In mid-August, Mikl and Eve had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful, newly created and planted Rocky Mountain Botanic Gardens in central Lyons, CO. Envisioned and designed by herbalist, botanist, and educator Garima Fairfax (a beloved former Harlequin’s staffer!) and brought to fruition with a team of dedicated volunteers and grant money, the non-profit botanic garden is a delightful and educational display of native annuals, perennials, shrubs, vines, and trees. It is easily accessed along popular walking and cycling trails. [Read More]
Blog
TREES – 2022 Newsletter
The TREES we sell are smaller than ball & burlap trees that are dug in the field, leaving at least 75% of their roots in the ground. Ours are grown in a container so they have a complete root system and begin growing immediately and are not stressed. Here is a sample of some of our selection.
RUSSIAN HAWTHORN
Very tough and xeric, grows 15’ high and wide, white flowers and red berries, loves Colorado conditions!
ROCKY MT. MAPLE
Native to our foothills, likes to grow in the protection of other trees, red fall color, 10’-15’.
GAMBEL OAK and WAVYLEAF OAK
Both natives that grow 10’-15’, with little water and poor soil, support birds.
HACKBERRY
Good shade tree to replace an ash, a fast-growing hardwood, the most drought tolerant shade tree.
WHITE MULBERRY
The hardiest mulberry, 25-30’ tall and wide, very xeric, white fruit is tasty and does not stain. Brings Western Tanagers, Orioles to your garden!
GOLDEN RAIN TREE
25′ xeric tree with golden flowers in July, orange lantern-like pods, orange fall color, seeds abundantly.
CHOKECHERRY
Native, suckering tree to 15′-25′ with white flowers, edible fruit; great for birds and butterflies.
SUCKER PUNCH CHOKECHERRY
Leaves start green then turn red all season, non-suckering, white flowers, berries.
SILVER BUFFALOBERRY (Shepherdia)
10′ native small tree with edible red fruit on female plants,, silver leaves, very xeric, few thorns.
MAYDAY TREE (Prunus padus)
20′-30′ with clusters of white flowers, then bird fruit, fast screen.
WESTERN CATALPA
40′-50′ with vertical habit, fragrant orchid-like flowers, huge heart-shaped leaves, 12″ beans, xeric and special.
ARIZONA CYPRESS
20′-30′ hardy evergreen, blue foliage is fragrant, not scratchy, quite fast growing, bird favorite.
Plus, Honeylocust, Crab Apples, Silver Maple, Bur Oak, Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn, Aspen, Ptelea, Kentucky Coffee Tree, Ohio Buckeye, Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry, Hot Wings Maple, Alder, Native Birch, Bigtooth Maple, and More!
We have to suck carbon out of the atmosphere naturally — by planting trillions of trees…
– Senior Climate Scientist Brenda Ekwurzel
Winter Watering Alert!
The weather’s wonderful, but a bit DRY! All this sun and wind, and little rain or snow, is stressful to our plants, so don’t forget to give your plants some water. This is especially true for new plantings, evergreens, and roses and most any plant that was planted in September or October. These plants are especially vulnerable and are more likely to suffer or die from dehydration than from cold. [Read More]
SHRUBS & VINES – 2022 Newsletter
We have a large selection of natives and non-natives Shrubs AND Vines
This includes Amorpha, Manzanitas, Mt. Mahoganies, Big Sage, Fringed Sage, Sand Sage, Lilacs, Butterfly Bushes, Pea Shrubs, Gambel Oak, Viburnums, Spireas, Potentillas, Sand Cherry, Rabbitbrush, Fernbush, Mountain Ninebark, Cliff Rose, Lewis Mockorange, Mikl’s Pick Mockorange, Boulder Raspberry, Boxwoods, Cotoneasters, Honeysuckles, New Mexican Privet, Flowering Quince, Ephedra, Euonymus, Sumacs, Currants, Yuccas, and many more!
VINES
Honeysuckle, Trumpet Vine, Wisteria, Silver Lace, Clematis, Euonymus and MORE!
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.
– The Lorax (Dr. Seuss)
Self-sowing Hardy Annuals
Papaver ‘Lauren’s Grape’
Some customers wonder why we are selling starts of self-sowing hardy annuals like Larkspur, Rocky Mt. Beeplant, California Poppy, Peony-flowered Poppy, Pheasant’s Eye, Sweet Alyssum, Nodding Dragonshead, Bee’s Friend, and Desert Bluebell. Shouldn’t they be grown from seed sown directly in the garden? The answer is Yes, they certainly can be, and if you find a source for the seeds and sow them at the optimal time, usually in the fall, you can get great results. But some gardeners report having little or no success with direct sowing: their timing is off, the seeds are watered in and then dry up and are no longer viable, critters eat the seeds, etc. [Read More]
PERENNIALS – 2022 Newsletter
Harlequin’s huge choice of pollinator-supporting Perennials. Including:
NATIVES
Eriogonum umbellatum var. aureum ‘Psdowns’ (Kannah Creek® buckwheat). Photo Credit: Plant Select
SULFUR FLOWER KANNAH CREEK
Mahogany fall color. Eriogonum allennii – 3′ wide, very xeric, yellow flowers, a winner. Eriogonum umbellatum – yellow blooms cover xeric native mat, feeds butterflies, bees.
ASCLEPIAS INCARNATA
1′-3′ Full Sun, Attracts butterflies, native and honeybees, hummingbirds.
ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA
Butterfly Weed, orange flowers, 1’-2’ high, essential Monarch food and nectar.
