2023 Newsletter

GARDEN VEGGIES & HERBS

We’re bringing you a fantastic selection this year!

ARTICHOKE: Imperial Star

ARUGULA: Wild, Astro (spring), Ice Bred (fall)

ASIAN GREENS: Tatsoi, Pak Choi, Mustards, Mizuna, Senposai, Shiso and more!

BROCCOLI: Fiesta, Nutribud, Aspabroc, Sorrento Broccoli Raab, Piracicaba

CAULIFLOWER: De Purple, Snow Crown

BRUSSEL SPROUTS: Speedia 

CABBAGE: Red Acre, Red Express, All Seasons

CELERY: Ventura 

CELERIAC: Brilliant

CUCUMBERS: Lemon, Marketmore 76, Armenian, Nat’l Pickling, Silver Slicer, Spacemaster 80, Shintokiwa, and more!

Lacinato Kale

KALE: True Siberian, Red Russian, Dinosaur/Lacinato, Dazzling Blue, White Russian, Baltisk Red, Dwarf Blue Curled, & more!

LETTUCE: Several varieties of each type – Leaf, Butterhead, Romaine, Oakleaf,  Batavian, Dwarf, Mixed, Mesclun

RHUBARB: Glaskins Perpetual, Victoria, Canada Red

SPINACH: Caucasian Climbing Perennial (Hablitzia tamnoides), Bloomsdale, Giant Nobel, Lavewa, & more!

SWISS CHARD: Bright Lights, Seafoam, Fordhook Giant, Perpetual Spinach, Ruby Red Rhubarb, Rainbow

MELON: Minnesota Midget, Tuscany, Noir des Carmes

PUMPKIN: Casper, Cherokee Bush, Cinderella, Jarrahdale, Winter Luxury

SUMMER SQUASH: Black Beauty, Costata Romanesca, Dirani, Cocozelle, Jackpot, White Bush Lebanese, Tromboncino, Jaune et Verte Scallop, Yellow Summer

WATERMELON: Early Moonbeam, Golden Midget, Sweet Dakota Rose, Sugar Baby

WINTER SQUASH: Kabocha, Stella Blue, Spaghetti, Uncle David’s Buttercup, Tuffy Acorn, Table Queen Acorn, Honeyboat Delicata, Sweet Dumpling, Butter Baby Butternut and more!

PLUS: Amaranth, Bulbing Fennel, Collards, Endive, Escarole, Ground Cherry, Kohlrabi, Okra, Tomatillo, Radicchio, Watercress & more!

And LOTS of HERBS, both Culinary, Medicinal – Many varieties of THYME, LAVENDER, BASIL, MINT, ROSEMARY, SAGE, OREGANO, CHIVES, plus Parsley, French Tarragon, Cilantro, Dill, Fennel, Lemon Balm, Lemon Thyme, Lime Balm, Marjoram,, Lemon Grass, Vietnamese Coriander, Pineapple Sage, Lemon Verbena, Borage, Savory, Lovage, Cutting Celery, Catnip, Calendula, Aloe, Greek Mountain Tea, Comfrey, Echinacea , Feverfew, Lobelia, Valerian, Motherwort, Mullein, Sweet Leaf, Lomatium, Hyssop, Anise Hyssop, Plantain, Clary Sage, Skullcap, Arnica, Sheep Sorrel, Self-Heal, Rue, Mugwort, Wormwood, and more.

Go to www.HarlequinsGardens.com/Plants/edibles/Vegetables  for excellent descriptions of the hundreds of varieties we offer!

We think we are so smart, in a clever way, but these plants have been breeding microbes for centuries which has resulted in wise evolutionary traits that they have developed.

Walter Goldstein, Mandaamin Institute

 

Warming Herbal Tea Recipe

Herbal Tea

Herbal Teas are some of the best home-grown medicines! This time of year infusions of herbs from Harlequin’s Gardens plants you’ve grown can keep you well, and warm.

[Read More]

Wonderful Winter Squash Recipe

Buttercup winter squash

Buttercup, one of the sweetest squash with dry, golden flesh.

This past season Harlequin’s offered several delicious varieties of pumpkin and winter squash, from arguably the finest tasting pie pumpkin, Winter Luxury, to Buttercup, Butternut and Kabocha.. With cold weather on the way, this week is the perfect time to try a nourishing recipe with your harvests (just in time for Thanksgiving!).

