OLD-Blog

‘TASTE of TOMATO’ Report:
The 2012 Taste of Tomato was a huge success – delicious and so much fun! The mood was very upbeat, the tent full of gardeners and eaters excited to be learning and sharing. 160 people braved the potential traffic snarls on the morning of the Pro Race day, and many brought with them their best tomatoes for us to sample and compare. We had 103 varieties to taste! We tasted some wonderful tomatoes that were new to us and which we will try to grow for you next spring. Many gardeners have reported that it has been a difficult year for their tomatoes, with blossom-drop and disease issues, so could it be that the varieties submitted for the Taste of Tomato are better able to withstand the heat and drought? It’s something to consider.

Each participant was given forms on which to make notes as they made their way around the tables, where the samples were grouped in four categories – cherry, beefsteak, salad/slicing, and paste. They were also given five stickers to paste next to the names of their five top favorite varieties when they were finished tasting and evaluating. Making those choices from such an array was not easy! For the ‘peoples’ choice’ results of the Taste of Tomato, click on the link on our home page or go directly to https://www.harlequinsgardens.com/plants/edibles/vegetables/2012-taste-of-tomato-voting-results/

Many thanks to all who shared their bounty, including several local organic farms – Cure Organic Farms, of Boulder, contributed a pile of huge, delicious ‘Black Sea Man’ heirloom ‘beefsteaks’; the very popular heirloom ‘Pineapple’ was grown to perfection and donated by Aspen Moon Farm in Hygiene; and Zweck’s Farm, of Longmont, contributed ‘Big Beef’’, ‘Lemon Boy’, ‘Ruby Red’ and ‘Pink Wonder’. Also, we are happy that Abbondanza Organic Seeds and Produce brought their beautiful melons, peppers, eggplants, garlic, as well as their organic tomato seeds for open-pollinated and heirloom varieties that are successful in Boulder Valley.

Huge thanks also to the Boulder County Master Gardeners, who helped set up, greeted and oriented guests, washed all the entries, wrote out descriptions, kept up with the flood of tomatoes and got them out onto the tables for all to taste in bite-sized pieces, and then helped clean up!
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Don’t be unhappy if your entry didn’t garner the votes you thought it should. The voting was not at all scientific, and while there were over 100 varieties presented, some tomatoes were brought in late, or in smaller quantities than others, and therefore may not have had the votes they deserved. I really feel that any tomato that ranked in even one person’s top 5 favorites is a very good tomato. Some varieties, like Black from Tula, or Juliet, may not have been at the very top, but are so successful and easy to grow here, that they may be more worthwhile than another variety that received more votes.

HARVESTING, CURING & STORING ONIONS and WINTER SQUASH

ONIONS:
Pull up the bulbs when the tops have fallen over. Leave them to dry in the sun for a day with their roots up. To prevent decay in storage, cure them by laying them out in a single layer on a drying rack where they will have good air circulation and be out of direct sun. A simple drying rack can be made by supporting a window-screen on two sawhorses, and if you don’t have a garden shed, you can use a shaded porch or an open garage. Curing is complete when neck is shriveled and tight, and the outer skin is dry and rustles like paper. Cut the tops 1” above the bulbs and place the onions in a net bag. Store your onions in a cold (but frost-proof), dry place, like an unheated attic, basement or enclosed porch. ‘Milestone’, ‘Copra’, ‘Front Range Yellow Globe’, ‘Clear Dawn’ and ‘Red Zepellin’ should stay in good condition until mid-winter or longer. ‘Walla Walla’ onions should be eaten soon after harvest, as they do not store well
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If your onion crop did poorly in spite of your best efforts (providing very fertile soil, plenty of water, and good weed control), you may be interested to know that whereas onions do best where lettuce, squashes or melons grew the previous year, they are very adversely affected when planted where any member of the Cabbage family had grown. I have personal experience of the truth of this observation. This might be because while most plants benefit from symbiotic relationships with beneficial fungi (mycorrhizae) in the soil, plants in the cabbage family do not. So they may leave the soil ‘barren’ of the mycorrhizae onions need in order to thrive.

WINTER SQUASH:
Harvest winter squash when the skin is hard enough to resist being punctured by a thumbnail. Fruit maturity is often accompanied by dulling of rind. The vine may or may not have yellowed and withered, and the stems of the fruits may or may not have dried. Cut fruit from the vine with sharp pruners or knife, be sure to include at least an inch of stem, and never carry a squash by its stem. Some growers recommend curing the Cucurbita maxima group of winter squashes before storage by leaving them in a well ventilated place, like a sunny porch or a garage with open windows, providing protection from frost when necessary, for two or three weeks to further harden the skin for enhanced shelf-life. These would be the Hubbard, Buttercup, Kabocha, Banana, Turban, Australian Blue, and other miscellaneous varieties. Curing is not necessary for Delicata, Sweet Dumpling and Acorn-type varieties. Store winter squash spread out on a shelf or rack in a single layer in a location with temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and 50-70% humidity – many basements are ideal. When well-matured and cured and properly stored, squashes should last three to six months in good condition.

FALL SALE
Harlequin’s Gardens FALL SALE is now in progress. Our plants are in excellent condition and we still have a wide selection of perennials, herbs, shrubs, trees, composts, fertilizers, mulches, books, and much more. For details of our Fall Sale, see our 2012 Fall Sale Newsletter at

https://www.harlequinsgardens.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Fall-2012-Newsletter.pdf

Also, for the first time ever, Harlequin’s Gardens will be open three days a week in December for the holiday season, and in March for classes and a jump on the spring gardening season. Watch our website for details.

FALL VEGETABLE STARTS
It’s time to plant out those cool-season leafy greens for fall and winter harvests. We have starts of lettuce (many cold-tolerant varieties), mesclun mixes, swiss chard (Ruby Red and Lucullus), kale (Lacinato aka Tuscan aka Dinosaur, plus Winterbor and Red. Russian), arugula, upland(winter) cress, broccoli raab, spinach and collards. They are available both in 2.5” pots ready to plug in to your garden, and in larger pots for growing on your patio, terrace, etc., easy to move into more shade or more sun as the season progresses and the weather changes. Also in portable pots, we have several varieties of basil: Nufar Genovese, Italian Large-Leaf, Sweet, Cinnamon, Thai, Tulsi (Holy), and more. These can be brought indoors to a sunny window when temperatures are likely to dip below 45 degrees.

GARLIC
This year we are offering bulbs of our favorite softneck garlic, Inchelium Red, and another classic favorite, Spanish Roja hard-neck garlic. They are both very easy to grow in our climate, produce very large bulbs with large cloves, have excellent flavor and are easy to peel. When properly stored, Inchelium Red can last until May, and Spanish Roja stores for 4 to 5 months. We expect our garlic and shallot bulbs to arrive by September 14. You can buy the garlic in September to ensure that you’ll get some, but don’t plant it until mid or late October. For more complete descriptions and planting instructions, go to the Bulb page on our website: https://www.harlequinsgardens.com/plants/bulbs-2012/

FLOWERING BULBS
We are expecting our flowering bulbs to arrive in mid-September. We don’t have a specific date at this time, but you are welcome to call us to check on their arrival. We are in the process of updating our Bulb page to include the many wonderful new varieties we have added for this year, like the beautiful purple fall-blooming Crocus speciosus, ‘Ice Follies’ and ‘Carlton’ daffodils, and light sky-blue ‘Valerie Finnis’ Grape Hyacinth, to name just a few.

IN the HOME LANDSCAPE & FLOWER GARDEN
Fall is a perfect time to fertilize with organic granular blends like Yum Yum Mix, Alpha One, Nature’s Cycle, Biosol, Mile-Hi Rose Feed, etc., and also to top-dress planting beds and lawns with compost. Harlequin’s Gardens still has a good stock of fertilizers and composts.

If you have trees in your lawn, and the trees have been depending on the lawn sprinklers all through this hot, dry summer, now is the most important time to give them a good, deep soaking. You’ll want to taper off the watering in October to allow the trees to go dormant.

Deadheading of perennials and shrubs, followed by deep watering and mulching, can perk up plants that may have been stressed by the heat of this summer. Newly planted perennials and shrubs should be flagged or otherwise conspicuously marked so you will be reminded to check on them and don’t let them dry out.

WATER
Clean, uncontaminated water is a finite resource, and something we and our friends in the animal and plant kingdoms simply cannot do without. In our personal lives, we need to act accordingly and not take our water supply for granted. Scientists studying global climate change are forecasting a hotter and drier future for Colorado and the Interior West, which along with population growth and development, is sure to challenge our water supply. Another new threat to the availability of clean water is posed by the proliferation in our area of oil and gas wells using hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”). This method uses immense quantities of water which, after being used for drilling, cannot be returned to the water supply for reuse. The oil and gas industry has far more money and influence to secure and buy water than do farmers, cities and communities. In addition, there have already been many documented cases of irreparable contamination of residential water wells with highly toxic chemicals from fracking operations, which our current state regulations allow as close as 350’ from homes and schools. Addressing this threat requires us to go beyond our personal realms to take action as a community.
If you are registered to vote in Longmont, you have the opportunity to vote for the Longmont Health, Safety and Wellness Act in this November’s election. For more information about this proposed Charter Amendment and more information about fracking and its implications, go to http://ourlongmont.org/ .

We hope to see you soon!

Eve & Mikl Brawner and the staff at Harlequin’s Gardens

Dear Friends and Fellow Gardeners,

Welcome to Fall, to better conditions for establishing plants, and to Harlequin’s Gardens 2012 Fall Plant Sale.

This is a good planting time because plants are sending their energies and nutrients to their roots, because temperatures are cooler and, hopefully, rainfall will be more plentiful. Fall is also a more pleasant time to do planting, soil building, and fertilizing. Some books say we shouldn’t fertilize after the middle of July, but that rule only applies to chemical fertilizers. Because organic fertilizers are naturally slow releasing, they do not force fast, soft growth, and they feed the soil and plants over a 4-6 month period. Both plant and animal waste composts nourish the soil organisms which digest raw materials and minerals into plant-available forms, increase the nutritional value of plants, and with fertilizers, help fruit trees and berry bushes to set fruit buds for next year’s crop.

We will again be offering organic cool-season veggie starts: lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale, chard etc. As interest grows in this opportunity to grow more food, our selection will increase. We will have potted rosemary and basils you can grow indoors.

AND now is an ideal time to plant meadow mixes and cover-crops. This fall we will have 5 different meadow mixes and 3 different cover crop seeds. In September and October we will have hardy and water-thrifty bulbs with an emphasis on shorter and species varieties. AND, of course, we have a very good selection of healthy perennials, shrubs, native wildflowers and shrubs; hardy, sustainable roses, trees, ornamental grasses, vines and herbs. Our great selection of water-wise plants will give your gardens and landscapes endurance and beauty even as the planet warms and water becomes more expensive.

When you shop at Harlequin’s Gardens, you are not only getting successful plants and organic soil amendments, you are supporting a company that for 20 years has made sustainability our bottom line. Because we source our plants and products from mostly local suppliers and because our fertilizers and pest management products are not made from petroleum, your purchases contribute far less to greenhouse gases that help to create the climate changes we are seeing and not seeing.

So please come to our Fall Sale. See page 4 for details and the schedule. ALSO on page 4 are details of our first-ever Winter Hours, when we will be open in December for gardeners’ gifts, and in March to help you prepare a great organic garden. 

Here is a taste of some of the great plants available at our Fall Sale

NATIVES: Native plants are adapted to dramatic ups and downs of weather and drought. They support local pollinators & birds and help create a successful western landscape

Native Gayfeather-Liatris punctata: Totally drought tolerant butterfly magnet, purplish-pink spikes of flowers in the heat of late summer; 12”-16”; great addition for your meadow

Spiderwort-Tradescantia occidentalis- 3-petalled blue flower, local prairie forb, xeric

Desert Four O’Clock-Mirabilis multiflora: lavender trumpet-flowers with purple throats in profusion late day/morning, attracts hummingbirds; 12”x36”+; fabulous xeriscape plant

Asclepias tuberosa-striking orange-flowered Butterfly Weed, 24” high, xeric, attracts Bflies

Lithospermum multiflorum-Bldr Co.native, 6”x10” with yellow bells, from local seed

Chocolate Flower-yellow daisies with dark eye smell like chocolate, xeric, 12”x24”+

Eriogonum ‘Kannah Creek’-Sulfur Flower, yellow pom-poms, burgundy fall color, xeric

Eriogonum jamesii-local, silvery foliage, light yellow pom-poms, xeric mat, very tough

Yellow Evening Primrose-‘Silver Blade’-very silvery leaves, gold flowers, xeric in clay

Pitcher Sage-stunning blue flowers in summer on 6’ plants, great with rabbitbrush, xeric

Bee Balm-Monarda fistulosa-rosy-lavender flowers, for butterflies, hummers, bees & teas

Penstemons: xeric and colorful in blues and reds & many forms: Penstemon: arenicola, aridus, barbatus Elfin Pink & coccineus, secundiflorus-local violet pink, mensarum-bright blue, linarioides-mat, eatonii-hummingbird heaven, pseudospectabilis-electric pink, strictus-durable purple, rostriflorus-orange-red (excellent), alpinus, cyanathus, palmeri, etc

Plus: Pussytoes, Wallflower, Wild Grape, Compass Plant, Purple Loco Weed, Lupine etc

HERBS: useful wild/tough plants that have followed humans thru centuries of adversity to provide flowers, flavors, medicines & other benefits like fiber and support for pollinators

Lavenders– 24” tough hardy Country Lavender, 16” dark purple Hidcote, Grosso-big & hardy, L. vera-true lavender-old & great, Munstead-hardy & compact; great fragrances

True Comfrey-great medicinal for sores, bones, muscles, and good in composts

Roman Chamomile-ferny foliage, small yellow & white flowers, easy tea for sleep or stress

Bronze Fennel-beautiful xeric ornamental, seeds for digestion, foliage for swallowtail Bflies

Silver Thyme & Lavender Thyme-attractive edging, flavorful & valuable medicinal herb

Valerian-4’tall, white flowers, roots used for insomnia, muscular tension, migraine, etc.

Echinacea-tough species varieties, for building immune system, beautiful coneflowers

SHADE PLANTS: In Colorado many high water, rich soil, acid-loving, eastern woodland plants fail. However these selections are on our success list.

Plumbago- great low-water spreading plant with true blue flowers and red fall color

Campanulas: elatinoides-shade/sun, low growing, low water with small blue bells, tough

C.poscharskyana-lavender bells, C. carpatica-sky blue, & C. trogerae, C. pyramidalis

Geraniums: cantabrigiense & macrorrhizum: tough, beautiful flowers, red winter color; fragrant,dense foliage smothers weeds, unpalatable to deer & rabbits, low water needs

Corsican Viola-very long-blooming purple flowers are edible, self-sowing, low water

Lady’s Mantle-big scalloped leaves, chartreuse flowers glow, women’s herb, low water

Firefly Coralbells-not a fragile boutique variety, red flowers, green foliage, low water

Foxgloves: perennial varieties: pink, red-pink & yellow, beautiful, graceful, deer-proof

Sweet Woodruff-low-water groundcover, white flowers, herb, best grown with shrubs

ORNAMENTAL GRASSES:  Giant Sacaton & Alkali Sacaton, Blonde Ambition Blue Grama, Muhlenbergii reverchonii-Autumn Embers, Mt. Atlas Fescue (Festuca mairei) etc, etc.

ROSES: Our proven, sustainable own-root roses will be on sale 1) during the Members Sale and 2) Sept 9-15 when they will be 20% off..

TREES

Hackberry, Mt. Ash, Adams Crab, May Day Tree, Honeylocust, Autumn Purple Ash Chokecherry, , Arizona Cypress,  many hawthorns, Crab Apples, Coyote Willow, Redbud, Dwarf Alberta Spruce ( Plums, Peaches & Cherries available now, but not discounted)

SOIL PRODUCTS-We offer high quality organic fertilizers, organic composts & two very good mulches at reasonable prices. ALSO: Corn Gluten Meal-9% nitrogen winterizer for lawns that also acts as a Non-toxic pre-emergent herbicide, suppressing the germination of weed seeds. Apply in October and again in late February for significant weed control

Hundreds of Shrubs and Perennials-both native and non-native, too many to describe:

Fernbush, Isanti Dogwood, Dwarf Forsythia, Viburnams: juddii, burkwood, dwarf cranberry; Elderberry, American Plum, Rocky Mt. Juniper, Lilacs, Sand Cherry, Spireas, Texas Scarlet Quince, Crimson Pygmy Barberry, Mt. Mahogany, Native Currants

AND Mrs. Bradshaw Geum, Erodium chrysanthum, Coral Canyon Twinspur, Blue Hills and Firewitch Dianthus, Luna Basket of Gold, Catmints: 6 Hills Giant, Walker’s Low, Nepeta faassenii; Dwarf Candytuft, Herniaria glabra, Salvias: Blue Queen, cyanescens, argentea, May Night, daghestanica (Platinum); Max Frei Soapwort, Snow Daisy, etc etc

BULBS: Many of you have been interested in the bulbs you’ve seen blooming in our xeriscape display gardens in April and May, so this fall we will offer small numbers of an interesting selection of bulbs that thrive in our xeriscapes, plus a few more.  Many of them are early, short and naturalizing forms of tulips, daffodils, iris, and alliums, Spring Starflower (Ipheion), Saffron Crocus, and even Paperwhites for indoor fragrance in winter AND GARLIC: comes with directions to help you get to a successful harvest.

For example: Narcissus ‘Quail’An outstanding floriferous, fragrant, long-blooming, naturalizing daffodil with up to four golden flowers per 12” – 14” stem in mid-spring.   Zone 4. Deer/rodent-proof.

Iris danfordiae, reticulata ‘Harmony’, histrioides ‘George’:These rich yellow, blue or purple miniature iris (4-8” tall) are jewel-like harbingers of spring, Very early, very cold-hardy (Zone 3), deer-resistant, water-wise.

Forcing Narcissus Potted Paperwhites & Grand Soleil d’Or bring intoxicating fragrance to your home in winter, and make wonderful holiday gifts: heavily-scented flowers on up to three stems per bulb.

Tulipa bakeri ‘Lilac Wonder’A 6-8” mid-spring beauty with lilac pink petals and sunny yellow hearts; a great companion to daffodils like ‘Carlton’ or ‘Quail’ .Naturalizes vigorously in xeriscapes, rock gardens; zone 5

Ipheion ‘Rolf Fiedler’SPRING STARFLOWER: A spring gem for dry or moderately watered gardens in shade and part-shade producing a long succession of fragrant starry cobalt blue flowers on 3-6” stems, zone 5

Look on our website in Plants/Bulbs for a complete listing with full descriptions and pictures.

Landscape Consultations: Eve and Mikl are available for consultations year-round. See our website for details.  Call 303-939-9403 for rates and to schedule with Mikl, Eve or both. If you schedule a consultation to take place between Nov 1 and Feb 28, we’ll give you 15% off a one-time purchase of plants at Harlequin’s Gardens.

Newsletters by Email: Please choose to receive our newsletters by email. Go to our website @ www.harlequinsgardens.com and click on the Subscribe link in the left margin of the home page, enter your name and addresses and press submit. Or leave your information at the front desk at Harlequin’s Gardens.

If you have signed up and are not getting them, they may be going into your spam box. If so, add our e-mail address to your contact list: NoReply-HarlequinsGardens@nullcomcast.net or resign-up on our website www.HarlequinsGardens.com

Special Event: Aug.25 don’t miss A Taste of Tomato: festival & tasting (see www.HarlequinsGardens.com for complete information)

Open:  Daily 9-5 and  Thursday 9-6 ;  October: daily 9-5

www.harlequinsgardens.com     303-939-9403

CLOSED FOR THE SEASON: OCT 31

                              Harlequin’s FALL SALE

Sunday, August 26 through Sept 1:  MEMBERS SALE: for your special support, you receive our Fall Sale discount a week earlier: 20% off all plants and 25% off books

Sunday, Sept 2 thru 8, the Fall Sale begins for everybody: 15% off most plants except roses.  10% off books & 10% off soil products in big bags. Also the Deep Discount     section will be opened.

September 9 thru 15 enjoy 25% off perennials, shrubs & trees THIS WEEK ONLY  20%  off most ROSES  And 10% off books and soil products in big bags.

Sept. 16 thru 22 take 30% off all perennials, shrubs and trees and 10% off soil  products in big bags. THIS WEEK ONLY: 20% off books

Sept. 23 thru 29 take 35% off perennials, shrubs and trees, and 10% off books and soil products in big bags.

Sept.30 thru Oct. 6 there will be a 40% discount off perennials and shrubs and trees.          And 10% off soil products in big bags, 10% off books.   

Oct. 7 thru 13, trees, shrubs & perennials will be discounted 50% and fertilizers and soil products will be 20% off.

We will continue to offer these prices every day in October through Oct.31st

NEW   ! WINTER HOURS      NEW !

In DECEMBER we will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays  10-4  thru Dec 23

Offering: gift certificates, organic potted basil & rosemary plants to grow indoors, books, soil products, gardening tools, home-made preserves, organic personal care products, bulbs, Eve’s great botanical and landscape watercolor paintings & prints, Garden Gift Baskets, Biodynamic calendars, indoor succulents and air plants and some surprises.

In MARCH by Popular Demand: we will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays  10-5 

Offering: organic composts and fertilizers, mulches, seeds and seed-starting supplies, tools & more. Also check our website for a great Series of Gardening Classes starting in March.

Greetings to our Gardening Friends !

Please join us this Friday, 7/27 at 3:30 in the afternoon (until 4:30 or 5:00) for LEMONADE, WINE & STORY TIME including liquid refreshments, old photos and Mikl’s stories of Harlequin’s Gardens:

The history of the property and how it was found and won; how the nursery business got started, the structures built, etc;  early characters who helped us get started; snake stories, skunk stories; grasshoppers; the wind that blew the trailer over; struggles with the beaurocracy; how Harlequin’s has grown and survived for 20 years and more.

And may we remind you:

There are only a few days left to help us win First Place in the Boulder Gold! Votes must be in by the end of the day Sunday July 29^th.

Please vote for Harlequin’s Gardens Sustainable Nursery as Best Garden Center/Plant Nursery in the Daily Camera’s Boulder Gold competition (web link below).  This is our 20th Anniversary year!  If you are a fan of Harlequin’s Gardens and you appreciate that:

• We are more than 100% organic (we don’t even use/sell/promote the so-called “safe” toxic pesticides like pyrethrum, rotenone, etc. that are broad-spectrum killers, or anything that can harm bees and other beneficials)
• We carry an extraordinary selection of organic vegetable and herb starts, including Fall vegetable starts
• We carry an extraordinary selection of Native, Xeriscape, Rock Garden and Unusual plants
• We carry an extraordinary selection of Hardy, disease-resistant Own-Root Roses
• We offer dozens of really useful classes in a wide range of sustainable gardening & related topics
• We have an extraordinary staff who give our customers real assistance and solutions so that their gardening efforts will be successful
• The 40+ classes we offer each year are famous for being valuable, practical, informative and affordable.  We draw on the best local experts to teach.
• We operate with sustainable practices and resource conservation foremost in our modus operandi and promote sustainability in every way we can

You can fill out a paper ballot here at Harlequin’s Gardens (we have a ballot box), or vote on-line.

