Harlequins Gardens

Boulder's specialist in well-adapted plants

We’re Open Tues–Sun, 9-5, through October!

Memberships & Gift Certificates – available online
See our seasonal hours and address below • Read our latest e-newsletter!

Help Support Our Mission: GoFundMe

Home | Blog

Blog

Plant Trees – Save the World

Silver Maple Shade

This week all trees except fruit trees are 30% Off!

There is no doubt that trees help cool the Earth, and they also cool your yard and your city. Even if you don’t have room for a big shade tree, smaller ornamental and fruit trees keep the sun’s rays from striking the soil and warming it. Plants are a good energy investment, because they grow on their own and synthesize food from sunlight. Trees are even a better investment, because of their large photosynthetic capacities and because their value is multiplied over many years. Trees often out-live us, continuing their benefits for our children and the following generations.[Read More]

While it’s Hot, Let’s Plant Cool

chokecherry

Trees are Cool and Harlequin’s Gardens is starting a two week 30% OFF Tree Sale to help with the Cooling. Trees, both the 30’-60’ big shade trees and the 15’-30’ trees are powerful allies for humans both for our survival and for our quality of life. Trees on the west side of the house shade our windows and house from the scorching late afternoon sun, which not only makes our life more pleasant, but also reduces our need for costly air conditioning.

[Read More]

Dealing with Change in the Garden

Shade in Eve’s garden

“The best laid plans of mice and men can still go awry” comes from a 1786 poem entitled “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns. It tells of how he, while ploughing a field, unwittingly upturned a mouse’s nest. The expression was then popularized by the 1937 novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck.

[Read More]

Escape to the Tundra

King’s Crown – Rhodiola integrifolia

In early July, Mikl and I always take some time off to celebrate our wedding anniversary, and to escape the Front Range heat. This year, we decided on a stay-cation, with day-trip forays into the high alpine tundra, so easy for us to access from here. Just as spring came early down here at a mere mile above sea level, so it did up in the mountains. In past years, our early July trips to the alpine zone brought us to snowfields in mid-melt, revealing the very first blooms of the tundra –  mostly with their feet in the water. [Read More]

How to Plant in July

How To Plant in July And Keep Your Gardens Alive!

1) Before planting , prepare the soil by adding 2″ of compost and dig it into the to top 6″-8″ of soil OR Add 1″-2″ of expanded shale with the compost, then dig it in. This will open clay soil, increasing both porosity (aeration) and water holding capacity. Set the prepared soil aside.

[Read More]

Harlequin’s Gardens Pollinator Garden

We are in the last week of Pollinator Month. We still have a lot of good pollinator perennials and shrubs. Our pollinator garden is looking beautiful and many plants have labels. This garden was given a boost last spring by a grant from People and Pollinators Action Network, plus a lot of Harlequin’s plants. Last Saturday Mikl led a tour of the garden for the Garden Conservancy a national nonprofit working to share and celebrate America’s gardens.

[Read More]

Hot Tomatoes!

Tomato ‘Native Sun’

In choosing which tomato varieties to offer each year, we try to cover all the bases, including disease resistance, exceptional flavor, a wide range of flavor profiles, sizes, colors and culinary uses, heat-tolerance, cold-tolerance, early maturation, and adaptation to what we’ve known as ‘Colorado conditions’. This year, ‘Colorado conditions’ have changed.

Though their leaves may wilt midday, tomato plants can endure 100°F temperatures. But fruit set often stops above 85°F during the day and especially if night-time temperatures are above 75°F. This is because because pollen is less viable at higher temperatures. This causes ‘blossom drop’, when flowers fall off instead of turning into tomatoes (by the way – tomato flowers are self-pollinating, with pollination occurring before flowers open. Once open, they may be visited by bees, especially bumblebees). Metabolism slows, and growth slows. Plants focus their energy on self-preservation instead of fruit production.

Gardeners need to be aware that containers and raised beds heat up faster than in-ground soil. Some tomato varieties can handle the extra heat to their roots better than others. Heat-resistant varieties are able to continue setting fruit into the mid-90°F range and even to 100°F. It helps if nights cool down to below 75°F.

Now that the heat is on, take note of which tomatoes in your garden are fruiting successfully this year. If the varieties that are successful for you are not on the following list, please let us know about them! Email staff@harlequininsgardens.com.

For heat tolerance, these varieties are recommended:
Native Sun, Super Sioux (aka Super Lakota), Sun Gold, Matt’s Wild Cherry, Burrell’s Special, Floradade, Maglia Rosa, San Marzano, Mexico Midget, Stupice, Thessaloniki, Cherokee Purple, Bella Rosa, Black Krim, Green Zebra, Sweet 100, Beam’s Yellow Pear, Principe Borghese, Early
Girl, Coyote. This list will grow with your input!

Japanese Beetle Management/Tolerance

Japanese Beetle is an invasive insect pest that feeds on over 300 different plants. It emerges from a grub stage in the ground in late June, peaks around mid July and continues until early September. There are no natural enemies for Japanese Beetle in the US, and no one seems to have a successful strategy for eliminating them. We recommend a cumulative approach, which when combined, can be helpful.

We have stopped selling the BeetleGone and GrubGone because they are so expensive and only partially control beetles in your yard, and beetles fly in from the neighbors and beyond. We also don’t recommend Milky Spore, because it seems to not be effective in Colorado. Nematodes can work, but must be applied at the right time and often require repeated applications.

Here are some methods we do suggest; we hear it is better to start early in the season before the beetles make attracting chemical trails:

1) Hand-collecting:  Very laborious and effective. Hold a container of soapy water under the beetles and tap them in. You can also use a one gallon jug with 2” of soapy water with a 6” funnel inserted in the top. Hold underneath and tap in. This is often more effective, fewer get away. Morning and evening collection works best, because this is when the beetles are sluggish.

2) Wild West Method:  Fill a quart spray bottle with water and a capful of Dr. Bronners soap. Turn the sprayer to a single stream and shoot them down. Supposedly faster, and does kill the beetles.

3) Spray the plants with Neem:  Neem is a non-toxic herb with insecticidal and fungicidal properties. It acts as an antifeedant, meaning the beetles don’t like to eat it, and if they do, their eggs will not live to the adult stage. Follow the directions using warm water and spray in the cool of the day. It is an oil, so don’t apply too often or it can affect plant respiration.