NATIVE PUSSYTOES, ASTER, Arnica, Skyrocket Ipomopsis, Blazing Star, Navajo Tea, Prairie Sundrops (Calylophus serrulatus)
NATIVE BEE-BALM
–Monarda fistulosa: Showy purple blooms bring bees, hummers, butterflies; deer-resistant.
MANY PENSTEMONS INCLUDING P. VIRENS
2”x 8”, short spikes of blue flowers; shiny, dark evergreen leaves.
MANY COLUMBINES INCLUDING
Rocky Mt., Denver Gold, Western Red, Barneby’s
Dalea purpurea (Purple Prairie Clover)
PURPLE PRAIRIE CLOVER
Long lived xeric native loved by many bee species, bright purple-pink, nitrogen-fixing.
GAILLARDIA ARISTATE – BlanketFlower
LIATRIS PUNCTATA – Gayfeather
OENOTHERAS – Evening Primroses
CHOCOLATE FLOWER
12″ x 24″ wide, yellow daisies with chocolate fragrance, very xeric native.
SPHAERALCEA MUNROANA
Hardy, 18” vivid orange blooms all spring, bee-loved, low-water, silver leaves, rare.
ERYSIMUM WHEELERI/WHEELER’S WALLFLOWER
Tall, long-blooming biennial, vivid burnt-orange flowers, exclusive!
GEUM TRIFLORUM/PRAIRIE SMOKE
Colorado native, handsome foliage, reddish flowers, feathery seedheads, sun/part shade.
Engelmannia peristenia (Engelmann Daisy)
ENGELMANNIA PERISTENIA/ENGELMAN DAISY
Plant Select, neat golden daisies all summer, 18”h low water beauty
TOWNSENDIA HOOKERI & KIN
Native ‘Easter Daisies” grow dry, begin bloom super-early in neat little clumps.
ECHINACEA ANGUSTIFOLIA/NARROW-LEAF CONEFLOWER
Premier immune herb, large pink or white summer blooms.
PLUS, MANY GREAT NON-NATIVES INCLUDING:
MANY AGASTACHES
Blue Fortune, Coronado, Black Adder, A. rupestris.
SAGE
Culinary, Purple, Berggarten, Blue Hill, May Night, Caradonna, Furman’s Red, Mojave, S.azurea, S. argentea.
Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Firewitch’
DIANTHUS
Tuscan Honeymoon – grassy foliage, 2’-3’ stalks of pink flowers late summer D. gratianopolitanus – very tough groundcover. very fragrant pink flowers, durable. D. Blue Hills – the bluest foliage, fragrant flowers, 12” diam. D. Firewitch – fragrant; D. petraeus noeanus – Jasmine Dianthus, powerfully fragrant.
HARDY GERANIUMS
Biokovo, Splendens, St. Ola, Crystal Rose, Cambridge, Ballerina,G. macrorrhizum, G. sanguineum
ECHINACEA
purpurea, Magnus, White Swan, E. tennesseensis, E. pallida, E. paradoxa, Cherokee Sunset
ROSEMARY
Arp, Madeline Hill, Tuscan Blue, Prostrata.
HARLEQUIN’S SILVER GERMANDER, T. rotundifolium, T. chamaedrys
MANY LAVENDERS
Royal Velvet, Grosso, Twickle Purple, Munstead, Hidcote, Thumbalina Leigh, Vera, Wee One.
ORNAMENTAL OREGANO
Kent’s Beauty, Amethyst Falls, etc, cascading groundcovers, long blooming, bee-loved.
PLUS
Scabiosa Fama, Sedum nevii, Corsican Violet, Limonium gmelinii, Lallemantia canescens, Firefly Coralbells, Fancy Heucheras, many Hostas, and many, many more!
TOUGH ANNUALS
Datura meteloides
Snapdragons, Zinnia, Lauren’s Grape Poppy, Petunias, Datura, Pansies, California Poppy, Nicotiana, Salvias, Larkspurs, Peony-flowered Poppies, Swan River Daisy, Sweet Alyssum, Calendula, Kiwi Blue Honeywort, Cleome, Cuphia, Dahlia, Sacred Datura, Gomphrena, Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Baby Blue-Eyes, Love-in-a-Mist, Sun Rose, California Bluebells, Wax Begonia, Blackeyed Susan Vine, Annual Periwinkle, Canterbury Bells, and more!
Tips for Root Vegetable Success
Some veggies seem to shy away from the limelight, flourishing underground to provide a surprising, beautiful, and nutritious surprise later in the season. Growing root vegetables is generally easy, and can be a fun way to engage children in gardening. In addition, mountain gardeners often find that root veggies thrive in their cooler conditions.
Once planted, root veggies do not like to be disturbed and therefore are best planted by seed. (We do sell Bull’s Blood Beets as a starts, but these are generally grown for their greens.) We have Botanical Interests, Masa, and Seed Savers Exchange seeds for many root veggies including: [Read More]
Mason bees are flying!
It’s official – Mason bees are flying! Make sure you have new, clean nesting materials for them and for the other bee species that follow throughout the summer. If you have overwintered cocoons, get them out now. You can use one of our release tubes (pictured left) that allow the bees to emerge but not to renest in the same old dirty straws.
Mason bees only fly from about mid-March to early June. If you don’t have plants blooming then, such as fruit trees or Mahonia, you won’t be able to support mason bees. Don’t worry though because there are many other cavity nesting species that are happy for a clean safe place to nest. [Read More]
Fruit for Colorado
One of our specialties is fruiting plants that are adapted to Colorado conditions. All the apples we carry are resistant to fireblight and good tasting. And the cherries we sell are all proven successful in Colorado. Our grapes are the hardiest of any you will find, delicious fresh, in juice and a few are good for wine. And we have productive & good tasting currants, gooseberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries including: [Read More]
BEE BARN – 2021 Newsletter
Our BEE BARN has a great selection of Bee Equipment for Honeybees and Native Bees!