Here’s the link to their page for voting in the ‘Shopping’ section of the Boulder County Gold.

http://www.futureofnews.com/AdEverywhere/SI/PR/RC/?S=dailycamera&B=1053
(if the link doesn’t work, copy & paste into your browser, or go to www.dailycamera.com/vote)
Their site is kind of slow, so be patient. You may have to click more than once on the ‘Shopping’ link.

Voting for this section closes July 29, so please don’t wait. Please be sure to follow their instructions and fill out all of the required fields so that your vote will be valid.  You can vote for Harlequin’s Gardens for up to 3 categories – may we suggest BEST GARDEN CENTER/PLANT NURSERY,   BEST TREE NURSERY, and BEST GREEN PRODUCTS/SERVICES STORE.  You have to write in the name Harlequin’s Gardens even if our logo is below the box.

This is also an opportunity to support many of your other favorite local independent enterprises – pet supply stores, consignment and thrift stores, hardware stores, clothing stores, grocery stores, etc.

Thank you!!! We appreciate your support immensely!!!

Please share this appeal with your friends.

We hope you’re having a wonderful summer!

Eve & Mikl Brawner and the staff at Harlequin’s Gardens

PLEASE VOTE FOR US as
Best Nursery / Garden Center
in the Daily Camera’s Boulder Gold Awards.

Voting is between July 18 and July 29 only.

HELP US be recognized for the best plants, environmental solutions and empowering classes. Go to www.dailycamera.com/vote

THANK YOU!!!

HARLEQUIN’S GARDENS’  20th ANNIVERSARY SALE
Save 20% off Selected Plants, Soil Amendments & Products
on the 20th of every month this season

20/20 Sale for FRIDAY JULY 20th
This month we are featuring a sampling of the hundreds of great Xeriscape plants for which Harlequin’s Gardens is well known, and a few of our excellent soil products. And we always include some ‘Surprise’ additions to the sale!

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (Hardy Blue Plumbago, Leadwort)
An outstanding, extremely adaptable and long-lived deciduous groundcover to 6-12” tall and 18” wide, Plumbago will grow equally well in shade or sun, and is not fussy about soils. It is tolerant of quite low-water conditions, especially in shade. The foliage is slow to emerge in spring, so small, early-spring bulbs like species crocus and ‘botanical’ iris can be planted in its midst. The beautiful ¾” vivid cobalt blue flowers begin blooming in mid to late summer, and continue into autumn, when the foliage turns deep red – a memorable combination! Plumbago spreads underground, and can overtake other plantings, so choose your location wisely. It looks great sprouting between rocks (if planted near a dry-laid stone wall it will find its way there). Hardy to Zone 5 / 7,000’.

Euonymus fortunei ‘Coloratus’ (Purleleaf Wintercreeper) in 1-gallon pots
Purpleleaf Wintercreeper is a tough broad-leafed evergreen that can be grown in shade or sun as a groundcover (12-18” tall and spreading), as a sheared shrub or hedge 24” tall and 36” wide, or as a vine to 8’ tall. How’s that for versatility! Once established, this Euonymus is very drought-tolerant. The pointed oval leaves are leathery and semi-glossy, and turn purple in winter (hence the common name). It requires some management to guide it into the form you desire, but just think: as a vine, Purpleleaf Wintercreeper can completely obscure a chain link fence, year-round! Cold-hardy to 7,000’.

Euonymus fortunei ‘Minima’ in 1-gallon pots
This selection of E. fortunei is a tough broad-leafed evergreen vine that does best in shade, morning sun, or year-round dappled shade. Its smaller, semi-glossy dark green leaves make it a more elegant and refined-looking vine than its larger-scale relatives. It will easily grow to 10’ tall on a trellis, fence or wall. ‘Minima’ is drought-tolerant once established and cold-hardy to Zone 4.

Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’ (Golden Hop Vine)
in 1-gallon pots
A vibrant and highly ornamental selection of Hops, ‘Aureus’ is a very fast-growing, twining perennial to 15’ with deeply lobed, maple-like leaves in a luminous, glowing shade of citron yellow. Golden Hops provides very fast screening or shade on a trellis or arbor (or even on strings), or coverage on a blank wall or fence or telephone pole. It grows in leaps and bounds in May – 6” a day! Golden Hops can also be allowed to weave through the garden and over spring-flowering shrubs, providing a bright yellow-green connecting ‘theme’ (but this requires diligent removal wherever it may have rooted along the way). All hops do sucker, but the suckers are not too difficult to dig out as long as they don’t tangle with perennials. Since it is an herbaceous perennial, Golden Hop vine dies back to the ground in winter, but re-sprouts in spring, bigger and stronger every year. It will grow in sun or shade (best color in sun), in most soils, with very little water once established. As with other hop vines, the inflorescences or ‘cones’ of Golden Hops can be used for tea or ‘dream pillows’ to help with sleep, for making beer, etc. Wear gloves and long sleeves when taking down the dead stalks at the end of the season. Hardy to Zone 4.

LAVENDER: All Lavenders originated in Southern Europe. While lavenders appreciate some supplemental watering in hot weather, they are very drought-tolerant. Good drainage is key to their success, and is especially important for their winter survival. Plant them in a sunny spot, and avoid overly rich soil. Lavender is at home in our alkaline soils, and would rather be grown in lean soil without supplemental nitrogen. All Lavender varieties are evergreen, and have highly aromatic foliage and flowers which attract butterflies and bees and aren’t bothered by deer or rabbits. Lavender should be sheared in early spring and again in summer, right after it has finished blooming. Though cold-hardy in most of our region, after some years, Lavender may become too woody and need replacement. Lavandin (French hybrid Lavender) is typically replaced after 3 to 5 years. In our region, it is best to plant Lavender before autumn. Try it in combination with ornamental grasses, any of the summer-blooming Hyssop (Agastache) selections like ‘Coronado’ (orange) and ‘Sonoran Sunset’ (pink), Filigree Daisy (Anthemis marschalliana), ‘Amethyst Falls’ Ornamental Oregano, ‘Silver Blade’ Evening Primrose, Sulphur Flower and Wine Cups (Callirhoe involucrata). But lavender looks great with practically everything, and is at home in both formal and informal designs.

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ (Hidcote English Lavender)
This choice, compact plant to 24” tall (with bloom spikes) and 18-24” wide, is highly successful and popular. The gray-green foliage sets off the spikes of fragrant deep blue-violet flowers. Cold-hardy to Zone 5.

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Krajova’ (Czech or Country Lavender)
Country Lavender hails from northern Europe and in early summer produces profuse beautiful large, deep purple-blue flowers with exceptionally high essential oil content, and a unique, softly invigorating scent. A favorite lavender for tea and oil infusions. Very cold-tolerant and long-lived. Stout mounded plants are larger than most ‘English’ lavender selections, with flower stalks up to 36-48” tall. Cold-hardy to zone 4/5.

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’ (Munstead English Lavender)
Sometimes called Dwarf Munstead, this very popular and dependable strain is named after Munstead Wood, the home of the famous garden designer Gertude Jekyll. Munstead produces abundant spikes of sweetly fragrant blue-lavender flowers, above compact mounds of narrow grey-green foliage. Grows to 18” tall (with flower spikes) and 12-18” wide. An excellent choice for edging paths, and for herbal and culinary use. Said to be somewhat more heat-tolerant than other varieties, and one of the most cold-hardy. If promptly dead-headed after its early summer bloom, Munstead will often bloom again in late summer. Cold-hardy to zone 5 (4?).

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Potpourri White’ (‘Ellegance’ White English Lavender)
An elegant, compact companion to or substitute for purple English Lavenders, this one is just as fragrant, deer/rabbit resistant, drought-tolerant and attractive to bees and butterflies, and is cold-hardy to -20 degrees F. Potpourri White bears an abundance of dense spikes of large white flowers from July to September, and makes a compact mound to 12-14” tall and 10-12” wide, with rich green foliage, thriving best in full sun and moderately fertile, well-drained soil. Also nice in containers!

Lavandula angustifolia vera (Old Fashioned/True English Lavender)
Native to Southern Europe, this is the original wild species of what has come to be called ‘English’ lavender (‘Vera’ means ‘true’). An outstanding performer, ‘Vera’ blooms in early summer and has superior cold-hardiness. The sweet, highly fragrant lavender flowers on thin spikes are excellent for medicinal, aromatic and culinary uses, and as cut-flowers. The dense, bushy plants grow to 18”-24” tall and 24-30” wide. Our plants are grown from wild-harvested seeds from an unchanged landrace. Cold-hardy to Zone 4b.

Lavandula x intermedia ‘Grosso’ (Fat-Bud Lavandin)
The name Lavandin refers to the French hybrid varieties commonly grown in France for use in making perfumes and sachets. Grosso’s exceptional abundance of very long spikes of fragrant, deep violet flowers standing well above the grey-green foliage in mid-summer make it perfect for weaving Lavender ‘wands’, for cut-flowers, etc.. The flowers have a strong lavender fragrance with a hint of camphor. Grosso is larger in all respects than any of the English (angustifolia) selections – a larger plant (30” tall and 24-30” wide), with longer, wider leaves and longer flower spikes. Grosso is less cold-hardy than English Lavender, to Zone 5-6, but is the hardiest of the French Hybrid Lavenders and has proven quite successful in the Boulder-Denver area.

Juniperus scopulorum (Rocky Mountain Juniper) in 2-gallon pots
One of the emblematic trees of the Interior West, Rocky Mt. Juniper is a locally native evergreen tree offering perfect acceptance of our drought, wind, alkaline soil and erratic weather patterns, requiring almost no care. A very drought-tolerant tree, it will grow at a slow to moderate rate to 20-25’ tall and 8-12’ wide, in an upright and pyramidal shape. The dense foliage has a gray or blue-gray cast, and the bark and blue berries are very attractive. Rocky Mt. Juniper is great for screening and windbreaks, and takes up less horizontal space than most conifers. It provides great shelter for small birds. Cold-hardy to 10,000’.

Penstemon pseudospectabilis (Desert Beardtongue)
This showy, long-blooming Penstemon is native to southern New Mexico but is surprisingly cold-hardy and easy to grow here in the dry garden. The long spikes of hot-pink flowers, up to 36” tall, are beautifully set off by large blue-gray leaves. If you keep spent flowers removed and give it a few deep soakings in the heat of the summer, it will bloom for many months. Very happy in a hot, sunny spot in well-drained soil. Desert Beardtongue is popular with hummingbirds, and looks terrific with Western Spiderwort, California Poppy, and silver or blue-grey-foliaged plants like ‘Powis Castle’ or ‘Seafoam’ Artemisia, and Moon Carrot. Resists rabbits and deer. Cold-hardy to Zone 5.

Penstemon strictus (Rocky Mountain Penstemon)
One of the showiest, easiest to grow, longest-lived Penstemons for our region. From the glossy evergreen foliage, the 1-2’ tall flowering stalks rise straight up, clothed in large, intense deep blue-violet flowers, blooming for more than a month in late spring. Rocky Mt. Penstemon grows best in well-drained soils and tolerates both drought and moister conditions. It self-sows readily, and also spreads by stolons to form large clumps. Resists rabbits and deer. Try growing it with ‘Kannah Creek’ Sulphur Flower, Jupiter’s Beard (Centranthus ruber), Filigree Daisy (Anthemis marschalliana), ‘Moonshine’ Yarrow, Oriental Poppy ‘Beauty of Livermere’ or ‘Princess Victoria Louise’. Cold-hardy to Zone 3.

Sedum spurium ‘Red Carpet’ (Red Carpet Stonecrop)
One of the best evergreen groundcovers for low-water gardens, ‘Red Carpet’ has strongly red-tinted, succulent, wedge-shaped leaves on trailing stems and forms a dense, weed-smothering, flowering carpet topped by clusters of starry carmine flowers in midsummer. Butterflies and bees love the flowers. The red foliage color intensifies to rich mahogany-crimson in fall and winter, and is not prone to reversion to green. ‘Red Carpet’ stays low, to 2-4” high, and spreads 12-18”. Plant in full sun or light shade in average to lean well-drained soil, and don’t over-water. Once established, hot dry conditions and poor stony soils are not a problem. Cold-hardy to Zone 3/ 8,500’.

Sporobolus wrightii (Giant/Wright’s Sacaton grass) in 1 gallon pots
The largest of the native grasses in our region, Wright’s Sacaton’s extravagant fountain of foliage 3-5’ tall and airy flower/seed plumes to 6-7’ tall make a great focal point in Xeriscape garden. This Southwest native is long-lived, adaptable and drought-tolerant, and will grow in most soils, in full sun or part shade, and can be grown with very low water once established. Wright’s Sacaton is a ‘warm-season’ grass, which means it is actively growing in late spring and summer, and blooms late in the season. The attractive dry, wheat-colored foliage can be left standing through the winter and cut down in early spring. Use as an accent, among tall, late-blooming perennials such as Pitcher Sage (Salvia azurea/ S. pitcheri), Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), Willow-leaf Sunflower (Helianthus salicifolius), Tall Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea sp.) and shrubs like Rabbitbrush, Sumac, Fernbush and Bluemist Spirea, or as a seasonal ‘shrub’, a seasonal ‘living fence’ or windbreak. Cold-hardy to Zone 5, 7000’.

Tradescantia occidentalis (Western Spiderwort)
One of the most graceful and beautiful native wildflowers of our short-grass prairie and dry foothills. The lovely three-petaled blue-purple flowers are held in clusters emerging from boat-shaped bracts, and appear in succession in June and July atop 12” to 24” high grass-like foliage. Multiple flower-stems can be blooming on one pant simultaneously, making a striking display, as I witnessed this spring in Left Hand Canyon. Western Spiderwort is a very hardy member of a mostly tropical and subtropical family (including the houseplants known as ‘Wandering Jew’ and ‘Bridal Veil’). It is very drought-tolerant, highly deer-resistant, re-seeds a little but is not at all invasive, and supports native bee species. Spiderwort goes dormant in mid-late summer. Thrives in sun or part-shade in any well-drained soil; a low-care gem for the xeriscape border or meadow. Grow with Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata), Mexican Hat (Ratibida columnifera), and Fendler’s or Prairie Sundrops (Calylophus hartwegii and C. serrulatus). Cold-hardy to Zone 3.

Vinca major (Big-Leaf Periwinkle)
Where all else fails, Vinca major will probably grow! A very handsome, weed-smothering, trailing evergreen groundcover 6 to 12” tall and spreading to at least 18-24”, with dark green, glossy oval foliage, and pretty 1” blue flowers in spring. Big-leaf Periwinkle thrives in sun or shade. Once established, it can survive on minimal water and care, the trailing stems rooting where they rest on the soil. This is not a plant for the refined garden, as it does not play well with others, but is really serviceable and attractive for covering some territory in places where neglect is the only care available. Cold-hardy to 8,000’.

SOIL PRODUCTS at 20% OFF:
Western Grow Compost
Fine Wood Chip Mulch
Our own Compost Tea (on sale throughout July!)

LIMITS:
Plants in 2.5” pots: 5 plants of each kind at sale price per customer

Plants in Quart pots: 2 plants of each kind at sale price per customer

Plants in 1 and 2-gallon pots: 2 plants of each kind at sale price per customer

Bagged Soil Products: 2 bags of each kind at sale price per customer

All advertised plants and products are discounted for one day only on July 20th while supplies last.

Greetings to our gardening Friends!

Thank goodness we are (for the moment, anyway) starting to cool down and are enjoying some merciful rain. Mikl and Eve spent a few days in the mountains, and it was HOT (not just warm) at 11,000’ elevation! We were going to talk about how July is always the hottest, driest month, how it is best to water twice as much in July if you want to save your perennials, shrubs and trees and if you want your vegetables and fruits to be productive. But now that it’s cooler and pouring rain…..

As we gardeners know, Colorado is full of surprises that are often hard on our plants. It’s best to be prepared for anything, so a little advice on dealing with drought may still be in order.

More plants are killed by over-watering than by under-watering. Plants need oxygen to their roots as much as they need water. Deep, infrequent watering, once or twice a week, is far better than shallow frequent watering. With a trowel, dig a hole to check moisture at 2”, 4” and 6” depths before and after watering to really know if your soil is dry, moist or soggy. Contact the Center for Resource Conservation (303-999-3820) for a FREE irrigation audit.

If watering restrictions are imposed in your community and you have to make tough choices, save your trees first, then shrubs, then perennials, and lawns last. This list reflects the replacement time for each type of planting if you lose them to drought. Obviously, the time investment in a tree is substantial, and its value for shade and cooling is difficult and expensive to replace. To water trees, don’t put the hose next to the trunk – that’s not where the fine roots that take up water are located. Instead, water a wide area inside and outside the dripline (the ends of the branches). One rule of thumb for watering trees is to apply 10 gallons once a week for every inch of diameter of the trunk. One trick that can save drought-stressed plants and to help establish young trees is to drill two holes in the side of a 5-gallon plastic bucket, about an inch apart, each 1/8” diameter and just a ½” above the bottom of the bucket. Place the bucket with the holes near the drip-line, fill the bucket with water and leave it there to dribble slowly and deeply. For larger plants, you can use 3 or 4 buckets.

Turf, especially bluegrass, is naturally dormant and brown in summer and will green up when weather typically becomes cooler and moister in mid-August or early September.
Go to www.colostate.edu and search for Turf Drought Response by Tony Koski.

Mulch is very useful for keeping the soil cooler and for reducing water loss through evaporation. Fine organic mulches like woodchips or small bark blow less and feed the soil better (sheet compost faster). “Monkey Hair” shredded redwood bark and cedar mulches repel microorganisms and take too long to feed the soil. Besides, they are not local products. Fine gravel mulches, like squeegee and pea gravel make good mulches when applied 1” to 2” thick for rock gardens or cactus, succulent and Penstemon gardens. Any larger size of gravel or rock makes weeding and planting extremely difficult.

And of course, choosing Xeriscape plants that need less water will not only save water, anxiety, and the costs and time to replace plants, they will usually look more appropriate in a Colorado landscape. We have specialized in xeriscape for 20 years and have an extensive selection of water-wise plants. Also be sure to group plants together that have similar watering needs. This will save water and make both xeric and water-loving plants happy.

ON SALE though JULY at HARLEQUIN”S GARDENS:

50% OFF:
all Summer Vegetable Starts
all Annuals

40% OFF:
All ‘Botanical Interests’ Seeds

20% OFF:
All Basil (Sweet, Italian Large-leaf, Napolitano, Cinnamon, Thai, Mrs. Burns’ Lemon, Holy (Tulsi), Opal (Purple)

20% OFF:
Our COMPOST TEA, brewed fresh daily

TIMELY PRODUCTS IN STOCK NOW:
NOLO BAIT (biological control for grasshopper)
Mikl’s Superior PLANTER’s MIX (for raised planters, filling low spots or holes)
FINE WOOD CHIP Mulch
SOIL PEP Mulch

COMING VERY SOON:

Friday JULY 20th: Our 20/20 Sale on (look for details in our next BLOG in a few days)

FALL VEGETABLE STARTS: We will soon have starts for Broccoli and Cauliflower, then Kale and Swiss Chard and other fall greens. By the way, mid July is a great time to sow seeds for Carrots, which will be ready for harvest in autumn, and can be held in the ground for winter harvest as well.

Fri. 7/13, 10:00 am. BUGS for KIDS: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, ages5+ with Michele Bailey Learn about insects in the garden and about the pollinators & their favorite plants.   $15 (Please call 303-939-9403 right away to pre-register)

Sat. 7/14, 10:00 am: Mikl’s class on ORGANIC STRATEGIES for GRASSHOPPER CONTROL: There’s no perfect solution to stopping grasshoppers, but there are non-toxic methods to significantly reduce their damage. $15 (Please call 303-939-9403 right away to pre-register)
Sun. July 15, 1:30 pm: LANDSCAPING WITHOUT CHEMICALS with Mikl Brawner. Plants do not need petroleum fertilizers and toxic pesticides. They do just fine with organic products and methods. Learn how. Mikl has been researching and testing this for 35 years. $15 (Please call 303-939-9403 right away to pre-register)
Fri. July 27, 10:00 am: Children’s Class: MAKE GARDEN STEPPING STONES, ages 5+. Michele Bailey will guide the children to make a decorated cement stepping stone. $25 materials included. (Please call 303-939-9403 to pre-register)

Successful Gardening,
From Mikl and Eve Brawner
And the Staff at Harlequin’s Gardens

Mid-summer Greetings to our gardening friends!

We hope your gardens are thriving.  This intense heat and little rain may be stressful to some of your garden plants,  so remember that plants have to expend a great deal of energy to make seed and you can save them from exhaustion by removing the spent flowers before seed begins to develop. Applying a layer of mulch is another strategy for helping plants retain moisture and keep their roots a little cooler. Also, if you are wondering why some of your new plants are not showing signs of growth, consider that many plants are not able to metabolize at temperatures above 85 degrees, and provide some temporary shade to cool them down.

We’re excited about the upcoming week and want to tell you about our upcoming events!
First, our 20/20 sale coming up this Wednesday, June 20th,  features selected plants that attract and support hummingbirds at 20% off (see the descriptions below).  We will also have one of our organic composts and one of our mulches at 20% discount, along with all pollinator-related books, and BBB seeds.

The week of June 18 to 24 has been officially designated as Pollinator Week, and we are participating in the efforts of the Colorado Beekeepers Association and BBB Seeds to educate the public about our pollinators, their vital importance to our ecosystems and food supply, and how to support them. They will have a table at our Mid-Summer Festival on Sunday June 24th from 10 to 2…..which brings up our next big event:

YOU’RE INVITED
to our
first-ever, 20th Anniversary
MID-SUMMER FESTIVAL!

Sunday June 24th from 10a.m. to 5 p.m.

Bring the family to this FREE EVENT to enjoy unique
LIVE MUSIC- roving Irish fiddler Colin Lindsey
Eco-songster Stele Erth, and songs from Eve & Mikl (we’re not shy).
MAGIC SHOW and balloon animals by Stuart Haynor,
JUGGLING,
STORYTELLER Nina Berezina,
TOURS of our DISPLAY GARDENS,
POLLINATOR INFORMATION table
Plus
REFRESHMENTS and
Hourly DOOR PRIZES,
as well as a sale on all LAVENDER and native MONARDA,
50% off a jug of Compost Tea and a bag of Western Grow compost.
and SURPRISE BARGAINS on plants and ???

SEE OUR MID-SUMMER FESTIVAL SCHEDULE for details of what’s happening at each hour of the day

June 20/20 Sale
Celebrating Harlequin’s Gardens’
20th Anniversary !

WEDNESDAY 6/20/12
the following selected PLANTS for HUMMINGBIRDS are
20% Off original prices:

Note: sale plants and products are discounted only on 6/20/12, while supplies last. See quantity limits at the end of these descriptions.

