Harlequins Gardens

Boulder's specialist in well-adapted plants

Visit us or call!  303-939-9403 (Retail)
4795 North 26th St • Boulder, CO 80301

Nursery Open Tue-Sun
9 am to 5 pm
Closed Mondays

FacebookPinterestInstagram
Home | Blog

Blog

MANAGING WEEDS WITHOUT POISONS by Mikl Brawner

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?

Having over 60 years experience in dealing with weeds certainly does not make me an expert, nor does 30 years as a nursery professional, but I will attempt to be helpful. To be honest, and not too fatalistic, weeds are plants that are tremendously adaptable and successful, and no amount of digging or toxic herbicides have been able to defeat them. In fact, you may know that since that toxic cure-all Roundup has been the most popular herbicide, many weeds have become resistant to Roundup including 14 US species and up to 34 species worldwide.

The two ways that weeds (and other plants) spread, are by seeds and by roots. Sometimes the seeding types can be controlled by mowing or removing the seeds before they ripen. Sometimes this doesn’t work 100%, as with Dandelions that can bloom after mowing, below the level of the mower. Sometimes weeds that spread by roots can be controlled by digging repeatedly, not allowing green growth to photosynthesize. Sometimes digging aids in spreading the weed as with Comfrey and Snow on the Mountain (Aegopodium).

In general it is important to find out what a weed likes, and restrict that: water, light, fertilizer. Water-loving weedy plant like Creeping Charlie (Lysimachia), vinca, ivy, Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus) all can be tamed with drier conditions. An important strategy in conserving water and managing aggressive plants is grouping plants with similar water needs. Another strategy is to disturb the soil as little as possible so you are not bringing weeds seeds up into the light to germinate. The weeds are often the hardest to control in a new garden. The more a garden is planted, especially with tough groundcovers around taller perennials, and/or mulched, the easier it is to keep weeded. And the stronger the plants, the more they will outcompete the weeds for light and nutrients.

One of the more interesting books on weeds is Katrina Blair’s The Wild Wisdom of Weeds. She spends a lot of time discussing the many values of weeds (with nutrient-dense recipes), especially 13 “essential plants for human survival.” Not just a dreamer, this Durango woman has a masters in holistic health education, and a lot of practical experience. Her Turtle Lake Refuge organization provides greens for Durango school lunches, has a wild foods café and manages at least one park in Durango organically, along with several organic lawn care projects, classes and field trips, locally and internationally. She has had positive results with a homeopathic weed ash remedy detailed in her book. She will be giving a class at Harlequin’s Gardens _____.

Dr. Lee Reich, writer and horticulturist, has written Weedless Gardening. His experience-based approach is to feed compost and nutrients from the top without digging, mulching, making paths to prevent compaction and using drip or focused irrigation. By not turning the soil, weed seeds don’t get the light to germinate, by pinpointing irrigation, watering does not help weeds, and by supporting strong plants, weeds are not a big problem.

Charles Walters, founder of ACRES USA, in his book Weeds: Control Without Poisons, states that the major agricultural weeds “can be rolled back best with fertility management, and not with herbicides.” And he is specific: calcium for quackgrass, manganese for thistles; reduce phosphorus for cocklebur. Ragweed is decreased with greater porosity, air in the soil and more irrigation. Bindweed prospers in soil low in organic matter, calcium and soil life, and Dandelion prospers in low calcium, high phosphorus and high nitrogen, etc. etc.

My personal approach to weeding my xeriscape garden for 30 years is to use hand weeders, one with a sharp point, one broad and deep, and sometimes a narrow spade for the weed that got away. I start early in February or March digging out the weed grasses. They grow very fast in cool weather and can soon bury a small perennial. If you wait too long, the perennial comes out with the weed. Then in April (March) when the Bindweed is no more that 1”-2” tall, I hold the weed with my left bare hand while my right pushes a long bladed weeder under, swings and cuts the root. When I feel this, I pull out the hopefully 3”-4” long root and put it in my bucket. Small annual and other weeds I will often just lay next to the plant for mulch, but Bindweed can re-root, and big weeds with seeds must be taken away. This slice and pull method does not turn the soil.

Then if I have cut the roots deep, the Bindweed is stressed since it has not photosynthesized for a few months. So maybe I won’t see a new top for two weeks, then before the weed is more than 2”-3”, I dig again. This really stresses the Bindweed. By the time it is 2”-3” high again, my perennials and shrubs are bigger and leafing out which deprives the Bindweed of sunlight—another big stressor. I don’t start watering until May unless it is really dry, which gives an advantage to my established plants. Then I mulch where the ground is bare and later another round or two of weeding.