BUZZZZ ON BY TO CHECK IT OUT!
The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.
Winston Porter
CACTI & SUCCULENTS – 2022 Newsletter
Harlequin’s Gardens has many winter-hardy cacti: chollas, ball cacti and prickly pears.
Succulents: Hardy Agave, Yucca, Hesperaloe, Ice Plant, Sedum and more.
At least 14 countries have now given legal rights to rivers and other ecosystems.
– The Sierra Club
Our 2021 Fall Sale is in Full Swing
We’ve been in high-gear this season, propagating more plants and stocking more soil products than ever so we wouldn’t be vulnerable to supply-chain disruptions caused by the pandemic and extreme weather events. So now we have a wonderful selection, and most of them are on sale!
In our experience, fall is the most successful time establish most plants, especially when mycorrhizae are applied to the roots during planting (and we’re well stocked with soluble mycorrhizae, too!).
We have increased the discount on our 2021 seeds to 60% off! [Read More]
MEMBERSHIP & WEEKELY E-NEWSLETTERS – 2022 Newsletter
MEMBERSHIP IN HARLEQUIN’S GARDENS
Memberships help Harlequin’s to do those extras that are so valuable to the community but that are not profitable, like: 5 demonstration gardens of Natives, low-water groundcovers, the New Western Garden etc.; plus, plastic pot recycling; plant and pest identification for customers; hand-outs on many subjects like pollinator plants, how to plant, what blooms in July etc.; local seed collecting and propagation, and more.
Please become a member to support what we do and receive special benefits too!
Here is our expanded current offer
Members will give us $22 or more for a one-year membership and in direct return will receive these benefits:
1) Half-price Harlequin’s Class of your choice.
2) 25% discount on books all year.
3) During the May Day Week get $10 off a $50 or more purchase of plants (except roses & fruit trees).
4) During May Day Week, take 10% off roses (except quarts), then
5) In August begin the fall sale a week early with 20% off most everything.
You can become a member anytime you are at the nursery or mail a check for $22 or more to Harlequin’s Gardens (4795 North 26th St. Boulder, CO. 80301) or CLICK HERE.
With our new system, memberships are good for one year from the purchase date.
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR MEMBERS!!!
A significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions could be avoided from composting all organic waste…Taking your food scraps out of the garbage is about the same as purchasing an electric vehicle. It starts to add up. It’s not small potatoes.
– Monique Di Giorgio, Table to Farm
E-NEWSLETTERS
Please, subscribe to receive our weekly newsletters by email!
You can get both hardcopy and emails by letting us know at 303-939-9403, or you can pick up a hard copy when you visit the nursery. Our e-newsletters have timely garden advice and reminders, as well as news of stock arrivals, upcoming classes, special events and sales, etc. This is the best way we can give you detailed and up-to-date information at the time when it is relevant. Subscribe here, and please remember to add us to your Contact List so your email server doesn’t throw us in the trash!
Please LOVE and follow us on Facebook!
The rate of hunger in Colorado has tripled since the start of the pandemic. Denver Urban Gardens is now the largest urban garden network in the nation supporting more than 180 community gardens and 17,000 gardeners on 31-acres of land, donating 60,000 lb. of organic veggies, distributing seeds and seedlings, and teaching empowering classes. Support them!
Get your Plants Moving!
Do you have plants that you like, but that need to be moved to a different location in your garden? Or has your clump of Shasta Daisy, Daylily, Hardy Geranium, etc. become too wide and now needs to be divided? By dividing your mature perennials, you get free plants to expand your garden, to give to neighbors, or pot up and donate to a fund-raising event like KGNU FM Community Radio’s Spring Plant Sale! The next couple of weeks bring the very best opportunity to accomplish these moves without stressing your plants too much. Search the web for instructions from a trusted source for dividing the specific plant you’re working with.
Solar Caps – A Cozy Sweater for your Veggies!
Unexpected cold snaps can still occur even after the last average frost date (around May 9). Just as we need to add another layer of clothing during cold snaps, our warm-season veggie starts also need additional insulation as the spring season and soil slowly begin to warm up. This layering can come in several forms, each with their own advantages and applications: low-tech overturned plant pots, row cover anchored over wire or plastic pipe frame (as illustrated in the “Hardening-Off” portion of this article), and Solar Caps.
Because of their versatility and re-usability, Solar Caps have been one of our favorite garden tools for over a decade. [Read More]
MEMBERSHIP & WEEKELY E-NEWSLETTERS – 2021 Newsletter
MEMBERSHIP IN HARLEQUIN’S GARDENS
If you paid for a membership in 2020, you are already a member for 2021!
Memberships help Harlequin’s to do those extras that are so valuable to the community but that are not profitable, like: 5 demonstration gardens of Natives, low-water groundcovers, the New Western Garden etc; plus, plastic pot recycling; plant and pest identification for customers; hand-outs on many subjects like pollinator plants, how to plant, what blooms in July etc; local seed collecting and propagation, and more. Please become a member to support what we do and receive special benefits too!
Here is our expanded current offer
Members will give us $20 for a one-year membership and in direct return will receive these benefits:
1) Half-price Harlequin’s Class of your choice.
2) 25% discount on books all year.
3) During the May Day Week get $10 off a $50 or more purchase of plants (except roses & fruit trees).