Agastache (pronounced a-GAS-ta-kee or AG-ah-STAK-ee) is a member of the Mint family, which provides some of the best plants for attracting and supporting pollinators and songbirds. All Agastaches have nectar-rich tubular flowers on stiff upright stems and are very attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, and all have highly scented foliage with aromas that are very pleasant to humans, but quite unpalatable to deer and other chewing critters. Famous for attracting hummingbirds (as a group, they are often called Hummingbird Mint), they are also “famous in beekeeping circles – so rich in pollen the bees visit no other plant while the plant is in bloom. Agastache honey is reputed to be of good quality, light in color and slightly minty in taste.” Pairing with Salvias (such as ‘May Night’ or ‘Caradonna’), Lavender, Sulphur Flower (Eriogonum) and tall sedums such as ‘Matrona’ or ‘Autumn Joy’ will provide a long season of nectar for pollinators. Agastaches are also, to varying degrees, drought-tolerant and sun-loving.  They are easy to grow in full sun or light shade, in well-drained soil with periodic summer water in average,  well-drained soils (may not survive winter in unamended clay soils). Drought and heat tolerant once established. Dead-heading encourages reblooming. In spring, do not cut down the previous year’s stalks until late April.
The following Agastache species and cultivars will be on sale:

Agastache ‘Firebird’: This highly regarded cross between A. coccinea and A. rupestris is a prolific bloomer with coppery orange flowers that age to pink and wonderfully scented foliage grows to 2-3’ tall x 1-2’ wide. Firebird blooms from June to September and draws hummingbirds and other pollinators. It grows well in raised beds, containers and rock gardens. Excellent drainage is a must for winter survival. Hardy to Zone 5

Agastache ‘Coronado Red’: This medium-sized cultivar, to 15-18”H x 12-15”W was chosen for the Plant Select program in 2009.  Coronado Red blooms from July to September, sporting reddish-orange flowers that turn darker crimson and maroon as they age and is a terrific hummingbird magnet. Coronado Red Hyssop grows well in full sun to light shade, in clay, loam or sandy loam soils, with moderate to low water.  Hardy to Zone 5
ALSO: Agastache aurantiaca ‘Coronado’ (orange)

Agastache rupestris (Sunset Hyssop, Licorice Mint): This erect-growing 2005 Plant Select winning Agastache has narrow gray-green foliage with a spicy root-beer scent and tall spikes of flowers in an unusual combo of orange and mauve- lavender.  Sunset Hyssop will bloom from July through September and draw hummingbirds from miles around. It will grow to 3-3.5’ tall x 18” wide and thrives in well-drained, lean soil in sunny locations, and requires little water. Beautiful in groupings with late-blooming blue and purple flowers. Hardy to Zone 4.

Agastache cana (Double Bubble Mint/Texas Hummingbird Mint/Wild Hyssop/Mosquito Plant):
 This very popular Hummingbird Mint is native in Texas and New Mexico, and is easy to grow in most soils as long as it has sun and good drainage, thriving with moderate or low water and lean soil. The showy and prolific raspberry-pink flowers bloom from July to frost and attract hummingbirds and butterflies. The plant grows to 18-24” tall and 15” wide, and the sweet-scented, deer-resistant  foliage is reported to repel mosquitoes if rubbed on the skin. Excellent in the water-wise perennial border along with Goldenrod, Salvias, Lavenders, Blue Mist Spirea and ‘Little Spire’ Russian Sage. Hardy to Zone 5.

Agastache foeniculum, A. ‘Blue Fortune’: A great drought-tolerant, native summer bloomer that supports bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Large, hardy perennials to 3’ tall, blooming in mid-summer. The flower spikes of the species are lavender, and ‘Blue Fortune’ is powder blue. If dead-headed before making seed, they will rebloom until frost.  Allowing seed to form, however, will feed the finches in autumn.  The leaves make a lovely tea. “A useful herb, the highly aromatic leaves can be used for tea that tastes of licoricy mint, or dried for poupouri. Young leaves are tasty raw in salads or fresh fruit-cups; tougher older leaves can be added to cooked foods. Extracted oils have been used in food flavorings. Chinese herbalists believe it is useful for heart conditions, though there are no well-designed double-blind studies to lend credence to this traditional use. It may more certainly help relieve cold symptoms, as its mildly antiviral properties appear to be legitimate.”Paghat’s Garden“. Will self-sow. Hardy to Zone 5.

Agastache ‘Golden Jubilee’: Just like A. ‘Blue Fortune’, but lit up with bright chartreuse Coleus-like foliage (yellow in full sun, chartreuse in part shade, which is recommended). An All-American selection in 2003. Will self-sow. Hardy to Zone 5.

Agastache barberi ‘Tutti Frutti’ (Pink Hyssop): A tall and vigorous selection with 24-30” (or taller) purple stems with whorls of bright rose-pink flowers and bubble-gum scented foliage. Blooms from mid-summer to frost.  Much loved by hummingbirds and other pollinators. Hardy to Zone 5.

Buddleia  davidii nanhoensis ‘Petite Indigo’ and ‘Petite Plum’ (Compact Butterfly Bush): These graceful, fast-growing woody shrubs bear long cone-shaped terminal panicles of very fragrant flowers on slender arching stems from mid-summer to frost.  The flowers are a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds, as well as honeybees. ‘Petite Plum’ is regarded as reliably compact (to 4-6’ tall by 4-5’ wide), with plum-purple flowers, each with an orange ‘eye’. ‘Petite Indigo’ wasn’t so petite in Eve’s garden (grew to 8’ tall), and bears bright lavender-blue flowers with an orange ‘eye’. The sweet fragrance of Butterfly Bush carries on the air, even in our dry climate and even in the daytime. The narrow grey-green foliage is seldom browsed by deer. Tops may die back to the ground in colder winters, but they are usually root-hardy and will quickly re-grow. Hardy to Zone 5.

Campsis radicans (Trumpet Vine, Trumpet Creeper): Trumpet Vine is a vigorous and long-lived woody clinging vine to 20-30’ tall.  The handsome pinnately compound foliage is deep green and leathery. In mid summer, Trumpet Vine is decorated with hundreds of gorgeous large waxy trumpet-shaped orange flowers that are a magnet for bees and hummingbirds. ‘Red Sunset’ (red), ‘Flava’ (yellow), and ‘Flamenco’ (orange) are selections from the species and are equally tough and hardy. Trumpet Vine climbs by aerial roots and must be grown on a sturdy structure such as a pergola or wall (I have also seen it make a small ‘tree’ by wrapping around an old laundry-line post), because mature plants produce considerable weight. Foliage grows well in shade, but plants need good sun for best flowering. Easily grown in most soils, but best in lean to average soils with regular moisture. But Trumpet vine is drought tolerant. It blooms on new growth, so early spring pruning will not affect the flowering. Mature vines can sucker profusely by underground runners and it freely self-seeds, so if possible, grow it in a bed that is isolated by deep edging or concrete paving, remove the large seed pods before they ripen, and don’t be too generous with it once it is established. Native to the eastern and south central United States; hardy to Zone 4.

Ipomopsis aggregata (Scarlet Gilia, Scarlet Rocket): 
Native to the eastern slope of the Rocky mountains, often seen around the Peak to Peak Highway. Showy spikes of intense red, narrow trumpet-shaped flowers in late summer are very attractive to hummingbirds. They are borne on a biennial plant that makes a small mound of finely-cut foliage the first year, then elongates to as much as 4’ tall and blooms in the mid-late summer of the second year.  Self-sows to create a colony where happy, so plant several to start (for genetic diversity). Grows in well-drained soils in full sun with moderate to low water. Lovely with ornamental grasses, such as Blue Grama, Alkali Sakaton, Korean Feathergrass, or Karl Foerster’s Feather Reed Grass. Hardy to Zone 9,000’ elevation.

Penstemon barbatus ‘Coccineus’ (Scarlet Bugler, Jingle Bells):
 Native to SW Colorado and neighboring states, we have encountered it at high elevation in the Pikes Peak area. In Spanish-speaking areas it is known as ‘St. Joseph’s Staff’. This 3’ tall beauty offers many stems of screaming red tubular flowers, loaded with nectar, in mid to late summer. The late-summer bloom-time coincides with the southern migration of the Rufous Hummingbird, who use the Scarlet Buglers as ‘filling stations’ for their long journey. Don’t baby this plant – it is a great subject for the hot, dry garden in lean or average, well-drained soil. It will grow in full sun or dappled shade. Hardy to Zone 4, 8,000’ elevation.

Penstemon pinifolius (Pineleaf Penstemon):
 This long-lived perennial is native to the mountain forests of southwestern Arizona, southwest New Mexico and into
Mexico, but is perfectly at home on the Front Range. From June to September, it bears narrow tubular red-orange flowers that are adored by hummingbirds, on thin, erect stems. The glossy dark green evergreen foliage is short and narrow, reminiscent of tiny pine needles. The plants are low-growing and somewhat mounding, growing to 1 to 2 feet tall and wide. Pineleaf Penstemon requires full sun or morning sun and good drainage, and low to medium-low water (it will be quite short-lived if over watered). Dead-heading will prolong bloom.
Hardy to -40 degrees F or 8,000’.

Penstemon rostriflorus (Bridges’ Penstemon): One of our favorite Plant Select choices (chosen for the Plant Select program in 2006), this is another long-lived evergreen Penstemon.  Hummingbirds love the brilliant red tubular flowers that bloom over a long period in mid-summer. Pensstemon rostriflorus grows well in full sun or dappled shade, in most soils as long as they are well-drained. This beauty is quite drought-tolerant, grows to 2’ x 2’, and is hardy to 9,000’.

Scrophularia macrantha (Red Birds in a Tree):
 This Penstemon relative is fairly new to cultivation, having been first grown from seed collected by Panayoti Kelaidis (curator of plant collections at Denver Botanic Gardens) in a few remote high-altitude locations in the mountains of New Mexico. David Salman of High Country Gardens came up with the very apt common name, as the tall stems are clothed from early summer through fall with tubular cherry-red flowers that truly look like dozens of red birds perching on slender stems! The dark green serrated foliage is handsome as well. This rare and unusual plant grows to 3-4’ tall and will lean on and scramble around tall neighboring plants. Good companions would be Anise Hyssop (or ‘Blue Fortune’ Hyssop or ‘Golden Jubilee’ Hyssop,) Goldenrod, and Salvia azurea Scrophularia macrantha grows well in many soils, including clay, as long as there is good drainage. Dappled shade or a northern exposure seem to suit it well, and its water needs are low.  Hummingbirds adore this plant!  Hardy to Zone 4, up to 8,000’.

Salvia darcyi (‘Vermillion Bluffs’ Mexican Sage):
 A real show-stopper in the garden!  Towering 3’ to 4’ erect spires of 1.5” long, brilliant scarlet flowers bloom non-stop from July or August to October.  Grow in full sun or light shade in a xeric bed.  Performs best in amended loamy soil with reasonable drainage. Though perennial, it requires a protected location here, and dies back to the ground.  Wait until April to trim the previous year’s stems to the ground. Even if it behaves as an annual in your garden, the spectacular show and the hummingbird visits make Vermillion Bluffs worth growing. Listed as hardy to Zone 5b (up to 5,500’ elevation).

Zauschneria (Epilobium) garrettii ‘Orange Carpet’ (California Fuschia): This splendid low-growing hummingbird favorite produces masses of orange-scarlet trumpet-shaped flowers from mid-summer to frost, on a spreading plant to 2’ wide and only 6” tall.  Wonderful for cascading over rocks and walls, in ‘hell-strips’ or for the front of the water-wise border. Hardier and more garden-adapted than other Zauschneria selections, Orange Carpet was designated Plant Select in 2001 and was grown from seed collected in Idaho, its most northerly habitat. Grows in most soils with good drainage in full sun to part shade (afternoon shade is good), and low water. May take a couple of years to establish, but worth waiting for. Hardy to 8,000’.

Limits:
Plants in 2.5” pots: 4 plants of each kind at sale price per customer
Plants in Quart pots: 2 plants of each kind at sale price per    customer
Plants in 1-gallon pots: 1 plant of each kind at sale price per customer
EcoGro Compost: 2 bags per customer
Fine Wood-chip Mulch: 2 bags per customer

YOU’RE INVITED
to our
first-ever, 20th Anniversary
MID-SUMMER FESTIVAL!

Sunday June 24th from 10a.m. to 5 p.m.

Bring the family to this FREE EVENT to enjoy unique
LIVE MUSIC– roving Irish fiddler Colin Lindsey
Eco-songster Stele Erth, and songs from Eve & Mikl (we’re not shy).
MAGIC SHOW and balloon animals by Stuart Haynor,
JUGGLING,
STORYTELLER Nina Berezina,
TOURS of our DISPLAY GARDENS,
POLLINATOR INFORMATION table
Plus
REFRESHMENTS and
Hourly DOOR PRIZES,
as well as a sale on all LAVENDER and native MONARDA,
50% off a jug of Compost Tea and a bag of Western Grow compost.
and
SURPRISE BARGAINS on plants and ???

SEE OUR MID-SUMMER FESTIVAL SCHEDULE below for details of what’s happening at each hour of the day.

ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE

Doorprizes will be awarded every hour, on the hour, beginning at 11 am. On arrival, come to the cashier’s desk to get your ticket for the drawing!
Light refreshments will be available all day starting at 10am.

10:00 to 11:00am : Possibly Mikl and/or Eve will sing. If not at 10, then we’ll sneak it in later.

10:00am to 2:00pm: Colorado Beekeepers Assoc. & BBB seeds will be on hand to answer questions & distribute information about pollinators.

11:00 to 12:00noon: Warren the Juggler will perform his masterful juggling feats

11:00am to 1:00pm: Colin Lindsey, outstanding master of Irish fiddle and concertina will wander through the nursery playing lively traditional Irish tunes

12:00 noon: Tour of Harlequin’s Gardens Display Gardens

12:00 noon to 3:00 pm: Magician Stuart Hayner will be on hand to perform his sleight of hand and tie balloons into critter-shapes for the kids.

1:00 to 1:45pm: Amazing Magic Show (all new!) in the tent, with Magician Stuart Haynor

2:00pm: Nina Berezina, Storyteller will entrance us with tales for young and old

3:00 to 4:30pm: Stele Erth, eco-songwriter will sing and play his guitar to delight us with his playful vision of a world gone environmentally friendly!

4:00pm: Tour of Harlequin’s Gardens Display Gardens

Greetings to our Gardening Friends,

Our 20th Anniversary year has been remarkable so far!  The unusually warm spring weather and the explosion of interest in home food production, native plants and Xeriscape, combined with your loyal patronage and referrals have certainly resulted in a lively season for us.  We hope it’s been a great spring for you as well!

We are proud that on April 19th at the Boulder Magazine’s second annual ‘Recognizing Everything About Local’ (REAL) Awards event, Harlequin’s Gardens was honored with the Agriculture/Horticulture award.  We were chosen from eight nominees for our years of dedication to sustainability and community support.

This weekend there will be 4 excellent classes at Harlequin’s Gardens.  Please call us at 303-939-9403 to pre-register!
Saturday May 19, 10:00 am: Fruit Trees for Colorado with Mikl Brawner. Learn which varieties are successful here, which are not, and which are good flavored: Apples, Cherries, Plums, Pears, Peaches, and learn how to care for them. Mikl’s first orchard was in 1976.  $15
Saturday May 19, 1:30 pm:   Do-It-Yourself Drip Irrigation with Alison Peck
Drip irrigation can be easy! Drip irrigation is a key part of most water conserving landscapes, but it can be intimidating.  Come learn a simple, easy to design and install system which we have been using for years.  This drip irrigation system can be connected to an outside hose bib with a battery-operated timer, giving you an inexpensive automatic watering system.  Save money, save water, save time, reduce weeds and have healthier plants.  We will also talk about new efficient sprinklers which can reduce the water use for lawns and groundcovers. Alison has been using this system in her award-winning landscaping business, Matrix Gardens, for over 20 years.  $15
Sunday, May 20, 10:00 am: Gardening for Pollinators with Niki Hayden
Many gardeners don’t realize that most fruits and vegetables, as well as horticultural plants, only develop fruits or seeds by pollination.  Our bees, both domestic honeybees and wild bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, and even some bats, are pollinators.  Plant a garden designed to attract the pollinators your plants need.  You’ll get easy-to-follow instructions on how to choose plants that evolved with native pollinators, plant for a long blooming season, avoid using pesticides. Armed with a list of sturdy ornamentals, native grasses for habitat, and bee-identification information, you’ll be prepared to plant a pollinator’s garden of your own. Bees rarely sting – most stings are from wasps; many important pollinating bees have no stinger at all.  Learn how to tell the difference between bees and wasps, and how to protect yourself against wasps without harming bees. It is possible to have a drought-tolerant garden that is beautiful, safe and abundant. $15
Sunday May 20, 1:30 pm: Gardening with Native Plants with Mikl & Eve Brawner. Native shrubs & wildflowers thrive in CO., support native pollinators & birds, save water & have a beautiful,  regionally-appropriate Western look. Learn how to choose & grow natives successfully, and see what they look like at maturity in the garden. A tour and talk. $15
We have been noticing that this spring there are many more butterflies than we’ve seen in years!  We can support them by growing the plants they need for nectar and larval food.  See our SALE announcement below for some ideas of what to grow for the butterflies (there are many more butterfly plants than these, and we would be happy to show them to you).
Many of you have your vegetable gardens well under way, but if you still need plants and seeds, we have LOTS of wonderful selections, including many Heirloom varieties! Now that we are probably past the danger of killing frosts, come in for organically-grown starts of celery-root, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, squashes, melons, even a few okra.  We have kale and Swiss chard starts as well.  Many of our carefully selected varieties are rare and hard-to-find; some have been placed on Slow Food’s ‘Ark of Taste’.  See the amazing list of our vegetable and fruit varieties for this year on our website.

Mountain gardeners will find that we still have cauliflower and cabbage starts, excellent short-season varieties of tomatoes, peppers, etc., as well as Solar Caps for successfully growing warm-weather veggies.

And our Herb Table is overflowing with many different culinary and medicinal herbs. In a week or two we expect to receive Stevia plants – a very hard-to-find item, and one that can be brought indoors as a houseplant at the end of the summer.  If you haven’t yet tried it, Stevia is a wonderful natural sweetener with NO calories and a Zero glycemic rating!  Add a leaf or two to any tea, or use to sweeten a curry or other Asian dish, for puddings, sauces, and many other dishes!

Roses are in full bloom!  We have an extraordinary selection of own-root roses right now – come and see and smell them!  Also, visit the rose garden at the Boulder-Dushanbe teahouse, which is in glorious, fragrant bloom right now.

We have a fully-stocked table (and then some!) of beautiful and interesting annual flowers for garden and containers – unique petunias, pansies, heirloom Marigolds, fragrant heirloom Flowering Tobacco, Zinnias, Cleome, and much, much more.  Coming soon – fabulous succulents for containers that can come inside for the winter! And we have some very attractive containers to plant them in!

Speaking of containers, we have a wonderful assortment of light-weight hyper-tufa TROUGHS for sale – great for rock-garden gems, succulents, cactus.  Learn to make your own troughs at our CLASS on Sunday, June 10th at 1:30 (Pre-registration is Required). This is great fun – guaranteed!

Harlequin’s Gardens’ 20th Anniversary Sale
Save 20% off Selected Plants, Soil Amendments & Products
on the 20th of every month this season

Our second 20/20 Sale will be this Sunday, May 20th.  The ‘theme’ of this sale is planting to attract and support BUTTERFLIES.  Come in this SUNDAY for 20% off the following while supplies last:

Book: BUTTERFLIES of the COLORADO FRONT RANGE – On Sale $10.36, regularly $12.95,
The perfect gift for any Front-Range Coloradan (including children) who enjoys butterflies or appreciates the natural world.
We are very happy that we have signed copies of this wonderful new book by Janet R. Chu and Stephen R. Jones, two of Boulder’s most dedicated naturalists and foremost experts on our local butterflies.
This guidebook offers a page for each of the 80 species covered; each includes superb photographs taken in the field by the authors, and descriptions of the butterfly’s appearance, host plants, life cycle, habitat, behavior, identification tips, and descriptions of similar species.  The first section of the book concisely presents the anatomy, ecology and life-cycle of butterflies, and great advice on watching and photographing butterflies.  Also included in this guide-book are a glossary of terms, an easy-to-use chart of the species, their habitats, their flight seasons, and whether they are abundant, common, uncommon or rare.

This beautiful paperback guidebook is slim enough to slip in the back pocket of your jeans, and has a durable cover and binding.
Limit: 2 books per customer at sale price.

SEEDS: ‘Butterflies & Birds Wildflower Mix’ flower seed mix from BBB Seeds, a local, Boulder-based seed company specializing in wildflower seeds and seed mixes. Limit: 2 bags of sale-priced seeds per customer.

The following selected PLANTS: 20% off original prices:

Eriogonum umbellatum (Sulphur Flower, Sulphur Buckwheat): This superb, compact, dry-land native plant is an important nectar source for many species of butterflies and bees. The dense, compact mats of leathery dark green leaves are evergreen, spreading to 1 to 2’ wide, and it blooms for a solid month. Thin flower stalks to 6-12” tall hold wide, dense umbels of tiny sulphur-yellow flowers that cover the plant, and turn an attractive rusty-red as they dry.  It is one of the very few of our native plants that can be used as a groundcover in the garden, and grow easily in poor soils as long as they are well-drained. Deer do not pay it any mind, and it is hardy to 10,000’ elevation!

Liatris punctata (Dotted Gayfeather): This great butterfly favorite is native right here at our nursery and all around us in the dry shortgrass prairies and foothills. The deep-rooted  Liatris punctata is the most xeric species of Gayfeather, growing in unamended soils, including clay, with little or no supplemental water once established. Beautiful stiff spikes of purple-pink flowers bloom in late summer, along with Zinnia grandiflora, Aster laevis and Solidago.  The compact plant grows to 12” to 18” tall, is very durable and long-lived.  After blooming, the feathery seeds look lovely when backlit by the low afternoon sun, and will attract goldfinches and other songbirds.  Hardy to Zone 4.

Liatris ligulistylis (Meadow Blazingstar):  This is the ultimate Monarch butterfly magnet!  We have seen swarms of Monarchs feeding from Meadow Blazingstar in Lauren Springer Ogden and Scott Ogden’s Fort Collins garden, where it grows 3 to 5’ tall.  The numerous crimson flower buds open to large bright purple-pink florets that bloom over an extended period of time in summer.  It is a prairie native, the Front Range being the farthest western portion of its range.  Give it full sun, or sun with late-afternoon shade in loam or clay soil and deep, infrequent waterings once established. And make sure it’s located where you can watch the show!  After flowering, the seeds are a favorite food for goldfinches.  Hardy to Zone 4.

Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’ (Compact Dense Gayfeather): Many 18” to 24”-tall bold flowerstalks, densely clothed in lavender-purple florets appear late in the season after other Gayfeathers are finished.  This compact selection of the prairie native is an excellent attractor for butterflies and hummingbirds, and is easy to grow in full sun in most soils with average watering. Also makes a great cut-flower for fresh or dried arrangements. Hardy to Zone 4.

Asclepias tuberosa (Orange Butterfly Weed):  Certainly NOT a weed, this essential butterfly plant is irresistible to butterflies, hummingbirds and people.  The very long-lived, tap-rooted plant may be slow to establish and reach mature size, but it attracts legions of butterflies (and hummingbirds) to its brilliant orange flowers, and is an important food source for Monarch caterpillars. Watch for the beautiful Monarch chrysalises dangling from your plants! Best in full sun with low to moderate water.  Requires good drainage in sandy or loamy soil.