Here’s a recipe from Boulder’s Mitten Lowe and Journey to Wellness for Apple Cider-Glazed Butternut Squash. It’s sure to keep you warm from the inside out. [Read More]

PRODUCTS – 2023 Newsletter

VERY SPECIAL PRODUCTS TO BENEFIT YOUR SOIL LIFE & YOUR PLANT LIFE

Big Foot Mycorrhizae – combines 4 species of mycorrhizae with biochar, worm castings, seaweed, and rock minerals to provide a strong population of plant allies to bring water and nutrients. NEW

Endo Mycorrhizae – water soluble symbiotic fungus, inoculate roots to bring water and nutrients. Easy to use and very effective. Good for shrubs and trees, veggies too; dissolve in water, wet roots

Myke Vegetable and Herb–enhances growth, development & production; wet roots and dust on the powder or sprinkle in seed row to improve germination

[Read More]

We Dig Dahlias!

Dahlia Tubers

Freshly dug Dahlia tubers

For our Dahlia fans, there’s still time to dig and save your best-performing varieties from 2022 for next season. Our friends at Arrowhead Dahlias, Harlequin’s supplier of dahlia tubers, have easy instructions for harvesting your tubers.

Tuber Harvest:

After the first frost of the season, it is time to dig your dahlias.  Dahlia tubers will not survive if they freeze so they must be dug in cold climates, including Colorado. Dividing takes practice and patience, but it is well worth the hassle! [Read More]

POTATO, ONION and ASPARAGUS – 2023 Newsletter

POTATOES

Yellow Finn, Purple Majesty, Harvest Moon, Sangre (all certified seed potatoes from the San Luis Valley).

Potatoes should be coming in this week! Call before you come to be sure we have them!

 

 

ONIONS

In bundles – Patterson, Redwing, Walla Walla.

In pots – Ailsa Craig, Red Long of Tropea, Clear Dawn, Borrettano, Rosa di Milan, Walla Walla.

LEEKS: King Richard, Blue Solaise.

SHALLOTS: Crème Brulee, Zebrune.

 

ASPARAGUS

Jersey Knight – All-male hybrid with big spears, doesn’t produce seeds so doesn’t become weedy. Best selection for dense clay soils. Very productive & disease resistant. Cold-hardy to Zone 2 (5 crowns per bag)

Purple Passion – Beautiful deep burgundy spears with high sugar content and antioxidants. Delicious, tender, less fibrous, great raw, turns green when cooked (5 crowns per bag).

2023 Membership and Gift Certificates – Perfect Gifts

Still looking for the Perfect Gifts for Gardeners?

Gift Certificates and 2023 Memberships are sure to please this holiday season! We want to express our thanks and gratitude to all 2022 members, and to invite you to become a 2023 Member today.[Read More]

Theresa Haberkorn’s 2023 Calendars have arrived!

The 2023 calendar marks the eighteenth year that Boulder artist Theresa has been designing, carving and creating her block print scroll calendars. It has become an annual tradition for her to make the calendars, and for many people, a tradition to buy them for themselves and to give as gifts. The theme for this year is some of the many houseplants she, and many people have around their homes. [Read More]

Wearable Gifts and some Discounted Items! 

As the holiday giving season steadily approaches, we invite you to consider our very special selection of wearable local-artisan creations that range from practical to luxurious, including:

  • Handcrafted jewelry in many different materials and techniques, from silversmithing to ancient Roman glass beads, mosaic to semiprecious stones, colorful macrame and bead weaving, dichroic glass to recycled guitar strings, wood to wire. [Read More]

PERENNIALS – 2023 Spring Newsletter

Harlequin’s huge choice of pollinator-supporting Native Perennials-including:

Castilleja integra – Indian Paintbrush – Brilliant scarlet-orange early summer hummingbird magnet, challenging

Allium cernuum – Nodding Onion – 1’+ tall graceful, nodding scapes of light to deep pink flowers are bee-loved

Heterotheca pumila – Alpine Goldenaster – a rare Rocky Mt. subalpine/alpine wee mound dotted with golden daisies for the butterflies and bees

Hymenoxys argentea, H. scaposa – Perky Sue – Lemon yellow daisies dance above tight linear foliage clumps, xeric

Native Yarrow- clusters of white flowers for pollinators, strong spreading for natural lawn; herb-medicine, supports many native beneficials and pollinators

Lithospermum multiflorum – very pretty, small golden yellow trumpets on 18” shrublet for part shade; north or east exposure. Foothills native no other nursery carries