4) Trapping:  I know, I know, reputable sources claim traps attract more than they catch. But we have many reports and our own experience indicating that they reduce numbers with less labor than collecting. We learned our method from anEast Coast teacher: skip the plastic traps which are expensive, stink, are hard to clean and have to be thrown away every year. Get a 5 gallon bucket, stick the adhesive bait on the inside of the bucket, 2”-3” down from the upper lip, put 3” of soapy water in the bottom. The beetles will hit the side of the bucket and fall into the water. Use a sieve to scoop out the beetles once a week and replace the water as needed. Easy, doesn’t stink and you reuse the bucket. If it is a bad year, use a new second bait mid-season. An improvement we learned is to site the bucket on the west side of the property, because the beetles usually fly in on the wind from the west and will get to the trap before they get to your roses or grapes. Let us know if it works for you.

5) Garlic Barrier and Mosquito Barrier:  Garlic is strong medicine and most insects don’t like it. The smell goes away soon, but not to insects. Spray in the morning or evening in the summer. It will also reduce aphids and spider mites.

6) Remove buds and flowers:  When the beetle damage starts to get bad, remove the flowers and buds, keep at it. These flowers will be damaged anyway, and removing them with remove the main attraction and save the energy of the plant. Then when beetle numbers have decreased, stop removing the buds and you will have a glorious late season bloom

7) Plant spring blooming roses/flowers:  Ones that are done blooming by mid June/early July (like Heirloom and species roses).

8) Remove plants that are magnets to the beetles:  Virginia Creeper, Morden Sunrise Rose etc.

9) Rowcover Fabric:  Cover after fruit has started to form on veggies and berries, cover with light pest-fabric. We carry ‘Seed Guard’ fabric.

10) Plant strongly aromatic plants like garlic, thyme, annual geraniums etc with your roses or plants that are being eaten

11) Don’t spray toxic chemicals:  They will kill or weaken your beneficial insects, birds, pets, kids, you, or your soil life.

Grow Your Own Berries

Triple Crown Blackberry

Among the fruits we eat, berries are closer to wild foods and are therefore much higher in antioxidants and phytonutrients that strongly support our immune systems and general health. Berries are also kid-height and kids don’t need encouragement to pick them once they know when they are ripe!

Most berries are unavailable in grocery stores and are very seldom found at farmer’s markets. The few berries that can be found, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, are picked unripe, shipped hundreds or thousands of miles, and are most often lacking in the flavor and freshness of homegrown fruits. These days, many are even grown in greenhouses, or even hydroponically, where the fruits don’t receive the natural stimuli for producing phytonutrients.

Most berries are pretty easy to grow. Currants and gooseberries are moderate-sized shrubs, and grow best in partial shade in Colorado, with soil improved with one third compost to two thirds your regular clay soil. Water deeply twice a week the first year, and usually once a week deeply once the plants are mature. The fruits of our native currants (Ribes aureum and Ribes odoratum), particularly the selections ‘Crandall’ and ‘Gwen’s Buffalo’, are sweet and flavorful when fully ripe, and relished by children of all ages. European currants and gooseberries are favorites for making pies and preserves, with the addition of sugar.

Elderberries have been grown for their medicinal and culinary uses, as well as their beauty and rapid growth, for centuries. They grow to 8-10 feet tall and wide and need two different varieties of the same species for pollination (for example: plant one Sambucus nigra ‘Mikl’s’ and one S. nigra ‘Marge’ near one another to get fruit. They can even be planted together in one hole if you have a small space. Elderberries also thrive in part shade or morning sun and afternoon shade, and soil and watering recommendations are the same as for currants. In addition to elderberry syrup, you can
make elderberry brandy with the flowers or the berries, as well as elderberry flower pancakes, and all kinds of baked goods and preserves.

Raspberries are suckering plants that make colonies and can be planted in rows and staked to wires between free posts. Ours are either ever-bearing varieties, bearing in summer on old canes and again in fall on new canes, or Primocane varieties, bearing fruit on the current year’s canes in the fall. They have prickly stems, but the berries are easy to reach for harvest without injury. There is nothing like a fully ripe, fresh raspberry! Our varieties are ‘primocane’, meaning that they bear fruit on new (the current year’s) growth. We recommend mowing them down in autumn, even if the variety is “everbearing”. Part shade is ideal for raspberries, but full sun is okay, too. All are best fertilized with half to one cup of organic fertilizer every September, and mulched to make good crops.

Our varieties are ‘primocane’, meaning that they bear fruit on new (the current year’s) growth. We recommend mowing them down in autumn, even if the variety is “everbearing”. Part shade is ideal for raspberries. All are best fertilized with half to one cup of organic fertilizer every September, and mulched to make good crops.

Our Blackberries are thornless (and you wouldn’t want them any other way!). The canes can be tied to a trellis or fence, and soil and fertilizer recommendations are the same as those for raspberries.’ Triple Crown’ produces large, delicious berries that begin ripening in late July or early August on second-year canes. We have never found store-bought blackberries that were worth paying for.

Currently in stock: 

‘Triple Crown’ Blackberry – This productive plant yields large, juicy, black berries that offers copious crops on vigorous canes. Named for its three attributes: flavor, productivity, and vigor. Thornless semi-erect canes need support, especially under heavy fruit load. Self pollinating and disease resistant. Ripens begins in late July/early August. Hands-down winner of a public taste-test conducted by Boulder County extension service at Longmont Farmer’s Market. Hardy to USDA zone 5.

‘Pixwell Gooseberry’ – Prolific large oval berries that are light green, turning rosy pink when ripe. Fruit is prized for pies and preserves, more than for fresh eating. Best in part shade if summers are hot. Mildew and drought resistant. Hardy to USDA zone 3.

‘Hinnomaki’ Red Gooseberry – A medium-sized red gooseberry with outstanding flavor. The skin is tangy and the flesh is sweet. Great for fresh eating or pies. This very productive, upright bush has good resistance to mildew. Hardy to zone 2. Does well in sun to part shade.