Asclepias incarnata ‘Cinderella’ (Red Milkweed):  Cinderella bears dense clusters of sweetly-scented, dark rosy-pink flowers from early summer to fall on slender, erect branches. The flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and the leaves of Red Milkweed are a preferred food source for Monarch caterpillars.  Plant some of this native along ponds and streams, in detention basins or any spot with moist soil, whether sand, clay or loam, and you’ll have a Monarch Butterfly farm!  Hardy to Zone 3-4.

Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’: A profusion of lilac-blue flowers on wiry 12” to 18” stems are produced all summer on this outstanding selection of Pincushion Flower, which was awarded Plant of the Year  status by the Perennial Plant Association in 2000. The compact habit does not require staking and, as the cultivar name suggests, the flowers are a great butterfly attractor. Dead-head for continuous bloom.  Grows in full sun in most soil types, with moderate or somewhat less water. Hardy to 6500’ elevation.

Scabiosa caucasica:  A hardier and larger Pincushion Flower, with lovely 2 ½ to 3” lilac-blue ‘pincushions’ dancing atop slender, 18-24”-tall wiry stems, very appealing to butterflies and to people.  Dead-head for continuous bloom through the summer.  Makes a great cut-flower, too. Hardy to 8,000’ elevation.

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower): This lovely 3-4’ tall prairie native attracts many showy butterflies, songbirds and hummingbirds!  The large purple-pink flowers with rusty red central ‘cones’ bloom profusely for up to two months in mid to late summer. Echinacea thrives in fertile soil in full sun to part-shade (more drought-tolerant with afternoon shade). In autumn, the ‘cones’ remain attractive, and are full of nutritious seeds that attract songbirds All parts of the plant are also used to make a safe but powerful immune-boosting tea or tincture. Hardy to Zone 4.

Solidago rigida (Stiff Goldenrod): This summer-blooming golden beauty is a Monarch Butterfly favorite!  Native right here at the western edge of the prairie, Stiff Goldenrod is widely adaptable and will thrive even in poor, dry soils. The flowers also support bees and many other beneficial insects. The stems serve as perches for songbirds, and the seeds provide important protein-rich late-season bird food. Hardy to Zone 4.

Coreopsis lanceolata (Lance-leaf Coreopsis): Cheerful golden-yellow, 1 ½” to 2 ½” daisy flowers bloom for weeks on end on graceful plants 1’ to 2’ tall and wide, creating a fantastic early-summer display that supports many species of butterflies.  Bloom can be extended from June to frost by dead-heading the spent flowers, but the ripe seeds are great food for songbirds in late summer. This very durable, long-lived prairie native grows in full to part sun in any well-drained soil (especially sand or loam), dry to moderate watering. Hardy to Zone 4.

Vernonia fasciculata (Ironweed):  Another great prairie native, this one for a tall accent or background in the garden, with magenta-crimson flower clusters topping stout stiff stems that never need staking, standing 4-6’ tall. This late-season butterfly magnet thrives in full sun with little care in clay, sandy, or loamy soils with moderate to low water.  Hardy to Zone 4.

Fennel: This familiar hardy perennial herb is the preferred food of the beautiful Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar.  Hollow, jointed stems to 5’ tall bear very finely ferny foliage, and the entire plant has a sweet anise/licorice flavor and aroma. The large flat umbels of tiny yellow blossoms support butterflies, bees, and many other beneficial insects.  The plant has very deep roots and can grow in dry, poor soil.  Use the foliage in salads and collect the seeds to use as seasoning.  We have both the green Florence Fennel and the dramatic Bronze Fennel, with dark, bronze-purple tinted foliage. Hardy to Zone 5.

Buddleia  davidii nanhoensis ‘Petite Indigo’ and ‘Petite Plum’ (Compact Butterfly Bush): The name says it all!  These graceful, fast-growing woody shrubs bear long cone-shaped terminal panicles of very fragrant flowers on slender arching stems from mid-summer to frost.  The flowers are a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds. ‘Petite Plum’ is regarded as reliably compact (to 4-6’ tall by 4-5’ wide), with plum-purple flowers, each with an orange ‘eye’. ‘Petite Indigo’ grew to 8’ tall in Eve’s garden, and bears bright lavender-blue flowers with an orange ‘eye’. The sweet fragrance of Butterfly Bush carries on the air, even in our dry climate. The narrow grey-green foliage is seldom browsed by deer. Tops may die back to the ground in colder winters, but they are usually root-hardy and will quickly re-grow. Hardy to Zone 5.

Limits: Plants in 2.5” pots: 4 plants of each kind at sale price per customer
Plants in Quart pots: 2 plants of each kind at sale price per customer
Plants in 1-gallon pots: 1 plant of each kind at sale price per customer

20% OFF COMPOST TEA: $4/gallon (regularly $5)

Compost Tea creates fertility biologically.  Of course there is nutritional value in the tea, like kelp and minerals, but the main value comes from the millions of microorganisms that inoculate the plants.  These beneficial bacteria, fungi and others function as the digestive system of plants, breaking down complex nutrients into simpler forms usable by plants.  They also improve soil aeration and structure.  You can keep the microorganisms multiplying in your soil by incorporating composts, humates, kelp, molasses, manures and other minerals and organic matter.  Our compost tea is made from Biodynamic compost, concentrates with sea minerals, kelp, molasses and sea calcium, while vigorously aerated in our vortex brewer.  We sometimes add Age Old liquid fertilizer to the tea we use to give more immediate fertilizing results.  Biological fertility is not as fast-acting as chemical nitrogen, but it builds topsoil instead of destroying it.  Compost tea must be used within 8 hours of purchase.  Limit: 2 gallons per customer at sale price.

The above selected items are discounted only on Sunday May 20, while supplies last.
We hope to see you soon!

Eve & Mikl Brawner, and the Staff at Harlequin’s Gardens

Spring Greetings to our gardening friends!

We hope you are all enjoying time in your gardens, smelling the apple blossoms and other flowers that have been blooming weeks ahead of their expected time. The apricot and peach trees may have escaped the dreaded hard frost this early spring, and we are hoping for a great fruit harvest this summer.  Our little apricot tree (‘little’ not because it’s so young, but because it receives no supplemental water) is loaded with tiny green baby fruits for the very first time!

In the ornamental garden, it’s time to get busy cleaning up last year’s dead flower stalks in the perennials bed, digging out unwanted tree seedlings while you can still see where they are, and cutting down warm-season grasses to let in light for the new growth (cool-season grasses have already greened-up, and should have been trimmed back in February).  To keep the grass trimmings from making a mess, before you cut, wrap some twine or a short bungee cord tightly around the mass of dry blades, then cut below where they’re cinched and carry a neat bundle to the compost pile.  Wait another week or two to prune your roses.  If you are uncertain about how to prune your roses, you may want to register for Eve’s class ‘Fearless Pruning in the Rose Garden’, this Saturday at 1:30 pm (if we hear from you soon enough!).  In fact, check the list of classes on our website and sign up now to expand your gardening skills. It’s also a good time to plant new hardy perennials, roses, shrubs and trees, and to lift and transplant perennials that you’d like to move to a new location (such as the progeny of perennials that self-sow).  We are adding to our selection of plants every week now, so check in often!

In the vegetable garden, it’s time to work in your soil amendments (if you haven’t already) and put in your seeds and transplants for cool-weather crops.  Down here in the valley, you can sow seeds directly in the garden for carrots, parsnips, parsley, arugula, spinach, lettuce, beets, onion, scallions, leeks, peas (if you plant right away), cilantro, radish, turnip, kale, swiss chard, rutabaga.  Now is the time to plant potato ‘seed’ (we have organic Bintje, Red Sangre, and All-Blue), onion and leek plants (we have bundles of Walla Walla, Milestone and Red Zeppelin onion plants and Lancelot Leeks, and some other varieties in pots). It’s also high time to transplant starts of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, leaf-broccoli, celeriac, and celery.  Harlequin’s Gardens is currently well-stocked with loads of beautiful plants of the best varieties of these veggies and more, as well as pre-planted salad boxes for continual harvests of ‘cut & come again’ lettuces, mesclun, spinach, etc.  And we have plenty of seeds from Abbondanza Farm and Botanical Interests. It’s very helpful to use a light Row Cover fabric over your seed bed to protect it from drying out so fast, and also protect from critters.  And Row Cover fabric is also great for protecting your new transplants from wind and direct sun while they get established.  You can leave it on until harvest if you wish to protect crops from cabbage moths, leaf-miners, and such.  Ask us for pre-packaged or custom-cut pieces

Now is also the time to set up your Solar Caps and warm the soil for a week or so, then begin planting your tomatoes and peppers in them for an early jump on the season.  We have our first tomato and pepper starts ready for you, with a veritable avalanche of them to follow soon after!  Take a look at our annotated list for this year at www.harlequinsgardens.com/plants/edibles/vegetablestarts.

Harlequin’s Gardens’ 20^th Anniversary Sale

Save 20% off Selected Plants, Soil Amendments & Products

on the 20^th of every month this season

Our first 20/20 Sale will be this Friday, April 20^th.  The ‘theme’ of this sale is planting to attract and support bees.  Come in this Friday for 20% off

PLANTS: Limit: 5 sale-priced plants of each kind per customer.

Native Bee-Balm (Monarda fistulosa v menthifolia): Mint-scented foliage and stunning, nectar-rich purple-pink flowers that bring bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Leaves make a delicious tea. 2’ to 5’ tall. Very hardy perennial to zone 3, adaptable to many soils. Needs some moisture.

Native Blanket Flower/Firewheel (Gaillardia aristata): This easy, hardy 2’ perennial bears masses of large red daisies with fringed bright yellow tips. Thrives in hot dry places and blooms all summer.  Keep dead-headed for more flowers and a neater look. A favorite of bees and butterflies.

Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia): Vigorous, tall and super-drought-tolerant, Russian Sage thrives in lean, dry soil, full sun, and heat.  The smoky violet-blue flowers are a favorite with bees. Hardy to Zone 5.

‘Golden Baby’ Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis): A superb, compact upright native Goldenrod to 2’ tall, with golden-yellow sprays in fall.  Drought-tolerant hardy perennial. Supports bees and many other beneficial insects.

Winter Savory (Satureja montana): Highly aromatic Mediterranean ‘sub-shrub’, not only great for culinary use, but its high thymol content helps bees fight off mites and diseases.  Thrives on very low water and the white flowers provide late-season bee forage.  Hardy perennial to 1’.

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum & A. ‘Blue Fortune’): A great drought-tolerant, native summer bloomer that supports bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Hardy perennial to 3’ tall. The flower spikes of the species are lavender, and ‘Blue Fortune’ is powder blue. The leaves make a lovely tea.

Blue Flax (Linum perenne & L. lewisii): Everybody knows this one already, yes?  L. perenne is the European blue flax, with deeper blue flowers. L. lewisii is the native, with sky-blue flowers. Both very blue, very xeric. Local botanists have found that the two do not cross-pollinate.

Honeywort (Cerinthe major ‘Kiwi Blue’): This unusual annual is an excellent nectar source for bees.  Very attractive foliage is a light blue-green, sprinkled with white polkadots.  The clump of stems usually reaches about 1’ high and arches over with graceful nodding flower scapes that sport conspicuous blue bracts. Honeywort can self-sow moderately and make a nice colony.

SEEDS: ‘Bee Rescue’ and ‘Honey Source’ flower seed mixes from BBB Seeds, a local, Boulder-based seed company specializing in wildflower seeds and seed mixes. Limit: 2 bags of sale-priced seeds per customer.

BOOKS:

‘Attracting Native Pollinators’ by the Xerces Society

SOIL AMENDMENTS:

Composted Dairy Cow Manure: this diary cow manure is from a local farm that is managed organically, and is thoroughly composted.  A great locally-sourced amendment for nitrogen and carbon.  Spread a layer 1” thick and work into your soil.  Don’t over-do it; 1” is enough. Limit: 5 bags per customer at discounted price.

The above selected items are discounted only on Friday April 20, while supplies last.

Don’t miss our MAY DAY Festival, May 6 & 7, featuring live music, magic, Morris Dancers, Laughter Yoga, and more!

Member’s Plant Sale begins Monday 4/30 and continues through Sunday 5/6.

Please check our Spring 2012 Newsletter for the complete schedule and details of our May Day festival and Members Plant Sale.

Greetings, Fellow Gardeners

Thank goodness we have been blessed with snow this winter on our plants; and if the snow pack increases, we will have water for our reservoirs. Water will always be an issue for us in Colorado, and the predictions are that in 20 years, demand will exceed supply by 30%. So we need to learn how to grow landscapes and food with less water. The right plants and soil development are essential. In addition we need to defend the quality of the water we have from agricultural chemicals, endocrine disruptors and from fracking chemicals.

Getting our hands in the soil, smelling the flowers, watching new life emerge and develop, seeing the bees and butterflies and birds in our gardens: these experiences give us such joy and peace. It would be nice if we didn’t have to think about all the dangers that threaten our modern lives. An aphid infestation is so minor compared to the new Monsanto sweet corn that is genetically modified and is not labeled. And we dare not ignore these issues.

However we are so bombarded with bad news that, for now, we would like to tell you some good news.

This year Harlequin’s Gardens will be celebrating our 20th Anniversary of being a sustainable garden center in Boulder County. We started from scratch without a prominent location and with an unproductive well. We had little money and a big vision to grow plants organically and supply plants that would thrive in Colorado conditions without copious amounts of water, and without chemical fertilizers and  toxic pesticides. We wanted to provide organic fertilizers and composts and we wanted to grow demonstration gardens and teach people how to garden sustainably.

Little by little we grew, while Mikl operated a tree care business to pay the mortgage. And you, our wonderful customers, saw what we were trying to do and supported us. You encouraged us and bought our plants and products. And we studied and learned and were helped by many knowledgeable people. And when we could no longer afford to maintain our extensive display gardens (we now have 8) we asked people to join our membership program, and through the generous support of our members we have enough money to pay for plants, water and maintenance.

A drought in 2002 helped promote one of our specialties: xeriscape. Native plants became popular, and we were already specializing in natives. Own-root hardy roses drew customers from great distances because they were so successful and beautiful. We predicted the increased interest in home-grown food and we had stepped up our production of organic vegetable starts by the time the big wave hit. And our classes have become so popular that we are going to have to build a bigger classroom.

So, thanks to our dedication to what is good for you and the planet, and thanks to your love and support for us and telling your friends, we are 20 years old and doing better every year.

We are planning some special events and will be bringing in some new and helpful products. Right now we are busy getting things ready.

One more piece of good news for now: Mikl indulged his passion for soil science by attending an Acres USA Ecological Agriculture Conference in December, and learned some great new information about growing food without chemicals. The overall idea is that the soil life (micro-organisms, etc.) function as the digestive system of the plants. When plants become so healthy that they start storing complex carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and essential oils, fungal and bacterial pathogens and pest insects cannot digest these complex foods and so they cease to be pests. So soil health becomes plant health and plant defense system. What is very interesting is that the nutrients in these healthy plants then become nutritious food for animals and humans and in turn protect us from diseases. So let’s build healthy soil.

We are also building our staff this year. Harlequin’s Gardens is looking for a couple of good people to join us. The positions available are part-time seasonal, requiring a commitment from late March through September or October. If you are knowledgeable and experienced with plants and gardening in this region, are eager to learn more about well-adapted plants for Colorado, like to work with people, are dedicated to the organic approach and would like to work hard in a pleasant, non-toxic environment, please let us know as soon as possible by calling Eve at 720-291-7826.

Every year when the season ends for Harlequin’s Gardens, we feel a measure of sadness, knowing we won’t see or talk with most of you until next spring. We take our relationships with our customers personally, and we will miss you, and your support and encouragement.  It is heart-warming to us that so many of you have demonstrated such loyalty and goodwill and trust in us, and care for the Earth, and we are ever grateful.  2011 has been a very good year for Harlequin’s Gardens, and you have made it possible for us to have arrived at our 20^th Anniversary!   Imagine that!  This fall and winter we are planning a variety of ways to celebrate and share this milestone with you.  We will keep you posted about special events, sales, new offerings, etc.

FALL CROPS
Lately, we’ve been harvesting parsnips, kale, parsley, upland cress, carrots, swiss chard and celeriac (celery root) from our vegetable garden, and fresh greens and salads from our cold-frame and greenhouse.  Eve will soon be placing bags of leaves over the rows of root crops to keep the soil from freezing, making it possible to harvest throughout the winter.  Our kale has magnetized a large colony of aphids, so when we harvest the leaves to cook, we soak them for about a half hour in a sink-full of cold water with 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of vinegar.  This dislodges most of the critters, and gently rubbing will take care of the rest.

A few days ago, Eve was cleaning up a large ceramic planter where she’d grown annual flowers and foliage plants.  When she pulled on the dried remains of the two chartreuse-leafed ‘Margarita’ ornamental sweet potato plants, a big, fat tuberous root came up with each, and we remembered that it’s an edible sweet potato.  The tubers, sometimes called Cuban Sweet Potato, have a thin pink-red skin and pale yellow flesh.  We baked them last night and found them absolutely delicious – something like a cross between a russet potato and the familiar orange-fleshed sweet potatoes – lightly sweet and aromatic, with a rich, flaky texture.
FALL GARDEN CHORES
Because of the heavy snowstorms and strong wind, many trees and shrubs need corrective pruning. Be very watchful working under any trees if there is wind, as damaged branches can continue to fall for some time.
In April 2012, Mikl will give a class on pruning storm-damaged trees and shrubs.

There are not too many garden chores required at this time of the year.  If your ornamental bulbs haven’t been planted yet, now is a good time to do it, while the soil is not too wet and before the ground freezes.  If your bulbs came without planting instructions or you’ve lost track of them, a good rule of thumb for planting at the proper depth is to set the bulb at the bottom of a hole that’s three times the height of the bulb. If you are planting Anemone blanda (Grecian Windflower), it’s hard to tell the top from the bottom, so you can plant them sideways.  Eve also soaks the hard Anemone tubers in water for a few hours or overnight to assure that they’ll be moist enough to get started.

It’s not too late to fertilize and topdress your perennial and shrub beds.  You can casually sprinkle any organic, low-nitrogen fertilizer (Yum-Yum mix, etc.) and toss a light layer of compost over it, then water thoroughly.

Don’t forget winter watering, especially for evergreens and roses, and most any plant that was planted in September or October. Evergreens continue to transpire (give off water) during the winter, because they have leaves or needles. If these plants cannot take up water, they will dehydrate and suffer, not showing injury until it’s too late. And roses, with their green-skinned canes, are far more likely to perish in winter from dehydration than from cold temperatures. Water once or twice a month, in late morning or early afternoon so that the water has time to sink in before it freezes.  Aside from conifers, some other evergreen
plants that will benefit from some winter watering are Manzanita, Kinnickinnick, Scotch Broom, Spanish Broom, Hardy Jasmine, Oregon Grape Holly, and the evergreen Euonymus selections.  Sagebrush, Curl-leaf and Littleleaf Mountain Mahogany, and Ephedra are probably fine without supplemental winter water, as long as they had adequate time to establish.

FALL & WINTER GARDEN CONSULTATIONS
Mikl and Eve continue to provide consulting services through the winter.  Most years, there are plenty of days that are warm enough and free of snow on the ground to make garden consultations and tree-health consultations practical.  In return for giving us a small trickle of winter income, we offer a coupon for a 15% discount on a purchase of plants in the 2011 season.  Here’s a link to our Consultations page for more information: https://www.harlequinsgardens.com/consultations/.
***  HOLIDAY GIFTS from HARLEQUIN’S  ***
For holiday gifts (or any other reason) this winter, in addition to Harlequin’s Gardens Gift Certificates (see below), we also have a very special, brand new book and a biodynamic planting calendar we can mail to you or the person you are gifting. Please note the prices below, and send us your check or money order (make sure it has your current address and phone number on it) and a note with the recipients’ name(s) and address(es).
Mail it to us at:
Harlequin’s Gardens, 4795 N 26^th St., Boulder CO 80301.

We will also provide a free gift-card with each order sent directly to the gift-recipient; just be sure to let us know what you want the card to say, e.g. Happy Holidays from Mom & Dad.

BUTTERFLIES of the COLORADO FRONT RANGE – Hot off the press!
The perfect gift for anyone who enjoys butterflies or appreciates the natural world.

We are very happy to announce that we have on hand a big stack of signed copies of this wonderful new book by Janet R. Chu and Stephen R. Jones, two of Boulder’s most dedicated naturalists and foremost experts on our local butterflies.

This guidebook offers a page for each of the 80 species covered; each includes superb photographs taken in the field by the authors, and descriptions of the butterfly’s appearance, host plants, life cycle, habitat, behavior, identification tips, and descriptions of similar species.  The first section of the book concisely presents the anatomy, ecology and life-cycle of butterflies, and great advice on watching and photographing butterflies.  Also included in this guide-book are a glossary of terms, an easy-to-use chart of the species, their habitats, their flight seasons, and whether they are abundant, common, uncommon or rare.

This beautiful paperback guidebook is slim enough to slip in the back pocket of your jeans, (or a Christmas Stocking), and has a durable cover and binding.

We can send the book by 1^st class mail for $17.95. For each additional copy mailed in the same envelope, add $14.10. Multiples will be sent by Priority Mail. These prices include sales tax, packaging and postage. We can fit up to 4 books in an envelope.

Chu and Jones say it best: “We watch butterflies because they’re exquisitely beautiful, have magical life cycles, and teach us about intricate and life-sustaining relationships among plants, insects and their host ecosystems.”

view a sample of BUTTERFLIES of the COLORADO FRONT RANGE

2012 Stella Natura  PLANTING CALENDAR
The Stella Natura Wall Calendar is an easy-to-use, informative and beautiful planting and gardening calendar that shows the best times to take advantage of the cosmic influences of the moon, sun and planets. This is a research-based system that is used by Biodynamic farmers and gardeners.  We have been using this calendar for 20 years and believe it has helped with germination of seeds, root development of cuttings, and healthy plant development. More than just a calendar – it’s packed with valuable information and insights for successful growing, from seed to harvest. Mikl will be giving a class in Planting by the Moon in early spring.

We can send the calendar by 1^st class mail for $20.50. For an additional calendar mailed in the same envelope, add $15.66.  We can fit up to 2 calendars in an envelope.  Price includes sales tax, packaging and postage.

GIFT CERTIFICATES
Harlequin’s Gardens may be closed, but Harlequin’s Gardens Gift Certificates are available year-round, so it’s not too late to purchase Gift Certificates with a promise of spring for the gardeners and homeowners on your holiday list – see our Gift Certificate page at https://www.harlequinsgardens.com/gift-certificates for ordering instructions.

***************************************

Wishing you
all a season of peace, community and abundance,

Eve & Mikl
Brawner and the staff at Harlequin’s Gardens

It’s been a while since you’ve heard from us, and no doubt you can understand that in this heat, everything slows down – including us.  But now we’re back, with a few reminders, announcements, suggestions and reports.