4) During May Day Week, take 10% off roses (except quarts), then
5) In August begin the fall sale a week early with 20% off most everything.
You can become a member anytime you are at the nursery or mail a check for $20 to Harlequin’s Gardens (4795 North 26th St. Boulder, CO. 80301) or click here. We will put you in our Membership file, and a membership is valid until the end of the 2021calendar year.
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR MEMBERS!!!
Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want.
Anna Lappe
E-NEWSLETTERS
Please, subscribe to receive our weekly newsletters by email!
You can get both hardcopy and emails by letting us know at 303-939-9403, or you can pick up a hard copy when you visit the nursery. Our e-newsletters have timely garden advice and reminders, as well as news of stock arrivals, upcoming classes, special events and sales, etc. This is the best way we can give you detailed and up-to-date information at the time when it is relevant. Subscribe here, and please remember to add us to your Contact List so your email server doesn’t throw us in the trash!
FACEBOOK – Please LOVE and follow us on Facebook!
It’s not drought that causes bare ground; it’s bare ground that causes drought.
Alan Savory
THE HARLEQUIN EFFECT – 2021 Newsletter
THE HARLEQUIN EFFECT
Little Harlequin’s Gardens has always taken on the planet’s problems at the human level and at the earth level. We are growing plants without poisons so the bees, birds and bacteria will not be poisoned. We source many of our plants and products locally to support our local economy, local composting and to reduce carbon emissions from shipping. Our greenhouses and our production methods use almost no fossil fuels and very little electricity. We reuse clean plastic jugs for our compost tea and our Harlequin-bagged soils come in plastic bags that can be returned for reuse. We provide the organic plants, the products, and the education for people to grow their own fresh organic food, herbs and gardens. And more!
In the big scheme of things, what we do is small. But the Harlequin Effect is that because these things are multiplied by 9000 of you, the effect on our ecology and health is significant. This is the synergy of our vision and commitment with your vision and action.
Climate change may seem to be taking place up there in the sky, but many of its causes are right down here on the earth in human hands.
The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje
Q: Can I plant now?
Q: Can I plant now?
A: It depends!
Yay! For those of us gardening at about a mile high, the threat of frost is nearly gone! If you’re planting hardy perennials, shrubs, vines, grasses or trees, you’re good to go now (as long as your soil isn’t too wet to work), and we have a remarkable selection! Our stock of seeds and starts for tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, summer & winter squash, melons, pumpkins, and watermelons are excellent. We also have plenty of seeds for beans – bush, pole, runner, and dry. A hint about bean seeds: white-seeded beans are more tolerant of cool soils, so they can be planted sooner. [Read More]
COOL SEASON VEGGIES & HERBS – 2022 Newsletter
COOL SEASON VEGGIES
We have a Fantastic Selection, too many to list!
ARUGULA
Wild Arugula, Astro, (spring), Ice-Bred (fall)
BROCCOLI
Fiesta, Nutribud, Leaf Broccoli, Spigariello di Liscia Leaf Broccoli, Aspabroc
OTHER VEGGIE STARTS – 2022 Newsletter
Purple Majesty when cooked
POTATOES
Yellow Finn, Purple Majesty, Harvest Moon, and Norland Dark Red.
Heirloom Tohono O’odham Multiplier Onion plants
ONIONS
Patterson Red, Redwing, Walla Walla, Ailsa Craig, Red Long of Tropea, Red Geneva, Gladstone, Borrettano, Dakota Tears, Bianco di Maggio.
ALSO, Leeks and Shallots.
ASPARAGUS
JERSEY KNIGHT (roots, 5 per bundle)
All male hybrid with big spears. Does not make seed, so doesn’t become weedy. Best selection for dense clay soils. Very productive and disease resistant. Hardy to Zone 2.
PURPLE PASSION (roots, 5 per bundle)
Beautiful deep burgundy-colored spears with high sugar content, delicious, tender, less fibrous, great in raw salads.
EGGPLANT OFFERINGS – 2022 Newsletter
EGGPLANTS
GALINE
72 days, F-1 hybrid
Early, dependable Italian-style eggplant, mild, creamy-fleshed fruits averaging 1 lb., with glossy black skin.
2025 Fall Plant Sale and Events!
Come Shop and Enjoy our Annual
FALL CELEBRATION & PLANT SALE!
August 16th through October 31st
MEMBER’s FALL PLANT SALE – Sat. August 16 – Fri. Aug 22nd –
Hundreds of Healthy, unusual hard-to-find plants – Perennials, Ground-covers, Herbs, Vines, Grasses, Shrubs & Trees! 20% off most plants, 25% off books
Sat. August 23rd – October – Harlequin’s Annual FALL PLANT SALE begins for EVERYONE!
Our sale continues through August and every week in September and October, and discounts and special offers increase every week!
Aug 23-29: 20% off most plants, and on Saturday, LIVE music to lift our spirits!
Aug 30-Sept 5: 20% off most plants, plus 10% off houseplants, Deep Discount Area Opens
Sept 6-12: 25% off most plants, plus 10% off compost tea, 10% off houseplants
Sept 13-19: 25% off most plants, plus ongoing Deep Discount on Trees and Shrubs
Sept 20-26: 30% off most plants, 25% off Eco-Compost
Sept 27 through Oct: 30% off most plants, plus special deals
Please note: Plants with BLUE TAGS are NOT discounted!
We will reopen Nov. 20 (closed on Thanksgiving) and be open Thursdays through Sunday 10-4 through the Holiday Market.