There are a number of non-toxic herbicides; most are vinegar or citrus-based with soap and maybe salt. We tested 5 kinds four years ago and only two proved really effective: straight vinegar 15-20% acetic acid, and citrus-based Avenger. Both perform best in hot sunny weather on small weeds. Truthfully, I don’t see the point of spraying a big weed which when it dies is a black dead thing that has to be pulled. Why not pull or dig it in the first place? There is a broadleaf herbicide IronX that is supposed to be non-toxic that I have not researched enough to recommend. Mulch really helps with weeding because the weeds come out so much easier

In lawns use corn gluten as an organic weed and feed. It prevents seeds from germinating and supplies 9% nitrogen. It is very effective even with Dandelions if you apply it spring and fall every year. Weeding in lawns is also reduced by mowing 3” high so the plant is stronger. Aerate once a year (Sept is best) followed by corn gluten or low-nitrogen fertilizer, then occasionally topdress with a fine compost.

Really bad weeds can be killed by solarizing the whole area with clear plastic (read how), or by cutting off the light, water and air with a sheet of pond liner. Weed barrier fabrics promise the moon and deliver many problems: the pores plug up in a few years and prevent water and air penetration, tiny weed roots go through holes in the fabric and removing them makes a bigger hole; and often the mulch blows off and exposes the ugly fabric. Paper, newspaper and cardboard make a good weedbarrier, covered with mulch and compost.

Weeds are here to stay. Toxic herbicides don’t solve the problem and they poison you, kids, pets and many smaller valuable beings. If you discipline yourself to stay on top of weeds, and plant and mulch, the weed problem gets to be less and less.

 

SIDEBAR: Negative Effects of Roundup

Many studies equate Roundup with its active ingredient glyphosate, but the Roundup Original formula is more than 400 times more toxic than the active ingredient. Roundup kills tadpoles, earthworm eggs, the gut biology in bees and humans and many species of soil microbes. The World Health Organization declared Roundup a “probable carcinogen” and glyphosate has been found in 93% of the people tested in the US. Of course, Bayer, the new owner of the Monsanto product, claims that for 40 years Roundup is proved to be perfectly safe. The USDA does not routinely monitor for glyphosate in our foods. Roundup residues are found in many GMO foods like soybeans, corn and canola, and in many processed foods.

Ref: BIRC, MegaFood

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.
Many people, especially those who come here from places with real topsoil think, “Yuck, I’ll just get rid of this clay or build a nice raised bed on top of that worthless dirt, and then I’ll have a good garden.” Unfortunately, that’s not a great idea. Why not? My father used to say, There’s no royal road to learning; and the same can be said of good soil in Colorado. We have to earn it, build it and grow it.
The answer to What is soil? Used to be “clay, sand and silt.” That was the old physical concept of soil. Now a lot of us are saying, “Soil is physical, chemical, biological and electrical.” Likewise the old answer to How do I make my soil more fertile? used to be “Just add that good strong chemical fertilizer, and watch the plants shoot up.” Now many of us have seen the ill effects of strong chemical fertilizers and are more likely to recommend supporting the soil life and the Soil Food Web.
In his book Soil Stewardship Handbook, Aaron Perry says, “In a world of seeming complexity, we find that hardly anything is as complex as the living web of interconnectedness found in our planet’s soil—trillions upon trillions of living creatures in each handful, interacting in beautifully sophisticated ecologies….The good news—essential news—is that we don’t have to totally understand the mechanisms in order to be expert soil builders, working alongside Mother Nature.”
I certainly don’t have all the answers here, but I will try to be helpful by first giving you the basics, then some of the nuts and bolts. The most fundamental basis of soil fertility is the mutually supportive relationship between plants and soil organisms. Because plants have the magical ability to photo-synthesize—to make food out of sunlight, water, carbon dioxide and minerals, they are life-supporting. And when they ooze 30% of their sugars into the soil surrounding their roots, fungi, bacteria, worms and others are drawn to or multiply in the nutrients. And those soil beings in turn bring water and minerals to feed and protect the plants. So whatever we do to support the microorganisms, supports the plants. And what we do for the plants supports the soil life.
The new formula for soil health has four or five aspects:
1) Minimize soil disturbance because turning the soil exposes the organic matter to the air, which oxidizes (burns up) the carbon, releasing carbon dioxide. Organic matter is important in soils because carbon is the “key driver of the nutrient-microbial recycling system.” This is why we add compost to our gardens, and how we can keep carbon out of the atmosphere.
2) Keep the soil covered. A covering of mulch or plants helps keep the soil moist by reducing evaporation and it moderates soil temperature. Mulch is also a source of slow-release nutrients. This is Nature’s own system of supporting soil life.
3) Cultivate a diverse population of plants. This naturally supports a diverse population of microbes which creates a stronger capacity to improve nutrient cycling, improves water infiltration and reduces pests.
4) Maintain a continual living plant community that feeds the beneficial soil life. This is accomplished with cover crops and evergreen shrubs, perennials and ground covers. I would like to learn a practical approach to cover cropping in a home veggie garden.
5) Integrate livestock. This supplies manures for nitrogen and organic matter and more. Or apply well-composted manures like dairy cow or chicken.