BOULDER GOLD in the Daily Camera:

First, a reminder that we’d love to have you vote us #1 in the Daily Camera’s ‘Boulder Gold’ competition.  Voting ends on July 30^th, so please go right away to: http://www.futureofnews.com/AdEverywhere/SI/PR/RC/?S=dailycamera&B=1040 and cast your ballots for us in the BEST GARDEN CENTER and BEST PLANT NURSERY categories, and a third category of your choice (may we suggest Best Locally-Owned Store, Best Shopping Destination, Best Company that Gives Back to the Community, or Best Tree Nursery). THE RULES ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1) You MUST vote in at least 10 categories, 2) You can vote for the same business in up to 3 categories, but no more, and 3) You MUST fill out the required fields at the end of the ballot and submit your vote, and 4) You must get your ballot in by the end of the day Saturday July 30. Thank you for your support!

IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN (and the kitchen):

We have been checking the vegetable garden, harvesting lettuce, rustic arugula (very heat-tolerant),  radicchio, spring onions, zucchini, swiss chard, kale, broccoli side-shoots, cauliflower, upland cress, fava beans, leaf broccoli (aka Minestra Nera or Spigariello), strawberries, basil, parsley, mint (the latter two for making quinoa tabbouli).  Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatillos, green beans and cucumbers will be ready very soon.  You are welcome to visit the vegetable garden at Harlequin’s and see how we support our tomato plants.  Just ask someone on our staff to show you.

Eve has been making lots of pesto, not only with basil, but she’s also pestifying with parsley, cilantro, arugula and tarragon.  Parsley Pesto (made with pecans, garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt and lemon juice) is fabulous on pasta or potatoes, bruschetta, grilled meat, chicken or fish.  Arugula pesto is made with walnuts, garlic, arugula, olive oil, salt and lemon juice, and is great for all the same uses.  Tarragon Pesto, made with brazil nuts or pignoli, tarragon and olive oil, is particularly good spread on crackers or bruschetta with some soft goat cheese, or on chicken. Eve’s cilantro pesto is made with walnuts, cumin seeds, garlic, cilantro, virgin coconut oil, olive oil, salt and lime juice.  It’s a daily staple in our home, used on avocado, grilled chicken or fish, sweet potato, black beans or bean soup, or anything that’s handy. Did you know that cilantro is known to draw out and cleanse the body of toxic heavy metals, especially mercury?

PESTS and DISEASES:

We have received reports from a few of you that Early Blight is affecting some of your tomato plants.  Early Blight is a fungal disease, and can be organically controlled by spraying with Green Cure, which we have in stock.

This summer also seems to be particularly buggy, and we are well-stocked with effective, non-toxic, organic pest management supplies.

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU LIKE:

We would love to get your feed-back on which vegetable and herb varieties you liked and didn’t like.  Your feedback helps us enormously when it comes time to choose which varieties we should grow for the coming year (we make those selections in December). The best way to let us know what you think is to go to our website and click on PLANTS, then EDIBLES, then VEGETABLES, then SPEAKING OF VEGETABLES.  Or save this link to go directly to it: https://www.harlequinsgardens.com/plants/edibles/vegetables/the-veggie-report/

FRUIT TREES:

Mikl has just brought out a new crop of fruit trees, including Apples (Cortland, Sweet Sixteen, Honeycrisp), Plums (Stanley), Peaches (Red Haven, Reliance) and Apricots (Moorpark).

SEASON EXTENDING in the VEGETABLE GARDEN:

In the midst of the midsummer heat it may be hard to imagine that we really will be seeing cool, short days again in the not-so-distant future. But it is true, and NOW is the time to plan and plant cool-season crops for fall and winter harvests.

With this in mind, we have just re-stocked our supply of seeds from Botanical Interests with many great varieties of Carrots, Beets, Radishes, Kale, Lettuce, Mesclun, Bok Choy, Tat Soi, Arugula, Kohlrabi, Spinach, Cilantro, Swiss Chard, Green Onion, Collards, and more.  We also have lots of Abbondanza Lettuce, Chard, Kale and Tatsoi seeds.

Eve has been planting and potting starts for Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Leaf Broccoli, Kale, Chard, Lettuce, Arugula, etc., and these will soon be ready for sale.  We have SeedGuard row-cover to protect your seed beds and new crops.  And for those of you who are new to season-extending, we have Eliot Coleman’s essential books ‘The Four-Season Harvest’ and Winter Harvest Handbook’.

Rhubarb and Sea-Kale plants in one-gallon pots are still available.

IN THE ORNAMENTAL GARDEN:

We still have lots of wonderful perennials, vines, grasses, groundcovers, roses, shrubs and trees to choose from. New selections continue to come out of our growing houses and ‘fields’ daily.  We have mulches, row-cover fabric, mycorrhizae, compost tea and ‘Super-Thrive’ in stock to help your new plants get established in spite of the heat.

In July, gardens require TWICE AS MUCH WATER than any other month to support them in the stresses of heat, flowering and making seed.  You can also help them through the heat by adding mulch, and by dead-heading (removing) half or more of the spent blooms before a plant has made seed.

LOOKING AHEAD:

This fall, starting in early September, we will again offer a delightful, hand-picked selection of bulbs for spring blooms, with an emphasis on jewel-like beauty, easy naturalizing, drought-resistance and deer-resistance.  We will also offer an expanded selection of organic Garlic and Shallot bulbs.

Stay tuned for details about our TOMATO TASTING event, coming up on September 10^th.

We hope you are having a splendid summer and that we will see you soon!

All the best,

Eve & Mikl Brawner and the Staff at Harlequin’s Gardens

Dear Harlequin Gardeners,

We have put our organic veggie starts on sale!  Our usual price of $2.50 per plant has been reduced to $1.50!  Our starts include tomatoes, summer and winter squashes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, leeks, and more.  (Basil excluded from sale.)  So, come on in for a great bargain!

Fly on into Harlequin’s Gardens between Friday, June 17 and Sunday, June 19 to learn more about the pollinators in our area!

Between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on June 17, 18, and 19, folks from the Pollinator Partnership will have an information table at Harlequin’s Gardens to educate our customers on the harmful effects of pesticides on honeybees and other pollinators.  The goal is to empower us in supporting the pollinators in our area.  Harlequin’s will also share free handouts about plants that provide food and habitat for pollinators.

You can support the Coalition 4 Bees by purchasing a “Honey Bee Haven” sign for $5.00 and sign their pledge to not use pesticides or herbicides in your yard.  They will track the sign locations in an effort to begin mapping pesticide free yards in Boulder County.

We look forward to seeing you at this unique event later this week!

Harlequin’s Gardens may be closed, but HG Gift Certificates are available year-round, so it’s not too late to purchase Gift Certificates with a promise of spring for all the gardeners and homeowners on your holiday list – see our Gift Certificate page at https://www.harlequinsgardens.com/gift-certificates for ordering instructions.

 Mikl and Eve also continue to provide consulting services through the winter.  Most years, there are plenty of days that are warm enough and free of snow on the ground to make garden consultations and tree-health consultations practical.  In return for giving us a small trickle of winter income, we offer a coupon for a 15% discount on a purchase of plants in the 2011 season.  Here’s a link to our Consultations page for more information: https://www.harlequinsgardens.com/consultations/.

Every year, a lot of people ask us what we do in the winter, when the nursery is closed.  Sometimes we wish the answer was “Oh, we usually spend a few months on the beach in Mexico or Costa Rica”.  But in reality, we begin by putting all the plants to bed and packing up the remaining products, while simultaneously compiling and placing early orders for seeds and plants for the next season.  We erect fences around our display gardens to keep the rabbits at bay.  Every year we collect seeds from many of the plants we grow and from native wildflowers and shrubs. We have to clean the seeds (separating them from the chaff and debris) before the end of the year because we begin sowing seeds in the greenhouse in early January.  Some seeds sprout quickly, so transplanting has usually begun by the first of February. Plant descriptions are researched and written, ordering continues, we work on improving and updating our website, and make plans for the classes and events we will offer in the coming season.  And there are always some repairs and building projects.  To sum it all up, we are preparing to re-open Harlequin’s Gardens on April 1, 2011 as a better resource for gardeners and the larger community than ever before.

With all the holidays coming up, you may not be thinking much about gardening, but there are some things that could be done on a warm day (today’s forecast calls for a high of 60 degrees!).  It’s not too late to finish planting bulbs, and to top-dress your perennials and shrubs.  A thin (1/2”) layer of compost applied in fall or winter will be absorbed into the earth with rain and melting snow.  This mimics the fall top-dressing done by Nature and is an easy and gentle way to build soil, especially if done annually.  Organic matter, especially in the composted form, does more than hold moisture and supply some mild nutrients.  It has the dynamic effect of feeding the earth worms and beneficial soil microorganisms that make nutrients available to plants – which is far more relevant than the simple presence of nutrients.  In addition, this soil life secretes a sticky substance which binds small clay particles together, making aggregates of soil that increase porosity and tilth (ease of digging).

So far, it’s been very dry this fall, so remember to thoroughly water your evergreens – especially broadleaf evergreens – at least once a month, preferably early in the day.  For a more complete discussion of winter watering, see our Thanksgiving Greetings blog.

Happy Holidays!

Mikl & Eve Brawner and the staff at Harlequin’s Gardens

         At this time of Thanksgiving, we truly want to thank all of you for a good year, for your purchases and for your trust and continued support. Without you, we could not do this work that we love.  We hope this Thanksgiving celebration is a joyful and meaningful one for you.

         The weather guessers are predicting temperatures around zero degrees for tonight, so if you still have root crops like beets, carrots, and parsnips in the ground, grab those bagged leaves from the curb and lay them over the vegetable beds (don’t unpack the bags!).  You should be able to lift the bags and dig any time you want to harvest the roots throughout the winter. 

         Now that the nursery is closed for the season, we are busy using those leaves to pack around our containerized plants in to give them some insulation until next spring.  When our over-wintered plants are brought out for sale next year, the packing leaves will be shoveled under the plant tables so that when the plants are watered, so are the leaves, the worms and the bacteria and fungi which compost the leaves. We use this rich worm compost in our potting soil mixes.  We also used some in amending the soil of a new 32” x 72” solar-vented coldframe that we installed in late September, and Eve top-dressed the salad greens seed with the same rich compost. In only 2 days, about 120% of the seeds had sprouted and in no time at all the greens were ready to harvest and we have been eating delicious, fresh salad from that coldframe for almost six weeks now.  We built and sold several of these coldframes this year, and expect to have more available for 2011.  Let us know if you are interested in reserving one.

          If any of you are having problems with voles eating the bark off the lower branches of junipers and undermining and pulling plants down into the ground, now is a good time to mow your lawn short (under 4”) so there won’t be any bent-over grass to provide tunnels for the voles to hide in from owls and other predators.

          Don’t forget winter watering for all evergreens and roses, and most any plant that was planted in September or October. Evergreens continue to transpire (give off water) during the winter, because they have leaves or needles. If these plants cannot take up water, they will dehydrate and suffer, not showing injury until it’s too late. And roses, with their green-skinned canes, are far more likely to perish in winter from dehydration than from cold temperatures. Water once or twice a month, in late morning or early afternoon so that the water has time to sink in before it freezes.  Aside from conifers, some other evergreen plants that will benefit from some winter watering are Manzanita, Kinnickinnick, Scotch Broom, Spanish Broom, Hardy Jasmine, Oregon Grape Holly, and the evergreen Euonymus selections.  Sagebrush, Curl-leaf and Littleleaf Mountain Mahogany, and Ephedra are probably fine without supplemental winter water.

         We thought we knew everything we needed to know about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), but we have recently learned much more. The Food and Drug Administration allows the release of GMO crops without requiring adequate safety tests; but in independent research, scientists have found that GMO foods in which the inserted genes are from bacteria and viruses (such as Round-up Ready crops and BT crops) create new and unpredictable proteins, cause toxic and allergic reactions in humans, and cause sickness, sterility and death in livestock. In addition, GMO foods contain higher herbicide residues. The main GMO foods on the market are soy, corn, canola, cotton, all of which are components of ‘vegetable oil’, which we unknowingly consume in massive amounts if we eat processed food, fast food, or eat out at ordinary restaurants.  GMO sugar beets are set to be the next threat, along with GMO salmon.  In order to avoid these foods, eat organic – organic certification does not permit inclusion of any GMO ingredients. And some foods have “non-GMO” labels. Read labels of processed foods very carefully, and avoid those which contain the 5 GMO foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables are safe (to date, the only ones that may be genetically modified are papaya, zucchini and crookneck squash). But most meats are from animals fed GMO corn and soybeans. To make it easier to avoid these GMO foods, you can download a free Non-GMO Shopping Guide at http://www.responsibletechnology.org/. Also, to comment on the plan to release genetically modified salmon, go to www.foodandwaterwatch.org. Besides protecting your own health and the health of our children, if just 5% of Americans refuse to buy GMO foods, we could kick them off the market.  This is not far-fetched – Americans have rejected Bovine Growth Hormone in milk, and most of the big retailers have followed suit.

          Wendell Berry said that “Eating is a political act”. Let’s vote with our dollars and our food choices.

Here’s to eating well, loving well, and living well!  Happy Holidays!

Mikl & Eve Brawner, and the staff at Harlequin’s Gardens

Our long and fruitful summer is drawing to a close, and we still have not experienced even a light frost at Harlequin’s Gardens.  Soon, though – we heard the ‘S’ word (Snow) mentioned in the long-range forecast.  We hope you have enjoyed a rewarding season of gardening this year.

The 2010 season brought a number of notable ‘firsts’ to Harlequin’s Gardens – our first celebration of World Laughter Day (first Sunday in May), the first year we have offered our own home-brewed Compost Tea, about a dozen wonderful new classes including introductions to raising chickens, keeping bees and growing the best tomatoes, the first year we have constructed and offered our excellent cold-frames, and the first year we have written a blog.

It’s also the first year we are staying open 6 days a week in October (Tuesday through Sunday, 9 to 5), and the first time we are selling bulbs!

Now is the perfect time to start planting bulbs for spring flowers.  With only a week left before we close for the season, we encourage you to come out and choose from our carefully selected array of bulbs, including many that we have been growing (and you have been admiring) in our display gardens for years.  Many are either deer-proof or deer-resistant, most are drought-tolerant species and varieties that will naturalize in your garden, and all are guaranteed to cheer you up with their sudden bursts of color after a long winter.  The list of our bulb offerings, along with photos, descriptions and planting instructions, is on our website in ‘Plants’.

Now is also a great time to apply organic fertilizer and top-dress your garden with compost.  Organic fertilizers are naturally slow-release, and when applied in autumn, the nutrients will be stored in the roots of your plants to help them get through the winter and support new growth at the beginning of next spring.  We recommend Nature Cycle fertilizer, which you can broadcast by hand, and Eko Lawn Top-Dressing (which is not just for lawns!).  Both are now on sale for 25% off.  The Eko Lawn Top-Dressing is the same as Eko Compost except that is finely ground and free of lumps.  This makes it easy to spread by hand in perennial and shrub beds, and also easy to spread on lawns with a mechanical spreader.  Top-dressing with compost is a great way to replenish the organic matter in your soil without digging or disturbing your plants.  Earthworms and micro-organisms will do the work for you, slowly incorporating the compost into your soil over the winter.

Our Fall Sale continues through Saturday, October 30^th, the last day of our 2010 season, and we still have lots of great perennials, herbs, and shrubs at 40% off, trees at 50 % off, hardy own-root roses at 20% off, and soil products (fertilizers, soil amendments, and mulches) are 25% off.  Remember, we’ll be open every day except Monday, though our last day, which is Saturday October 30.

CONSULTATIONS & GIFT CERTIFICATES are available year-round!

 Mikl and Eve are available for consultations year-round, either together or separately.  To see our rates and the scope of our consultations, go to the Consultations section on our website at www.HarlequinsGardens.com .  Then call us at 303-939-9403, or call Eve directly at 720-291-7826 to schedule your appointment. 

If you schedule a consultation to take place between November 1 and February 28, we’ll give you a coupon for 15% off a one-time purchase of plants at Harlequin’s Gardens to use in 2011.

Gift Certificates to Harlequin’s Gardens are always appreciated by the gardeners in your life.  See the instructions for ordering gift-certificates on our website, or leave us a message at 303-939-9403.

We look forward to seeing you as we finish out the season!

Mikl & Eve Brawner and the staff at Harlequin’s Gardens

We are experimenting with extended hours in October; it was Thursday-Saturday now it will be Tuesday through Sunday 9am to 5pm (closed October 31st).  Come in and get your plants for Fall at discounted prices.  It’s a great time to plant and have strong, healthy plants in Spring.

We are entering the sixth week of our Fall Sale, and we still have a big selection of healthy plants.
Not only are our perennials and shrubs 40% off, and our roses are 20% off, but our Trees are 50% off (except fruit trees).
Soil Products in big bags are 25% off.

Now is a great time to feed your lawn organically, and fertilize your gardens organically. Organic fertilizers are not water-soluble so they do not produce fast, soft fall growth that would freeze; they feed slowly for up to six months, building energy reserves that will help plants prepare for spring.

Mikl just attended a talk by Paul Tukey, author and national leader in the organic lawn care movement. Paul explained that the essential practices that produce great lawns without chemicals are to 1) apply a compost top-dressing :our locally-made topdressing is regularly $8.25, NOW $6.20.  One bag covers 72 square feet a quarter of an inch deep. 2) apply an organic fertilizer: our locally-made lawn fertilizer 8-2-1, is regularly $17, NOW $12.75. One bag covers 3,500 square feet. And 3) apply compost tea to make nutrients more available: our Harlequin-made compost tea is regularly $5/gal, NOW $3/gal, Use one gallon per 1,000 square feet, spraying it in a hose-end sprayer or back pack sprayer.

If the lawn was not aerated in spring, it is best to aerate before applying fertilizer, compost tea and compost topdressing. This organic method does cost more in the beginning, but once the soil life and soil health are built up, costs and maintenance go down, and become more economical than chemical methods that fight Nature.

For lawns with big weed problems, you can apply Corn Gluten (which is 9% nitrogen) instead of fertilizer and which also prevents weed seeds from germinating. Denver garden advisor Kelly Grummons says good results can be obtained from using the corn gluten in February and September.

Don’t forget: to cut back on watering in October so that plants will be encouraged to go dormant. Then remember to give your plants a thorough watering once or twice a month in the winter, especially evergreen plants, roses, or anything planted in September or October. Water by hose around mid-day so the moisture will have a chance to sink in before freezing.  Of course, if the ground is frozen or under a blanket of snow, you can delay watering or see if Mother Nature has taken care of it for you.  And some very xeric perennials, if they are planted in soil that does not drain very rapidly, may rot if watered in winter.  Feel free to ask us if you aren’t sure.

Coldframes: We built 5 coldframes to sell this year, an improved version based on our previous model, which we have been testing for 3 years. They are equipped with a solar vent opener which opens and closes automatically (without electricity) to protect the plants from both freezing and frying when you are not at home. They should be seeded in September/early October with greens that can be harvested from late February thru May. You can’t imagine how wonderfully tasty, fresh, tender and full of energy these greens are in early spring. We are sold out of these coldframes now, but you are welcome to see our model in operation at the nursery, and perhaps order one for next year. This is one of the best methods for extending the food growing season.

Bulbs: Remember those brilliant orange ‘waterlily’ tulips in our xeriscape rock garden?  The glowing golden cups of species crocus, the dainty nodding miniature daffodils, intense blue droplets of Siberian squill and the smoldering deep red chalices of heirloom tulips?  Every year in April and May, many of you have exclaimed over the beautiful tulips, ‘snow iris’, wild crocus, dwarf narcissus, etcetera, lighting up our xeriscape display gardens, and asked if we sell the bulbs.  At long last, this year we do! Our full selection of bulbs is now here, and we hope you will come in to get these choice gems while they last. The full list of our bulb offerings is on our website at https://www.harlequinsgardens.com/plants/bulbs. The list includes excellent descriptions and photographs.  We also carry Colorado-made Age Old Organics bulb fertilizers and sturdy made-in-Iowa bulb-planting trowels. 

The fall-blooming Saffron Crocus should be planted right away (they should bloom this October or November), and you can begin forcing Paper White Narcissus now for fragrant blooms in four to six weeks.  Spring-blooming bulbs should be planted from mid-October to December (a little earlier for higher elevations).

Our fall vegetable starts, broccoli, cauliflower, chard, lettuce, arugula, spinach, cilantro and kale, are beautiful and healthy, and should be planted in your garden NOW – and they are on sale for 20% off.  Growing vegetables for fall and winter harvests without a greenhouse is a new concept for most Colorado gardeners. It may sound daunting, but it’s really easy.  Some of us have been enjoying fresh, home-grown greens in the colder months for some time now.  Eve has grown Swiss chard, lettuce, kale spinach and arugula for almost year-round harvest, and the incredibly sweet carrots, sown in late July, have graced our soups and salads through the winter.  Our friend Roland, a mountain gardener, has grown the delicious and extremely cold-hardy Purple Sprouting Broccoli (one of the varieties we have ready now) for many years – planted in fall and over-wintered, it begins yielding in spring and continues for many months. He grows about 50 different vegetables in his fall and winter gardens (okay, some are grown in his greenhouse).  We can help you protect your fall and winter crops with row cover fabric, too. 

Remember: In October we are open only Thursday, Friday and Saturday 9-5.

Our best wishes to you for a colorful and healthy fall!

Mikl & Eve Brawner and the staff at Harlequin’s Gardens

Our hearts go out to the folks who were threatened by fire, forced to evacuate, and especially to those of you who lost your homes.

We don’t have vast resources to offer you, but if you lost a home or landscaping to the Fourmile Canyon fire, come and see us.  We will give you what we can – special deals on mountain-tough plants and advice for choosing them and getting them established.

Great thanks to all the brave and dedicated firefighters who worked so hard to contain the fire and save lives and homes!

Sincerely,

Eve & Mikl Brawner, and the staff at Harlequin’s Gardens

September is our most successful month for getting plants established and it is our favorite month for fertilizing. At Harlequin’s Gardens, we are planting; getting those plants in the ground to start rooting and gaining strength so that by next spring they will be ready to really expand and bloom. Also at this time the Boulder Valley Rose Society, to which we belong, is getting ready to fertilize the roses at the Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse. We have been fertilizing these roses once in May and once in September for the last 11 years using that great locally formulated Mile Hi Rose Feed.

It is fine to do deadheading now of any plants that you are not wanting to reseed, or that you are not saving for seed for the birds. Pruning is good to do on fruiting plants as soon as the fruit is gone. This will compact and lighten them before winter snows and thin and prepare them for new growth and more fruit for next year. It is OK to remove dead canes from roses now, but it is better to wait until late April or early May to do thinning and major pruning of roses.

If you missed Eat Local Week, you missed a wonderful event. There was an ice cream social, presentations at Chautauqua celebrating the rising potential for the local food system,  films about new thinking about what we are eating, a Flat Iron Chef Cookoff and a Local Foodshed Conference. Check it out for next year. Harlequin’s participated by hosting the Boulder Culinary Gardeners’ Tomato Tasting. (Watch for a public Tomato Tasting in 2011).

