Garden & Lawn Care Archives - Page 2 of 4

Spring Is in Bloom – Get Your Garden in Shape

April 14th, 2016|Garden & Lawn Care, Gardening|

Here at DeckTec, we work hard to design, create, and maintain beautiful custom outdoor living environments for you to enjoy with friends and family. Once your deck has been built, stained, and sealed, it’s up to you to turn it in to your ideal space. One of the most beautiful and environmentally friendly ways to perk up your outdoor room is to decorate with various flowers and plants. You’ll be surrounded by colorful blossoms and luscious greenery just in time for spring! Whether you’re interested in starting out with your first potted plant or have been tending a garden for years, use these tips and tricks to keep your deck as comfortable as possible and your plants looking great. One of the few downsides to springtime in Colorado is that once the weather inches above 70 degrees, mosquitoes come out to wreak havoc on anyone who forgets to light their [...]

Fall is Time to Play in the Dirt

September 20th, 2014|Garden & Lawn Care, Gardening|

The first cold of the autumn hit recently, and with it comes the desire to pack everything into the garage and snuggle up under your nearest blanket. But for gardeners everywhere, this change in weather is all part of the rhythm of life. There is still plenty of work to do at this time, and plenty to enjoy about being outside. Right now is a great time to be thinking about next spring. We gardeners can run to our garden shops and catalogs and picture great color for when the last of the snows melt away, even if we haven't experienced the first touch of winter yet. Now is a great time to amend the soil for next year's gardens. Betsy Kelson, staff horticulturalist with Jared's Nursery spent a little time with us to review this past summer's challenges and getting the ground ready for next spring. "The problem this [...]

Harvest Abundance? Give It Away!

August 9th, 2014|Garden & Lawn Care, Gardening|

Have you ever been hungry, really hungry? Have you ever wondered where your next meal might come from or if it will come at all? According to a report from the United States Department of Agriculture, one in seven people in Colorado are food insecure. "Food insecure simply means that people are not sure where their next meal is coming from," said Jodi Torpey, a member of Garden Writers Association and volunteer coordinator for Colorado's Plant a Row for Hunger organization. "They're not sure about tomorrow or next week. Even if they are working, minimum wages aren't enough to ensure they'll eat." Carol Ledbetter, the Program Administrator for Plant A Row's national effort concurs. "It isn't just derelicts that are going without food," she said. "It's also a lot of people working two jobs, or who can't find a job while they're taking care of their kids. We have to [...]

A Snake In The Grass May Not Be A Bad Thing

July 26th, 2014|Animals Out the Back Door, Blog, Garden & Lawn Care|

Even the words we use to describe one of nature's most misunderstood animals are enough to give you the creeps—slithery, slimy, sneaky, and poisonous—snakes! And summertime in Colorado is when you're likely to have a snake encounter. Eew! But wait a minute. Are snakes truly as bad as their reputation would have you believe? Recently, we talked with Victoria Sutton, Park Interpreter at the South Platte Park Carson Nature Center in Littleton, and learned more about the nature of snakes in our area. "I love snakes," said Victoria. Originally from Arizona, a state that boasts 14 species of these reptiles, Victoria learned early on that snakes are an important part of our ecosystem. "They're critical in the environment when it comes to things like population control for rodents and other small vermin. They not only hunt them, but they use their rattles to scare away rodents too." In Colorado we [...]

Composting: Dirt Easy and Great Rewards

June 28th, 2014|Blog, Garden & Lawn Care, Gardening|

Anyone who gardens for more than a year or two has heard of composting. Some may even have dabbled in it with varying degrees of success. If you've ever been curious about this green thumb practice, we have some great information for you. Recently, we talked to two composting experts in our area and asked for the low down on the humus under our feet. Here's what we found: A Process and a Product Cara Ablin, the color department supervisor for Wilmore Garden Center in Littleton, and Judy Elliott, education specialist and lead trainer for the Denver Master Composter training and outreach program sponsored by Denver Recycles, have a wealth of knowledge and resources for you to make this the year composting becomes part of your gardening life. The first lesson they pointed out is that composting is a process and not just a product. "Some people get a bin [...]