Scarlet Gilia- Ipomopsis aggregata- red trumpets on 2’-3’ stems call in the hummingbirds; very show in the garden

Native Campanula rotundifolia- sweet blue bells on 12”-16” stems for pollinators; tough in dry part shade

Sulfur Flower–Kannah Creek, Eriogonum umbellatum, E. jamesii: yellow pom-pom flowers are important to butterflies, best native ground cover

Asclepias incarnata & Asclepias tuberosa – Butterfly Weed, pretty flowers, 1’-2’ high, essential Monarch butterfly food

Native Bee-Balm –Monarda fistulosa: Showy purple blooms bring bees, hummers, butterflies; deer-resistant

Penstemon secundiflorus (Sidebells Penstemon)

Many Penstemons including:

P. virens: 2”x 8”, short spikes of blue flowers; shiny, dark evergreen leaves

Penstemon secundiflorus: violet-pink flowers, silvery foliage, long lived local wildflower

Many Columbines including: Rocky Mt., Denver Gold, Western Red, Barneby’s, and more!

Purple Prairie Clover – long lived xeric native loved by many bee species, bright purple-pink, nitrogen-fixing.

Gaillardia aristata- BlanketFlower – beautiful 2″ yellow daisies with notched petals, red centers, can bloom all summer, drought-tolerant. We have the local genotype

Liatris punctata-Gayfeather – butterfly essential late summer/fall, 1′ tall purple spikes, xeric

Oenothera caespitosa

Oenotheras-Evening Primroses – O. howardii – early, very xeric, large yellow blooms turn orange; O. caespitosa (Tufted Evening Primrose) – gorgeous big fragrant white blossoms age pink

Chocolate Flower – 12″ x 24″ wide, yellow daisies with chocolate fragrance, very xeric, blooms all summer

Sphaeralcea munroana: Hardy, 18” vivid orange blooms all spring, bee-loved, low-water, silver leaves, rare

Erysimum wheeleri/Wheeler’s Wallflower: Tall, long-blooming biennial, vivid burnt-orange flowers, HG exclusive!

Geum triflorum, Prairie Smoke

Geum triflorum/Prairie Smoke: CO native, handsome foliage, reddish flowers, feathery seedheads, sun/pt shade

Engelmannia peristenia/Engelman Daisy: Plant Select, neat golden daisies all summer, 18”h low-water beauty

Townsendia hookeri & kin: Native ‘Easter Daisies” grow dry, begin bloom super-early in neat little clumps

Echinacea angustifolia/Narrow-leaf Coneflower: premier immune herb, large pink or white summer blooms on tall stems bring butterflies, finches

Native Pussytoes, Aster, Skyrocket Ipomopsis, Blazing Star, Navajo Tea, Prairie Sundrops (Calylophus serrulatus) and many more!

PLUS many great non-Natives including:

Many Agastaches –Blue Fortune, A. rupestris, A. foeniculum and ‘Ava’

Sage: culinary, Purple, Berggarten, Blue Hill, May Night, Caradonna, Furman’s Red, Mojave, S. azurea, S. argentea

Dianthus – Tuscan Honeymoon-grassy foliage, 2’-3’ stalks of pink flowers late summer;  D. gratianopolitanus – very tough groundcover. very fragrant pink flowers, durable;  D. Blue Hills – the bluest foliage, fragrant flowers, 12” diameter; D. Petraeus noeanus – Jasmine Dianthus, powerfully fragrant

Geranium ‘Rozanne’

Hardy Geraniums – Biokovo, Splendens, St. Ola, Crystal Rose, Cambridge, Ballerina, G. macrorrhizum, G.sanguineum

Echinacea purpurea, Magnus, White Swan, E. tennesseensis, E. pallida, E. paradoxa

Rosemary – Arp, Madeline Hill, Tuscan Blue, Prostrata

Harlequin’s Silver Germander (2024 Plant Select!) T. rotundifolium, T. chamaedrys

Many Lavenders – Royal Velvet, Grosso, Twickle Purple, Munstead, Hidcote, Thumbalina Leigh, Vera, Wee One

Ornamental Oregano – Kent’s Beauty, Amethyst Falls, etc, cascading groundcovers, long blooming, bee-loved.