Now some nuts and bolts of soil building. First, the Why nots? Why not just buy topsoil? Because our topsoil is just clay, probably no better than your own clay. And why not just add planters mix? Because all the planters mixes I know are approximately two thirds topsoil (clay) and one third compost. So unless you are trying to fill a hole or raise the grade (for example, to get water to drain away from the house), just add compost to your own clay. And why not a raised bed? A raised bed does make an edging that holds back the weeds, and of course some people do have successful raised beds. But it is expensive to fill a raised bed with good potting mix, and most potting mixes are just peat, perlite and vermiculite, devoid of nutrients. They are designed to fill pots and be fertilized with chemical fertilizers. Even good potting soils are not living soils and need a few years growing plants and adding nutrients and maybe mycorrhizae before they are really productive with crops like peppers and tomatoes.
If you do make a raised bed, don’t make it higher than 12” because every inch adds to the expense and water use, and because it is good to make use of your own soil. Dig or pick the soil at least 4”-6” deep and mix your potting soil/compost into the turned soil. Do not put down a permanent weed barrier which will plug up and prevent worms from aerating your garden. A temporary barrier of cardboard or layers of newspaper is fine because the worms will eventually eat through it.
Why not add chemical fertilizer? A high nitrogen chemical fertilizer will consume your organic matter, make the plants grow too fast and too soft, making them more vulnerable to sucking insects and fungal diseases. Chemical fertilizers supply macronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but lack the essential micronutrients which make cell tissues strong and support the immune system of plants.
On the positive side, our clay soils are not bad; they are just incomplete. They are rich in minerals important to plant growth, and because they are very fine textured, they have a lot of surface area which is great for holding water and releasing it slowly to the plants. But how do we improve clay soils? Most soil tests in Colorado reveal that our soils are deficient in nitrogen and organic matter. To supply nitrogen add organic fertilizers, animal manures, animal wastes like feather meal or blood meal, crab and shrimp wastes; or add alfalfa, cottonseed meal or corn gluten meal. You can also grow plants that fix nitrogen, like beans, peas and vetches. To supply organic matter you can add composts. Put 1”-2” on the surface and dig it in. Or you can practice sheet composting (lasagna method), plant a cover crop like buckwheat, or add a mulch (not redwood or cedar which resist composting). To supply micronutrients, you can sprinkle rock dust like Rocky Mt. Minerals or Azomite or kelp.
One often-overlooked ingredient in topsoil is air. People think they are being kind to their plants by watering every day, but when water fills all the pore spaces in soil, it drives out the air. Like animals, plants need air just as much as water. Our Colorado clay soils are too often compacted making them less capable of absorbing water, and the lack of air slows down plant metabolism and often leads to fungal diseases.
Our most common method of getting air into our soils is by adding compost, but in our arid climate, compost breaks down fairly fast in the soil. Microorganisms can help aerate soil but they need oxygen and food to do it. That is why I am an advocate of incorporating 10-20% expanded shale along with compost, especially if your clay is really tight. (Put 1”-2” on the surface and dig it in.) Expanded Shale is mined near Boulder and fired in a kiln. This makes the rock pieces ceramic and therefore porous so they hold both air and water for microbes and plants. They don’t break down so they hold the air spaces after the compost has broken down. Then you can mulch to continue the carbon cycle.
Other additives that are helpful are humate, rock minerals, seaweed and calcium. I believe it is better to err on the side of underfertilizing. For plant health and nutrient density, it is best to support the soil life and soil health as a long-range approach.

References: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
ACRES USA magazine, Christine Jones, Ray Archuleta,

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]

Declining Daffodils

Have you noticed that your daffodils and narcissus have been struggling and lost their vigor?  Here are several possible reasons why and ways to address reviving them.