Cutleaf Black Elderberry – Sambucus nigra v laciniata- A fast growing deciduous shrub known for its fern-like green foliage and white, citrus-scented flowers. It offers high wildlife value, providing edible black berries in late summer.  It thrives in full sun to part shade.  Plant with another S. nigra variety for successful fruiting.  Makes great elderberry syrup.  Hardy to USDA zone 3.

‘Marge’ Black Elderberry – Sambucus nigra- A cross of the American black elderberry with the European black elderberry which gives us large berries and all of the characteristics of the European varieties. ‘Marge’ is said to be self-pollinating so only one plant is needed for fruit production.  Flowers form on the previous year’s woody growth so fruit will begin to form the second year after planting. Very productive.  Hardy to USDA zone 3.

‘Mikl’s’ Black Elderberry – Sambucus nigra – Highly regarded as a medicinal plant for immune system support, Mikl’s has large showy clusters of white flowers followed by clusters of small, purple-black berries that can be used for jams and jellies or in tinctures and syrups. Plant another black elderberry for pollination. This one comes from a plant in Mikl’s garden. Hardy in Boulder the last 35 years.

‘Johns’ Elderberry – Sambucus canadensis – Produces more fruit and earlier than other elderberries. Very large clusters of medium sized berries which are especially good for pies, jellies and elixirs.  Needs a pollenizer, any other sambucus canadensis selection.  Hardy to USDA zone 3.

‘Imperial White’ Currant – Ribes sativum – Pearly white translucent fruit has a pink blush with a flavor that is milder and sweeter than its red counterparts. Delicious fresh or for jams and jellies. Vigorous and hardy to USDA zone 3.

‘Heritage’ Red Raspberry – Rubus idaeus – Fall-fruiting heirloom. A tough and easy variety that is productive and good flavored. Mow to the ground in late Fall or February-mid March and remove all debris. Bushy habit requires no staking.  Hardy to USDA zone 4.

‘Anne’ Raspberry – Rubus idaeus – Tested in Colorado.  Produces large, super sweet berries, and considered the best tasting among the yellow varieties. Canes are long and vigorous. Mow to the ground in late fall or February – mid-March and remove the debris. Ripens from August to frost.

Black-fruiting Nanking Cherry – Prunus tomentosa ‘Nigra’ – A beautiful shrub that has both ornamental and edible qualities. The deep purple fruits have a sweet taste and a juicy texture. Plant with another Nanking Cherry selection for successful fruiting. Hardy to USDA zone 3.

 

Mouthwatering STRAWBERRIES on Sale THIS WEEK for 20% off!

When you buy fresh strawberries at the grocery store, are they ripe? No. Delicious? No. Expensive? Yes. Enough said.

Earliglow: Many people miss out on the best-tasting strawberries because they are “June bearing.” Why buy ‘Earliglow’ Strawberry when it only fruits in June? Because the flavor is fabulous and because it produces a lot all through the month, so even a small patch can produce enough berries for bowls or strawberry shortcakes you will remember. A bigger patch yields enough for preserves, too. “Earliglow is prized for its rich, classic heirloom sweetness, glossy red skin and firm texture. Highly vigorous and cold-hardy, this variety is exceptionally beginner-friendly and renowned for producing abundant runners (more plants). It is perfect for fresh eating, freezing and jams. It is also disease resistant.

Ogallala: A vigorous, very cold-hardy, ‘everbearing’ strawberry that “combines the sweet, intense flavor of the Rocky Mt. wild strawberry with the large size of traditional garden varieties.” (McKay Nursery) It was bred at the Cheyenne Horticultural Station to withstand drought, zone 3 cold, heat and exposure. It has a long season and is high yielding. A small patch can provide delicious grazing, offering a few ripe fruits just about
every day from June to September.

For a limited time, these two strawberry varieties are available at 20% off the regular price. ENJOY!

Top Fragrant Roses In Stock

Zepherine Droulin

Yes, I know. Here we are, talking about roses and about how to control the Japanese beetles that love them, in the same newsletter. Well, fragrant heirloom roses are worth it! And we currently have stock of some of the most sought-after varieties. Cases in point include Zephirine Drouhin, an heirloom climbing Bourbon rose with completely thornless canes and elegantly scrolled, very fragrant medium pink blossoms that repeat-bloom. Zephirine is perfect for growing on an arched entry trellis, especially where she gets afternoon shade, topping out at 6 to 7 feet tall.

Then there’s heirloom Rose de Rescht, purportedly from Ispahan, Iran, and known as one of the very most fragrant roses

Rose de Rescht

ever. The bush blooms first on old wood, then again on new canes. The 2-3” flowers are packed with deep magenta-purple petals and unforgettable fragrance. She grows in a compact shrubby form, without any floppy, arching branches, to anywhere from 3 to 5 feet tall and wide.

Of course we stock many great roses, many of which are fragrant, all grown on their own roots.

Clematis fruticosa – ‘Mongolian Gold’

Looking for a compact shrub that blooms all through July? And August, and into September? ‘Mongolian Gold’ Clematis may be your answer. Eve’s has graced her front yard for about 30 years, and reliably makes a mound about 2 feet high and 3 feet wide every year. Most people assume that all Clematis are vines, but this is an exception. Mongolian Gold begins blooming in early July and just keeps going and going. Honeybees and native bees visit the lightly fragrant pendant yellow flowers often. In Eve’s garden, Mongolian Gold Clematis is located under the southeast edge of the canopy of a very large Douglas Fir tree that’s been limbed up, so it receives full sun in winter, and in the morning from spring through fall. It is watered only occasionally. It has a somewhat weeping habit and makes a perfect accent shrub where its branches can cascade over a short wall. The plant makes a permanent woody base framework that, once mature, should be pruned yearly in February to shorten the previous year’s slender stems. We’ve never seen any pest damage on Mongolian Gold.

 

Just in: Two Rare Native Shrubs

We just got in two plants we have had many requests for: come soon, supplies are limited.

Boulder Raspberry

Boulder Raspberry, Rubus deliciosus:  This lovely local native shrub is adorned with large single white blossoms that look similar to wild roses, blooming in May and June. Pollinators that are attracted to Boulder Raspberry are: Bumblebees, native solitary bees like metallic green sweat bees, mason bees and mining bees, also honey bees, lady bugs, butterflies and beneficial syrphid flies. It grows 3-5’ high and wide with arching stems. Although it is named Rubus deliciosus, it is neither a thorny raspberry, nor are the fruits delicious. But it is a beautiful shrub for the home landscape. It grows best in partial shade with water once a week.