Plus: Scabiosa Fama, Sedum nevii, Corsican Violet, Limonium gmelinii, Lallemantia canescens, Firefly Coralbells

Rock Garden and Crevice Plants:

Campanulas, Townsendias, Delospermas, Saxifraga, Physaria, Daphnes, Asphodeline, Aethionema, Hosta Venusta and more!

Papaver ‘Lauren’s Grape’

Tough Annuals:

Snapdragon, Zinnia, Lauren’s Grape Poppy, Petunias, Datura, Pansies, Calif. Poppy, Nicotiana, Salvia, Honeywort, Cleome, Sweet Alyssum, Marigold, Larkspur, Calendula, Cosmos, Dahlia, Bachelor’s Button, Summer Geranium, Nasturtium, Four O’clock, Peony-flowered Poppy, Verbena, Black-eyed Susan, Mexican Sunflower, Hyacinth Bean, and lots more!

Books, Puzzles, Games & Music

We have 4 featured books, lots of Mikl’s hand-picked Children’s Books, plus an ENORMOUS INFLUX of other new books and puzzles! Our Featured books are:

Don the Rooster and Me: a true story of life, death, and the power of gratitude
Our own beloved office coordinator, Susan Shiliro Guegan (pictured left!) has written this deeply personal account of her education as an omnivore. [Read More]

Gifts of Art & for the Home

We know our customers have beautiful gardens (some have even shared them in our Virtual Garden Tour,) but when the snow is flying, or after a long summer day, it’s nice to retreat to a beautiful home. From hand-printed, dyed or stitched table linens to hand made pottery we’ve found some outstanding gift ideas: the perfect beeswax candle to light up the winter’s darkness, a handcrafted mug for the hot cocoa, an ornament for the tree, or some nature-inspired wall art to bring beauty inside.

[Read More]

This week is your last opportunity

This week is your last opportunity to pick up unique, thoughtful, useful, delicious and beautiful handmade gifts from local artists and artisans. Some have re-stocked with new additions you may not have seen yet!

 

 

 

[Read More]

Final Week of our 30th Season!

We are coming to the end of Harlequin’s 30th year in business and in service to the community. We are so grateful that you have supported us all these years. You have found us in our hidden location, told your friends about us, planted our native flora, xeriscape and pollinator-supporting selections and organic veggie starts, and supported your soil life with our help. This partnership over 30 years has made a difference in our local ecology and in people’s individual lives. Our dedication to organic gardening has been multiplied by thousands of you. [Read More]

! POP-UP BULB SALE at Harlequin’s Gardens !

Friday through Sunday,
October 28, 29, & 30
9am to 5pm

 

We are thrilled to announce that a little miracle has occurred, thanks to our amazing network of friends in the community!

For 3 days, Artemis Flower Farm, located just outside Boulder, will be setting up a tent here, selling high-quality bulbs that their Dutch family imports directly from Holland. Happily, you will notice that there is some overlap with the list of bulbs we had intended to bring in!

We look forward to seeing lots of our customers come out to buy beautiful hardy bulbs and support both Artemis Flower Farm and Harlequin’s Gardens!

And you can still shop our fantastic Holiday Gift Market at the same time!

Here is a list of varieties they will offer:  [Read More]

Fall Sale 2022 Final Week!

In tandem with the close of October, our 2022 Fall Sale will end this Sunday at 5pm. Before then, be sure to take advantage of our Fall Sale Discounts, which can help you achieve your end-of-season gardening goals with plants and soil products that are 30% off!  (Sale exceptions listed below.)

 

 

[Read More]

TREES – 2023 Spring Newsletter

The TREES we sell are smaller than ball & burlap trees that are dug in the field, leaving at least 75% of their roots in the ground. Ours are grown in a container so they have a complete root system and begin growing immediately and are not stressed. Here is a sample of some of ours.

Russian Hawthorn

Very tough and xeric, grows 15’ high and wide, white flowers and red berries, loves Colorado

Rocky Mt. Maple

Native to our foothills, likes to grow in the protection of other trees, red fall color, 10’-15’

Gambel Oak and Wavyleaf Oak

Both natives that grow 10’-15’, with little water and poor soil, support birds

Hackberry

Good shade tree to replace an ash, a fast-growing hardwood, the most drought tolerant shade tree

White Mulberry

The hardiest mulberry, 25-30’ tall and wide, very xeric, white fruit is tasty and does not stain

Chokecherry. Credit: CO Springs Utilities Xeriscaping

Golden Rain Tree

25′ xeric tree with golden flowers in July, lantern-like pods, seeds abundantly

Chokecherry

Native, suckering tree to 15′-25′ with white flowers, edible fruit; great for birds and butterflies