FERTILIZER ISSUES

As with perennials, many flowering bulbs do best with fertilizing when planted, as their leaves emerge, and as they bloom, with a slow-release organic fertilizer such as Root Rally, from Age Old. [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. 

  1. 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.)
  2. Newly transplanted plants are especially vulnerable and need extra structural protections or odor repellents (below).
  3. Cultural controls include removing protective cover such as brush piles where rabbits may hide. Remember, open space often makes animals more vulnerable to predators.
  4. 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!
  5. 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.

[Read More]

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.

[Read More]

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.

Early Spring

  • Mahonia
  • Daffodil
  • Tulip
  • Crocus
  • Ajuga
  • Catminst
  • Nanking Cherry
  • Russian Almond
  • Currant
  • Buffaloberry
  • American Plum
  • Sand Cherry
  • Apricot
  • Redbud
  • Peach
  • Crab Apple
  • Flowering Quince

Late Spring

  • Genista
  • Foxglove
  • Poppy
  • Gaeranium
  • Honeysuckle
  • Thyme
  • Lupine
  • Columbine
  • Salvia
  • Penstemon
  • Flax
  • Larkspur
  • Ratibida
  • Gaillardia
  • Yarrow
  • Catmint
  • Roses
  • Hawthorn
  • Allium
  • Borage
  • Sweet Alyssum
  • Phacelia tanacetifolia
  • Ornamental Horehound
  • Anemone
  • Buckwheat
  • Serviceberry
  • Apple
  • Peach
  • Cherry
  • Clematis
  • Cotoneaster
  • Chokecherry
  • Spirea
  • Mock Orange
  • Veronica

Summer

  • Sedums
  • Goldenrod
  • Bachelor Buttons
  • Veronica
  • Salvia
  • Zinnia
  • Verbascum
  • Scabiosa
  • Sunflower
  • Lavender
  • Catmint
  • Hollyhock
  • Cactus
  • Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
  • Bee Balm
  • Verbena
  • Blue Mist Spirea
  • Russian Sage
  • Sulfur Flower
  • Milk Weed
  • Echinacea
  • Aster
  • Purple Prairie Clover
  • Globemallow
  • Butterfly Bush
  • Rose of Sharon
  • Datura
  • Black-eyed Susan
  • Gaura
  • Plumbago
  • Seseli
  • Yarrow
  • Honeysuckle
  • Thyme
  • Oregano
  • Gaillardia
  • Penstemon
  • Anemone
  • Raspberry
  • Blackberry

Autumn

  • Rabbitbush
  • Snakeweed
  • Pitcher Sage
  • Sunflower
  • Aster
  • Sedum
  • Ivy
  • Rudbeckia
  • Plumbago
  • Gaura
  • Penstemon
  • Anemone
  • Verbena
  • Dahlia
  • Phlox
  • Winter Savory
  • Goldenrod
  • Saffron Crocus

Herbs for Bees

  • Borage
  • Chives
  • Garlic Chives
  • Lavender
  • Hyssop
  • Comfrey
  • Sage
  • Thyme
  • Marjoram
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Dill
  • Horehound
  • Lemon Balm
  • Rosemary
  • Fennel
  • Bee Balm
  • Catnip
  • Catmint
  • Basil
  • Germander
  • Mints
  • Winter Savory
  • Yarrow
  • Lovage

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

All gardeners wonder what to do once the snow starts flying and the ground freezes up. 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 eight 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 if 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]

Beekeeping Supplies

Harlequin’s Gardens love and support for bees is reflected in our Bee Barn’s great selection of bee keeping products, many of which are locally sourced.  We feature 8 and 10 frame Langstroth hive equipment (both assembled and unassembled), real beeswax foundation, and an amazing selection of tools and accessories, protective gear, feeding and bee health supplies, and great books.

We’re here to support our native bees too!  We also offer supplies for cultivating our native hole-nesting bees, including mason bees and leaf cutter bees.  Unlike many other advertised native bee nest boxes, ours are correctly proportioned for successful nesting.  These make great gifts for those who aren’t up for the commitment of honey bee keeping and want to work with native species.  Stay tuned for our spring-time classes to learn more.

Whether you’re a new or continuing beekeeper, our staff beekeepers can answer questions and give advice – something you can’t get from mail order!  We have Beekeepers Shopping Lists for Beginners, Seasonal, and Holiday Gift Giving to help guide your selections.  Kristina Williams, our own local bee expert, will be on hand on Friday’s and Sunday’s to help tailor your bee-gifting.