Leadplant

Amorpha canescens, Silver Leadplant – This Colorado native plant fits into small water-wise landscapes, growing only 2’-4’ tall and wide. In June/July it blooms with showy spikes of purple flowers which are rich in both nectar and pollen. Pollinators include Bumblebees, metallic green sweat bees, plasterer bees, leaf-cutter bees, butterflies, beneficial wasps and is a host plant for butterflies. The small compound leaves add a lovely texture, and the plant is nitrogen-fixing.

Mycorrhizae bring water and vitality to plants

root system with myccorhizae

Mycorrhizae are fungi that form mutually beneficial relationships with plants. Over 90% of all plants on Earth form these relationships with plant roots: plants share the food sugars they produce through photosynthesis, and mycorrhizae, with their extensive mycelial network, bring water and nutrients to the plants. This relationship is often essential to the survival of plants growing in harsh conditions or through climate extremes. [Read More]

Perfect Time to Plant Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants, and Annuals in Containers!

Tidy Treats tomato

Now that hot weather is here to stay for a while, we can plant outdoor containers for our balconies, porches and patios without having to worry about cold nights. We have plenty of great varieties to choose from, and superior potting soils like Ocean Forest and Coco Loco. At last count, we had just a few large decorative ceramic pots left.[Read More]

Now Featuring our Best Selection of Sustainable Roses!

Darlow’s Enigma

Though I’ve often talked to you about native and water-wise plants, I am still referred to as ‘the Rose Lady’ at

Harlequin’s. I still love roses, and still grow some choice favorites for their fragrance, beauty and ease. Some of them, Banshee and Desiree Parmentier, have been in my garden for 34 years – far longer than I have. [Read More]

Blue Blazes is here! Pollinators & Gardeners Rejoice!

Blue blazes

One of our favorite hardy Hummingbird Mint varieties, ‘Blue Blazes’, is ready now in 1-gallon pots, perfect for summer planting. For many years, the gorgeous specimen in Eve’s water-wise front yard elicited admiration, comments and questions from passing pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Many asked ”What is that shrub with the glowing purple-magenta flower spikes?”

This vigorous, showy, large (40-50” tall x 24-30”w) native hybrid blooms non-stop from mid-June to fall, providing a tremendous pollen and nectar source for hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. The fragrant foliage resists deer and rabbits. Plant in well-drained, low-fertility soil, in full sun. Hardy in Zones 5 to 9. ’Blue Blazes’ was bred by our friend and Colorado horticultural star, Kelly Grummons. Eve’s trees eventually shaded out her ‘Blue Blazes’.

Also available now in #1 pots: Agastache ‘Poquito Butter Yellow’, a newer dwarf, bushy hummingbird mint (10 – 13”h x 15”w) for smaller gardens, ‘hell-strip’ plantings, containers or mass plantings. Its fresh, buttery color is new to Agastache, and the large flowers keep coming
from mid-June to hard frost. Dead-head spent blooms in summer, but leave some spikes standing for the Goldfinches and other songbirds that love the seeds. Plant in full sun in low-fertility, well-drained soil (not heavy clay). ‘Poquito Butter Yellow’attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and native bees, and is resistant to deer and rabbits. Hardy in zones 5 to 10.

Plants for Shade – Hosta and more!

Dicentra

As much as we are looking forward to summer heat and sun, we will be equally grateful for a bit of cool, shady respite. Many of us living in older neighborhoods enjoy mature trees that provide quite a bit of shade. These present a challenge: what plants will thrive beneath them and in their shadow? Right now, Harlequin’s has our biggest selection of plants for dry shade, moist shade, and moderate shade.[Read More]

Explore New Dimensions with Vines

Lonicera x brownii ‘Dropmore Scarlet’

Vines are plants that grow stems so long that they either ‘crawl’ along the ground or use a method of climbing using twining, tendrils, leaf-stems that wrap, hold-fasts, aerial rootlets, or hooked thorns. Many a wall, fence or planting patch cries out for the fabulous color, texture, shading, ground-covering, screening, bird habitat and fragrance opportunities offered by vines.

[Read More]

Native Shrubs for the Garden and Landscape

Mikl with Desert willow

Desert willow in bloom

Harlequin’s Gardens is famous for our selection of Native Shrubs. Not only do we have them when few other nurseries do, but we know them and we have mature specimens planted in our display gardens. These woody plants that are so well adapted to Colorado conditions are often drought tolerant, low maintenance, bee and pollinator-supporting, wind-tolerant, cold-tolerant and good-looking. Like many shrubs, some benefit from a once-a-year pruning to remove dead flowers before they make seeds. This will make them more tolerant to drought and snow and wind, but seeds can be left for the birds and pruned late fall.

Native shrubs can be grown together for a very water-wise and low maintenance garden that is tied together visually with a fine woodchip mulch.

Fernbush (Chamaebatiaria millifolium) is a beautiful Plant Select® shrub that is usually 4’- 6’ tall and wide with fern-like leaves that come out in mid January or February. It is very tolerant of dry conditions, heat and bright sun. In summer, clusters of small white flowers cover the bush densely and often bloom a little more in fall. These flowers are extremely attractive to beneficial insects, especially native, non-aggressive wasps which help keep down populations of pests and are intent on pollen, not people. This shrub is tough enough for the back 40 and attractive enough for the front yard. It can be sheared (or pruned) lightly after blooming for a tidier appearance and to encourage rebloom. Fernbush is native to Idaho, Utah and northern Arizona.

Fernbush

Chilopsis linearis is called Desert Willow because it has narrow, willow-like leaves and is very drought-tolerant. It is a small tree 6’-15’ with an open structure and does not leaf out until May, even late May. It is related to Catalpa tree and Trumpet Vine. The orchid-like flowers are so surprising and breath-taking; ruffled, trumpet-shaped, pink to red-purple, striped purple inside. Chilopsis prefers dry, loose soils, but clay is OK if it is seldom watered. At night it is visited by hawkmoths and is scented of violets according to Bob Nold. He also says it “…is the toughest shrub that can be grown in our garden…I have never watered my plants.” The flowers bloom for a long time and are followed by narrow pods that are not messy. Chilopsis is native to New Mexico, Nevada and Utah. Books often say it is hardy to zone 7, but we have specimens over 10 years old at Harlequin’s and Denver Botanic Gardens has many older trees. Often, the flowering tips die and look better pruned off.

