THE HARLEQUIN EFFECT
Little Harlequin’s Gardens has always taken on the planet’s problems at the human level and at the earth level. We are growing plants without poisons so the bees, birds and bacteria will not be poisoned. We source many of our plants and products locally to support our local economy, local composting and to reduce carbon emissions from shipping. Our greenhouses and our production methods use almost no fossil fuels and very little electricity. We reuse clean plastic jugs for our compost tea and our Harlequin-bagged soils come in plastic bags that can be returned for reuse. We provide the organic plants, the products, and the education for people to grow their own fresh organic food, herbs and gardens. And more!
In the big scheme of things, what we do is small. But the Harlequin Effect is that because these things are multiplied by 9000 of you, the effect on our ecology and health is significant. This is the synergy of our vision and commitment with your vision and action.
Climate change may seem to be taking place up there in the sky, but many of its causes are right down here on the earth in human hands.
The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje
Q: Can I plant now?
COOL SEASON VEGGIES
Dear Friends and Fellow Gardeners,
EGGPLANTS
How did we possibly get this far? When we first opened in 1992, we had 2 acres a half mile down a dead-end gravel road, a dry well, a barn and a little greenhouse, and a few tables with plants. But we had a vision of a plant nursery that could serve Colorado’s Front Range and do it ecologically. We did have a country atmosphere and a great view. We had a lot of heart, but we only succeeded because an ever-increasing number of you found us and told your friends. 
Can we have human health if our domesticated animals, wildlife, plants, and all nature are unhealthy, polluted, poisoned, weak and struggling? The answer seems to be NO. Climate Change “…coupled with a species-extinction crisis, habitat and soil degradation, pollution, extensive destruction of forests and coral reefs…” are all leading to our current health crisis.
We might ask ourselves: Why does the USA, the richest country in the world, lead the world in coronavirus cases and deaths? With only 4% of the world’s population, we have 25% of all cases and 20% of all deaths. This cannot be blamed on mismanagement alone. Our government has for years favored business profits over public health and environmental health. For example, the EPA website warns that glyphosate (active ingredient in Roundup) at 700 parts per billion can cause “problems with kidneys or reproductive difficulties” and yet 700 ppb is the permitted level in U.S. tap water. Only .1 ppb is allowed in European Union tap water. Roundup also causes many problems with fungi, bacteria (like in our guts), kills insects, birds and in general undermines the health of our planet. It shows up in baby food and beer. This is one example of a poison in our ecosystem that is leading to the poor health in our nation and in our world.
Even though we are about to receive our biggest snowstorm of this winter thus far, you can still make great progress on your garden by starting seeds indoors or even outside if your garden is prepared and you’re quick and can sow them tomorrow morning! You can also plant our hardy perennials, vines, shrubs and trees that have overwintered outdoors ahead of the storm. And our 
BBB’s specialties include individual wildflowers (many locally native!), wildflower seed mixes, and pollinator-supporting mixes specific to honeybees, butterflies or hummingbirds. Many of their offerings are hard to find elsewhere.
Botanical Interests goes to great lengths to provide all the information you need, and more (like an illustration of what the seedling looks like when it emerges), on both the outside and the inside of the packet, plus stunning, botanically accurate illustrations by highly skilled local artists adorning the front of each packet! We have carefully selected varieties from their catalog that will thrive in Colorado’s short season, early heat, cool nights, etc.
AND – NEW THIS YEAR! from MASA Seed Foundation, a wonderful line of locally-adapted seeds from master seedsman Rich Pecoraro and colleagues! Their seeds have been trialed, selected and reselected over the years to succeed in Front Range Colorado growing conditions. In our experience, these seeds have high germination rates and great seedling vigor, and develop into healthy plants, often with superior drought, heat and cold tolerance and disease resistance.
Annika started working for Harlequin’s Wholesale in 2022 after moving to Boulder from Minnesota. She now leads our propagation operation. She grew up gardening with her mom and grandma, and made it into landscaping in her community. Annika loves caring for plants everyday and watching them grow.
Attractive Evergreens for Colorado Gardens
We’ve heard from some of you that your trip to Harlequin’s for holiday gifts was your first foray into shopping since the COVID precautions began! This is such a strong affirmation that we are offering something of real value and importance to you, and we are honored to have this level of support!
If you were lucky enough to get any mason bees nesting this spring, you’ll want to coddle them through the winter. Their populations are down throughout Boulder County because of the weather, and Tom Theobald, our usual supplier, isn’t even sure whether he’ll have any for sale next spring.