You Look A Thing And I Love You

Our friend Janelle Shane is an accomplished player of the Irish flute, and a regular at the Boulder Irish Session. She is also a scientist and engineer, and the go-to contributor about computer science for the New York Times, Slate, and the New Yorker. Janelle’s just-published acclaimed book, is an accessible, droll exploration of the future of technology and society. Through her hilarious experiments, real-world examples, and illuminating cartoons, she explains how AI (Artificial Intelligence) understands our world, and what it gets wrong. More than just a working knowledge of AI, she hands readers the tools to be skeptical about claims of a smarter future. All this, presented with clarity, levity, and brevity by an expert in the field with a powerful and growing platform.

YOU LOOK LIKE A THING AND I LOVE YOU will make a great gift for anyone with an interest in science, technology, and the way things work!

Natives 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]

Edible & Medicinal Plants of the Southern Rockies

Don’t be fooled by the title; a lot of the area covered is in Colorado, including Denver, Boulder and Ft. Collins. This is a very good plant ID book from by Mary O’Brien and Karen Vail with interesting descriptions. In addition, it’s an excellent herbal, giving both medicinal and edible uses. Highlighted in yellow are important “cautions”. It is presented in a respectful way, honoring nature as did the Ute Indians who pioneered the use of these plants. For example, did you know that Gambel Oak “…is a good back country first aid plant to know, using the leaves as a poultice or wash for insect bites and wounds, or chewing a piece of the bark for toothaches….”  Good photos. These local gals really know their stuff and we highly recommend their book! 

Foraging & Feasting

Foraging & Feasting celebrates and reclaims the lost art of turning locally gathered wild plants into highly nutritious, delicious meals, a traditional foodway long practiced by our ancestors but neglected in modern times. The stunning, instructive botanical illustrations and delicious, enlightening recipes offer an adventurous and satisfying way to eat locally and seasonally, and present creative ways to bring wild edibles into our lives.

We share this project with you out of our long commitment to connecting with nature through food and art. The effort weaves together acclaimed herbalist Dina Falconi’s 30 years of passionate investigations into wild-plant identification, foraging, and cooking with Wendy Hollender’s masterful botanical illustrations.

Kitchen Botany

Would you like to learn botany while you cook? Garima Fairfax’s unique cookbook joins botany and the pleasure of creative cooking. She combines foods which are closely related to each other in order to help learn who is related to whom. Garima continues to receive great reviews from people who have purchased and used her book. Eating is a very effective (and fun) way to help retain what you learn! 

Garima is a past Harlequin’s staffer and herbal instructor, and is now creating a botanical garden of native plants in her hometown of Lyons CO.

The Natural First Aid Handbook

Cayenne pepper can stop bleeding. Garlic helps alleviate a toothache. Honey soothes a burn. When an emergency situation arises, simple home remedies can play a vital role in easing symptoms and providing immediate help. Become an effective first responder with a combination of best first-aid practices, herbs, and standard homeopathic applications.

This quick-reference handbook by Brigitte Mars spells out hundreds of life-saving techniques, commonsense tips, and time-tested herbal remedies that everyone should know. From how to perform basic CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver to the best immediate response to natural disasters, you’ll find the most practical, effective actions to take to ensure survival.  Compact and easy to bring along in your backpack or camper! 

Rough Beauty: Forty Seasons of Mountain Living

We are proud to feature Rough Beauty: Forty Seasons of Mountain Living by friend and local author Karen Auvinen, an award-winning poet, mountain woman, and teacher. Her memoir is an “outstanding…beautiful story of resilience” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), a luminous, lyric exploration, “a narrative that reads like a captivating novel…a voice not found often enough in literature—a woman who eschews the prescribed role outlined for her by her family and discovers her own path” (Christian Science Monitor) to embrace the unpredictability and grace of living intimately with the forces of nature.

The Wild Wisdom of Weeds

Katrina Blair is the author of The Wild Wisdom of Weeds, the only book on foraging and edible weeds to focus on the thirteen weeds found all over the world, each of which represents a complete food source and extensive medical pharmacy and first-aid kit. The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is about healing ourselves both in body and in spirit, in an age where technology, commodity agriculture, and processed foods dictate the terms of our intelligence. But if we can become familiar with these thirteen edible survival weeds found all over the world, we will never go hungry, and we will become closer to our own wild human instincts — all the while enjoying the freshest, wildest, and most nutritious food there is.