Dwarf blue rabbitbrush

Dwarf Rabbitbrush (Ericameria or Chrysothamnus) has been called The Gem of the Tribe. It is a compact shrub 1’-2’ high and 2’-3’ wide with short and narrow bluish leaves and clouds of golden yellow flowers in throughout autumn. The flowers are very attractive to pollinators; it is a crucial late-season food source, supplying nectar and pollen for native bees, honeybees, Monarch and other butterflies, moths and even hummingbirds. Once established, this shrub thrives with little or no watering. It also provides a welcome display of color in the late season and if it is sheared after flowering, will stay compact and attractive enough for the front yard. It is native near Harlequin’s in the open and dry high desert and steppe, and in much of Colorado.

Prune Now to Keep Woody Plants Smaller

Do you have a tree or shrub that you’d like to restrain from getting much larger? For the next 3-4 weeks, pruning will be the most effect in reducing the size of woody plants. As we near the Summer Solstice, this year on June 21, we are approaching the midpoint in the growth cycle. This is the time when the days are longest and sunlight is strongest in the northern hemisphere. Woody plants start growing rapidly in early spring using energy that was stored in the roots and branches last fall. By mid-summer, the tree’s resources are being stored in the foliage to support photosynthesis.

So, when we prune at this time, we are removing these resources for growth. This is why summer pruning slows growth. By late summer and fall the nutrients are again being stored in the roots and branches, so pruning removes fewer growth-inducing resources. This is also the reason that fertilizing in late summer and fall is the best time to strengthen a tree or shrub, and support development of the buds that will become next year’s flowers and fruits. Note that solstice pruning of trees and shrubs that bloom in mid to late summer will remove the current year’s bloom and fruiting potential (Bluemist Spirea, Russian Sage, Golden Raintree, Rose of Sharon, Seven Son Flower, etc.)

Incidentally, If you would like to keep certain tall fall-blooming perennials more compact and stocky and less floppy or top-heavy, you can shear them back by a third to a half in late June/early July. This works well for tall asters and goldenrods, Blue Sage (Salvia azurea), Agastache.

More plants coming! Others selling out fast!

 

Hostas

First of all, we have MANY plants just becoming ready, MANY we had held back for lack of time and space. So just because we had a huge influx of perennials a couple of weeks ago doesn’t mean we’d brought them all out for sale. But here they come now! Also, we’re now bringing out flats and flats of perennials now that they’re fully rooted into their pots. And these all look glorious!

Many are specialty items, including great Native and Pollinator Favorites! At the same time, if you’re looking for Peonies, Hosta, Ferns, Bleeding Hearts, Lungworts (Pulmonaria), Variegated False Forget-me-not (Brunnera), Hellebores, Golden Wood Poppies (Stylophorum diphylum) and some other classic long-lived spring perennials, these sell out quickly and will not be re-stocked until next year, so come for them now!

A note of advice about plants in small pots or 6-packs: These may have come recently from greenhouse conditions, so be sure to water them frequently until you get them planted in the ground or in larger pots.

 

Penstemon palmeri – Palmer’s Beardtongue

Palmer’s Beardstongue

2-5’ tall x 1-2’wide, Full Sun
Hardy to 6500’
Deer-resistant

Stop the car! What’s that mass of pink soaring above the roadside slopes? The largest of the hardy Penstemons, both in plant size and flower size, Palmer’s is a magnificent plant with a commanding presence. Above the substantial and attractive serrated, fleshy gray, evergreen leaves, towering flower spikes from 2 to 5’ tall display large, wide-mouthed light pink flowers marked with darker veins, and exuding a sweet fragrance.

These are specifically adapted to accommodate larger pollinators, particularly bumblebees, carpenter bees and hummingbirds. Butterflies and moths also visit them. Native to dry washes, sandy plains, and canyon slopes of the Intermountain West and Southwest, including Colorado and Wyoming, Palmer’s Penstemon colonizes open, well-drained soils from desert foothills to about 6,500 feet elevation. Adaptation
to poor, gravelly soils and periodic drought makes it a perfect choice for xeriscape and low-water gardens. Widely adapted and requiring minimal care, it will thrive and naturalize from seed, and can form impressive colonies.

 

Feed your Vegetables so they can Feed You!

Age Old Bloom

This spring, you probably incorporated some organic fertilizer into the soil for your garden, particularly if you are growing vegetables or annual leafy herbs. For optimal yields, many of these plants will benefit from additional fertilizer applications through the summer. This can be done with side-dressings of granular fertilizers like Age Old ‘Grow’ (for foliar crops) or ‘Bloom’ (for fruiting crops). But for faster results, we recommend liquid organic fertilizers, because they can be quickly absorbed by plant roots and foliage. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squashes, pumpkins, melons, and corn are considered either moderate or heavy feeders, and we recommend using either Age Old liquid ‘Bloom’ or Neptune’s ‘Rose & Vegetable’. This can be applied to the soil every two weeks or applied to all surfaces of the leaves for foliar feeding (apply to foliage in cloudy weather or just after sundown). Kale, Collard Greens, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Cabbage are ‘brassicas’ that are considered heavy feeders, along with Bulbing Fennel, Swiss Chard and Basil. These foliage crops appreciate supplemental summer feeding to maintain their supply of nitrogen, which can be easily supplied every two weeks by Age Old liquid ‘Grow’ or Neptune’s Harvest Fish & Seaweed’.

Compost Tea Featuring Local TerraForma Compost Ready this Weekend!

Brewing Compost Tea

You can think of compost tea as vitamins for plants; they are a great overall plant health booster. In turn, healthy plants are better able to resist pests and diseases. Our customers have told us that our compost tea has very clearly strengthened and improved the growth of their plants. Benefits associated with compost tea include:

Improves soil health. If soil is nutrient-rich, the need for fertilizer is minimized.

Improves water retention. This reduces the need for frequent watering.

