Composting: Dirt Easy and Great Rewards
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[...]
A Good Book On Deck
It's official—summer is here! Kids are finishing the school year, our days grow longer, and thoughts of getting outside capture our imaginations. Wouldn't it be nice to take a mini-vacation every day? You can, and here's how. Grab your favorite lemonade or summertime drink and head out to your deck. This is the best time to enjoy an investment that has added real value both to your home and to your lifestyle. If you have a roof cover over your deck, you can relish hours outdoors without worry of being over exposed to the sun's UV rays. And while you're[...]
Getting All Abuzz About Bees
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[...]
Is There a Pergola in Your Future?
As summer approaches, our thoughts naturally turn to spending as much time outside as possible, and why not? Colorado has some of the best weather conditions in the country, with warm, bright days and cool, comfortable evenings. We want to make the most of these ideal conditions by turning to our backyards, oases of pleasure in our busy lives. One of the best ways to take advantage of your backyard retreat is to give it focus and purpose with a pergola. Recently, Eric Veronesi of the DeckTec team gave us a few minutes to talk about the ageless beauty and[...]
Rolling Out The Red Carpet for Hummingbirds
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[...]