LIVE MUSIC AND DEMONSTRATIONS AT THE SALE
For a lively start to our Fall Sale, we’ve invited some of our favorite local musicians to play for us on Saturday, August 23rd! Bop while you shop, or have a seat for a while at our free concerts!
Cora Weise Moore
10:30am – 12:30pm – ‘Tea at Six’ Irish Music Trio, with Cora Wiese Moore on Irish harp, with friends Dylan on guitar and banjo, and Adam on fiddle
Tina Gugeler
1:00pm – 3:00pm Tina Gugeler – longtime Hammered Dulcimer champion will rock the nursery with spirited Celtic and other dance tunes!
Eve Reshetnik Brawner will offer two FREE DEMONSTRATIONS: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7that 11:00am and 1:00pm
Saving Seeds from your Favorite Tomatoes – Got a favorite open-pollinated or heirloom tomato variety in your garden? Or a fabulous discovery from a friend, farmstand or farmers market? In 15 minutes, you can watch and learn how to successfully save seeds from tomatoes so you can get great germination, grow your own starts and share seeds with others. Great for visual learners!
14th ANNUAL HOLIDAY GIFT MARKET!
Every Thursday through Sunday*, Nov 20th-Dec 21st, 10am-5pm
Featuring the best local artisan creations. Browse in our charming, relaxed atmosphere for carefully curated unique, affordable, high-quality gifts you won’t find elsewhere, including:
Sustainable Home & Garden Goods
Books, Puzzles & Toys
Organic Personal Care Products
Jewelry, Accessories & Clothing
Delectable Specialty Foods
See our e-newsletters and website for photos and descriptions later this Fall.
*closed Thanksgiving Day
Nursery CLOSED Dec 22-Jan 1
OPEN this Winter: Jan 2 through February; Thursday, Fri and Sat 10-4 for houseplants, seeds, seed-starting supplies, fertilizers, garden consultations and some gift items.
2025 May Day Celebration, Plant Sales and Events!
Come Shop and Enjoy our Annual
MAY DAY CELEBRATION & PLANT SALE!
May 1st through May 7th
Saturday, May 3rd
10 am – don’t miss the Maroon Bells Morris Dancers, who will bring us fertility and merriment!
Sandra Wong
1pm – Sandra Wong plays international music on fiddle and nykelharpa with breathtaking skill, passion, energy and heart.
Sunday May 4th
Noon – Margot Krimmel–splendid traditional and original harp and vocals, always a favorite
Laughing Wood Marimba Band
2pm – Laughing Wood Marimba Band – Rockin’ rhythmic Zimbabwean traditional music on four marimbas, voices and drums!
Our MAY DAY PLANT SALE will begin on Thursday, May 1st and continue through Wednesday May 7th.
The main sale consists of a DEEP DISCOUNT SALE SECTION, consisting of a large selection of beautiful perennials, all very significantly marked down. And they are ALL neonic-free! In addition, there will be an assortment of shrubs, trees and miscellaneous plants, also deeply discounted.
MAY DAY Benefit for MEMBERS ONLY
As a ‘thank you’ to our members, we are offering an additional benefit of $10 off a one-time purchase of full-price plants totaling $50 or more. Roses, Fruit Trees, Dahlia Tubers and Houseplants are excluded from the sale.
MEMBER’s FALL PLANT SALE – August 19 – 24th
AUGUST 26 – October – Harlequin’s Annual Fall Plant Sale begins for everyone. This sale continues through August and every week in September and October.
OCTOBER – Open Tuesday through Sunday 9 – 5, the Sale continues.
Closed for the season October 31? We will reopen Nov. 6 and Thursdays thru Sunday 10-4 Through the Holiday Market. Stay tuned for our late-fall and winter schedule!
HARLEQUIN’s 2025 13th ANNUAL HOLIDAY MARKET!
Nov 20 thru Dec. 21
Holiday Market
WINTER HOURS
January 8-Feb 28 Thurs, Fri., Saturday 10—4
For houseplants, gifts, tools, fertilizers, books, potting soil, seeds and questions
PEPPER OFFERINGS – 2025 Spring Newsletter
PEPPERS
A few of our NEW and “NEW AGAIN” PEPPERS: Offering 44 varieties!
Chimayo, courtesy Adaptive Seeds
CHIMAYO – 65 days, Open-pollinated, 4,000 – 6000 SHU, Capsicum anuum
A famous heirloom New Mexico chile. Medium hot, thin skinned and easy to dry 3-5” long fruit are probably the earliest Southwestern chile to ripen to red; makes some of the best tasting chile powder. Since it is not too hot, you can use it in large quantities and achieve flavor nirvana without running for the fire extinguisher; on the Slow Foods Ark of Taste
Welcome to Spring and to our Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Harlequin’s Gardens – 2022 Newsletter
How did we possibly get this far? When we first opened in 1992, we had 2 acres a half mile down a dead-end gravel road, a dry well, a barn and a little greenhouse, and a few tables with plants. But we had a vision of a plant nursery that could serve Colorado’s Front Range and do it ecologically. We did have a country atmosphere and a great view. We had a lot of heart, but we only succeeded because an ever-increasing number of you found us and told your friends. [Read More]
ONE HEALTH – 2021 Newsletter
Can we have human health if our domesticated animals, wildlife, plants, and all nature are unhealthy, polluted, poisoned, weak and struggling? The answer seems to be NO. Climate Change “…coupled with a species-extinction crisis, habitat and soil degradation, pollution, extensive destruction of forests and coral reefs…” are all leading to our current health crisis.