OUR BULBS ARE IN so come and get them. We don’t have large quantities this year as we are just testing your interest. We also have locally-grown, organic Chesnok Red Garlic bulbs for Oct. planting.

AND we do have limited quantities of organic vegetable starts for September planting.

AND our FALL SALE is in full swing.

Mikl was one of 22 speakers to give a brief presentation at the Kickoff Event beginning Eat Local Week. This is what he said:

The local food movement is guiding our society to a more healthy, enjoyable and saner experience with life.

When food is not shipped long distances, the varieties of fruits and vegetables can be chosen for their great flavor and for their nutritional value, rather than for their tough skins and resistance to decay. So we get to taste and enjoy tomatoes like Cherokee Purple, Sungold, Black from Tula and Green Zebra; and fruits like Swenson’s Red Grape, Cortland Apple and Crandall Clove Currant.

In addition, these fruits and vegetables do      not have to be picked green so they will resist bruising in shipment. They can be allowed to ripen on the vine or tree, so the starches have time to convert to sugars. These sweet and delicious foods satisfy our food cravings and replace the impulse to consume processed sugars and high fructose corn sweeteners.

Because we appreciate and prefer soil building and nontoxic farm and garden management, we eliminate many physical and psychological health problems at the root.

“Hear-Here” for a locally sustained, healthy soil that leads to healthy plants, that lead to healthy humans in a healthier, saner community.

The Bottom Line cannot be money alone; the Bottom Line has to be our day-to-day enjoyment of Life which includes Good Food, Good Water, Good Air; and a Community where love and sharing is common.

10% Local Food Shift: Transition Colorado is challenging Boulder County residents to make 10% of food purchases buying local food.  Make this commitment to eat well, support local food security and strengthen our local economy.  Pick up an Eat Local Resource Guide at Harlequin’s Gardens, or go to http://www.transitioncolorado.org/.

NOW is the time to get our beautiful Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale, Chard and Lettuce seedlings in the ground for your fall and winter harvests.  Our seedlings are really beautiful and robust!  Arugula will be ready soon, and spinach, cilantro and broccoli-raab should be following soon thereafter.  These are crops that thrive in cool weather, tolerate frosts, and, with easily-installed protection, can provide lots of fresh, homegrown greens through the fall and even the winter. Ask us about our Row-Cover Fabric and Loop-Hoops. And you thought the vegetable gardening season was almost over!

Don’t forget we have added a great class, ‘Sprout your Eats, Eat your Sprouts!’ on Sunday September 19^th at 1:30 pm.  This class will enable you to grow incredibly nutritious, tasty, fresh greens all year long, even if you live in an apartment.  Check it out on the list of classes on our website at https://www.harlequinsgardens.com/classes-for-2010/.

OUR BULBS HAVE ARRIVED!
We received a shipment yesterday containing most (but not all) of the bulbs we are offering this year.  We will probably receive a few more varieties today, and another few are expected in the week of September 20.  These bulbs should be purchased now, but held for planting in late October, November or early December.  There are two exceptions: Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus) is fall-blooming and should be planted immediately, and Paperwhite Narcissus can be planted in indoor containers right now, or held for a couple of months.

GARLIC BULBS are also in! We have a very limited supply of local, organically grown Chesnok Red hardneck Garlic for planting.  They are really nice, large, plump bulbs that have been properly harvested and cured, and with every garlic purchase we are including a locally-appropriate instruction sheet that covers planting, growing, harvesting and storage.

Saving Tomato Seeds:
Did you know that tomatoes are almost entirely self-pollinating?  This means that they rarely cross-pollinate, so you can collect the seeds from your open-pollinated varieties (any variety that is not an F1 hybrid), and if properly ‘processed’ and stored, you’ll be able to grow the same variety from your own seeds next year, and for years to come.  The procedure is really easy – Eve has been doing it for several years, with excellent success. Here’s how:

Select one or more thoroughly ripe, unblemished fruits from your best, healthy plant of a given variety.  Label a small glass or jar with the name of the variety. Cut the fruit(s) in half horizontally and gently squeeze out the gelatinous substance that contains the seeds, into the container. Add a little water (1/4 to ½ cup), and cover the container with a lid or a piece of plastic wrap.  Place in a warm location out of direct sun for about 3 days, until a layer of mold has formed over the top –  usually, it is a thin white film, and sometimes has black fungus spots as well.  The function of the gelatinous substance surrounding the seeds is to prevent the seeds from germinating inside the warm, juicy fruit.  The mold/fungus eats the gelatinous, germination-inhibiting coating and also produces antibiotics that help control seed-borne diseases.  When this film of mold has formed, skim off and discard the mold and any floating seeds (these are not viable seeds) and pieces of pulp.  Then add a little more water to the container, and pour the seeds into a small strainer (wire sieve) that has holes smaller than the seeds and carefully rinse under running tap water until no pulp debris remains, only seeds.  Let the excess water drip out, then invert the strainer over a plate or baking sheet. Be sure to label the plate with the variety name!  Some people like to dry the seeds on a sheet of paper towel, but with most brands of towels, the seeds are very hard to remove from the paper when dry. Try to spread the seeds out so they are not in a big clump. Allow them to dry completely (usually takes about one day), break up the clumps into individual seeds, and store them in a paper envelope that has been labeled with the variety name and the date.  Tomato seeds usually remain viable for 5 years or longer.

We are very proud that Mikl has recently been awarded the E-chievement Award, an honor bestowed by the Boulder-produced

E-Town radio show.  He was nominated by one of our beloved long-time customers.  Listeners from around the country send in stories that nominate individuals or groups, and E-chievement awards are bestowed upon those nominees they feel are “remarkable individuals who are working hard to make a positive difference in their communities and beyond….One step at a time.  That’s how things change, that’s how problems are solved.  That’s the message that’s delivered each week, as we recognize people who’ve found positive solutions to challenges in their communities” (excerpted from the E-Town website). To learn more about E-Town and the E-chievement Award, go to http://www.etown.org/.

With hints of autumnal chill in the evening air and daylight hours noticeably shorter, we find ourselves harvesting summer’s bounty and beginning to think in terms of preparing for winter.  Our plants are also noticing the changes, and many of them are likewise starting to shift into winter-preparation mode.  This makes late-summer and fall an excellent time to plant and to fertilize our gardens, as the plants have received the signal to start sending starches down to their roots to strengthen them for winter.  Planting now gives the plants enough time, in less stressful conditions, to establish good root systems.  And fertilizing with organic fertilizers at this time of year supports root strength so that gardens can emerge better prepared for surviving our roller-coaster weather next spring.  Organic fertilizers, such as Yum-Yum Mix, Alpha-One, Alfalfa Meal, and Bradfield’s Lawn & Garden, are available at the Harlequin’s Gardens now. You can apply them to beds that are already planted by broadcasting by hand.

There are a number of ornamental plants whose seed-heads will either remain ornamental or provide food for birds, or both, through fall and even through winter.  Included in this group are all the Ornamental Grasses, Coneflowers (Echinacea, Rudbeckia), Mexican Hat (Ratibida), ‘Blue Fortune’ Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), Standing Cypress (Gilia/Ipomopsis rubra and aggregata), Goldenrod (Solidago), tall Sedums (Autumn Joy, Matrona, Purple Emperor, etc.), Angelica, Poppy, Peony, Bee-Balm (Monarda), Sea-Lavender (Limonium and Goniolimon),  Helen’s Flower (Helenium), Gayfeather (Liatris), Aster, Siberian Iris, Blackberry Lily (Belamcanda), Sunflower (Helianthus), Astilbe, Hydrangea, Bears Breech (Acanthus), Stachys sp., Globe Thistle (Echinops), Penstemon, Foxglove, Crocosmia, Heliopsis, Verbena bonariensis, Clematis, Orach (Atriplex), Milkweed, Lily, Columbine, Delphinium, Balloon flower (Platycodon), Yucca, Grapeleaf Anemone (Anemone tomentosa), Yarrow, and Garlic Chives.

Consider how these can give contrast and structure to your winter garden, and add sculptural elements that can be particularly effective when capped with snow or silhouetted against snow.  A few of them can be vigorous self-seeders, so judiciously deadhead the scary ones if you need to, leaving the seed-heads on the plants that will not cause a nuisance in your garden.  Most other plants can be deadheaded now, but leaving this year’s growth on your perennials can help keep your perennials a little warmer through the winter.  There are a few popular perennials that really should never be cut down until April because to do so will compromise their winter hardiness – these include all of the Agastaches, Gaura, Onosma and Sunroses (Helianthemum).  Eve waits and does most of her garden clean-up in early April, only then cutting down the previous year’s stalks. If you are growing roses that form ornamental and/or edible hips (fruits), it’s time to stop deadheading and allow the hips to develop.

Producing fall vegetable starts at the nursery has been a real challenge this year, between the heat, the grasshoppers and the cabbage butterflies. Nevertheless, we succeeded in producing some very fine-looking, healthy plants ready to go out for sale tomorrow (Wednesday August 25), namely:

• De Cicco Broccoli
• Purple Sprouting Broccoli
• Peiracicaba Calabrese-type Broccoli
• Brocoverde (Cauliflower-Broccoli cross)

These will soon be followed by:

• Perpetual Spinach (a type of Swiss Chard)
• Ruby Red Rhubarb Chard
• Lucullus Swiss Chard
• Four Star Swiss Chard
• Winterbor Kale
• Red Russian Kale
• Tuscan (aka Dinosaur, Lacinato) Kale
• Spigariello/Minestra Nero (Leaf-Broccoli)
• Arugula
• Lettuce (Farmer’s Market Blend)
• Spinach

And then:

• Cilantro
• Tatsoi
• Fall Broccoli Raab

We are adding the descriptions for the new varieties to the PLANTS/EDIBLES/ VEGETABLE STARTS section of our website, so check there for detailed information.

Note that all of the Brassicas (the vegetables in the Cabbage family – Broccoli, Broccoli Raab, Cauliflower, Mustards, Collards, Kale, Arugula, Pak Choy, Tatsoi) are ‘heavy feeders’, which means that they require nitrogen-rich soil to thrive.  So be sure to incorporate into your soil a good organic source of nitrogen, such as organic cottonseed meal, aged composted dairy-cow manure, Alfalfa meal, Alpha-One fertilizer, or Bradfield’s fertilizer.  These are all available at Harlequin’s Gardens now.

We think you’ll find it very helpful to protect your fall vegetable starts with some light row-cover fabric, either with tunnels supported by hoops or frames, or as a ‘floating’ row cover.  This can give them just a little shade, shield their tender little leaves from the sun and wind, and keep the pests, both critter and insect, at bay.  And later, it will give up to 5 degrees of frost protection. You can buy row cover fabric by the linear foot at Harlequin’s from our big roll, which is 12’ wide.  We charge $2 per linear foot, so if you bought a piece 3’ x 12’ (enough for a floating cover for a row 10’ long and 2’ wide), the cost would be $6. ‘Loop-Hoops’ are also available for making small tunnels. When temperatures drop later in the fall, you can add a second layer of row-cover or a layer of clear plastic to the crops that need it.

You can also sow seeds now for arugula, spinach, swiss chard, cress, parsley (TIP: pre-soak parsley seeds in water overnight before planting), beets, collards, radish, tatsoi, pak choy, lettuce, cilantro and kale.  We have an excellent selection of fall vegetable seeds from Abbondanza and Botanical Interests.

Another great way of growing your own vital, fresh, nutritious food throughout the winter is by growing sprouts. So we’ve just added a NEW CLASS:

‘Sprout your Eats, Eat your Sprouts!’ Sunday Sept.19, 1:30 pm, $10

Harvest fresh greens all year from your kitchen counter – no garden required.  Enzyme-rich sprouts are uniquely loaded with nutrition, and are easy for anyone, anywhere, to grow with minimal investment in time, equipment and seeds.

In this class you will learn how to sprout a wide variety of seeds in soil as well as without soil.  We will discuss the nutritional and energetic qualities of various sprouted seeds, and how to make some delicious recipes using them.

You will come away with recipes, a how-to guide to sprouting, and a clear understanding of the tools required for this very simple process.

Please pre-register by coming in to Harlequin’s Gardens or calling 303-939-9403.

This class is facilitated by Lindsey Stirling, certified nutritionist, herbalist and energy healer.  Lindsey has a private practice in Longmont, where she sees clients and teaches classes to the general public.  For more information, please go to www.lindseystirling.com.

Speaking of Vegetables…..

We are launching a new feature called ‘Speaking of Vegetables’ on our website to invite you to report your evaluations of the vegetable varieties you’re growing.  Every year we add new varieties to our offerings, and we would love to hear what you think of them.  We pre-test as many varieties as possible, but can’t test them all. And there’s not much point in our continuing to offer a tomato variety that nobody likes, an eggplant that never ripens here, or a cucumber that always succumbs to disease.  Likewise, we want to make sure we know which varieties are your ‘can’t-live-without-it’ favorites so we will be sure to keep those available.  Look on our website at www.HarlequinsGardens.com in Edibles/Vegetable Starts for the simple form to fill out.  You can make as many entries as you like.

Dear Friends and Fellow Gardeners,

Welcome to Fall and to Harlequin’s Gardens Fall Plant Sale.

The pain and glory of spring 2010 was so “Colorado.” Various plants, roses and trees died or died back this year, perhaps because of the mid-October 2009  11 degree freeze and end of Oct. below zero hit. (Plants would prefer to adjust slowly.) And then we had this beautiful moist, cool and long spring until June, keeping the bulbs and spring flowers in bloom for a long time. In Colorado, the weather report should always begin, “Don’t be surprised if…”

As usual, our Fall Sale will be the Best Deals of the year on plants that are healthy and strong. Fall is a good rooting season. And because fall is also a great time for soil building and organic fertilizing, we have a good supply of organic composts and organic fertilizers. In addition, this year we started brewing our own compost tea, and we assume our “brew” is a high quality. But what is compost tea, really? Is it:

a) a highly concentrated population of beneficial bacteria and beneficial fungi that build healthy soil?  b) a nutrient-rich brew that feeds soil life naturally? c) brown water that charlatans sell for a huge profit?  d) a compost concentrate that reduces compaction, aerates and improves water retention? or e) who knows? You can’t tell anything by looking at the tea. You have to watch how the plants respond.

So let your plants “taste and see” as the saying goes. And we’re going to make it easy to try our tea. During the sale we’re going to reduce the price of our compost tea to $3 a gallon (regularly $5), and purchases over $75 will get a gallon free, so you can use it on your new plants. Tell us if you see any value in our brew, and tell us if you see no results.

So please come to our Fall Sale which begins with the Members Sale:

Members, for your special support, you get first pick of the plants at the Members Sale, August 24, 25, 26, 27,28, 29 with 20% off all plants and 25% off books. (For info on membership, ask one of our staff, or see our website.)

The next week, August 31,September 1,2,3,4,5 the Fall Sale begins for everybody with 15% off most plants except roses.  10% off books & 10% off soil products in big bags. Also the Deep Discount section will be opened.

The third week September 7,8,9,10, 11, 12, enjoy 25% off perennials, shrubs & trees and 20% off most roses And 10% off books and soil products in big bags.

The fourth week, Sept.14,15,16, 17,18, 19, take 30% off all perennials, shrubs and trees and 20% off most roses and10% off books and soil products in big bags.

The fifth week, Sept.21,22,23, 24, 25, 26, take 35% off perennials, shrubs and trees and 20% off roses, and 10% off books and soil products in big bags.

The sixth week, Sept.28,29, 30 and Oct.1,2,3 there will be a 40% discount off perennials and shrubs, 20% off roses and 50% off trees. And 25% off soil products in big bags, 10% off books

We will continue to offer these prices every Thursday, Friday & Saturday in October.

Gift certificates will be available for the holidays and year-round by calling the nursery, 303-939-9403.

Open: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday  9-5;   Thursday 9-6

October: Thursday,Friday and Saturdays only 9-5

www.harlequinsgardens.com 303-939-9403

Sincerely,

Mikl and Eve Brawner

Here is a taste of some of the great plants available at our Fall Sale

Erodium chrysanthum-Ferny Storksbill, a blue-gray mound of finely dissected foliage and pale yellow flowers, needs very little water, elegant, 4”-10” x 12”-18”, a Harlequin Favorite

Sedum cauticola ‘Lidakense’- let’s call it Blue Cascade Sedum: stunning draping over the edge of a wall, stone or container, in Sept-Oct plum-gray foliage sings with red-pink flowers

Ajuga ‘Catlin’s Giant’-large purple leaves with blue flowers, 4” high dense, weed-smothering ground cover for dry shade; aggressive in moist shade, but useful

Penstemon pinifolius-a tough selection of Pine-leaf Penstemon. 12” x12” with orange-red flowers, excellent evergreen winter appearance. Hummingbirds will stoop to savor.

Blue Mist Spirea-Caryopteris ‘Dark Knight’– Great xeriscape favorite for beautiful blue flowers in the dead of summer; 4’x4’, shear in the spring by 30%; the Econo-Shrub

The Hardy Geraniums are extremely useful for sun or dry shade. Clay is OK. Some are happy in sun, others thrive in dry shade, flowers white to magenta, many with red fall color

We have 4 or 5 kinds, all are wonderful, but do check out ‘Biokovo’ and ‘Splendens’

Desert Four O’Clock-Mirabilis multiflora: lavender trumpet-flowers with purple throats in profusion late day/early am, very drought tolerant; 12”x36”+; fabulous xeriscape plant

Culinary Sage-Salvia officinalis: gray foliage is good in soups, stuffing etc; two by two, flowers blue, wouldn’t you, like a few? Makes a deer-proof hedge or specimen

Diascia ‘Coral Canyon’ Twinspur- here’s a perennial that blooms all summer with coral-pink flowers; great in containers or in the ground; maybe short-lived, but worth it

Barnebyi Columbine-This native yellow and pink columbine is the most xeric columbine, the flowers are small, but attractive; the blue foliage is dome-shaped and resists aphids

Native Gayfeather-Liatris punctata: Totally drought tolerant butterfly magnet, purplish-pink spikes of flowers in the heat of summer; 12”-16”; great addition for your meadow

Arp Rosemary: A woman called the nursery and asked if we carry a rosemary that can grow outside in Colorado, tastes good, called ‘Arp’. “Yes, we do.” “Then would you hold one for me?” “OK, what is your name?” She replied “Rosemary Arp”. Not eternal, but 3-6 years

Provence Lavender-imagine growing a hardy lavender 30”-36” tall with 16” long wands with a fabulous fragrance that can be dried or braided with ribbon, not just in France

Grasses: we have many varieties in top condition including: Autumn Embers Muhly (Muhlenbergia reverchonii) graceful, showy xeric grass introduced by Lauren Springer-Ogden, modest size, easy, AND Giant Sacaton-Sporobolus wrightii-best tall xeric ornamental grass, 5’-7’ tall, dramatic not overwhelming, SW native, screen or focal point

Black Elderberry-Sambucus nigra: 10’ fast-growing shrub; dark green leaves and clusters of white flowers; immune-building elderberry syrup is made from berries; need 2 for fruit

The Thymes are not as drought-tolerant in Colorado as they are in England, but they are good summer-blooming ground covers where they’re watered once a week and some in winter. Reiter Thyme is a favorite, tough, weed-smothering variety; 3”x30”; Ohme Gardens Thyme is a heat-tolerant, mauve-blooming thyme 3”x24”, vigorous; Back Wall Thyme is very low, good between flagstones, more durable than Elfin; Wooly Thyme-vigorous old standby, somewhat shade tolerant, we have two selections, one that blooms

“Tough as Nails”-Paronychia kapela- looks/ functions like creeping thyme, but is more  tolerant of drought and of our winter sun, showy white bracts, good between pavers

Dianthus simulans-low, very tight foliage makes a large bun in the open or a “starfish” between rocks, very pettable, long-lived; you’ve been asking, it’s finally ready

Penstemon Pikes Peak Purple-purple flowers on 16” stems, long-blooming, Plant Select

Russian Sage-3’-5’ tall, blue-violet flowers in summer, long-blooming, xeric & easy

Silver Edge Horehound-M. rotundifolium: beautiful foliage, 8”x24”, very xeric, behaves

Big Sedums: great for late summer color in the garden/xeriscape, honeybees love them; Neon-deep purplish-pink flowers on 15” stems, zone 3; Red Cauli- masses of bright red flowers Aug-Oct on 10” purplish foliage; Matrona- sturdy 20” reddish stems with dark bluish-green leaves with rosy-pink edges and pink flowers summer thru fall-a winner

Our remarkable Clematis selection includes showy, large-flowered vines; lovely, bell-flowered climbers and scramblers; herbaceous perennial varieties and even xeric shrubs:

Mrs. Robert Brydon is a vigorous scrambler, covering the ground and winding through shrubs; covered with small, light blue and white starry flowers for 4-6 weeks July/Aug

Ramona-6” lavender flowers with maroon anthers, early/late, easy, vigorous, sun/pt sun

ROSES: By now we are known as THE place to go in Colorado for hardy, sustainable roses

And we have a great selection including: “Fairmount Proserpine”–a superb rose found in Fairmount Cemetery-very fragrant, purple-pink flowers that repeat well, and is tough.

Burgundy Iceberg-sport of famous Iceberg with fragrant burgundy blooms, great repeat, 4’

John Davis- very long blooming Canadian with lovely flowers; you won’t find this elsewhere

The Gift-a star for difficult conditions, masses of white flowers, good repeat, 3’x5’

“Broadway Perpetual”-Eve and I found this sturdy rose with medium pink flowers and a rich old rose perfume, guess where?, and it repeats well, 7’x 5’, (real name unknown)

NATIVES: because sustainability is one of our goals, natives have always been a specialty. At our sale you will find wildflowers and dozens of native shrubs including: New Mexican Privet-not a true privet; a 12’-15’ small tree/shrub with light gray bark and light green leaves and blue berries on the female, good screen or specimen. Fern Bush-a 5’ xeric shrub that has ferny leaves and clusters of white flowers that support many beneficial insects

Sphaeralcea sp.-upright very xeric perennials, 3’-5’, soft orange, pink or lavender flowers

Desert Mahonia-M.haematocarpa-blue, evergreen foliage, yellow flowers, red fruit, 6’-8’

TREES

Hackberry, Burr Oak, Western Catalpa, Ginnala Maple, Thunderchild Crab, Scotch Pine; Radiant & Spring Snow Crabs, Chokecherry, Upright Native Juniper, Arizona Cypress,  many hawthorns (Apples, Plums and Peaches are available now, but Not Discounted)

SOIL PRODUCTS-We have high quality organic fertilizers, composts & mulch at reasonable prices and to make your gardens more sustainable, the city of Boulder is offering REBATES for Boulder Water Customers up to 50% off local and 25% off other soil products.

BULBS: Many of you have been interested in the bulbs you’ve seen blooming in our xeriscape display gardens in April and May, so this fall we will offer, for the first time, small numbers of an interesting selection of bulbs that thrive in our xeriscapes, plus a few more.  Many of them are early, short and naturalizing forms of tulips, daffodils, crocus, iris, and alliums, plus blue Grecian Windflower, Siberian Squill, Spring Starflower (Ipheion), Lavender Mountain Lily (Ixiolirion), the fall-blooming Saffron Crocus, and even Paperwhites for indoor fragrance in winter. Some are deer-proof. Look on our website in Plants/Bulbs for a complete listing with descriptions and pictures.