Improves soil structure. The biological components in a soil are what create its structure. For
good soil structure, all organism groups in the food web – bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes
and micro arthropods – need to be present. By using compost tea you are adding this large
spectrum of beneficial microbes.

Stimulates plant root growth. Deeper roots retain moisture better and help reduce runoff.

Rocky Mountain Native Plant Primer

The Rocky Mountain Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden
by Lauren Springer and Bryan Fischer

The great Colorado gardening book we’ve been waiting years for is HERE AT LAST! Over the years, Colorado’s best and brightest garden writers, including Lauren Springer, have produced excellent books to help gardeners understand and work with the weather, soils, plants, pests and peculiarities of gardening here in the Rocky Mountain region. But before long, they were all out of print! With so many new gardeners, ‘new-to-Colorado’ gardeners and ‘new-to-natives’ gardeners needing expert advice for gardening HERE, in our various situations, from the urban-suburban metro area, to the plains, foothills, steppe and mountains, the lack of good resources in print was a big problem.

Fortunately, Lauren Springer returns, partnering with colleague Bryan Fischer, with an essential resource for gardening successfully and beautifully with native plants to attract and support pollinators and beneficial wildlife, and reduce maintenance at the same time! The wonderful photographs, the organization and presentation of accurate, practical growing information, and the solid decades of experience behind this book make it a treasured resource you will refer to for a lifetime. And remember – Harlequin’s Gardens members get 25% off books all year long!

New Perennials, Vines, and Annuals!

This Weekend! New Perennials, Vines, and Annuals

Here’s a glimpse of some of the influx of plants we expect to have ready for you by this weekend! Some are rare finds in limited quantities, so try not to miss out! .

Agastache cana – Double Bubble Hummingbird Mint

Artemisia frigida – Fringed Sage

Asclepias incarnata – Rose Milkweed

Dalea purpurea – Purple Prairie Clover

Engelmannia peristenia – Engelmann’s Daisy

Iris missouriensis – Native Wild Iris

Liatris pychnostachya – Prairie Blazing Star

Nepeta x faassenii -‘Walker’s Low’ Catmint

Tradescantia occidentalis – Western Spiderwort

Dahlia – Bishop’s Children

Dahlia – Short Mix

Nasturtium – Alaska Mix

Nasturtium – Jewel

Nasturtium – Ladybird

Nasturtium – Peach Melba

Nasturtium – Tall Mix

Nasturtium – Tiptop

Pansy – Velvet Mix

Poppy – Lauren’s Grape

Poppy – Mission Bells

Poppy – California Orange

AND MORE!

Cool-Season Vegetable Starts expected 3/26/26

Cold-Season Vegetable Starts – March

We’re very excited this week to debut spring vegetable starts that MASA has grown for us!  These bioregionally-adapted varieties are so robust and full of vitality, and so irresistible!  They are also selected for resilience in our wide weather swings. If you can water your garden, these plants will give you a bountiful head-start on home-grown, delicious, nutritious, greens! We’ll be bringing in more each week.

Arugula Astro
Broccoli Nutribud
Broccoli Umpqua
Cabbage, red Amarant
Cabbage, green Tendersweet
Cabbage, green Tiara
Chard Bali Red
Chard Bright Lights
Chard Fordhook
Collards, Flash
Kale, curly purple Redbor
Kale, lacinato Black Magic
Kale, curly DarkiborCo
Lettuce, butter Adriana
Lettuce, Romaine Forellenschluss
Lettuce, dwf Rom. Spretnak
Lettuce, red leaf Hyper Red Rumpled
Lettuce, green leaf Winter Density

Shrubs and Grasses this Weekend!

Tufted hairgrass

Trees:

Amelanchier alnifolia (native)

Shrubs:

Amelanchier alnifolia ‘Regent’ (native)
Peraphyllum microphyllum (native)
Prunus besseyi ‘Pawnee Buttes’ (native)
Prunus besseyi ‘Flatiron’ (native)
Syringa vulgaris – Common Lilac
Viburnum x ‘Sarcoxie’
Cotinus coggygria ‘Winecraft Black’ – Purple Smokebush

Raspberries:

Heritage and Polana red raspberries

Grasses:

Deschampsia caespitosa – Tufted Hairgrass (native)
Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ – Red Switchgrass
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Prairie Blues’ – (native)

Perennials:

Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’

groundcover – Ephedra minima

 

First Tomatoes and Peppers!

There is nothing like a homegrown tomato!  Here they come, Harlequin’s’ fabulous and enormous selection of tomato starts, and some of the first peppers, too! We cover all the bases, including varieties of many uses, sizes, colors, flavors, days to maturity, origins and special qualities, but they are time-proven and resilient in
Colorado. 

Tomatoes:
[Read More]

May To-Do List

TREES & SHRUBS: To avoid breakage from heavy snow, periodically put on your boots, heavy coat, and a hat with a brim, and gently shake snow off trees and shrubs that are already in leaf.

ROSES: If you have not already pruned them, now is the time to remove canes that are dead,
damaged, crossing and rubbing, or growing out of bounds. Make clean cuts with a good, sharp
pair of clippers. Avoid cutting back roses that only bloom in spring until after they’ve bloomed.[Read More]

Tomatoes Worth Waiting for!

Tomatoes: We’ve always started bringing out our outstanding selection of tomato varieties in the second week of April, but a little glitch with our new grower has caused a slight delay…we expect them to arrive starting the week of April 21st. So please hang in there with us – our exceptional, locally adapted varieties are truly worth waiting for!

Anasazi

Aurora det.
[Read More]

More vegetables for your Summer Garden!

Planting a vegetable garden provides access to fresher, more nutritious, and organic produce while also cutting down on grocery bills. It acts as a therapeutic, stress-relieving activity that offers exercise and sunshine, alongside positive environmental impacts like lowering your carbon footprint and supporting local pollinators.