These views emerged in a conference in October 2019, attended by 200 experts, which generated a call to action called The Berlin Principles. These 10 principles say basically that if we are to prevent future and worse pandemics, we must recognize and support the essential health links between humans, all other beings including microbes and our entire planet. We must support biodiversity which is critical to the infrastructure of life, health, and well-being on our planet. And this understanding must develop into strong institutions based on robust science and into policy and action. We must recognize that our decisions about our use of land, air, sea, and fresh water directly impact the health of humans, animals and ecosystems. When ecosystems are altered, becoming less resilient, we become vulnerable to more diseases.
Therefore, we must invest in a healthy natural infrastructure and fund the surveillance and protection of healthy ecosystems. (See One World One Health and Science Direct.)
COVID-19 has shown us the huge cost of inaction caused by the disconnect between science, economics, and politics. Taking the perspective of One Health gives us humans both the power and the responsibility to take on this huge problem at the root level.
We might ask ourselves: Why does the USA, the richest country in the world, lead the world in coronavirus cases and deaths? With only 4% of the world’s population, we have 25% of all cases and 20% of all deaths. This cannot be blamed on mismanagement alone. Our government has for years favored business profits over public health and environmental health. For example, the EPA website warns that glyphosate (active ingredient in Roundup) at 700 parts per billion can cause “problems with kidneys or reproductive difficulties” and yet 700 ppb is the permitted level in U.S. tap water. Only .1 ppb is allowed in European Union tap water. Roundup also causes many problems with fungi, bacteria (like in our guts), kills insects, birds and in general undermines the health of our planet. It shows up in baby food and beer. This is one example of a poison in our ecosystem that is leading to the poor health in our nation and in our world.
Bayer says it will pay more than $10 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits from people alleging that their cancers were cause by Roundup, the company’s glyphosate-based herbicide.
The Sierra Club
Snow and Soil!
Wow! That was an impressive snowstorm, even if it did arrive several days later than predicted. We know how hard many of us have had to work to clear paths through it. And we hope everyone stayed safe, warm, healthy, and well-fed throughout. Colorado has been experiencing a long-term regional drought, so this addition to our mountain snowpack couldn’t be more welcome. Just think what a difference all this snow can make for Colorado’s farmers, many of whom have seen their ditch water allotments disappear in early July for the past several years.
Ready, Set, Plant!
Even though we are about to receive our biggest snowstorm of this winter thus far, you can still make great progress on your garden by starting seeds indoors or even outside if your garden is prepared and you’re quick and can sow them tomorrow morning! You can also plant our hardy perennials, vines, shrubs and trees that have overwintered outdoors ahead of the storm. And our Onion plants – they’re very cold-hardy, and the earlier they’re planted, the larger their bulbs at harvest time! And, if you can plant in a cold-frame, or under a low tunnel of sheet plastic or Row Cover Fabric, you can plant our spring vegetable starts! Heading varieties like Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower will give you [Read More]
Clematis Pruning Groups
Despite the access we have right now to our snow-free gardens, in general it’s not time to begin garden clean up. Undoubtedly (hopefully!) we will receive more snowfall in February and March and it is beneficial to keep leaves on the ground and last-year’s stalks on our perennials because this cover provides habitat for overwintering beneficial insects and it helps to keep the plant roots and crowns warmer.
In late February and early March it will be time to cut back certain Clematis vines, depending on their category. Here is an in-depth guide to the three Clematis Pruning Groups. [Read More]
Feeding our Soil while Carbon Farming
Photo Credit: Aaron Favila – AP, and The Daily Camera.
Harlequin’s Gardens has become a member of the recently formed Coalition for Local Compost Climate Action. This is because Boulder County is getting ready to build a local composting facility to turn our organic wastes into fertility and climate action, which is very exciting!
For years we have been talking about the need for a local public composting facility. And now, driven by the pressure of Climate Change, it is even more obvious. We need to apply Nature’s waste recycling system, using microbes to remove valuable organic matter from the waste stream and turn it into healthy soil.[Read More]
Returning and New Seed Brands!
Seeds are selling, and sometimes selling out, at an unprecedented rate since Covid 19 forced so many people to stay at home, and thus inspired millions to try gardening for the first time. But we’re on it! Our racks will include loads of both tried-and-true favorites and exciting new varieties.
We will again be offering an excellent selection from our local seed houses, Beauty Beyond Belief (BBB) and Botanical Interests.
BBB’s specialties include individual wildflowers (many locally native!), wildflower seed mixes, and pollinator-supporting mixes specific to honeybees, butterflies or hummingbirds. Many of their offerings are hard to find elsewhere.
Botanical Interests goes to great lengths to provide all the information you need, and more (like an illustration of what the seedling looks like when it emerges), on both the outside and the inside of the packet, plus stunning, botanically accurate illustrations by highly skilled local artists adorning the front of each packet! We have carefully selected varieties from their catalog that will thrive in Colorado’s short season, early heat, cool nights, etc.
AND – NEW THIS YEAR! from MASA Seed Foundation, a wonderful line of locally-adapted seeds from master seedsman Rich Pecoraro and colleagues! Their seeds have been trialed, selected and reselected over the years to succeed in Front Range Colorado growing conditions. In our experience, these seeds have high germination rates and great seedling vigor, and develop into healthy plants, often with superior drought, heat and cold tolerance and disease resistance.
We will also offer a rack of Seed Savers Exchange selections. SSE’s mission is preserving genetic diversity by maintaining a vast seed library of heirloom varieties, many of which are found nowhere else. SSE packets generally offer a generous quantity of seed.
