Garden & Lawn Care Archives - Page 3 of 4

Getting All Abuzz About Bees

May 31st, 2014|Animals Out the Back Door, Blog, Garden & Lawn Care|

In 2006 a new phenomenon in beekeeping hit the news. Both commercial and hobbyist beekeepers saw dramatic losses of bees in their apiaries, also known as beehives. This problem became known as CCD, or colony collapse disorder, and news items began to run regularly on this threat to human food production. Bee pollination is responsible for one-third of our food sources. The story is that as the bee goes, so does mankind. Today, another problem threatens bees, in that there seems to be an overabundance of people getting into apiary or beehive management without a great amount of knowledge, according to Marygael Meister of the DenverBee.org. For this reason, her organization is approaching beekeeping interest from the perspective of education. "We have an opportunity twice a month for applied learning at the apiary and theory learning from those who come to speak," said Marygael. "We're very serious about that; that [...]

Rolling Out The Red Carpet for Hummingbirds

May 17th, 2014|Animals Out the Back Door, Blog, Garden & Lawn Care|

Wild Birds Unlimited, in Lakewood on Wadsworth Boulevard, is a wonderful shop of all things birding. There are books and videos, birdhouses and feeders. The shop has a resident cat, Oliver, and as you wander the aisles, the happy chirping of recorded bird sounds help sooth your stresses away. It's no wonder, then, that when we write a blog post about birds of all kinds, our first stop is to Wild Birds and owner, Scott Menough. Recently, we talked with Scott about the hummingbird season, which is full on at this point. Hummingbird Season "April 15th," said Scott on a chuckle. "Years ago I wrote an article for the Denver Post and I said April 15 is hummingbird day. Of course the first hummingbirds we usually hear about arrive closer to April 8, but nobody remembers that date. Everyone remembers April 15. It's much more fun to get your hummingbird [...]

Be a Water-Wise Gardener This Summer

May 3rd, 2014|Blog, Garden & Lawn Care, Gardening|

Quick. What's one of the simplest, most effective tools to help keep a healthy lawn this summer? While you're thinking this question over, let's talk about the good news. The major drought that had us all wondering if and when we could comfortably water our lawns is on the downswing. However, whether you're new to the area or you've lived in Colorado a long time, being permanently aware of water use is a big responsibility for everyone who enjoys the Art of Outdoor Living. According to Travis Thompson, Denver Water Spokesperson, Colorado is considered a dry state, and it is up to all of us to be living within water-wise constraints. "Our customers did a really good job last year," said Travis. "We reached our conservation goals which put us in a better position to keep providing a healthy water supply to everyone. We just want to remember that conservation [...]

Dealing with the Wicked Old Weeds of the West

April 5th, 2014|Blog, Garden & Lawn Care, Gardening|

Faster than a controversial Twitter chain, more powerful than a Political Action Committee—Look! Down on the ground. It's a lawn, it's a garden, it's weeding time again! Yep. Weeds. Those persistent party crashers of everyone's yard are beginning to pop up once again. Before you run for your shovel or your sprays, let's make a plan for weeding that will have you enjoying your yard this year, instead of cursing the amount of work you have to do in it. What is a Weed? It's always good to start with a definition. A botany college professor once said that a rose planted in the wrong place could be called a weed. Any plant growing where you don't want it, is a weed. But seriously, here in Colorado we have a selection of nearly 100 species of wild plants growing in competition with our lawns and gardens. Dandelions, bindweed, thistles and [...]

Featuring Water in Your Yard

March 29th, 2014|Blog, Decks & Backyard Features, Garden & Lawn Care|

Are you looking for something a little different in your back yard this year? Do you need a relaxing sound to listen to at the end of your busy day? Have you been thinking about having fish as alternative pets to allergy-inducing dogs or cats? Perhaps now is the time for you to consider the beauty and benefits of installing a water feature in your yard. Recently, we caught up with water feature specialist, Shane Hemphill to talk about what it takes to put in a beautiful fountain, waterfall or other feature. Shane has over 20 years experience in the business, and four years ago, started his own company, Art of the Yard. "There are a lot of choices in water features," said Shane. "I break them up into the following categories: Tabletop, or small fountains Contemporary features, like walls with water flowing down Pondless waterfalls, where the waterfall disappears [...]