Sucker Punch Chokecherry

Leaves start green then turn red all season, non-suckering, white flowers, berries

Silver Buffaloberry (Shepherdia)

10′ native tree with edible red fruit, silver leaves, very xeric, few thorns

Mayday Tree (Prunus padus)

20′-30′ with clusters of white flowers, then bird fruit, fast screen

Catalpa speciosa

Catalpa

40′-50′ with vertical habit, orchid-like flowers, huge round leaves, 12″ beans, xeric and special

Arizona Cypress

20′-30′ evergreen, blue foliage is fragrant, not scratchy, quite fast growing, bird favorite

 

Plus, Honeylocust, Flowering Crab Apples, Silver Maple, Bur Oak, Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn, Aspen, Ptelea (Wafer Ash), Kentucky Coffee Tree, Ohio Buckeye, Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry, Hot Wings Maple, Native Birch, and many more.

2022 Bulbs Aren’t Coming

Regrettably, we need to let you know that we have had to cancel our 2022 bulb order. We spoke with the company’s shipping director yesterday and she informed us that the containers were still on the ship and had not yet even been placed on the trucks that would take them to distribution centers. When asked if there was any chance our order would reach us by the end of this week, she said ‘No’. With so few days left to sell our large order of bulbs before we close for the season at 5:00 pm on Sunday, October 30th, it no longer makes sense to bring them in. [Read More]

Bulb Update

 

BULB ALERT

We have a wonderful selection of bulbs coming; the problem is they aren’t here yet. And we were just notified yesterday that the broker in Holland failed to notice that our requested delivery date was the first week of September, so our order is packed in a shipping container on the docks in the Netherlands waiting to be loaded onto a slow boat to Michigan. There is simply nothing to be done but wait. We are told that our order will hopefully ship from Michigan in the first week of October.

This situation leaves us with only a few weeks before we close on October 30th to sell thousands of dollars of bulbs. We know that in the meantime you could buy your bulbs elsewhere, but we are hoping you will wait for their arrival at Harlequin’s. In the meantime, we encourage you to peruse the BULBS page on our website, with photos and descriptions of all our offerings and plan your bulb purchases in advance.

[Read More]

Fall Sale in Full Swing!

This is such a nice time of the year to putter in the garden! It’s also a good opportunity to look ahead and amend your planting beds and lawn for Spring 2023.  Our Fall Sale Discounts can help you achieve your end-of-season gardening goals with plants and soil products that are 30% off!  (Sale exceptions listed below.)

 

 

[Read More]

Very Special Products to benefit Your Soil Life and Your Plant Life

It all starts with the Soil, and we have some very special products to benefit your Soil Life and Your Plant Life!

All of these are sold pre-packaged, and we bag many of them ourselves in refundable, reusable plastic bags. Our Compost Tea is sold in refundable, reusable 1-gallon jugs, or you can bring your own.[Read More]

Fall Sale Continues!

Our 2022 Big Fall Sale continues, with 30% off most plants! 

Sept. 20 thru end of the season take 30% off perennials, shrubs, roses, and trees, and 30% off soil products in big bags, and Compost Tea. (No discount on fruit trees, veggies, bulbs, 2023 seeds, or Holiday Market Books).

In our experience, fall is the most successful time to establish most plants, especially when mycorrhizae are applied to the roots during planting (and we’re well stocked with several types of mycorrhizae!).  We have a large and diverse selection of perennials, particularly in larger quart and gallon sizes, that are ready for planting. (Photo: Grass Calamagrostis brachytricha)

[Read More]

Fall Sale Updates!

Our 2022 Big Fall Sale continues, with 30% off most plants! 

Sept. 13 thru 18 take 30% off perennials, shrubs, and trees, and 20% off roses, soil products in big bags, books, and 20% off Compost Tea. (No discount on fruit trees, veggie starts, bulbs, and 2023 seeds).

We’ve added lots of timely COVER CROP SEEDS and BEEKEEPING SUPPLIES to our DEEP DISCOUNT offers!

In our experience, fall is the most successful time to establish most plants, especially when mycorrhizae are applied to the roots during planting (and we’re well stocked with several types of mycorrhizae!).  We have a large and diverse selection of perennials, particularly in larger quart and gallon sizes, that are ready for planting. (Photo: Sedum “Matrona”)

[Read More]

Fall Sale Updates & More!