Stella Natura Astrological Planting Calendar 2020

The Stella Natura Wall Calendar is an easy-to-use, informative and beautiful planting and gardening calendar that shows the best times to take advantage of the cosmic influences of the moon, sun and planets.  This is a research-based system that is used by Biodynamic farmers and gardeners.  We have been using this calendar for over 25 years and believe it has helped with germination of seeds, root development of cuttings, and healthy plant development.  More than just a calendar – it’s packed with valuable information and insights for successful growing, from seed to harvest.  

Spiders in Your Neighborhood – Harlequin’s Exclusive!

Scary? Maybe. Cool? Definitely.  Author Pat Stadille used to be terribly afraid of these eight-legged daddies, until he started learning more about them. Now spiders are his best friends! As a nature enthusiast, we have a feeling you’re going to feel the same way, once you hear about their silky skills, hunting habits, and generally shy and gentle nature. Learn about jumpers, wolf spiders, tarantulas, and, of course, the black widow!

Spiders in Your Neighborhood features detailed drawings and photos of the critters you’ll find, and sections on types of webs, how and where to discover spiders, spider anatomy, common relatives… even a spidey quiz to test your creepy crawly knowledge. So, grab a flashlight and your sleuthing kit and join Pat ”Spiderman” Stadille on a journey around your backyard that will leave you spinning with excitement.  This small book is suitable for any age.

Ready, Set, Plant!

What a storm we had last week!  With the windy conditions and record-setting low temps, everyone’s gardens looks very different this week and may need some attention.  If you haven’t already, this is a good time to review our blog about garden cleanup. The good news is that soil temperatures have cooled down to the optimal soil temperature for bulb planting, ~50 degrees.  And, our current mild daytime temps and above-freezing nighttime temps are ideal for planting perennials, and still good for planting roses, shrubs and trees. Inoculating with mycorrhizae and attention to fall and winter watering are the keys to success.

Bulb Planting and Tulipa ‘Paul Scherer’

Starting with bulb planting:  Recommended planting depths are to the bottom of the planting hole where the base of the bulb rests.  Planting depth can vary depending on how light or heavy your soil is – plant deeper in light soils, shallower in heavier soils.  (If you’re in doubt, a general rule is that planting depth is 3 times the height of the bulb.) 

You don’t have to dig a single hole for each bulb!  You can dig a large hole, say 8-14″ wide by 16-24″ long, to accommodate a large grouping, or swath of bulbs.  This is a great way to save time, to create a more naturalized look, and to combine two or three types of bulbs in one grouping. 

Single Early, Triumph, Darwin Hybrid, and Multi-flowering tulips should be planted 8″ deep to perform as perennials, and fertilized each year just after bloom. Be sure to allow the leaves and stems to wither naturally before cutting them down.

You may want to sprinkle bone meal in the bottom of the hole so that it can touch the bulb roots.  We love Root Rally, which is a blend of bone meal and Endo/Ecto mycorrhizae spores and plant nutrients, providing mycorrhizae life support for all plants.  (See more on mycorrhizae, below.)  Refill the hole and water well. 

See Eve’s ideas for ways and places to use bulbs that you may not have thought of!

Peruse our complete list of 2019 bulbs and individual images and descriptions 

Monarda didyma ‘Jacob Cline’

Planting perennials, roses, shrubs and trees:  The fall is a great time to plant perennials, roses and shrubs as they can focus solely on root growth instead of trying to reproduce.  After gently removing its pot, gently swish the root ball in a bucket of unchlorinated water with water-soluble mycorrhizae  (let the water sit overnight to release chlorine and add the mycorrhizae later).   Mycorrhizae is a beneficial fungi that attaches to roots, allowing them to better absorb water and nutrients.  This results in faster plant and root growth, and better transplanting success.  If you only have granular mycorrhizae on-hand, sprinkle it on the roots as you are planting.  Read more about mycorrhizae in Mikl’s article, “Mycorrhizae: The Hidden Marriage of Plants and Fungi”.

By gently swishing the root ball in water, the root mass will loose its pot-shape and individual roots will be lengthened.  This allows the ends of the roots to be planted deeper, helping to ensure long-term drought hardiness. 

After late-season planting, be sure to (hand) water deeply and frequently, at least twice a month for woody plants, throughout the winter. 

For specific info on rose planting, see Eve’s rose planting instructions.