We’re very grateful to all of you who nominated us for Best Plant Nursery, Best Garden Center, and any other category in the Daily Camera’s ‘Boulder Gold’ competition.  We haven’t been notified yet of the winners, but regardless of this year’s outcome, we sincerely thank you for taking the time to show your support and enthusiasm for Harlequin’s Gardens!

We have re-stocked our racks of Abbondanza and Botanical Interests seeds for fall planting of cool-weather greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, swiss chard, tatsoi and arugula. Most of these can continue to supply fresh greens at least through December with just a little protection.  Ask us about our row-cover fabric and Loop-hoops. We have also produced a limited number of fall vegetable starts for these crops and for several types of broccoli.

We would love to hear from you about your experiences with the vegetable starts and seeds you purchased from Harlequin’s Gardens, what was delicious, productive, healthy, or not.  So we are designing a Veggie Feedback section for our website and will soon notify you in our blog when it has been launched.

Landscape Consultations: Eve and Mikl are available for consultations year-round.  If you could use a little help deciding which plants to chose for difficult locations, how to begin working on a brand-new homesite, how to adapt your garden to use less water, support wild-life, or produce more food, give us a call.  We can also help identify pest or disease problems, make pruning and maintenance recommendations, or give you a personal tutorial in how to prune your roses, young trees, or fruit trees. Call 303-939-9403 for rates and to schedule with Mikl, Eve or both. If you schedule a consultation to take place between Nov 1 and Feb 28, we’ll give you 15% off a one-time purchase of plants at Harlequin’s Gardens

Newsletters by Email: Please choose to receive our newsletters by email. As the cost of printing and postage goes up and as our forests continue to come down, we are hoping you will like to receive our mailings and special offers by email. Please go to our website @ www.harlequinsgardens.com and click on the Subscribe link in the left margin of the home page, enter your name and addresses and press submit. Or leave your information at the front desk at Harlequin’s Gardens any day except Monday.

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

July and early August are usually the most intensely hot and dry time of the year in our region.  Not only do gardeners need to be sure to stay hydrated, but our plants are also very vulnerable and need more support from us.  Even though we only water the Xeriscape Rock Garden at Harlequin’s once in May and once in June, we water twice in July.  Many of our plants are expending a lot of energy now in producing flowers or seeds and can exhaust themselves trying to do all that while under extreme stress from heat and drought.  Deadheading is a good idea now, unless you are counting on collecting seeds, allowing the plant to self-sow, or leaving the seed pods on the plant for their decorative qualities in the fall and winter garden.  You can also compromise – we often deadhead about half to 2/3 of a plant and leave the rest to make seed.

With the exception of vegetable gardens, containers and bedding plants, it’s best to hold off on fertilizers now, although mild organic fertilizers can be used safely.  Fertilizers that are high in nitrogen, especially chemical fertilizers, can burn plants that are not receiving ample water.  Most summer vegetables (tomato, cucumber, squash, pepper, etc.) are heavy feeders, and their fruit production can be supported with a light side-dressing of an organic fertilizer such as Alpha One, Bradfield’s Tomato & Veggie, Age Old Fruit (dry formula) or Age Old Bloom (liquid).  After scratching the dry fertilizer into the top 1-2” of the soil, be sure to water it in with ample H2O.

We are experimenting a lot this year with our own Compost Tea, which we are brewing on-site. It is non-burning, and by increasing the soil life (beneficial micro-organisms), it can bring more nutrients and water to the plants and make them stronger and better able to cope with stress.  It can be used full-strength as a mild organic fertilizer, or it can be diluted in water up to 3 times as a soil inoculant.  It can also be used to inoculate compost piles to make materials break down faster. We have observed some very good results and received positive reports from customers who have tried it.  But we would also love to get your feedback on this new product, so for now, we are offering our compost tea for only $4 per gallon ($3.50 for HG members).  Our regular price is $5.  Bring your own jugs, or use ours for a $1 deposit (refundable upon return).

Because plants are more vulnerable in this hot, dry season, it is an excellent time to reduce weeds.  This can be accomplished through hand-tool weeding (if you don’t have one already, come check out our hori knives, weeding trowels and ‘Garden Bandit’ weeders); this is also the most effective time to apply non-toxic herbicides, such as ‘Clean & Green Naturally’, made with 20% vinegar, and ‘Perfectly Natural’ weed and grass killer, made with clove oil.  Both are in stock now at Harlequin’s Gardens.  Spray them in the heat of the day for the greatest effectiveness.  To prepare larger weed-filled areas for new plantings, consider ‘solarizing’ the area under clear or black plastic or pond-liner for 4 to 8 weeks.  This technique is most effective in the hottest months.  Ask us for detailed instructions on solarizing.

We also want to let you know that we have re-stocked our seed racks with seeds from both Abbondanza and Botanical Interests, for summer and fall planting of fall and winter crops.  Sow seeds now for carrots, beets, swiss chard, kohlrabi and kale.  In August, kale, kohlrabi, chard, cilantro, scallions and lettuce can be sown, and in September you can sow lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, cilantro, arugula, parsley and scallions.  We have already started broccoli and cauliflower plants for you to transplant out next month, and will also offer starts of kale, chard and more.  We have row-cover fabric to help you keep seed-beds protected and to protect crops from frost in the fall.

We are planning to launch a Vegetable Variety Review feature on our website where our customers will be able to report on their experiences with the vegetable varieties they’ve purchased from Harlequin’s Gardens.  This way, you can let us know what worked for you, what didn’t, what was delicious, productive, healthy, or not.  We will let you know as soon as this feature is ready.

In response to customers’ requests, we are excited to be offering for sale, for the first time, a limited number of the same kinds of cheerful, colorful and unusual spring bulbs that visitors to our display gardens were admiring in our gardens earlier this year. These include choice selections of wild species of tulips, miniature daffodils, irises, crocus and alliums, along with several lesser-known types of bulbs.  We will publish a list and descriptions on our website and in our Fall Newsletter, and we expect to receive most of our bulb shipment in the first week of September.  A few items will arrive a little later, after September 20th.  Since this is the first time we are offering bulbs and we need to appraise the response, the supply will be limited, so shop early for the best selection but wait until October or November to plant them in the ground.

Those of you who read the Boulder Daily Camera are probably familiar with their ‘Boulder Gold’ awards.  The Camera is currently conducting voting for the categories in which we can be nominated (they call this group of categories ‘Shopper’s Paradise’), and we would really appreciate your vote for us for Best Plant Nursery and Best Garden Center.  Voters can nominate a business for a maximum of 3 categories, and must enter votes for at least ten categories altogether.  Some other categories for which you might want to give us a third nomination might be Best Green Products/Services Store, Best Locally Owned Store, Best Shopping Destination, or Best Company/Store that Gives Back to the Community.  We feel that winning, especially as Best Plant Nursery, can go a long way to increasing our exposure to gardeners in Boulder County and beyond, many of whom still aren’t aware of our existence.  And that way, we will have a chance to introduce many more gardeners to sustainable plants and sustainable, non-toxic gardening practices and products.  Yes, we are trying to change the world!  And you can help us, one vote at a time. You can cast your ballot on paper and mail it in or hand-deliver it, using the ballots printed in the Camera through July 30th, or vote online at WWW.DAILYCAMERA.COM/VOTE.  If you can, ask your family, friends and neighbors to participate as well.

If you have some time to relax in the shade of a tree or in the relatively cool comfort of your house, you may want to read some of the excellent books we have stocked this year.  Joel Salatin’s ‘Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal’ entertains and educates, bringing to life “with humor and verve, the everyday conflict between the entrenched industrial food system and the local, neighbor-friendly farmer-entrepreneur”.  Get inspiration for planning and improving your gardens with ‘Planting Design: Gardens in Time and Space’ by renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf.  A newly arrived addition to our bookshelf is the long-awaited revised edition of ‘Native Plants for High Elevation Western Gardens’ by Jan Busco and Nancy Morin.  This is a highly useful text that describes and illustrates a large palette of native plants, covering not only their native habitats but their garden needs as well.  Anyone interested in extending the season to grow vegetables almost year-round will find a wealth of information in Eliot Coleman’s wonderful books, ‘The Four Season Harvest’ and ‘Winter Harvest Handbook’.  ‘Seed to ‘Seed’ by Susan Ashworth is an indispensable resource for anyone growing open-pollinated vegetable varieties and intending to save their seeds for planting next year.  On this subject, also check out our upcoming classes below.  And Harlequin’s Gardens Members receive a 25% discount on books all through the season.  See ‘Membership’ on our website, www.harlequinsgardens.com, and in our Spring 2010 Newsletter to learn more about our membership program.

We are still taking registration for the following classes at Harlequin’s Gardens (call 303-939-9403 or come in to register):

Saturday July 24, 1:30 pm: SAVING YOUR SEED with Janice Kieft.  Learn from an expert which kinds of vegetables and flowers will ‘come true’ from seed, how to ‘isolate’, and how to select, harvest, clean, store and test seeds. Janice is a professional in the seed industry  with 30 years experience. $10

Saturday August 14th, 1:30 pm:  PRUNING FOR STRENGTH, HEALTH and BEAUTY with Mikl Brawner.  In this talk and demonstration you will learn to train young trees, to restructure shrubs and trees damaged by storms, to prune roses, and more.  Mikl has over 35 years experience in pruning.   $15

Saturday August 21, 1:30 pm:  COMPOSTING with Eric Johnson.  Eric has been composting for more than 20 years and will teach the basics of easy, successful composting in our climate.  Learn how to troubleshoot problems and what to do about them.  $10

Sunday August 22, 1:30 pm:  PRUNING FOR STRENGTH, HEALTH and BEAUTY repeated – see description above.

Saturday September 11, 1:00 to 2:30 pm:   LOW-TECH GREENHOUSE DESIGN & OPERATION with Mikl Brawner.  Mikl has been researching, building and using simple greenhouses for 18 years.  This class will focus on designs on site at the nursery.  $15

Thank you for your patronage and friendship, and for your stewardship of the Earth!

Wishing you delight in your gardens,

Mikl Brawner & Eve Reshetnik Brawner
And the staff at Harlequin’s Gardens

We inadvertently forgot that in addition to yesterday’s long list, we also have the following vegetable starts ready for sale:

MELON:
Crane
Green Nutmeg
Ha Ogen
Tigger
Hearts of Gold

WATERMELON:
Peace – Yellow-fleshed
Cream of Saskatchewan – White-fleshed
Sweat Dakota Rose – Red-fleshed

WINTER SQUASH:
Nutty Delica (Kabocha type)
Tetsukabuto (Kabocha type)
Carnival (Acorn type)
Sunshine (Sweet, dry, red)
Burpee Butterbush (Butternut type)

PEPPER:
Early Jalapeno

Now offering Compost Tea

The first gallon is FREE with any purchase

Mikl has been researching compost teas for three years and thinks this compost tea may be a very high quality and effective treatment for both fertility and increasing the beneficial bacteria and fungi in our soils.  We are using a compost in a swirling vortex brewer.

According to Steve Diver of Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas, compost teas “provide soluble nutrients that promote a noticeable greening of crops, …provide bioactive compounds that function as bio-stimulants and coat the plant surfaces with protective microorganisms.”  The microorganisms are very important in making nutrients available, in improving soil structure and in suppressing diseases.

But our experience is limited so we want you to test this compost tea and tell us if you see any positive results.  Take one gallon for free (bring your own clean 1 gallon jug or pay $1.00 for a jug and return it rinsed clean for a $1.00 refund).  This offer will be good from now until June 30^th.

This compost tea may be applied full strength as a fertilizer using a sprinkling can or strained and sprayed or may be diluted up to 4 times for use as a microbial innoculant (increasing your population of beneficial bacteria and fungi).  It is best to use the compost tea within 4-6 hours. Besides the value to our plants, this compost tea offers great potential in having a locally produced renewable fertility product.

Here is a comprehensive list of the organic vegetable starts that are still available.

SQUASH
Lady Godiva Pumpkin
New England Pie Pumpkin

Delicata – winter
Long Island Cheese – winter
Spaghetti – winter
Sunshine – winter
Tetsukabuto – winter
Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato Squash – winter
Uchiki Kuri – winter
Uncle Dave’s Dakota Dessert – winter

Coosa – summer
Gentry – summer
Ronde de Nice – summer
Soleil – summer
Tatume – summer
Tromboncino – summer

MELONS
Collective Farm Woman
Jenny Lind
Noire des Carmes
Sugar Baby

CUCUMBER
Armenian
Bush Champion
Diva
Homemade Pickles
Marketmore
Suhyo Long
Super Zagross
Salad Bush

TOMATOES
Black Krim
Black From Tula
Box Car Willie
Carmello
Cherokee Purple
Garden Peach
Gardener’s Delight
Golden Delight
Goliath
Jaune Flammee
Kellogg’s Breakfast
Mexico Midget
Mo’s Golden Paste
Mortgage Lifter
Opalka
Orange Blossom
Orange Queen
Paul Robeson
Principe Borghese
Pruden’s Purple
Rutgers Indeterminate
Siletz
Speckled Roman
Stupice
Taxi
Thessaloniki

PEPPERS
Alma Paprika
Anaheim
Ancho/Poblano
Ariane
Espanola Improved
King of the North
Lanterna
New Mexico #6
Orange Thai
Peruvian Purple
Pretty in Purple Pepper
Purple Cayenne

EGGPLANT
Applegreen
Black King
Dusky
Galine
Listada de Gandia
Nadia
Pingtung Long
Prosperosa
Rosa Bianca
White Fingers

BASIL
cinnamon
Fine Verde
Italiano Classico
Mrs Burns Lemon
Nufar
Spicy Globe
Thai
Tulsi or Holy

CHARD
Argentata
Golden Sunrise
Orange Fantastic

MISC
Celeriac Brilliant

We want to let you know about a wonderful event coming up this Sunday, as well as some updates on plant and product availability:

HARLEQUIN”S GARDENS NURSERY is very excited to invite you to a

FREE (and CARBON- FREE) DEMONSTRATION of
 
SOLAR, OFF-THE-GRID COOKING   with Mary Carhart

on SUNDAY MAY 16^th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at

 Harlequin’s Gardens Nursery

4795 N. 26^th St., Boulder CO 80301    (303) 939-9403

Experience the technology and sample cookies baked in a solar oven!

Solar Cooking is a simple, exciting and important clean-energy technology providing a clean and healthy alternative that greatly improves the lives of millions of people around the world, as well as the small and large-scale environments in which they (and we) live.

Mary Carhart will be demonstrating a variety of different Solar Cooking technologies, from home-made to high-tech.  Mary is passionate about solar cooking and spreading its use, both locally and globally.  She has been cooking with solar ovens and educating people about solar cooking technologies and techniques for five years. 

Colorado is blessed with optimal conditions for Solar Cooking, and solar ovens can be used to bake, roast, fry, dry-process (dehydrate) or otherwise cook all kinds of foods, from turkey to casseroles to cakes.

This event is not about selling solar ovens and Mary has no products to sell.  It is an opportunity to see and experience solar cooking technologies, to hear about the ways in which solar cooking is improving lives and environments, to find out about resources for solar cooking, and to get answers to your questions about solar cooking. And to eat a sol-food cookie.

So we hope you will join us for this valuable, informative and fun demonstration!

_____________________________________And come in for our bounty of vegetable starts:

As I write this note on Thursday night, we currently have the following out for sale:

TOMATOES: Siletz, Super Lakotah (aka Super Sioux), Sungold, Goliath, Silvery Fir Tree, Orange Blossom, Stupice, Black Prince, Orange Queen, Principe Borghese,  Box Car Willy, Carmello, Big Beef, Jaune Flammee, Chianti Rose, Mortgage Lifter, Mo’s Golden Paste, Opalka, Amish Paste and Martino’s Roma. 

As space becomes available over the next few days, we plan to bring out some more, including: Tumbler, Pineapple, Pruden’s Purple, Brandywine, Black Krim, Siberian, Lemon Boy, Black from Tula, Mexico Midget, Speckled Roman, Rutgers Indeterminate, Golden Delight, Paul Robeson and Kellogg’s Breakfast.

Soon to follow will be:  Black Cherry, Gardener’s Delight, Thessaloniki, and more……

We also have lots of different kinds of peppers and eggplants coming out, and we still have cabbage, cauliflower, Pak Choi, Red Shiso, Mizuna, and other spring greens, seven different beautiful varieties of Swiss Chard (!), radicchio, Nasturtiums, and on, and on!

AND… we have Marketmore Cucumbers, Soleil Golden Zucchini ready for sale, and soon to follow, a whole bunch of Summer Squash (Eight Ball, Yellow Straightneck, Gentry, Tatume, Raven, Costata Romanesco, Caserta, Coosa, Tromboncino, Benning’s Green Tint, Ronde de Nice, etc.) and Winter Squash varieties (Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato, Delicata, Fordhook Acorn, Long Island Cheese, Hessel Sugar Loaf, Uncle David’s Dakota Dessert, Burpee’s Butterbush, Tetsukabuto, Sunshine, Sweet Meat, Blue Ballet, Carnival, Squisito Spaghetti Squash, Cha Cha Kabocha, etc.) and Melons coming on (Collective Farm Woman, Crane, Ha Ogen, Green Nutmeg, Tigger, Noire des Carmes, Halona, as well as many other cucumber varieties (Suhyo Long, Home-made Pickles, Diva, Tanja, Early Russian, etc.).

_____________________________________________________________________________________

In the last two weeks we have brought out lots of plants from our own propagation, and have received many deliveries from our suppliers, most of whom are small Front Range growers.   Right now we have our best plant selection of the season.

We are fortunate to be able to offer local organic Mushroom Compost right now.  We hope to be able to get more, but we don’t know if it will be available again this season.

Our selection of books has grown, and includes many of the best books available for edible gardening, container gardening, native plants, xeriscape, permaculture, creating meadows, planting design, etc.

We look forward to helping you make your gardening joyful, successful and rewarding.

Eve & Mikl Brawner

          Can Spring still be dodging snowstorms on the 12^th of May? Well, thank goodness for the water. We Rocky Mountain Gardeners always have to be ready for changes. It will be hot soon enough so let’s enjoy the best and longest season of bulb-blooming we’ve had in some years. In fact, we are expecting much warmer, sunnier weather this weekend.  And that’s great because we are very excited to be hosting a free demonstration of Solar Cooking on Sunday May 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Please see the announcement at the end of this blog entry for more information.

          If you haven’t already done it, not is the time to prune out dead canes from roses and dieback from other shrubs. Many people are reporting plant damage due to last fall’s early deep freeze. Our favorite daphne in the rock garden died, and many zone 5 roses died to the ground—another reminder of the importance of planting own-root roses instead of grafted ones.

          Now is also a good time to feed roses. Pull back the mulch, scratch the soil 1”-2” deep and apply the fertilizer (we recommend the Colorado-formulated Mile High Rose Feed) fertilize in a wide ring near the drip line, not close to the canes, scratch it in, water deeply and pull the mulch back.

          When can we safely plant tomatoes and peppers without protection? That is a question! Usually May 20^th; Denver Botanic Gardens suggest May 15^th. If you can put a bucket over them on a cold night, mid May is probably OK. Or, to get an earlier start, you can use our popular Solar Caps which are like a Wall-O-Water, but better, and can be left on the whole season long to keep the soil warm even during our cool nights. Tomatoes and peppers appreciate warm soil both when they are planted (set up the Solar Cap several days before planting), and later to keep growing and maturing when nights are cool.

          Heads Up! To you few getting this announcement: Organic mushroom compost has been hard to get and we just brought in a limited quantity. This stuff is great for vegetable gardens and roses.

          Also our recent deliveries and the readiness of our Harlequin-Grown plants have filled our tables and houses, so we have the best selection of plants now that we will have all year. We still have a good selection of organic vegetables and herb starts and will continue producing them into June.

          Our Soil Food Café is also well stocked with organic composts and organic fertilizers and a good organic potting mix for your containers. Also don’t forget to check out our schedule of classes (www. HarlequinsGardens.com/Classes) and call to pre-register for the ones that interest you.  We have some great ones coming up including:

Saturday May 15, 10 am High Altitude Gardening with Diane Badertscher. Gardening above 6000’ has its own challenges. There are certain plants and certain strategies that can improve your successes. Diane lives and gardens at 8000’ and can help you.  $10

Saturday May 15, 1:30 pm Alison Peck: Edible Landscaping.  Learn how to grow fruits, nuts, vegetables, vines and herbs in your yard, beautifully. Learn which plants are the most successful and how to integrate them into your landscape. Alison has been designing edible landscapes for 25 years;  She owns Matrix Gardens landscaping. $10

Sunday May 16, 1:30 pm  Home-grown Fruits with Mikl Brawner. Apples, cherries, plums, currants, grapes, strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, service berries (and more) produce good fruit in Colorado. Learn which varieties are disease resistant, good flavored and best adapted to CO conditions. $15

Saturday May 22, 1:30 pm  Spring Pruning with Mikl Brawner Prune Spring-blooming shrubs soon after they have bloomed. Mikl will show how to make proper cuts, how to shape, thin and renew shrubs. (tree pruning see Aug classes) Mikl has 35 years experience. $10

Sunday May 23, 1:30 pm  Secrets of Veggie Gardening in the Mountains with Roland Evans. Learn how to amend soils, choose the right varieties, simple plant protection strategies. Roland grows over 50 varieties of veggies at 7500’. CEO of Organic Bountea. $10

Saturday June 5, 10 am  Growing Vegetables without Chemicals with Niki Hayden. Niki will cover soil amendments for fertility, pest barriers and nontoxic methods for insect and weed control. Niki has many years of experience with healthy gardening. $10

Saturday June 12, 1:30 pm   Opportunities and Tricks of Xeriscape with Mikl Brawner There are advantages to gardening with less water, and tricks that will improve your success. Mikl’s xeriscape experience of over 20 years has taught him tricks that will cost you a lot less than it cost him.  $15

Sunday June 13, 10 am   Backyard Beekeeping with Julie Finley of Growing Gardens. Learn honeybee culture and the plants that support them. Visit our Top Bar hives to learn a great system for natural and small scale beekeeping. Julie buzzes with 14 years experience. She’s a honey.   $10

Sunday June 13, 1:30 pm  Top 40 Fragrant Roses with Eve Brawner: A Nose-on Class.    Eve will share her long experience searching out and growing the truly fragrant rose varieties, heirloom & modern, and will bring samples of as many as possible.  $10

We are very excited to invite you to a

FREE (and CARBON- FREE) DEMONSTRATION of
 
SOLAR, OFF-THE-GRID COOKING , with Mary Carhart

on SUNDAY MAY 16^th , from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Experience the technology and sample cookies baked in a solar oven !

At Harlequin’s Gardens Nursery, 4795 N. 26^th St., Boulder CO 80301 (303-939-9403)

Solar Cooking is an exciting and important clean-energy technology providing a clean and healthy alternative that greatly improves the lives of millions of people around the world, as well as the large and small-scale environment in which they (and we) live.