The list of magnificently MASA started veggies is updated to incude:

Arugula – Astro

Arugula – Surrey

Broccoli – Happy Rich

Broccoli – Nutribud

Broccoli – Spring Raab

Broccoli – Umpqua

Cabbage (Green) – Tendersweet

Cabbage (Green) – Tiara

Cabbage (Red) – Amarant

Chard – Bali Red

Chard – Bright Lights

Chard – Fordhook

Collard Greens – Cash Crop

Collard Greens – Flash

Kale (Curly) – Rainbow

Kale (Curly) – Redbor

Kale (Lacinato) – Black Magic

Kale (Lacinato) – Darkibor

Kale (Lacinato) – Mamba

Lettuce (Butterhead) – Australe

Lettuce (Butterhead) – Nancy

Lettuce (Green Leaf) – Green Pack

Lettuce (Little Gem) – Spretnak

Lettuce (Oak Leaf) – Oscarde

Lettuce (Red Butter) – Alkindus

Lettuce (Red Leaf) – Hyper Red

Lettuce (Red Leaf) – Ruby Sky

Lettuce (Red Romain) – CalShot

Lettuce (Romain) – Solid Green

Onion (Cippolini) – Gold Coin

Onion (Grilling) – Red Bottle

Onion (Keeper) – Front Range Globe

Onion (Keeper) – Rosa Milano

Onion (Keeper) – Valencia

Pac Choi – Little Shanghai

Pac Choi – Mei Quing

Pac Choi – Tatsoi

Pac Choi – Win Win Choi

Radicchio – Indigo

Spinach – Hammerhead

Spinach – Kolibri

Spinach – Rangitoto

Dill – Bouquet

Cilantro – Calypso

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acer Tataricum – ‘Hot Wings’- Tartarian Maple

‘Hot WIngs’ Tartarian Maple

Looking for an attractive, tough, adaptable, cold-hardy, water-wise small tree with bright and unique seasonal interest? This very special selection of TatarianMaple fits the bill beautifully. Discovered as a chance seedling by the horticulturists at Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery, this tree stood out from all the other Tatarian maples for six weeks every summer with its breath-taking scarlet red samaras (wing-like seeds) contrasting with the rich green foliage giving it an appearance of being in bloom. Growers also noticed that Tatarian Maple was much more tolerant of our alkaline soils than other cold-hardy ornamental maples.

[Read More]

Fruit Trees!

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” This famous quote, often attributed to Martin Luther, symbolizes hope, faith, and the importance of stewardship. It highlights that planting a tree is a proactive, hopeful act for the future, regardless of current circumstances.

If you are wondering what the best fruit trees are to plant in your yard, join Mikl Brawner’s class this coming Saturday, Best Fruit Trees for Colorado  REGISTER HERE

[Read More]

Serviceberry

Indigenous scientist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer tells us that the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of interconnectedness and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth of berries to meet the needs of its natural community, and this ensures its own survival.

This is the ethic of reciprocity that that lies at the heart of the gift economy, in which wealth and security come from the quality of our relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency.

[Read More]

Native and Waterwise Shrubs in Full Bloom -Ready to Plant

Ribes aureum, Golden Currant

You have likely been seeing delightfully spectacular shows of blooms around the Front Range these past couple of weeks. There are currently many gorgeous spring blooming shrubs to choose from at Harlequin’s -your trusted source for native and waterwise shrubs. In stock and ready to plant are:

Amelanchier alnifolia, Saskatoon serviceberry

Amelanchier regent, ‘Regent’ serviceberry

Artemesia ludoviciana, White sagebrush

 

[Read More]

Water-wise Shrubs Available Now

Our healthy, overwintered and water-wise shrubs are waking up! Choose from hardy Manzanita, Banana Yucca, Creeping Mahonia and Western Sagebrush.

  • Arcostaphylos x coloradensis, Mock Bearberry Manzanita (pictured here) is an outstanding selection of a native broadleaf evergreen shrub. Needs good drainage, and prefers afternoon shade. 10-18″ high x 26-60″ wide. Deer resistant, provides winter interest, supports pollinators. Up to 8125′. From Plant Select.
  • Arctostaphylos x coloradoensis ‘Chieftain’ adda a beautiful structural element to landscapes and introduce a more natural look to our man-made urban environments. Plant them around large pine trees, over retaining walls and as foundation plantings around homes and businesses. The green, rounded leaves last all year, including through the winter! These shrubs grow to a mature height of around two feet tall.

[Read More]

Perfect Houseplants for Valentine’s Day!

Who doesn’t love houseplants?  Here a few that make perfect gifts.

Ceropegia woodii ‘Variegata’ (Variegated String of Hearts). The heart shaped leaves boast greens, creams, and blushy pinks. While this plant may look delicate, it’s hardy, needing bright indirect light, and little water. Let it dry out completely between waterings. This variegated version of the  “String of Hearts” vine displays beautifully cascading in a hanging basket. Its petite heart-shaped leaves boast greens, creams, and blush pinks, along with small mauve pipe-shaped flowers.  While this wonderful Valentine’s day gift looks delicate, the care is quite easy. It requires bright indirect light and because String of Hearts is a succulent, let it dry out completely between waterings, generally about 2-3 weeks during the growing season and every 4 weeks during the dormant season. Make sure the pot has plenty of drainage so the roots don’t rot.

Stromanthe ‘Triostar’ (Triostar Stromanthe).  This striking tropical plant’s long leaves are green and cream, with magenta undersides. The leaves change position throughout the day. They prefer to have more consistent water, generally water thoroughly when the top inch or two of soil is dry. An occasional misting benefits this plant as it helps mimics its natural jungle-like habitat.

Ficus ‘Ruby’ (Ruby Rubber Tree).  This pink-tinged variety of the standard Rubber Tree adds an interesting splash of color to any space. They typically grow with multiple stems each with multi-colored leathery leaves, with the newest growth showing the most intense red/pink coloring. The Ruby Rubber Tree prefers bright indirect light with moderate moisture. Generally, they prefer a thorough watering when the top 2 inches of soil is dry.

Roses that Thrive!

Roses primarily symbolize love, passion, admiration, and beauty, with specific meanings varying by color and culture. At Harlequin’s we take pride in our excellent selection as well as the confidence that you will take home a healthy and robust rose for your garden.  We currently have a spectacular selection in a rainbow of colors. Listed by Name, Height, Color, and Fragrance.