You can do the same with leaf cutter bees but handle them very carefully as they aren’t yet mature. Our supplier, Crown Bees, will be 
MARCH
AUGUST 23 thru 29th
OCTOBER 1st
Peak State is Colorado’s high quality, sustainably grown coffee infused with botanical extracts of functional mushrooms so you can have the best of both worlds: the taste you love and the powerful benefits of the mushrooms to help you through the day.
There aren’t many Reshetniks left in the US, and yes – you guessed it – this one is my beloved big brother. And I couldn’t be more proud of him for this exquisite recording, a true labor of love, which I love to listen to, repeatedly. I believe you will, too! 
This is the perfect time to feed your roses, perennials, and lawn using a slow release organic fertilizer. This type of fertilizer won’t push undue growth now, but instead help your plants prepare for next spring. We recommend Mile High Rose Feed for your roses, Alpha One Fertilizer for your perennials, and Nature’s Cycle Organic Lawn Fertilizer for your turf.
On our hikes, it seems we’re often exclaiming, “What a beautiful plant combination!”. Mother Nature’s inherent beauty and functional placement provide an amazing guide and inspiration for what we can create in our home garden or ecosystem. Mother Nature also helps guide us on how we can best support our pollinators.
It’s time to buy your ‘seed’ garlic, which you should store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place until planting time, from mid-October to mid-November. Seed garlic bulbs are specifically chosen for planting because they are the healthiest bulbs with the largest cloves, and they are intact. By planting the largest cloves, you’ll be rewarded with a harvest of big, juicy bulbs.
How to maximize your output
We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to protect one of the most unique parcels of land in Boulder in a way that would have lasting impact on the community for generations to come. In 2014, Boulder native Timothy Francis and his wife, Kerry, broke ground on a half-acre garden called Dharma’s Garden—named after a deer who was born where the garden now stands. Their nonprofit was founded to pursue the greater vision of the whole five-acre property as a fully integrated educational farm and homestead.
Hummingbirds are zipping and humming and sipping around our gardens, partaking of the summer’s bounty of nectar-rich flowers, many of which are ‘color-coded’ specifically to attract them. And you’ll want hummers in your garden, not only because they’re beautiful, not only because some plants depend on them for pollination, not only because migratory birds are imperiled, but also because they eat prodigious numbers of small flying insects like mosquitoes! And did you know, some hummingbird have been known to live up to 25 years!
For over a quarter century Harlequin’s Gardens has shared plants, Eco-products, and advice for organic methods of gardening with our community. We are proud of the success so many have had and have wanted to share their results! So, we’ve created Harlequin’s Virtual Garden Tour for our community to share not just photos of their gardens but also a little about gardening goals, styles and experiences–especially sustainable approaches. 
After retiring from a full time career in healthcare, Mary worked at Longwood Botanical Gardens where
All spring we have been advising you not to prune out branches without leaves yet. After last October’s flash freeze and this March’s freeze of the new leaves, it was important to give shrubs, trees and roses time for a second set of leaves to come out before removing wood. By now we should be seeing new green leaves forming if the wood is still alive.
Pollinator week is a special time for Harlequin’s Gardens – a time when we can celebrate the hard-work of bees (honeybees, solitary bees, bumblebees) wasps, ants, flies and bee flies, butterflies and moths, beetles, some bats and birds, and some mammals. They’re all around us, connecting the dots between flowers and food.
Do you love the sweet fruits and vegetables of late summer as much as we do? Well then, PLANT THEM NOW! We’ve got the heat now, which they thrive on. To develop those natural sugars, these crops take more time to mature than many other veggies, mostly between 70 and 100 days from seeding. We’ve saved you some time by growing starts, LOTS of them, and most of the varieties we’ve chosen will mature relatively early.
Incorporating edible flowers in your cuisine not only adds visual appeal, but also can offer high nutritional value and great flavors. Edible flowers have been used for millennia in many cultures to enhance everything from salad to beer and wine. A quick internet query on “ancient edible flower recipes” revealed many results. It could be a fun family event to recreate a heritage recipe!
Meet our Staff!
Have you found that rabbits are becoming more rampant?
Many odor repellents can be helpful, including our non-toxic Plantskyyd (in liquid and pellet forms), and Bobbex liquid concentrate or ready-to-use spray. Although non-toxic, you may not want to use these products on edibles. Also, remember to reapply according to directions taking into account current precipitation and irrigation rates.