Zauschneria garrettii ‘Orange Carpet’

Finally, a quick additional word on garden clean-up.  Some of our Southwestern plants should not yet be cut-back.  Wait until April to do so, which will give them additional time to gather and store nutrients, and keep the crowns of the plants from getting too cold. These plants include, but aren’t limited to, Agastache, Salvia  (S. lemmonii ‘Desert Rose’, S. reptans, S. x microphyllus ‘Royal Ruby’, S. greggii ‘Furman’s Red’, S. darcyi), Zauschneria (Hummingbird Trumpet), Scrophularia macrantha (Red Birds in a Tree), Scutellaria suffrutescens (Cherry Skullcap), Gaura lindheimeri.

Snow Preparation and Protection

With our current mild temperatures, it can be difficult to visualize the forecast 50 degree drop in temperature and snow that await us Wednesday night. But we saw it happen a few years ago and know that our green gardens may become limp puddles of frozen plant material, and that worse, since trees and shrubs have not dropped their foliage yet their branches may break under their weight of the snow.  The good news is that there are a few things you can do to mitigate damage.

SHRUBS and TREES – These in-leaf plants are the most vulnerable to damage as the wet and heavy snow can break their branches.  To help prevent this, knock the snow off the plant periodically.  If possible, do so by knocking the under-side of the branch rather than striking downward on the plant.

SMALL SHRUBS – Valuable, young woody perennials and shrubs, such as Daphne, can be protected by covering with over-turned plant pots to help protect their branches from breaking.

PERENNIALS – Following the snow storm, it’s fine to leave the remaining plant material.

COOL SEASON VEGGIES – To minimize damage, harvest your kale, chard, spinach, etc. as desired, then cover the remaining in-ground plant with a couple layers of Ensulate Row Cover fabric.  Large over-turned plant pots, stuffed with bubble-wrap will suffice as well. The snow on top of the fabric and/or pots will also help to insulate the plant.  We have used plant pots are available for sale at low prices.

 

 

 

 

 

TOMATOES – If your tomato plants are still bearing fruit, pull the tomato plant and it’s roots out of the ground and hang it upside-down in a frost-free place such as a heated garage, where much of the fruit should continue to ripen. If this isn’t possible, harvest your fruit and let it ripen on a window sill.  So long as the tomato is showing some lightening of the green flesh to pale green or white, it will likely ripen.

 

Bulb Tips from Eve

Species Crocus are the earliest Crocus to flower, at least two weeks before their Large Flowering siblings, and are the best for early spring lawn tapestries: hold off mowing the lawn until the foliage has died back. Drifts are also lovely in garden borders and rock gardens. Plant 4” deep and 3”- 4” apart, about nine bulbs per square foot for a dense planting. (Crocus are also good for forcing indoors over the winter. Pot them up in mid-October and pre-cool them at a consistent, dark 38 to 45 degrees F for eight to ten weeks with moderate watering. Bring them into the house ~ they will bloom about four weeks later.)

 

Narcissus (Daffodil) Culture

Narcissus are easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Best in organically rich, sandy to loams that drain well. Plant bulbs 4-6″ deep and 3-6” apart in fall. After the flowers have bloomed, the top portion of each flower stem may be removed, as practicable, to prevent seed formation, but foliage should not be cut back until it begins to yellow. Flowers usually face the sun, so bulbs should be grown with any shade areas at the rear of the planting. Bulbs can be left undisturbed for a number of years.

RELAX! RECONSIDERING GARDEN CLEANUP

Autumn has declared itself on the Front Range, and many gardeners are itching to bring a close to the gardening year by tidying up. But wait! There are some important issues to consider here before bringing out the rakes, blowers, clippers and shears.

Now is a great time to take a long look at your gardens and make notes on successes, disappointments, gaps, and changes that you’d like to make. Assess the ecosystem you have created, and think about how you can make it even more supportive of our precious wildlife, beneficial insects, pollinators and soil life.

A certain amount of garden cleanup is very important for reducing diseases and pests that are difficult to control. If you haven’t already done so, do remove diseased plants from your vegetable garden. You should have been removing and treating diseased foliage from roses or shrubs with fungal diseases like mildew, blackspot or rust before now, but if their disease-carrying foliage is falling now, keep them picked up and dispose of them responsibly.

But don’t be so quick to scalp those perennials and annuals! Many of them provide natural food and shelter sources that wildlife and beneficial insects depend on for winter survival. You may not have noticed, but so many beneficial insects and butterfly larvae spend the winter in the (often hollow) dead stems. If you throw them out, you’ll lose most of the beneficials that would otherwise keep the balance next year. Always keep an eye out for egg cases attached to stalks when you prune or clean up. There’s often an aesthetic side-benefit – many seed-heads look fabulous either crowned with snow or silhouetted against the snow-covered ground.