Mary Carhart will demonstrate a variety of different Solar Cooking technologies, from home-made to high-tech.  Mary is passionate about solar cooking and spreading its use both locally and globally.  She has been cooking with solar ovens and educating people around the country about solar cooking technologies and techniques for five years.

Colorado is blessed with optimal conditions for Solar Cooking, and solar ovens can be used to bake, roast, fry, dry-process (dehydrate) or otherwise cook all kinds of foods, from turkey to casserole to cake.

So we hope you will join us for this valuable, informative and fun demonstration!

Thank you for your support and for recommending us to your friends and neighbors.

Sincerely,  Mikl, Eve and the Staff at Harlequin’s Gardens

Mid-April Greetings from Harlequin’s Gardens

Spring has arrived!  Yesterday we passed a lovely old apricot tree in full bloom.  But wait! – maybe summer is here? – there was a hummingbird hard at work sucking nectar from the apricot blossoms!

We thought we’d blog about bees this month, but that will have to wait. In the rush of spring coming on so fast this year, perhaps it is best to talk about what to do now.

Clean Up: cut down the dead stems and stalks of your perennials and compost them. The ornamental grasses should have been cut down to 6” or so a month ago, but do it now if it is not done, maybe to 10” now.  Ground covers may have dead leaves and bits, but cutting them out with clippers would take too long; try just rubbing them with your gloved hand and watch them quickly fill in and look better.

Weeding: it is most effective to weed now while weeds are small. It is especially important to dig out the weed grasses at this time, so you are not pulling up desirable plants with your weeds later. Use a soil knife or a sharp trowel so you can get close to your plants without badly damaging their roots while removing competing weeds. Some people really like knee pads while weeding, others like to squat which stretches out the back muscles. Bindweed will be pushing up soon; it is important to prevent it from having an opportunity to feed its roots. So use a long knife-weeder or trowel that can cut the root at least 3”-4” below the surface. This will give you time to do other things before the bindweed needs to be cut again in 2-4 weeks. If you dig it again before the tops are more than 2” tall, the root will be stressed and that will give your perennials and shrubs a chance to grow, leaf out and shade the bindweed, suppressing it even further.  Careful application of a 20% Vinegar non-toxic herbicide can also burn the foliage back to give the desirable plants a head start.

Soil Preparation: Right now is a great time to add organic matter to the soil – the clay soils are not too wet and gummy, and the gravelly soils are still moist and soft.  Be sure to use mature composts. Avoid manures with a smell (the odor tells you that they need further composting) or raw wood material that will rob the soil of nitrogen if incorporated into the soil.

Most of our Colorado soils are rich in phosphorus and potassium, but deficient in organic matter and nitrogen. We recommend composts locally made from local materials, such as: EcoGro (made from landscape and beer wastes), Eko Compost (made from well-composted chicken manure and wood wastes), or composted dairy cow manure. And we recommend composted cotton burs for breaking up dense clay soils. We also recommend organic fertilizers made either from animal manures (like Nature Cycle) and from alfalfa (like Alpha I or Bradfield’s). Other valuable organic materials to add to the soil are: kelp meal, cottonseed meal, and rock dust. In early May you can fertilize your roses with locally formulated and produced Mile Hi Rose Feed.

These organic composts and fertilizers will support soil life and will help build healthy soil with improved aeration and long-term nutrition, which translates into healthier plants and more nutritious food.

Many of you have your vegetable gardens prepared and are raring to go.  Harlequin’s Gardens is well-stocked with seeds for you from Botanical Interests and Abbondanza Farm. Now is the time to sow seeds for beets, lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, carrots, parsnips, kale, onions, radishes, turnips and salad greens.  And it’s not too late to plant Sugar Snap peas.  To protect seedbeds from drying out and also protect from squirrels and birds, we sell Seed Guard light-weight row cover fabric.  Seed Guard is also very useful for covering plants of broccoli, kale, and other cabbage-family members to protect from cabbage butterflies (they lay their eggs on the undersides of the leaves – then they hatch into cabbage loopers, which feed voraciously on the leaves).

Now is also the time to set out plants of vegetables that prefer or can tolerate cool weather, and we are extremely well stocked with cool-season vegetable starts – Broccoli (8 varieties!), Cabbage (5 varieties!), Cauliflower (both white and purple), and Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Radicchio (3 kinds!), Tatsoi, Pak Choi (aka Bok Choy), Mizuna, Lettuce (in small pots and pre-planted Cutting Salad boxes), Chicory, Watercress, Arugula, Leeks, Nasturtiums, etc.  Go to ‘Plants’, then ‘Edibles’ on our website for descriptions of the varieties.

Potatoes and onions can be planted now, and this year we are offering three varieties of ‘seed’ potatoes – Yukon Gold, Red Sangre, and Purple Majesty, and three varieties of onion seedlings – Copra, Ailsa Craig and Rumba.  Asparagus crowns are in, plants of two heirloom varieties of rhubarb (Victoria and Glaskins Perpetual) are ready, and we have dozens of varieties of culinary and medicinal herb plants.  Russian Comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum) is always in short supply, but right now we have some beautiful Comfrey plants in quart and gallon containers.  Russian Comfrey is an extremely useful medicinal plant and is also highly valued for making nitrogen-rich compost and biodynamic ‘tea’ for plant vitality. A little later in the season we will have plant of ‘True’ Comfrey, (Symphytum officinale,  True Comfrey is very rarely offered and is considered the supreme Comfrey for medicinal use.

For those of you who want to get a head-start on your tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, we have begun to bring out some tomato and pepper plants, and this first modest selection will soon be followed by an avalanche of varieties of every color, size, flavor, shape and origin.  But first, come and get your Solar Caps – the best protection for your early plantings of warm-season vegetables. (a vast improvement over Wall-o-Water).

We like to include some tasty edible flowers in our salads, such as Violas (we have dark red, yellow, blue and purple-black varieties), Nasturtiums (two varieties are ready, and several more coming along soon) and Calendula (ready soon).

Speaking of flowers, you may have noticed that we carry plants of several self-sowing annuals, such as Larkspur, Batchelor Buttons, California Poppy, ‘Lauren’s Grape’ Poppy and Evening-Scented Stock.  You may wonder ‘why not just seed these in the garden?’  And, of course, direct seeding is definitely an option, but it must be timed correctly. Some gardeners find that they can start a ‘colony’ of these wildflowers more successfully by beginning with a few plants, which will bloom and produce copious seeds that will distribute themselves in the area at just the right time.  Enough of the seeds will find perfect niches in the soil, and the next year(s), a self-sustaining colony is established.

Our classes are rapidly filling up, so come in or call 303-939-9403 to reserve your place for any classes that interest you.  A few of the classes coming up soon are:

Sun, April 18, 10 am : Ecological Garden Design, part 1

Sun., April 18, 1:30 pm : Raising Backyard Chickens

Sat., April 24, 10 am : Ecological Garden Design, part 2

Sun., April 25, 1:30 : Wild Edibles & Medicinal Weeds

We invite you to come and celebrate with us at our May Day Festival on Saturday May 1 and Sunday May 2.

On Saturday, come out for some delightful entertainment – first, at 10:30, the Maroon Bells Morris Dancers will perform their lively, ancient May Day dances to make the crops grow.  Then at 12 noon we will have the classic harmonies of the Coconuts Barbershop Quartet.  And at 1:00, Margot Krimmel will play heavenly melodies for us on her harp.

On Sunday, be sure to bring your kids, as we will also be celebrating World Laughter Day (don’t you think we can all use a good laugh?).  Refreshments will be served, and Denver Magician Stuart Hayner will amuse and amaze us with his Magic Show at 1:30.  He will also be around afterwards to create balloon-animals for the children.  Mikl may juggle, one never knows when.  And at 2:30 the Boulder Irish Session Band (including Eve Brawner) will play lively, authentic Celtic music.

Coinciding with the May Day Festival will be our Plant Sale which begins May 1^st and continues through Friday May 7th (please note we are closed on Mondays). We will have lots of great plants including a special members-only section.  During the May Day Sale, members will get first pick of the unusual and specialty plants Mikl and Eve have propagated, which are often in short supply, for only $2.25 each. The following week these plants will be available to everyone at the regular prices of $3, $3.50, and $4.  During the May Day Sale, members also get 10% off roses (except quart size).

We are looking forward to seeing all of you, and we wish you a green and growing Spring!

Mikl & Eve Brawner

Many fruits can be grown successfully here on the Front Range of Colorado. At one time, there were commercial apple orchards in Boulder and Fort Collins, commercial sour cherry orchards and canneries between Loveland and Fort Collins and commercial raspberry production in various places. Cheap shipping, more reliable weather and harvests in other regions, and a raspberry disease chased these operations to other states. However there is great potential here for the home gardener to grow tree- and bush-ripened fruit that is delicious, organic, fresh and economical.
Conventional agriculture has an economic priority, that places the emphasis on quantity over quality, on shelf-life and ship-ability over flavor, and on cosmetic appearance, over nutritional value. You may know the song about “…two things that money can’t buy; and that’s true love and home-grown tomatoes.” Well, the same holds true for home-grown strawberries, home-grown peaches, home-grown plums, most home-grown apples, and, in fact, for all the fruits.
At home we can nourish our soils so the soil life flourishes and the fruit is more nourishing. Recent studies found that you have to eat two apples today to get the nutritional value that was found in one apple in the 1940s. We can choose the really great-tasting varieties to grow like Ogalalla Strawberry, Anne Raspberry, Stanley Plum and Cortland Apple that cannot be found in the supermarkets. And we can grow them without pesticides, so we don’t have to feel like the witch from Snow White when we hand our child an apple. We can leave the fruits on the tree, bush or vine till they are fully ripe with the starches changing to natural sugars, so they taste really good. We can eat them fresh while they are vibrant with the Life Force. We can feel proud that we are not buying food that was produced and shipped great distances with petroleum fuels that produce greenhouse gases. Nor are we buying food grown with pesticides and chemical fertilizers that poison our fragile planet.
Fruit crops are often so abundant that, not only are they cheap to grow, there is often so much food that we can feel generous about sharing with friends, neighbors and the Food Bank. This kind of community wealth not only goes around, but comes around, so the gal giving apples could get plums.
Wow, this sounds really good. And it is! Is it really easy? Not really. Neither is it really hard. But it is harder than growing ornamentals. The economics of Nature are very simple and direct: if you put more in, you get more out; if you put little in, that’s what you get back. Most fruit plants like soil that is rich in organic matter, so add compost and/or composted manure or organic fertilizer every year. They need water, especially between flowering and ripening, but they need oxygen in the soil too. If the soils are soggy, there will be more disease problems. Fruit trees don’t like much competition; plant them far enough apart so they have good air circulation and sun. They need pruning: cut down the old canes, thin and shape the trees and replace old plants of strawberries.
And then there is the work of the harvests. Many fruits have to be processed somehow or they won’t keep. You can dry them, can them, freeze them and share them. In a weak economy, and to strengthen community, a cornucopia of fruit could be celebrated. We have much to learn, much to do and much to be gained.

Mikl Brawner Harlequin’s Gardens
copyright 2010

Greetings Friends and Fellow Gardeners,
We have been requested to write a blog and so we are going to give it a try. I apologize for beginning with an apology but I must say up front that we cannot return emails. Sorry. So many questions, so little time. However if I write one blog a month, I could answer some questions I’ve received at that time.

I grew up in Iowa and my first gardening experience was growing vegetables. If I were writing a blog about gardening in Iowa, it could be short: “put seeds in deep, rich earth; never watered; spread a little cow manure; weeded a lot; the neighbors finally stopped us from bringing them our surplus.”
Of course gardening in Colorado isn’t that easy so I will have plenty to say. And since it is not cliché for gardeners to talk about the weather, I will begin that way.
We were having a nice fall when on October 15 the temperature dropped to 15 degrees with 3” of snow. Many plants and trees still had their leaves. Ouch! Then a week later a high of 83, then 30” of snow the last 4 days in October. (really? That’s what records say) Then a “normal” November and then the first two weeks in December brought near zero temps with 12 below zero on Dec 9, and zero again the day before Christmas. See how we suffered this winter. But the plants had it worse; they are outdoors being jerked around by these extremes.
Cold tolerance of plants is not only their hardiness to an absolute temperature, but is affected by when the cold comes. If the plants had not hardened off when the real cold arrived, there could be some die back this spring or even some dead plants. And if woody plants had not sealed the openings where the leaves connect to the stems, then we may see serious fungus problems this year. In addition, young plants with small root systems are not as strong as adults, nor have they built up their starch reserves to get them through til spring.
Those that made it through the coldest weather may need water. This has not been a very dry winter, but I would recommend hand watering your evergreens and any plants that were planted in late summer or fall. It is best to winter water in late morning to give the water a chance to sink in before freezing night temperatures descend.
In Iowa when spring begins, it doesn’t go back to being winter for two weeks, then spring for a week, then winter, then summer, then spring. And it rains. So you don’t have to be such a good gardener.
Here we have to try harder, be smarter, experiment, replant and keep building our soils. I’ve never met so many very knowledgeable amateur gardeners as I have in Colorado. It is one of the reasons why I love running a plant nursery with my wonderful wife, Eve. I get to constantly learn from you smart and observant gardeners and from Eve and from the plants. And I spend most of my time outside in Colorado’s mostly wonderful climate, breathing the fresh air and working 7 days a week trying to keep up with the constant changes and frequent surprises. What could be more fun than that?

Joyful Gardening,
Mikl

Dear Friends and Fellow Gardeners,

2009 has been a good year for gardening-mostly. Hail was devastating in some areas and the coolness which was so pleasant, wasn’t so good for tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. It was an excellent year for xeriscape since even the hills were green all summer. And we all had a lot of successes in planting.

It’s really hard to second-guess Nature, like to plan for certain weather, but it seems obvious that if we support Nature, Nature will provide, and support us. But if we keep burning things to make energy, it may take years to recover from the climactic changes. So our choices matter: reduce, reuse, recycle, and harvest home-grown energy where possible. See www.350.org to help on Oct.24.

Fall is the best time to plant for me. The energy of the plants is going to the roots and that process is enhanced when we support the soil life with our recycled plant wastes like composts and mulches. There are now reliable sources of beneficial fungi and bacteria that can help increase soil life and broaden the diversity of microorganisms. Fall is also an excellent time to fertilize with our organic fertilizers to strengthen plants for winter and for next spring. And, of course, we have lots of plants we would rather you take care of this winter.

So we would like to invite you to our FALL PLANT SALE. This sale is not our strategy to dump the half-dead dregs of our inventory. This is your best opportunity to get our healthy Harlequin’s plants at discounted prices.

Members,for your special support, you get first pick of the plants at the Members Sale, August 25,26, 27,28,29,30 with 20% off all plants and 25% off books. (For info on membership, ask one of our staff, or see our website.)

The next week, September 1,2,3,4,5,6 the Fall Sale begins for everybody with 10% off most plants except roses. 10% off books & 10% off soil products in big bags. Also the Deep Discount section will be opened.

The third week September 8,9,10, 11, 12,13, enjoy 20% off perennials, shrubs & trees and 20% off most roses And 10% off books and soil products in big bags.

The fourth week, Sept.15,16, 17,18, 19, 20, take 25% off all perennials, shrubs and trees and20% off most roses and10% off books and soil products in big bags.

The fifth week, Sept.22,23, 24, 25, 26, 27, take 30% off perennials, shrubs and trees and 20% off roses, and 10% off books and soil products in big bags.

The sixth week, Sept.29, 30 and Oct.1,2,3,4, there will be a 35% discount off perennials and shrubs, 20% off roses and 50% off trees. And 25% off soil products in big bags.

We will continue to offer these prices every Thursday, Friday & Saturday in October.

Gift certificates will be available for the holidays and year-round by calling the nursery, 303-939-9403.

Open: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 9-5; Thursday 9-6

October: Thursday,Friday and Saturdays only 9-5

www.harlequinsgardens.com 303-939-9403

Sincerely,

Mikl and Eve Brawner

Here is a sampling of the great plants you will find at our Fall Sale:

Excellent Xeriscape Perennials:

Hidcote Lavender-rich, purple flowers; 16″ high, very fragrant; one of the hardiest

Veronica oltensis-evergreen, thyme-like leaves, ½” mat x 24″, blue flowers, low water

Cold-hardy Ball Cacti-7 species including Mt. Ball, Claret Cup, the local Coryphantha etc

Papaver pilosum-toughest of the soft orange poppies, self sows but not suckering

Salvia grandiflora-4′-6’tall native, true sky blue flowers, late summer, xeric

Thymus ‘Clear Gold’-4″ tall creeping thyme, beautiful golden leaves, lavender flowers

Penstemon Pikes Peak Purple-purple flowers on 16″ stems, long-blooming, Plant Select

Russian Sage-3′-5′ tall, blue-violet flowers in summer, long-blooming, xeric & easy

Reiter Thyme-Rich green, 2″x30″ steppable ground cover, or “lawn”; lavender flowers

Penstemon pseudospectabilis-Nevada/NM native, hardy, hot pink flowers, 3′, hummers

“Tough As Nails” Paronychia-1″ high groundcover; like thyme, more xeric, white bracts

Teucrium cossonii-very silver Germander is evergreen, 8″x14″; purplish-pink flowers, xeric

Silver Edge Horehound-M. rotundifolium: beautiful foliage, 8″x24″, very xeric, behaves

GRASSES: Not rootbound. Many reports of success with Sept. planting of our grasses.

Blue Grama-CO State Grass, 1′-2′ clumps, seed heads curl downward like eyelashes, xeric

Little Bluestem- 2′-3′ tall native, blue-green foliage turns copper-red in fall, xeric

Alkali Sacaton- 2′ tall with bluish foliage and airy seed heads, good in dry, poor soil

Wrights Sacaton-very ornamental native grass, 4′ with showy seed heads to 6′, xeric

Sand Love Grass-Lovely, native 3′-4′ tall with showy reddish pink seed heads, xeric

Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’ (Maiden Grass)-narrow leaves arching 5′-6′, coppery tassels

Pennisetum ‘Hameln’-perennial fountain grass, 2′-3′, white, foxtail seed heads, showy

Eragrostis ‘Wind Dancer’-graceful 2′-3′ narrow bluish foliage, airy seedheads , xeric

Sideoats Grama-curly 3″-6″ leaves; delicate pendant seed heads; xeric native

Calamagrostis brachytricha-3′-4′ arching form,large purple-pink plumes, ’09 Plant Select

Boulder Blue Fescue-the bluest 12″ fescue, selected in Bldr Co., very attractive

NATIVES

Gayfeather-Liatris punctata-spikes of feathery lavender flowers 16″ draw butterflies

Wine Cups-trailing stems from big taproot, wine-red poppy-like flowers all summer

Clematis ligusticifolia-10′-20′, masses of white flowers, showy seed heads, tough

Agave parryi-bold blue-green blades, 12″x18″, dark maroon spines, sculptural

Cercocarpus intricatus-Littleleaf Mt. Mahogany, fabulous dwarf 5′ xeric evergreen

Aster porteri-showy white flowers in fall, 12″-24″, xeric aster, grows around Boulder

Chocolate Flower-copious yellow daisies with dark eyes, chocolate aroma, 12″x30″, xeric

Sphaeralcea sp.-upright very xeric perennials, 3′-5′, soft orange, pink or lavender flowers

New Mexican Privet (Forestiera)-8′-12′ shrub/tree; beautiful screen or specimen, xeric

Tall Blue Rabbitbrush-blue foliage, yellow flowers in late summer, dramatic, xeric

Desert Mahonia-M.haematocarpa-blue, evergreen foliage, yellow flowers, red fruit, 6′-8′

Fern Bush-4’x5′ shrub with fern-like leaves, clusters of creamy flowers, very xeric

Apache Plume-4′ high, spreading, white flowers with plume-like seed heads, very xeric

Sand Cherry-3′-5′ high with white flowers-spring; black fruit, reddish fall color, xeric

Douglas Hawthorn-25′ tree, white flowers-spring; red fruit, red fall color, low water

Penstemons:pseudospectabilis, linarioides, strictus, secundiflorus, pinifolius & Mersea Yellow, rostriflorus, mensarum, nitidus, eatonii, clutei, cardinalis, jamesii and more

GREAT PLANTS FOR DRY SHADE:

Geranium cantabrigiense-weed smothering, xeric, beautiful; fragrant foliage turns red

with medium pink flowers, ‘Biokovo’ with light pink, ‘St. Ola’-wine buds, white flowers

Geranium m. ‘Bevan’s Variety’-12″ high, deep magenta & red, fragrant foliage-deer resist

Anemone tomentosa-rose pink flowers in fall on 2′-3′ stems, good cut flower

Euonymus f. ‘Kewensis’-compact dwarf, mounding, can climb, tiny evergreen leaves

Plumbago-true blue flowers in summer, great red fall color, spreading ground cover

Hardy Boxwoods-evergreen, round leaves; compact to 3′, deer and rabbit resistant

Plus: Geranium “Johnson’s Blue”, Sweet Cicely, Coral Bells, Baltic Ivy

VINES

Honeysuckle Lonicera ‘Old Dutch’-vigorous to 15′; fragrant pink and gold trumpets

Monkshood Vine-20′, very attractive cut leaves, fast growing, orange berries, at Teahouse

American Bittersweet- woody, vigorous, xeric, grows in any soil, to 20′, showy orange fruit

‘Aunt Dee’ Wisteria-hardy, drought-tolerant, blooms more reliably than others, violet-blue

AND dozens of varieties of Clematis grown tough at Harlequin’s Gardens

And more vines

TREES

Hackberry, Burr Oak, Western Catalpa, May Day Tree, Thunderchild Crab, Scotch Pine; Radiant & Spring Snow Crabs, Aspens, Arizona Cypress, etc.(Apples, Plums and Peaches are available now, but Not On Sale)

We have the best selection of hardy ROSES on their own roots in the state with too many varieties to list here: Heirloom, Shrub, David Austin, Minis, Species and Canadian

PLUS: many, many other great plants like: New colored Echinaceas, Gambel Oak, Red Kansas Hawthorn, Cutleaf Black Elderberry, Solidago rigida from Boulder County, Eight kinds of Sedums, Goldflame Honeysuckle, 2 kinds of miniature yuccas, a low-water Black-Eyed Susan, Norton’s Gold Oregano, Organic Herbs, Native Asters and more and more.

And we have: great tools, gloves, books, organic supplies and seeds for fall-sown, cool-weather greens like kale, chard and lettuce

Landscape Consultations:Eve and Mikl are available for consultations year-round. If you schedule a consultation to take place between Nov 1 and Feb 28, we will give you 15% off a one-time purchase of plants at Harlequin’s Gardens.

We can help you to 1) clarify the use of the space 2) identify site opportunities and limitations 3) evaluate health and value of existing landscape and make non-toxic recommendations for pest and disease problems 4)make plant lists for specific areas 5) make design suggestions with rough sketches 6)help to xeriscape and save water 7) identify, evaluate and make recommendations for tree care. We do not do complete garden designs or installations. Call 303-939-9403 or 720-291-7826 to schedule.

Visit five of the best private gardens in the Denver Area (including Marcia Tatroe’s, Rob Proctor’s, Dan Johnson’s): Sept. 12, 10am-4; 1-888-842-2442; www.opendaysprogram.org