Time flies, don’t you think? Do you remember when people throughout the “developed world” anxiously awaited the arrival of the new millennium, worried by predictions that Y2K would bring a collapse of technical systems – the internet, banking, stock trading, communications – and throw everything else into chaos? And there was nothing we could do about it? It didn’t take long to see that the world as we knew it did not fall apart. Twenty-five years later, perhaps you’ve been nervously awaiting the advent of 2025 and are scared of what the new year, on many fronts, could bring. Completely understandable!
But in difficult times, fear is not the best guide. We have to believe in ourselves and our communities, and always bring our best efforts forth to build a habitable, sane, safe, peaceful, just, generous, healthy world.
Not an easy assignment, but what else are you going to do? Obstacles always abound. With enough courageous resolve, solidarity, joyful creativity and accurate information, obstacles can be whittled down, sidestepped, or evaporated. It can all start in your back yard……or your front yard!
So, Harlequin’s Gardens is still here to help you make the most of the quiet revolution you can begin in your own yard.
For starters, we will be open this winter, on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm! We’ve never done this before, and we hope you’ll come out for our excellent products, advice, classes and more.
In our surveys, you’ve asked us for classes covering a wide range of topics, from ‘Gardening 101 in the West’ to hands-on pruning, soil building, and specific classes on native plants, mushrooms, grasses, trees and shrubs. We’re developing those classes now and will post them as the schedule is finalized.
What will we have available for you this winter?
Books; bulbs for winter forcing; a full selection of fertilizers (many OMRI certified), soil amendments and potting soils; houseplants; bird houses; gloves, tools and watering cans; Mole, Deer, Bug and Rabbit repellants; garden signs; gifts; and everything you’ll need to begin starting seeds – from the seeds themselves, to potting soil for seeding, perlite, pots and trays.
Seeds
We’re excited! Our selection of garden seeds is expanding, with the long-awaited addition of locally-grown organic seeds from MASA Seed Foundation! MASA’s seeds are grown in our short growing season, in Front Range alkaline soil, with our alkaline water, and are continually selected for the best performance in Front Range conditions, including increasing heat and drought. We have been working with MASA for several years to improve their seed packaging, making it far more user-friendly. The new packets will show a photo of the vegetable, herb or flower, will tell you the number of seeds in the packet (more useful than grams or ounces), the germination rate (an important piece of information you very rarely get on a seed packet!), the number of days to harvest, when it should be sown, a description of the variety, the botanical name, and more!
We are also happy to continue offering a wide selection of garden seeds, sprouting seeds, microgreen seeds, and cover crop seeds from Botanical Interests Seed Company, based in Broomfield!
And wonderful wildflower seed mixes and individual species from Boulder’s BBB Seeds!
And last but not least, Harlequin’s own custom blends of grass seeds for creating meadows (native or non-native) and low-maintenance turf-replacement.