Some perennials die back to below ground (peonies, gas plant, golden banner, balloon flower, desert four o’clock, gayfeather, gas plant, leadwort/plumbago, etc.) leaving no basal growth and leaving a completely blank space. To make sure you don’t forget where they are and accidentally dig them up or step on them, leave dry stems until the new growth begins to appear in spring.

Unless you have an ‘ornamental’ grass that self-sows aggressively, leave grasses and their seedheads standing. If they are ‘cool-season’ grasses, you’ll want to leave them until about mid-February, then cut them to 3” above the ground so they can begin making unimpeded new growth as soon as the soil thaws. Dormant ‘warm-season’ grasses can remain attractive until warm weather comes and don’t need to be cut down until April.

Leaving dry stalks standing in the winter also helps preserve soil structure. Snow collects between the stalks and provides protection from freezing temperatures by insulation for the crowns of the plants, especially important for marginally hardy plants. Captured snow keeps soil temperature more consistent, protecting from extreme temperature fluctuations, and helps prevent the alternate freezing and thawing that can disrupt mycorrhizal networks (and uproot plants, especially new and small ones).

Leave the leaves! The larvae of many butterflies overwinter in the blanket of autumn leaves, as well as other beneficials. The leaves also provide cover for frogs, toads and spiders. Songbirds eat more than just seeds; they search in the leaf litter for insect eggs and caterpillars. As they naturally break down over time, they feed the soil microbes that make nutrients available to plants. Worried about harboring snail and slugs? Before those leaves begin to fall, spread a non-toxic slug bait like Sluggo in areas of concern. You may want to remove leaves and twigs from patios, decks, walkways and lawns, and that’s fine – especially if you can spread them under shrubs or pile them in a corner where they’ll remain undisturbed through the winter. And very large, flat leaves from trees like Basswood (Tilia americana), Norway Maple, Sycamore/London Planetree) should be cleared from beds or they can form a slick solid mat that smothers the crowns of smaller plants.

Xeriscape: Native Plants

Achillea lanulosa (Achillea millefolium var. lanulosa) (Yarrow)

Agave parryi neomexicana

Amelanchier alnifolia (Serviceberry)

Amorpha canescens (Leadplant)

Aquilegia barnebyi

Aquilegia caerulea (Rocky Mt. Columbine)[Read More]

Climate Strike 2019

“On September 20th, young people and adults across the US and world will strike to tell the UN and leaders across the world that we want climate action. By growing and uniting the multi generational climate movement, the strike is the launch of a new era for just and equitable climate action.”

– Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center

 

Harlequin’s Gardens is joining the Climate Strike, Friday Sept. 20th, by striking while the iron is hot, increasing the focus on the Climate Crisis.

At Harlequin’s Gardens we will not be leaving our jobs on September 20. Instead we will be at work for Harlequin’s where we are always working to help you and the planet. AND we will be giving away one Free bag of compost with each purchase, on Friday, the 20th.[Read More]

2019 Tomato Tasting Results

This year’s tomato tasting was a great success, with a total of 41 tomato varieties present over the 3-hour event!

Participants brought in some wonderful new varieties this year, including Pink Bumble Bee Cherry, Gajo de Melon, and Blue Cream Berries. We always take people’s votes into account when deciding which tomato varieties to carry, so look for the most popular varieties from this year and previous years when you come to buy your organic tomato starts next spring at Harlequin’s Gardens. Every year we grow 80+ great varieties for all kinds of uses and growing conditions! A huge thank-you to Growing Gardens for providing our the location, helping us publicize the event, and for bringing us some fabulous volunteers. Thank you also to the volunteers of Slow Food Boulder County. We couldn’t have done it without you!

2019 Taste of Tomato Vote Tally

 

 

 

 

[Read More]

Lycium (Goji Berry)

Whoever heard of Goji Berry 20 years ago? Now, with the current interest in superfoods, phytonutrients and antioxidants, Goji Berry juice and dried fruits can be found in many urban grocery stores. The 70+ species of Lycium are found on most continents and one species, Lycium pallidum, is native to Colorado. But the best known and most grown Goji is Lycium barbarum, the Chinese Wolfberry, also known as Matrimony Vine, Desert Thorn and Boxthorn. What is not commonly known is that this exotic superfood can be easily grown in Colorado.[Read More]