AC Navy Lady– 2-3′, Dark red, Light

Autumn Sunblaze– 1-2′, Orange blend, None

Awakening– 10’+, Light Pink, Moderate

[Read More]

Whiskbroom Parsley

Whiskbroom Parsley

In spite of the drought, rambles in local open space parks reveal the early signs of spring. Now showing at a park near you, a conspicuous star is Whiskbroom Parsley (Harbouria trachypleura), a genus with just a single species. Native to Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico, we’ve encountered it from the lower foothills to subalpine locations, on dry, sunny, rocky slopes, but it is even more at home in moist meadows, grasslands and under trees.

Many ‘wild parsley’ species are highly toxic, but this one is edible and was commonly used in culinary and medicinal ways by native Americans. The very fine, bright green dill-like foliage is surprising for a dryland plant, and the umbels (heads) of tiny, bright yellow flowers are an important nectar source for many native pollinators and beneficial insects. This plant is not in commerce, as it spends years developing its deep soil-stabilizing taproot before producing much top-growth, let alone flowering. Enjoy it in the wild!

Dahlias for Color and Beauty!

Hapet Daydream Dahlia

Colorado gardens provide just the right amount of heat and sun that our locally-sourced dahlias need for spectacular summer shows. Our selection of tubers is especially strong this year!

Choose from: Bracken Palomino, Brookside Snowball, Hapet Daydream (pictured above), Kara Sangria, Mondriaan, MM Buttercream, Mikayla Miranda, PG Woodhouse, Robann Creamsicle, Tanita, Orange Symphony.

Descriptions:

Bracken Palamino -Large 6-8″ Orange Sherbet blooms. 5′ tall.
Brookside Snowball – 4″ pure White blooms, 4′ tall.
Hapet Daydream – 3-4″ wide ball form, blend of Pink, Yellow and White.
Kara Sangria – Brilliant combination of Salmon, Pink and vibrant Yellow in a cactus form, 4′ tall.

[Read More]

Houseplants for Winter Health!

Snake Plant, Sansevieria spp.

When the world outside turns dormant, houseplants become essential indoor companions  Bringing greenery into your home during the winter offers several science-backed benefits:

  • Natural Humidifiers: Central heating systems can drop indoor humidity to as low as 10%. Plants like ferns release moisture through transpiration, which helps combat dry skin, sore throats, and respiratory irritation.
  • Mental Health Support: The presence of greenery is a powerful antidote to “winter blues”.  Tending to plants serves as a mindful ritual that reduces cortisol levels.
  • Improved Air Quality: Since windows stay shut in the winter, indoor air pollutants can accumulate. Hardier winter-friendly plants like Snake Plant (pictured here) and ZZ Plant help filter out common toxins while replenishing oxygen levels.
  • Enhanced Focus: Studies suggest that being around indoor plants can boost concentration and memory retention by up to 20%!

This week we have a wonderful selection. Here are a few of our favorites:

[Read More]

Protecting Trees and Shrubs in Winter

Another January day in the 50s? The buds are swelling, crocus are blooming. Only one other recorded winter was this warm and dry. Will these extreme conditions be harmful to our trees and shrubs? We don’t need to panic; our care can help.  

Trees and shrubs do have energy reserves; they have evolved to be capable of living through difficult conditions. Many shrubs need less water and can regrow from their roots. It is normal for buds to be swelling somewhat in January. Trees and shrubs are making leaf buds all winter so that when the day length and warmth of spring arrive, the leaves can unfurl and start photosynthesizing. And if temperatures drop dramatically or suddenly and kill buds, a healthy tree has “back-up” buds and enough energy to develop a new set of buds. However, multiple successive seasons of stressful conditions can cause serious damage or death. Here’s how we can help trees get through difficult times:

[Read More]

Rising Grocery Costs Got you Down? Plant These Veggies for Storage, and Savings

Grocery prices are projected to rise even more this summer. You can save, by planting your own veggies for storage. These delicious, hardy varieties are some of the longest-storing, and can be  enjoyed for most of the winter, and even into spring.

Potatoes:  While all the potatoes we offer (usually available in March) are delicious and hardy, these are the best ‘keepers’: HARVEST MOON -85-100 days. Round tuber with purple skin and deep yellow flesh. Firm texture after cooking, with a nutty taste. Good for roasting, baking, soups, and chips;  NICOLA – 85 – 105 days. Early. Thin skinned, yellow inside and out. Good for winter storage; SANGRE – 80-90 days. Midseason. Beautiful red skinned variety with shallow eyes and medium-sized oblong tubers. Originally released by Colorado State University in 1982, Sangre ranks high in taste tests with creamy white flesh that is especially delicious boiled or baked.

 

[Read More]

Take your Gardening to the Next Level with Essential Self-Care Practices! 

The benefits of gardening on mental and physical well-being are renowned. But here across the Front Range gardening isn’t just laying around in the hammock! (although there is that, too.) For gardening to truly increase your quality of life, a bit of pre-season preparation pays off.

Skin Care:  Stock your cabinet with special skin-saving products now. Our continued dedication and commitment to sustainability extends to what you put onto your body. This season, our 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! [Read More]

May Day Week Celebration and Sale!

At Harlequin’s Gardens, we love to celebrate May Day. It is an ancient festival welcoming Spring and celebrating the beauty, fertility, and abundance of the earth.

At our May Day Festivals, we bring you beautiful, authentic music and dance that you’re unlikely to hear elsewhere, all from top-notch, talented local players including the Maroon Bells Morris Dancer, Benjamin J. Allen, Nicolette Andres, and Tea at Six!
[Read More]

Celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day, by Mikl Brawner

Officially, Earth Day is April 22nd and Arbor Day is April 24th, but since the Earth is our Mother, on whom we depend for our Life, we must protect and support her every day. And Trees are our lungs, providing oxygen, our shelter from heat, and primary support for soil biology, so we need to plant them and continue to care for them. Progress may be slow, but humans are evolving to see individual trees and individual people as partners in communities.
[Read More]

Harlequin’s is Like a Farm. by Mikl Brawner

Update: Our GoFundMe appeal has brought in important support for Harlequin’s Gardens, and we deeply appreciate your generosity. We are a little over half-way to our goal of $35,000. We are working to make this a successful year in spite of challenges. Harlequin’s Gardens is not just a store; we are a lot like a farm. We grow thousands of plants with challenges of supply, heat, cold, drought and wind, not to mention rising costs. [Read More]