Our Big Fall Sale continues with many fresh, new plants added. We are continually propagating and potting up plants, and some of them are just ready now, just in time to go on sale at 25% off!

Our 2022 Deep Discount Area opens today & our Big Fall Sale continues, with 25% off for everyone! Included in this week’s sale are:

Sept. 6 thru 11 Enjoy:

  • 25% off perennials, grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees
  • 20% off Roses. Note: the discount on roses will not increase
  • 20% off Compost Tea.
    No discounts on fruit trees, veggie starts, and bulbs.

[Read More]

SHRUBS & VINES – 2023 Newsletter

Clematis ‘Ville de Lyon’

We have a large selection of drought-tolerant and water-wise Shrubs AND Vines.

These plants will need no watering after their first year (except in drought):

Yucca: glauca-local, stiff evergreen, sharp blades; Y. baccata-arching evergreen, dramatic blades, striking in winter

Rabbitbrush: tall blue & tall green 4’-6’; dwarf-2’-3’; yellow flowers late summer for pollinators, shear after flowering

Apache Plume: single, white flowers with pinkish seed plumes, 4’-6’ arching habit; spreading slowly, easy

Sumacs: Rocky Mt. 3’-6’’ more upright; Three Leaf 4’-5’spreading; both have red berries, red fall color

Sage: Artemisia Big Sage 6’-9’; Sand Sage 3’-5’; Artemisia cana 2’-4’; all with silver aromatic leaves

Mt. Mahogany: Curlleaf 12’-18’ evergreen; True Leaf 6’-9’ deciduous; Little Leaf 5’ evergreen;  all for sun

Fernbush: 5’x5’ clusters of white flowers for pollinators and beneficial insects, can bloom twice

Lead Plant: 3’-4’ open form, spikes of purple flowers for pollinators, nitrogen fixing

Snowberry: 4’-5’ dense, spreading; tiny early flowers, showy white berries in fall; OK in very dry shade, part shade

Rock Spirea-Holodiscus: 3’-6’ white flowers in panicles dry to pink; reddish fall color

New Mexican Privet (Forestiera): 9’-12’ multistem tree, good screen, females have blue berries for the birds

Buffaloberry: 8’-12’ tree, silver leaves, tiny flowers for pollinators, females can have red edible berries

These Native plants are also water-wise. Water once a week to establish, and later once a week to once a month, depending on exposure, soil and community:

Serviceberry- Amelanchier alnifolia: 6’-12’, white flowers for pollinators, edible fruit for birds and people, red fall color

Boulder Raspberry: 4’-5’ arching shrub, white rose-like flowers, likes growing next to a big rock, fruit for birds

Western Sandcherry: 4’-6’, white fragrant flowers for pollinators, berries for birds, soft red fall color

Pawnee Buttes selection has the same flowers and fruit, but is only 1’-2’ high and 6’ wide

Cheyenne Mockorange: 6’, white, very sweetly fragrant flowers; very hardy and tough; sun/ part shade

Native Currants-Gwen’s Buffalo & Crandall Clove: very fragrant yellow flowers for pollinators; dependable delicious larger berries for people and birds, attractive red/orange fall color 4’x4’; for your edible landscape; sun/pt. shade

Native Elderberry: clusters of white flowers, clusters of red berries for the birds 5’-10’; part shade

Creeping Mahonia: 6”-16”, evergreen, yellow flowers for pollinators, blue berries for birds; part shade

Non-native but Colorado adapted and drought-tolerant shrubs. Water once a week the first year, and once a week or once a month from then on depending on location, soil and drought conditions:

Lilac, Cotoneaster (most), Nanking Cherry, Prunus tenella, Sumac, Smokebush, Blue Mist Spirea, Genista lydia, Philadelphus-Mikl’s Pick, Silver Butterfly Bush, Harison’s Yellow Rose, Siberian Pea Shrub

Vines:

Honeysuckle, Trumpet Vine, Wisteria, Clematis, Euonymus, Ivy and MORE

A lawn is nature under totalitarian rule.                            Michael Pollan

Special Plants to buy now!

We propagate and grow a lot of great plants here at the nursery, which gives us (and you!) an advantage when the wholesale suppliers run short in mid and late summer. We’re very pleased to have beautiful stock of some highly desirable and hard-to-find shrubs and perennials right now, including some choice native plants, Plant Select® winners, and customer favorites.