Winter Solstice 2020
This year the Winter Solstice will fall on Monday, Dec. 21st
This astronomical event is the time when the Earth’s north pole is tilted farthest from the sun, so that here in the northern hemisphere, night is the longest and daylight is the shortest. This day has long been celebrated because it signals the reversal of the trend, with days lengthening until Summer Solstice. So even though there is a lot of winter left, there will be more day light. It is the promise of rebirth, of Spring to come.
Peoples through different times and cultures have seen this event as a moment of rebirth and hope. [Read More]
Solstice Cheer from the Garden
Attractive Evergreens for Colorado Gardens
At the time of the Winter Solstice, we can be grateful for the evergreens in our Colorado gardens. Not every region of the temperate northern hemisphere can grow so many different beautiful plants with year-round presence.
There are so many evergreen (and eversilver, everblue, red and purple) hardy perennials, groundcovers, shrubs, herbs, and trees (and not just conifers!) we can grow here. They go above and beyond in their service as ornamental plants in all four seasons. [Read More]
Greetings to our Friends and Fellow Gardeners!
If, for the moment, we put aside the political anxieties and the shocking impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on all almost all aspects of life as we knew it, we can turn our attention to the spiritual and emotional healing embodied in the holiday season. Winter Solstice, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Eid and Christmas are all joyful celebrations of possibility, hope, love. Environmentally responsible gardening is so also about love, possibility and hope.
A gift certificate for Harlequin’s Gardens will be appreciated by any gardener, new or seasoned, [Read More]
With Gratitude and Appreciation
Dear Friends & Fellow Gardeners,
Thank you so much for hanging in there with us this year as we scrambled to adjust to new circumstances and new protocols! We are truly grateful for your patience and loyalty, which made it possible to help so many people, many of them new to gardening. In fact, one of the nursery trade magazines reported that in the US this year, there were 19 million new gardeners. There were days this spring when it felt like they were all coming to Harlequin’s! We have the hang of it now, and if the pandemic is still a threat in spring 2021 (which is probable), we will be able [Read More]
Final Week of our 2020 Season
We’ve heard from some of you that your trip to Harlequin’s for holiday gifts was your first foray into shopping since the COVID precautions began! This is such a strong affirmation that we are offering something of real value and importance to you, and we are honored to have this level of support!
As you know, most in-person concerts, craft fairs and holiday events have been cancelled, making it difficult for artists to connect with their audience.
End of the Season Bee Maintenance
If you were lucky enough to get any mason bees nesting this spring, you’ll want to coddle them through the winter. Their populations are down throughout Boulder County because of the weather, and Tom Theobald, our usual supplier, isn’t even sure whether he’ll have any for sale next spring.
Mason and other native bees should be brought into a sheltered place with ambient (outdoor) temperatures, but with less fluctuation. These bees would normally nest in holes in tree trunks, which offer more stability in terms of temperature, moisture and, of course, protection from predators. Mason bees are already adults now and are safe to handle in their cocoons. If you used liners or reeds, take them out of the guard tubes and shelters and store them in the fridge. Ideally, unwrap the liners/reeds and just overwinter the mason bee cocoons. Place them in a Humidi-bee chamber and keep the lower pad moist.
You can do the same with leaf cutter bees but handle them very carefully as they aren’t yet mature. Our supplier, Crown Bees, will be livestreaming a cocoon harvesting demo on Saturday. We also have large organza bags for storing blocks or shelters to protect from parasitoid wasps.
Now is a good time to stock up on supplies for the spring, replacing single use tubes and liners to provide clean sheets and immediate vacancy in your spring mason bee hotel! Many folks have been asking about releasing bees in the spring. We now have a special tube designed for exactly that which should make the process easier and clearer.
West County Gardening Gloves
We love West County gloves! They are made from recycled plastic bottles, are very durable and stand-up to several seasons of tough gardening. They are machine washable and retain their shape, and they come in great colors and patterns! We carry their Work Glove, Rose Gauntlet, Mud Glove and Grip Glove, all in a range of sizes.
If you give these gloves as a gift, be assured that the recipient is welcome to exchange them for a different in-stock size, as long as they are still unused and in their original packaging.
HOURS, EVENTS & SALES – 2021 Newsletter
MARCH
Open Thurs., Fri., Sat., and Sun., 9-5.
Beginning April 1, we are open Tuesday thru Sunday 9-5. (Closed Mondays.)
MAY 1 thru MAY 9th
Harlequin’s Gardens May Day Plant Sale.
SAT., MAY 1 at 10 am
Don’t miss our May Day Celebration beginning with the Maroon Bells Morris Dancers who will bring us fertility and merriment. If conditions permit, we will have some delightful live music on the weekend. See updates in our e-newsletters.
AUGUST 23 thru 29th
Members Fall Plant Sale.
AUGUST 30 thru SEPT. 5th
Harlequin’s Annual Fall Plant Sale begins for everyone. This sale continues every week in September and October.
TASTE OF TOMATO
So sorry, not this year.
OCTOBER
Open Tues thru Sunday 9-5, the Sale continues.
OCTOBER 1st
Harlequin’s 2021 Holiday Market begins with Local Artisan Goods and Goodies and will continue through October 30th.
OCTOBER 31st
Closed for the Season.
We can drift along with general opinion and tradition, or we can throw ourselves upon the guidance of the soul and steer courageously toward truth.
Helen Keller
Bee Squared Honey
A long-time supporter of bees and organic beekeeping, and of Harlequin’s Gardens, Beth Conrey has served for decades with local beekeeping organizations and is currently President of the CO State Beekeepers Association. Starting small, her beekeeping passion grew exponentially and she now tends hives in many locations in Boulder, Larimer and Adams counties and produces some of the finest raw, unfiltered, chemical-free honey on the Front Range.