Here are some brief profiles of some of our best current offerings. And this week, Harlequin’s Members can buy them for 20% off!  [Read More]

Gifts for Body Care

As we enter the holiday giving season, our continued dedication and commitment to sustainability extends to what you put onto your body. At our Holiday Gift Market, you’ll find an excellent selection of body care products that are completely non-toxic and chemical-free. We offer our favorite small-batch, local artisan-crafted products including soaps, lotions, specialty herbal salves, facial toner, lip balms, and our exclusive, famous Dr. Brawner’s Aftershave! All of these are thoughtful ‘stocking stuffers’ and very special but affordable gifts.

[Read More]

Second Chance Shrubs

Photo credit: Plant Select®

Our shrubs are all given great care here at the nursery, but occasionally we find some that have a little damage or are sulking because they really want to get out of the pot and into the ground. To help them all find good homes where they will grow and prosper, we are bringing out these ‘seconds’ at substantially discounted prices. We will continue to bring out more as they sell.

Right now, we are offering:  [Read More]

Daylilies Shine in Mid-Summer

Daylilies are old favorites for good reasons. They are:
Low maintenance
Cold hardy (to USDA Zone 3)
Moderately drought-tolerant
Very attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds
Adaptable to a variety of soil conditions
Disease-free and pest-free
Graceful, eye-catching, and long-blooming
Available in a very wide range of colors and sizes
Rabbit-resistant
Fast-growing
Good for erosion control
Edible and tasty

And we still have some wonderful varieties in stock! And they are in bloom!  [Read More]

Bur Oak, the ‘Smart Tree’

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) is a majestic, slow-growing tree reaching 60 to 70’ in height and spread, and is typically very long-lived (think 200, 300+ years!). It’s the sort of tree you plant for the benefit of the generations to come. Many oak species don’t thrive in Colorado’s alkaline soils, but Bur Oak is a happy exception. It is also drought-tolerant once established, even in dry clay, and can handle city conditions quite well. Bur Oak’s strong wood and strong, almost right-angled branch connections resist breakage in wind and snow. [Read More]

Perennials in 1-gallon Pots

At this time of year, when the weather is hot and mostly dry, it can be easier to establish transplants that already have a larger, deeper root system. Another very important factor in successful transplanting in this heat and drought is the quality of the potting soil the plant was grown in. Harlequin’s Gardens doesn’t use a commercial, lightweight, soil-less mix, designed for using chemical fertilizers and for minimizing shipping costs. [Read More]

Welcome to a Whiff of Approaching Spring!

Rock Garden Iris

It’s probably safe to assume you’re as anxious as we are to get our hands in the dirt, and happily, Harlequin’s Gardens is opening for our 31st season this Thursday March 2nd. We’re so looking forward to seeing you all again!  We’ll have everything you need to get started for the season. Here’s what we’ll have available for you on March 2nd.

[Read More]

Versatile Hardy Geraniums

Hardy Geraniums are some of the most versatile an adaptable perennials for our area! Available in many colors and habits, they can be useful in sun and shade, moist and dry, as individual specimens, companion plants and ground covers.

These are not to be confused with Pelargoniums, the popular house plant, container and bedding plant Zonal “Geraniums” and Ivy “Geraniums,” which are not cold-hardy outdoors in Colorado. The name “geranium” is derived from a Greek word meaning little crane, hence the common name “cranesbill” which refers to the appearance of the seed heads. [Read More]

Safe Pest Management for Bees, Kids, and the Planet

The Good News is that out of about 900,000 insect species currently living on our planet, only 1% to 3% are pests. We do not need systemic neonicotinoids (neonics) or any toxic pesticides to grow plants well. The solution is to employ human attention, biodiversity, nutrient-dense soils, application of nontoxic management, and tolerance.

The Bad News is that most people and most nurseries don’t know the good news. They believe the chemical companies when they tell us that we need to fear and attack insects and fungi as enemies. [Read More]

ROSES – 2023 Spring Newsletter

We are known far and wide for our selection of sustainable roses and for our expertise in helping people choose the best varieties for their gardens and landscapes. We sell roses on their own roots not grafted, which makes them more cold hardy, longer lived, with more flowers.

 

 

[Read More]

Harvest Time

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had to forego some of my morning rituals to make time to reap the bounty from my garden these last couple of weeks. I fully expected the temperatures in the 90s and occasional triple digits to stall the production of my tomatoes, but somehow the blossom-drop and lack of fruit-set experienced in previous very hot summers never materialized, and now I’m bringing in armloads every few days! And how about them eggplants! Swiss Chard, Collards and Kale abound, and my Tromboncino climbing Zucchini is feeding the neighborhood.