We are delighted to be offering many of Bee Squared’s unique and delicious award-winning infused honeys, including Spiced Rum Barrel Aged honey, Whiskey Barrel Aged honey, Rose-infused honey, Fennel Pollen-infused honey, Vanilla & Saffron-infused honey, and their superb Alfalfa & Wildflower honey and Clover honey. These products are available in several sizes and combination sets.
Cultura Chocolate
A Denver-based, micro-batch, bean-to-bar, award-winning artisan chocolate, Cultura is produced in Denver and Latina woman-owned. They use only beans from ethically sourced and organic cacao farms in Latin America, which they hand sort, crack, roast, winnow, grind, conche, temper and mold to bring out the richest aromas and flavors and the smoothest textures. We believe this is the very best chocolate produced in Colorado.
We are offering their superlative chocolate bars from several single-origin sources, their innovative mixed flavor bars, as well as their delicious Mexican style Sipping Chocolate, and Café de Olla, a delicious traditional spiced Mexican coffee/chocolate brew.
Michael Reshetnik’s ‘SUITES’ CD
There aren’t many Reshetniks left in the US, and yes – you guessed it – this one is my beloved big brother. And I couldn’t be more proud of him for this exquisite recording, a true labor of love, which I love to listen to, repeatedly. I believe you will, too!
Originally inspired by the singing TV cowboys, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, Michael started guitar lessons at a tender age, and quickly moved on to studying classical guitar. Hearing him practice was actually a pleasure. Later came Folk and Blues, and eventually my bro joined me in playing Irish and other Celtic traditional tunes with the Boulder Irish Session. The selections on this album are all his original transcriptions and arrangements.
“This album draws from the last 20 years of listening, arranging, playing and passionate involvement with the guitar. The seeds for Bach transcriptions were sown by the music of Andres Segovia and Julian Bream, both of whom were performing in NYC when I was a kid. The ‘traditional’ tunes are a selection from music heard much later on at music camps and at the Boulder Irish Music Session, played on other instruments. All of these pieces have an elegance, an emotional richness, something beautiful, that I hope speaks to you.”
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.
It’s Time to Feed Your Plants
This is the perfect time to feed your roses, perennials, and lawn using a slow release organic fertilizer. This type of fertilizer won’t push undue growth now, but instead help your plants prepare for next spring. We recommend Mile High Rose Feed for your roses, Alpha One Fertilizer for your perennials, and Nature’s Cycle Organic Lawn Fertilizer for your turf.
Mother Nature’s Dryland Natives
On our hikes, it seems we’re often exclaiming, “What a beautiful plant combination!”. Mother Nature’s inherent beauty and functional placement provide an amazing guide and inspiration for what we can create in our home garden or ecosystem. Mother Nature also helps guide us on how we can best support our pollinators.
In the new Harvest 2020 issue of Colorado Gardener (with a striking mushroom cover photo!), Mikl writes in ‘Blooming Without a Care’ about a selection of wonderful lesser-known dryland native wildflowers that can also be very successful garden plants in our semi-arid climate. [Read More]
Wake up and smell the garlic!
It’s time to buy your ‘seed’ garlic, which you should store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place until planting time, from mid-October to mid-November. Seed garlic bulbs are specifically chosen for planting because they are the healthiest bulbs with the largest cloves, and they are intact. By planting the largest cloves, you’ll be rewarded with a harvest of big, juicy bulbs.
Garlic has been cultivated since very ancient times. The varieties that developed in different areas express the terroir of their locale, greatly influencing the local cuisines.[Read More]
Ornamental Grasses – the flexible plant!
We often recognize grasses for their ornamental attributes – dynamic, flowing movement in the breeze, reflecting the dancing light, screening of unsightly areas, as well as their value in providing food and habitat for wildlife. But the grasses are the plant family with the greatest economic value, and it’s interesting to think about grass-based agriculture, the oils derived from grasses, their role in making beverages such as sake, wine, beer, and whiskey, their importance in construction (think thatch roofs, basketry, furniture, fencing, bamboo framing, scaffolding), and of their use in reed instruments.[Read More]
Summer Veggie Gardening Q&A
We have been getting questions from customers about some of the vegetables in their gardens. Here are questions and answers about squash pollination and the many uses of fennel.
Q: Why did the first fruits of my squash plants fail to enlarge and ultimately turn yellow and fall off the plant?
A: Squash and other crops in the Cucurbitaceae family (known as Cucurbits), like cucumbers, melons, gourds and pumpkins, bear separate male flowers and female flowers on each plant. [Read More]
Alpine Plants
Explore the spectacular floral displays of the Continental Divide while you can!
Hiking the West Ridge Trail on the Continental Divide
Successional Planting
How to maximize your output
Successional Planting is the continuous planting of crops following the harvesting of another planting. Depending on the plant, this can mean one annual planting for a long-season species, or multiple plantings for short season species. This process will help your garden to be as productive as possible, which is important in our short, highly fluctuating growing seasons. Our friend, and occasional class instructor, Tracey Parrish, has developed a comprehensive Successional Planting chart that she has generously permitted us to share with you. —Thank you, Tracey!
In her document, Succ. planting-most updated, Tracey outlines Colorado’s Five Seasons, gives you ideas for succession plantings, and then provides detailed planting charts for root vegetables, peas/beans, herbs, greens/salads, brassicas, onions, and summer crops. This five-page document is a wealth of information! Succ. planting-most updated