I have two new tomato varieties to add to my list of top favorites: Tidy Treats and Tasmanian Chocolate (I’m a sucker for anything with chocolate in the name or ingredients list).

[Read More]

David Salman

With great sadness, we share the news that the pioneering plantsman David Salman passed away on the fifth of June. David was a dedicated, passionate, and articulate educator and proponent of sustainable gardening, a plant explorer with a gift for selecting and introducing exceptional plants for western landscapes, and the founder of Santa Fe Greenhouses, High Country Gardens, and Waterwise Gardening.  

Out of his serious concern for the planet, David had recently begun working on what he considered his ‘next act’ – helping to reverse climate change by enabling people to plant large numbers of trees, and especially shrubs. He wanted to identify the woody plants best adapted to conditions in the West and Southwest, and had solicited recommendations from Harlequin’s Gardens and others, with the aim of propagating and distributing on a large scale the most appropriate and successful plants for combatting climate change. David Salman’s legacy includes over 60 waterwise plant introductions. His contributions to gardening and gardeners in the West were transformational. He will be sorely missed.

The following tributes and obituaries for David are available: Nursery Management, AP News, and HaMakom.  (Photo Credit: High Country Gardens.) 

Help New Plantings Beat the Heat

As temperatures rise and we begin to wilt from the heat, many plants rise to the occasion and burst into bloom!  Many of these summer stalwarts have spent the cooler, wetter months developing root systems or taproots that delve well below the hot, dry surface soil. Pollinators depend on finding pollen and nectar sources through the entire summer, so it’s important to include mid and late-summer bloomers in your garden. 

Picture above: Rudbeckia hirta ‘Rustic Colors’ (Native Black eyed Susan selection).[Read More]

Winter Solstice Greetings

Agave parryi in snow

As temperatures fall and the shortest day of the year approaches, most of us are taking a break from the physical work of gardening. But some of us are already beginning the seed-sowing process, following seed germination protocols for pre-treatment – from stratifying (exposing seeds to controlled cold temperature to break dormancy), scarifying (carefully sanding hard outer seed coats) to soaking in hot water or hydrogen peroxide solution, etc. At Harlequin’s, many of our growing-houses are full of seed trays or beautiful plants we potted up in the fall for spring 2023.[Read More]

Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse Rose Garden

We would like to invite you to visit the Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse Rose Garden in downtown Boulder across from the city park. The unique treasure of an intricately handcrafted, traditional Tajik Teahouse was gifted to the city of Boulder by the citizens of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, one of Boulder’s Sister Cities, in 1988. In time, the design of the structure was amended to be able to house a restaurant business, construction was completed, and the Teahouse opened in spring of 1998. Both the inside and outside of this fabulous building are elaborately adorned with colorful carved, painted and sculpted elements, mostly traditional, plus some contemporary artistry. 
[Read More]

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 8
  • Go to Next Page »

sidebar

Blog Sidebar

Sign-up for E-Newsletters!

Sign-up for our weekly e-newsletters to receive empowering gardening tips, ecological insights, and to keep up on happenings at Harlequin’s Gardens — such as flash sales and “just in” plants. We never share customer’s addresses!

We do not ship plants!

Our plants are for sale ONLY at our Boulder location. We DO NOT ship plants. Come visit us!

Hours by Season

MARCH HOURS
Thursday-Sunday, 9AM-5PM

APRIL-OCTOBER HOURS
Tuesday-Sunday, 9AM-5PM

Mondays, CLOSED

Footer

Contact Us

303-939-9403 (Retail)
staff@nullharlequinsgardens.com

4795 North 26th St
Boulder, CO 80301

Sign-up for E-Newsletters!

Sign-up for our weekly e-newsletters to receive empowering gardening tips, ecological insights, and to keep up on happenings at Harlequin’s Gardens — such as flash sales and “just in” plants. We never share customer’s addresses!

Map

Our Hours

Seasonally, MARCH to OCTOBER.
MARCH HOURS:
Thursday-Sunday, 9AM-5PM

APRIL-OCTOBER HOURS:
Tuesday-Sunday, 9AM-5PM

Mondays, CLOSED

The plants we grow are organically grown. All the plants we sell are free of bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides.