Spring in my Habitat Hero Garden

Spring in my Habitat Hero garden

Published April 30, 2024, in the Cheyenne Habitat Hero Committee newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, send an email to bgorges2 at gmail.com.

By Barb Gorges

                Below are three ways I work with my pollinator/native plant garden in spring. Do you have any tips that work for you? Let me know, bgorges2 at gmail.com.

                Gardens are works in progress. Each garden bed in your yard is in its own microclimate and soil, plus each of us gets a different mix of wind, temperatures and precipitation to work with each year. And then, the genetics of each seed packet and nursery plant can be different even if they share the same species name. But be optimistic—if your garden can grow weeds, there’s a native plant that can grow there too.

A native bumblebee enjoys a non-native crocus in early April. Photo by Barb Gorges.

Last year’s stems and tree leaves

                I can leave last year’s stems uncut only so long in my home Habitat Hero garden. Usually, when the spring bulbs start to bloom, sometimes as early as March here in Cheyenne, I start a little snipping so they can be seen and appreciated better.

                Leaving stems in place for the winter helps trap snow moisture and the leaves from our trees which act as winter mulch. But the thicker stems are also potential nesting sites for beneficial insects. This winter I read that the stems are most useful the following year, probably because they become hollower at the right time in the insects’ life cycle. See this article, https://gardenrant.com/2024/04/gardening-pollinators-stem-nesting-bees.html.

                I’m not sure I want a lot of dead sticks, 6 to 12 inches tall, all over my garden. But as I snipped here and there through the month of April, I realized that I know how high the greenery grows for my favorite prairie plants (penstemons, Gaillardia, Rudbeckia, Monarda, asters, goldenrods, milkweed). I can cut the stems short enough that new growth will cover them. And maybe the old stems will form a barricade to help keep the rabbits out.

                For the part of the stems I cut away, I like the idea of cutting them into little pieces in place, forming mulch—and dropping seed heads that might still have seeds capable of self-seeding. My garden is too small to let everything just fall over. And it’s too lumpy with tulip clumps to mow.

But this year, there are so many tree leaves making the mulch already too thick. I’m going to have to pull a lot of it out (and compost it for the vegetable garden maybe) before spreading my snips of last year’s plants so that new growth isn’t smothered. Later, when summer heats up, and self-seeding sprouts are tall enough, I may replace some of the leaf mulch around them and keep the soil from drying out.

Rocky Mountain Penstemon seeds collected the previous fall have a high germination rate. Photo by Barb Gorges.

Transplanting winter sowing

[See also https://cheyennegardengossip.wordpress.com/2024/01/27/winter-sowing-magic.]

                This is the ninth year I’ve winter-sown seeds. I planted 30 milk jugs in February and left them in a partly shady spot. By mid-April, most of them showed seedlings (this year, three of the jugs seem to have dud seeds).

Since many of these jugs are going to the Laramie County Master Gardener plant sale May 11, I decided last week to move them to a sunnier spot so they will grow a little faster. But I’m leaving the tops of the jugs on to protect them from squirrels and drying winds. Frost is not a problem—these native perennial types have anti-freeze in their veins. However, letting the potting soil dry out will kill them. And so will leaving the lids on when it gets too hot.

                With 16 or 25 (or 200 once, when I must have spilled a whole seed packet) of seedlings in one jug, I’ve noticed that no matter how late into June I leave them, the seedlings never grow much beyond a couple sets of leaves. But their roots circle round and round.

                I transplant winter sown seedlings mid to late May, either into a little protected nursery space I have in my garden, or into 2.5-inch pots so they get a little size to them before transplanting into the garden proper by the end of June or early July. I leave flats of those pots on our sunny patio where they are easy to check on every day and water when needed. I also set up hail guards over them. Mark built ours and they look like coffee tables with tops of hardware cloth (wire screening with openings the diameter of pencils) instead of wood.

But before I can put anything new in the little nursery plot, I have to dig up the 1-year-old plants and plant them right away, or pot them in potting soil until I can take them where they are going.

                I believe in bare root planting. I try to keep potting soil out of my garden. Plus, this way I don’t need a big hole, so I just plunge my hand trowel into the bed, give it a little wiggle back and forth, making a slot to tuck a one-year-old plant’s roots into, then push some dirt in the slot, gently squeeze more dirt around the plant stem, water well and I’m done.

                There is a trick to getting winter sown seedlings out of milk jugs. Take the top off. Water so soil is moist but not sopping wet. Spread your left hand over the top of the seedlings—or thread your fingers through the seedlings if they are taller than the top edge of the bottom half of the jug. Tip the whole thing over onto your hand and, shaking a little, use your right hand to remove the jug bottom. Then quickly tip the “brownie” (as Michelle Bohanan calls it) right side up into your right hand.

                If the roots are well-grown, the brownie does not crumble in your hand. But if it does, let it crumble into the bottom half of the jug and lay your seedlings in there with some loose potting soil over their roots while they wait for you to get them planted. Try to handle seedlings only by their leaves and roots—not their stems.

                A well-formed brownie, however, can be gently divided/pulled in half. I hold it upright in my two hands, thumbs on top, with my fingers on the underside teasing away potting soil along the halfway mark while I gently “fold” it in half, green sprouts towards each other, then reverse fold to potting soil brown sides towards each other a few times, while pulling my hands apart. With patience, you should be able to avoid ripping any roots.

                Then break each brownie half in half again, and again. While I work my way down, I put the waiting pieces of brownie back in the jug bottom to keep them moist. Finally, I’m down to a little piece of potting soil and maybe 3 or 5 individual plants and I can just shake the potting soil off and plant them. I do save the potting soil—but I spread it out in the sunshine to disinfect and dry completely for a few days, for use only with hardier mature plants—not picky vegetable seedlings prone to damping off.

                The bare root method can work for larger plants, though some that have been in a large pot for a long time might form a thick net of roots and it might not be worth trying to get them bare because they could be easily damaged as you try to work your fingers into the dense root mass.

This native pasqueflower was purchased from High Plains Environmental Center and bloomed this year in my native plant garden a couple weeks ahead of the wild plants up at Curt Gowdy State Park. I also grow the European pasqueflower, a much leafier plant, in my herb garden. Photo by Barb Gorges.

Editing

                I don’t have much of an overall garden design because, the front garden especially, has slowly been enlarged year by year as Mark removes a shovelful of turf and I pop in a new plant I want to try.

                Or I change my mind. Years ago, the Conservation District was giving away seed packets that included great bee-friendly plants, but some were prolific non-natives. I’ve been pulling those out. On the other hand, after taking several years to get going, the milkweed seems intent on crowding everything else out. Time to dig some of it up and share it.

                Weeds are of course the biggest editing challenge. The front garden seems to have spontaneously erupted with small clumps of bluegrass that are easy to pull when the soil is moist.

For annual weeds, remember that Nancy Loomis showed us the best technique is to remove the above ground growth to kill them without disturbing the soil and inadvertently giving more weed seeds the daylight they need to sprout.

Removing greenery from perennial weeds like bindweed and thistle can starve them eventually, but you almost need to keep after them every other day—not feasible for a large infestation.

Good luck this season!

Firewise, plus the city vs weeds

An important part of a native plant garden is leaving last season’s dried vegetation in place over the winter. It helps trap snow for moisture and provides seeds for birds. A Habitat Hero sign shows this is not a patch of weeds. Photo by Barb Gorges.

Firewise information, plus city ordinances regulate weeds and native plant gardens

Published March 15, 2024, in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

By Barb Gorges

Firewise

            Firewise is a program educating homeowners, especially in areas prone to wildfire (grasslands or forest), on measures to safeguard their homes. The idea is to eliminate flammables within 5 feet of buildings, including under the porch or deck and in the gutters, plus other aspects within 30 feet.

            You can read my interview with folks creating a Firewise community across the highway from Curt Gowdy State Park, https://cheyennegardengossip.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/firewise-preparing-your-home-for-wildfire-season/, and find information at www.firewise.org.

            Native plants are recommended for landscaping Firewise homes.

Weeds and the native plant garden

            I recently heard a story about a man who has been working on turning his front yard into a native plant garden since 2003 and how it was mistaken for non-compliant weeds and mowed at the direction of the city.

            The good news is that most of the plants in a native plant garden are perennials that will come back. But how did this happen and how can we keep it from happening again?

            This incident came up at the 10^th annual Cheyenne Habitat Hero Workshop in February and I followed up later with more questions. It seems that the homeowner had just left for vacation when the notice came and “the time for appeal had expired by the time I returned,” he said.

            I asked if he had a plant list. Not really, but plants include penstemon, asters, yarrow, salvia, columbine, coneflowers and early blooming non-natives such as tulips, daffodils and crocus.

            One way to mark an area as a flower garden is to have flowers blooming across the entire growing season, which his spring bloomers help with. He said he even does some deadheading to get plants to bloom a second time. But the city mowing took place in October, when it can be difficult for some to see the beauty of seedheads attracting birds.

            I asked if he has a weed problem. “So far bindweed hasn’t been a problem in the front yard (it is in the backyard). Thistle is an issue and I work to keep it under control,” he said.

            Another way to indicate a flower garden is to define the edges well. At my house, it’s a sharp shovel making the line between bed and turf. The sidewalk is one boundary, he said, “I place a 4×4 between the sidewalk and yard as an additional buffer. I trim back the plants when they grow into the sidewalk.”

            City councilman Richard Johnson, who attended last year’s Habitat Hero workshop, put me in touch with John Palmer, code enforcement supervisor, who emailed me a reply:

            “If a homeowner who is turning their yard into a garden receives a letter for a potential violation of the weeds/grass ordinance, they should call or email the nuisance officer listed at the bottom of the letter as soon as possible and arrange for a meeting at the address to discuss the matter on site.

            “Our concern usually is that noxious weeds or weeds that spread quickly, such as dandelions, are allowed to grow along with flowering plants and become a problem for neighbors who have a traditional grass yard. Also, some of these locations allow flowering plants/weeds to grow tall enough to become an obstruction of the sidewalk.

            “If troublesome weeds and any obstruction of the sidewalk is addressed, then we generally don’t have a problem with whole yard gardens and the case would be closed.

            “As with any violation letter that we send out, timely communication is important to resolve situations like this,” wrote Palmer.

            As in traditional flower beds, you can plan for short plants along the sidewalk—keeping the sunflowers farther back so they don’t lean over the sidewalk.

            Another traditional flower bed design element is planting drifts of each species rather than a patchwork of “onesies.” Of course, self-reseeding perennials don’t always cooperate.

            Zach Hutchinson, from Audubon Rockies, who lives in Natrona County, said he had a similar experience with someone mistaking his native plant garden for weeds. The county people suggested that to show his intentions better, he should put up a sign.

            Habitat Hero certification through Audubon Rockies, https://rockies.audubon.org/habitat-hero, or the National Wildlife Federation, https://certifiedwildlifehabitat.nwf.org/ both offer signs.   

            And of course, keep your garden weeded. Some Wyoming native plants are considered agricultural weeds, but they shouldn’t be a problem in your garden unless you are on a farm or ranch.             Nancy Loomis’s advice at the workshop (follow her on Facebook, NativeNancy3072): Disturb soil as little as possible to keep weed seeds from germinating. Cut down annual weeds before they drop seeds. Consider targeting difficult perennial weeds that don’t respond to digging, like bindweed and thistle, with the right poison at the right time.              

Winter sowing magic

Translucent plastic jugs planted with seeds can be left outside for the winter. Seeds are protected from wind and critters and will sprout in spring. Photo by Barb Gorges.

Winter sowing magically protects and sprouts seeds outdoors

Published February 9, 2024, in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

By Barb Gorges

            Winter sowing is a fun technique I originally learned from Laramie County Master Gardener Michelle Bohanan in 2016.

            It’s now so popular that an internet search brings 149,000 results.

            Winter sowing imitates nature by leaving seeds outdoors over the winter. Sowing seeds in a container with a clear or translucent cover protects them from wind and critters but exposes them to snow and cold. Some kinds of seeds need to freeze and thaw to sprout.

            The seeds sprout starting late April in Cheyenne. They can be transplanted directly into the garden (usually late May) without having to gradually harden them off the way indoor grown seedlings need to be.

Seeds

            I use the technique primarily for native perennials, but it can be used for other perennials, annuals, and cold happy vegetables (cabbage, kale, etc.). Tomatoes, eggplants and other heat happy vegetables, not so much—it would give them too late a start to have ripe fruit before our first fall frost.

            My native seed choices for beginners include:

–Narrowleaf Coneflower (purple coneflower’s Wyoming sister)

–Mexican Hat, also called Prairie Coneflower

–Blanket Flower, also called Gaillardia

–Black-eyed Susan, also called Rudbeckia

–Rocky Mountain Penstemon

–Beebalm, also called Monarda

–Showy Milkweed (most common milkweed in southeast Wyoming)

–Columbine

            Look for these at the Laramie County Library’s Seed Library or from companies that specialize in prairie plants like Prairie Moon Nursery, Prairie Nursery, and High Country Gardens.

            For more inspiration, see the Habitat Hero information at https://cheyenneaudubon.org/habitat-hero-resources/.

Timing

            I aim to get seeds sown in January and February, when it’s finally cold enough, yet there is still enough cold weather for seeds that might need eight weeks of cold (stratification) to break dormancy.

Jugs

            Michelle’s and my containers of choice are the 1-gallon pliable, translucent water, juice or milk jugs because they are deep and roomy, and even if you don’t buy those beverages, you probably know people who do.

            My problem is that our family’s preferred brand of milk now comes in white containers. Because I donate jugs of seedlings to the Master Gardener spring plant sale, I’ve learned to hang onto the old translucent lids and reuse them with new white bottoms. If you store jugs in the dark the rest of the year, they will last for years.

Jug prep

            Plastic jugs are so flimsy these days that my pointy kitchen shears are sharp enough to make a hole level with the bottom of the handle and then I can cut all the way around. I also poke four holes in the bottom for drainage.

            Run-of-the-mill, peat-based potting soil works for me, though I should think about trying something more ecologically friendly.

            Peat can be dry and very hydrophobic so I dump a bunch in a large tub, water it well, mix it and let it sit for a bit to get it wet evenly. Then I scoop it into the bottom of each jug 3 inches deep.

            I use a Sharpie permanent ink pen to write the seed names on the sides of the jug bottoms.

Seed planting

            Michelle counts out her seeds, planting them in grids of 4 x 4 or 5 x 5 per jug. Me, I tend to just scatter seeds. Once, I ended up with 200 in one jug. When crowded, seeds sprout but then don’t grow much, except for their roots, so they need transplanting much sooner.

            Some seeds, usually the tiny ones, need light to germinate so just sprinkling them and pressing them against the soil is good enough. Plant 1/8^th inch and larger seeds 1/8^th inch deep. Check seed packets or the internet for more specific information.

            After planting, force the top of the jug into the bottom. It’s Ok if the sides buckle. Remove the jug’s lid—more access for snow to get in.

Jug placement

            Find a safe, semi-shady spot where snow likes to drift. If you have only a sunny spot, you may have to water periodically. After sprouting, move jugs to a sunny location and remove the tops of the jugs on nice days.

Removing seedlings

            Good root growth holds the soil together in a jug like a giant peat brownie.

            Remove the top of the jug, stretch your fingers across and through the seedlings. Then tip over the container gently to let the brownie drop out onto your hand.

            Gently break the brownie apart, teasing out the individual seedlings for planting directly into the garden or into pots with more room. Be sure to gently shake off most of the potting soil before transplanting a seedling into the garden.

10th Annual Cheyenne Habitat Hero Workshop Feb. 3, 2024

10th Annual Cheyenne Habitat Hero Workshop

Feb. 3, 2024, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Laramie County Community College:

 “Ways to Make and Keep a Garden for the Birds and Bees Plus Advice on Trees”

          This year we look at how different people approached making a Habitat Hero-style garden and how they maintain it.
 We will introduce the makers of six local gardens who will be panelists for discussion on what works and doesn’t work:
Gary Kayser has created a meadow at the corner of 3rd and Carey avenues that drew the attention of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle photographer.
Eric Dalton has made Habitat Hero gardens at his home and his business, Bella Fuoco Wood Fired Pizza on Warren Avenue.
Nancy Loomis keeps the weeds at bay in the garden at the Laramie County Library.
Isaiah Smith, horticulture and operations supervisor at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens installed gravel garden beds in the parking lot last year.
Isaiah Smith and Jacob Mares prepared the Habitat Hero garden site at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and Barb Gorges keeps it weeded.
Rex Lockman, wildlife and range specialist for the Laramie County Conservation District, will report on the Native Prairie Island project, sowing seeds over new septic fields.

Lunch – Included in registration
Jacob Mares, Community Forestry coordinator for the Wyoming State Forestry Division, will introduce trees appropriate for water-wise Habitat Hero gardens.
Scott Aker, director of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, formerly in charge of horticulture and education at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., will show how to prune young trees to help protect them from wind, snow and ice damage. 
          To bring us an update on the size and scope of the Habitat Hero program, we will hear from Audubon Rockies staff.
         Finally, everyone’s favorite part–Michelle Bohanan has selected native seed for everyone to take home for winter sowing.

Registration for in-person attendance will be $25 and will include lunch. Registration for Zoom only will be $5. Registration information at: www.CheyenneAudubon.org/habitat-hero/

Or register directly at: https://act.audubon.org/a/make-keep-garden-birds-bees

Tankhouse Nursery

Tankhouse Nursery, the retail arm of Arbor Valley in Cheyenne, is a new business interested in publicly offering plants adapted to our local climate. Photo by Barb Gorges.

The new Tankhouse Nursery carries plants suited to Cheyenne

Published Friday, September 15, 2023, in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

By Barb Gorges

            Did you notice last summer the small forest that sprouted on the southeast corner of Interstates 80 and 25? By those old buildings, including one very long and low and another a square tower?

            Eventually I saw the sign advertising a wholesale tree nursery, Arbor Valley, at 521 Southwest Drive, just north of the Cheyenne Animal Shelter. Then this year an additional sign appeared: Tankhouse Nursery. The mysterious tower is in its logo.

            I stopped by a few weeks ago and met the manager, John Jacobs, who explained everything.

            Arbor Valley is a family-owned nursery business headquartered in Brighton, Colorado. Cheyenne marks its sixth expansion along the I-25 corridor. The Cheyenne owner is Ed Ernste of Monument Homebuilders. He saw the need for another nursery in town as the city goes through a growth spurt.

            The difference in the Cheyenne location is that in addition to selling trees and other plants to landscaping professionals, it is also open to the public as the Tankhouse Nursery.

            What the heck is a tankhouse? If you lived in western Nebraska or California at the turn of the last century, you would know that it was a house attached to a tower with a large water storage tank in it, filled by a windmill.

            The tankhouse at the crossroads of I-80 and I-25 was part of Stansbury Farms, a dairy for many years, John said. About three acres of the original farm is being used for setting up the small forest of trees for sale, as well as a nice display of shrubs, perennials, herbs and annuals.

            The barn, house and outbuildings in the shade of old cottonwoods have potential for making a garden center, a place to go for education and fun family events. John says they have plans for fall events and sales this year. Watch for information in your Valpak coupon packet that comes in the mail and through other media.

            September is a great month for planting perennial flowers, trees and shrubs here. From what John told me, his trees could be your best bet for several reasons.

You don’t have to drive out of town.

You can hire their staff to plant them, and even have a landscape plan drawn for you through their associated business, Bison Brand Landscapes.

The trees are varieties adapted to this part of the Mountain West, something the big box stores don’t seem to pay attention to.

Cheyenne might be a bit colder and windier than the Colorado Front Range cities, John admitted. But the learning curve will be shorter for Arbor Valley and Tankhouse Nursery since they are already using stock grown from local sources.

Did you know that two plants can have the same name, right down to the variety name, but where they grow will make one’s offspring more adapted to the conditions the parent is growing in than the same plant variety grown from seeds of a plant in different conditions?

So, a particular maple variety from Midwestern or Eastern stock may not be as successful here as the same kind grown from Rocky Mountain stock.

Arbor Valley grows all its own deciduous stock on the Front Range. However, its coniferous stock, though from local seed, grows the first couple of years in the Pacific Northwest.

Cheyenne is lucky to have a source for successful trees and shrubs that Arbor Valley and other area nurseries make use of. Our High Plains Arboretum is a well-known source for plant material adapted to our growing conditions: late spring heavy snows and cold, dry summers, hail, early snow and frost, dry winters – you name it. Every year seems to be a different mix of extremes.

Another advantage Arbor Valley/Tankhouse has is a couple thousand trees on site, plus knowledgeable staff like John, with years in the industry.

Although new to Cheyenne, the businesses jumped right in and recently became major sponsors of Rooted in Cheyenne, the people who are making planting street trees fun and economical. Rooted in Cheyenne, https://rootedincheyenne.com/, has a fall community planting date scheduled for Sept. 16. Volunteers and orders for trees are welcome.

See a popular column I wrote, “How to Plant a Tree in Cheyenne, Wyoming,” at www.CheyenneGardenGossip.wordpress.com.

Be sure to water your new trees, shrubs and other perennials enough the first year, even in winter, and they will have the best chance of survival.

Don’t forget your old trees. Make sure they are pruned right so snow-laden branches don’t droop onto utility lines or roofs.

Master Gardener Garden Walk

Master Gardener Garden Walk showcases different kinds of Cheyenne gardens

Published in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle July 14, 2023.

Text and photos by Barb Gorges

“A Garden for Everyone” is the theme for this year’s Laramie County Master Gardener Garden Walk. The five gardens range from the modest to more extravagant, native to ornamental, formal to the free-spirited. And they all prove that flowers and vegetables can be grown in Cheyenne in profusion. But you might want to copy the ideas for hail guards for your vegetables.

The gardeners will be on hand to visit with you about their gardens on July 16, 1 – 5 p.m. There are no admission fees; however, donations are welcome.

Each garden will also feature an artist or musician: Salli Halpern, fused glass; Garden of Ellis Creations, whimsical found art; Nancy McKenzie, mandolin; Susie Heller, metalsmith; and Barbara Wolf, watercolors and pastels.

Here are this year’s locations:

821 Maryland Court, Rex and Deb Ellis

616 Shaun Ave., Melinda and Ernie Brazzale

432 W. 7^th Ave., Luana Lahti

317 W. 7^th Ave., Jennifer Wolfe

2200 Pioneer Ave., parking lot, Laramie County Library Pollinator Habitat

When visiting Rex and Deb Ellis’s garden, look for hidden treasures like this fantasy water source Deb built from old irrigation pipe, plus interesting stonework. A curving path leads from the patio to the vegetable and perennial gardens.

Ernie Brazzale has designed a vertical system for growing beans, cucumbers and squash together with hail protection. His wife Melinda takes care of the flowers and has created a patio garden by the front door.

Luana Lahti’s gardens abound with surprises, such as a nearly hidden pond in the front yard and another in the back. Gateways lead to more adventures and surprises like Luana’s tropical plants outside for the summer.

Jennifer Wolfe has adapted the traditional cottage garden border for our climate. It runs along her driveway and is full of interesting plants. Another exuberant border awaits visitors in the backyard.

Collecting runoff from the parking lot, the Laramie County Library Pollinator Garden can support native wetland plants at the bottom and native dryland plants along its rim. Seeds from this garden are available through the Seed Library located in the library.

Blank slate garden opportunity

Rockwork can add interest to a garden or actually be the garden. This is the Crevice Garden outside the door to the Cheyenne Botanic Garden’s Grand Conservatory. Photo by Barb Gorges.

Published in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle May 19, 2023, Page A9, “Blank slate gives gardener myriad of opportunities”

Blank slate gives gardener myriad opportunities

By Barb Gorges

            Imagine this: a blank slate, a flat 12 by 40 feet of nearly bare dirt.

The dirt looks good, nearly weed-free. One long side is backed by concrete block wall painted black, so almost any plant by it will look good. A sidewalk edges the other long side and is backed by a red brick garage wall.

I’m a little jealous that Kim Parfitt has all that empty space without having to dig up lawn. I could fill that up in no time with one trip to a good nursery.

In fact, the Cheyenne Habitat Hero Committee is about to do that very thing as an extension to the Habitat Hero garden by the flagpole at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens. The extension’s outer perimeter is a 30-foot-long curve and figuring the square footage is beyond my geometry skills. But I think 72 new plants should do it.

Kim has something more interesting in mind. She wants some topography. She likes the crevice garden at the entrance to the CBG’s Grand Conservatory. Good news is that she has a wide gate between the garden and alley for delivery of large rocks, and probably a cubic yard or two of extra dirt she can haul from Cheyenne’s compost facility with her husband’s pickup. Shrubs can also offer some diversity in height.

Kim’s thinking about a groundcover, maybe clover, for a path for the dogs to wind through the topography. Unless it’s mowed to keep it from flowering, the bees attracted to clover might make it hazardous to walk barefoot, paws included. The compost facility has lots of wood chips for path making.

The very first step (which I have never taken, so my home garden looks like a patched crazy quilt) is to get out the graph paper and measure and draw the garden boundaries.

The next step is to figure out where the water faucet is and how to get water to potential plantings. The former owners of Kim’s house had set up plastic pipe along the black wall with four or five sprinkler heads to water the grass that used to be there, plus some drip irrigation tubing for a raised vegetable bed in the far corner.

My suggestion is to scrap all the old irrigation. It’s better to have soaker hoses running along the surface of the garden than to have the plants sprayed with water. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses mean less wasted water. Designing a system needs to go hand in hand with deciding where the plants and paths are going to be. There are people who design watering systems as a profession.

At the same time, Kim needs to think about what plants she is planting. With her experience teaching high school AP classes in environmental science, I’m guessing she’s thinking about native plants. But she might mix in some of her favorites and discover some water-wise exotic beauties among the natives from Plant Select offered at area nurseries and mail order from High Country Gardens.

The trick is to sort the plants by their needs. The ones that need the least water (after they’ve had plenty to get started) can be at the far end of the yard since Kim said the water pressure is poor that far from the faucet.

Identifying sunny and shady areas is important too. I’ve grown Rocky Mountain penstemon in the shade for 30 years and it blooms but then flops over. I moved some to a sunny location and it’s become a vigorous, bushy plant.

When Kim first described her new garden area, she said she needed to get it rototilled. But that’s no longer a given these days, even for vegetable gardening. If your vegetables need soil amendments, add them to the top couple of inches. There’s a whole community of helpful little soil microbes that die when you dig too much. Also, disturbing soil exposes weed seeds that use sunlight to germinate and then you’ll have more weeding to do.

I suggested to Kim when she’s buying perennial plants, pick smaller ones, in 2.5-inch pots instead of 1-gallon pots. After you gently shake the potting soil off the roots, you only need to slice open the soil with your shovel and insert them. The roots quickly reach out, whereas if you plunk in the whole root ball, potting soil included, the roots just circle around and around in that “cotton candy.”

This year, planting a few easy-peasy annuals can be instant gratification while the perennials get established. The first year, perennials sleep, says the old axiom. The next year they creep and it’s the third year they leap!

Turf is so last century

Native plants are showcased at the Laramie County Library Pollinator Habitat. Photo by Jeff Geyer.

Published April 21, 2023, in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

Turf is so last century, especially if there is no water for it

By Barb Gorges

            Walking the puppy every day gives me time to contemplate my neighborhood’s lawns as they recover from winter. And the puppy introduces me to neighbors who sometimes tell me their lawn woes.

            Of the 200 homes in our subdivision, it seems like most have dead spots in their bluegrass lawns (only a few are not bluegrass). One neighbor, let’s call her Debbie, said she did everything as usual last year, fertilizing according to instructions in May and September, watering three times a week for 20 minutes per zone, mowing every six or seven days. And still, dead areas adjacent to the sidewalk increased in size.

            Last year was dry. People who did not water killed their grass, leaving behind gritty dirt soon infested with drought-resistant weeds. The rest of us, without rainfall to make up for dry spots in our irrigation patterns or hotter spots next to the sidewalk, started to see problems like Debbie’s.

            I sent a photo of Debbie’s bare area to Catherine Wissner, Laramie County Extension horticulturist, asking for advice.

            “For starters, they are mowing their lawn way too short,” Catherine responded.

Grass needs to shade itself. If it isn’t a putting green, set your mower blade as high as it goes.

            Next, Catherine recommended reseeding. But first, do some core aeration and treat the area with Revive. This product improves the soil’s ability to take in water and nutrients. She said to look at our local nursery, Riverbend, or JAX, a chain headquartered on the Front Range, for high quality grass seed meant for our area.

            Don’t throw on any fertilizer until the grass starts growing. And because it will need extra water to get started, get the Cheyenne Board of Public Utility’s “New Lawn Permit” at www.cheyennebopu.org. It’s free.

But what about going native instead?

            If your bluegrass lawn has died, now is your chance to replace it with native grass and or other native plants. I spent many hours digging up part of my healthy front lawn last fall to expand my native plant garden.

            Native plants are the hot topic in every garden publication these days. Native plants support native animals, including insects, that are beneficial to us directly and indirectly. They are also adapted to the climate they are native to, so in our area, that means they need less water. Bluegrass is not native to our high and dry prairies.

Water shortages may be coming

            Growing a bluegrass lawn these days in our location is an outdated concept. Here in Cheyenne, we have even more reason to establish less water-thirsty landscapes: the Colorado River problem. Through a series of tunnels and agreements, 70 percent of our city water comes from that river, and it is suffering due to drought. We have junior water rights compared to other states, so it is quite possible we could lose that water.

            BOPU estimates that 30% of Cheyenne’s water is used to water our landscapes. So if we retrofit our yards now, maybe we won’t have an entirely dead moonscape when we are cut off from Colorado River water.

Retrofitting our yards

            We need only look at the High Plains Arboretum on the west edge of Cheyenne to see that there are trees and shrubs that survived 50 years with rainfall and snowmelt alone.

            There are people growing buffalo grass instead of bluegrass and saving money and time (see https://cheyennegardengossip.wordpress.com/).

            There are several demonstration gardens in town full of waterwise perennials. The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens features the crevice garden, Habitat Hero garden and the new Plant Select gravel garden beds out front and more in back. The Pollinator Habitat in the corner of the Laramie County Library parking lot is all local native plants.

            For information about growing a native plant garden in the Cheyenne area, see https://cheyenneaudubon.org/habitat-hero-resources/.

To find native plants for sale, check the Laramie County Master Gardeners plant sale May 6 out at the Archer Complex. See the High Plains Environmental Center’s nursery offerings online at https://suburbitat.org/, order, then pick up your plants in Loveland, Colorado, only 50 miles away. Order or collect seeds next fall. Once you become familiar with the easiest-to-grow natives, you might recognize a few of them at the big box stores. 

            Yes, there is a little work to native plants. You still need to match the right plant with the right place and water it the first year. In late April or early May, you’ll want to cut back the dead stems of last year’s growth. It sure beats the costs of lawn maintenance in time and money. And you get flowers. And bees and birds and butterflies and maybe even bats.

Garden rooms

The layout of Lois and Dan Prickett’s backyard garden uses the “room” concept, giving it a sense of intrigue. Photo by Barb Gorges.

Grow your garden room by room

Published March 17, 2023, in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle

By Barb Gorges

            Last summer, Lois and Dan Prickett invited her fellow Master Gardeners over to tour their garden, which was 25 years in the making. I volunteered to stay out front to welcome visitors while they chatted with people in the backyard.

            Much of the small front yard was devoted to a berm with a wonderful show of native flowers for pollinators. But when I finally got around to the back…oh my gosh!

            Yes, it is bigger than the average backyard for the central part of Cheyenne, but it was the multiple horizons that made me want to follow the flagstone path to the points of interest in the distance.

            Now, in bleak late winter, while sitting at their table, Dan explained to me the “room” concept he and Lois have implemented. He saw a TV show about it years ago.

Instead of one lawn area with shrubs and flower borders around it, the yard has been subtly divided into rooms. But each area is not square or entirely walled in – it just has enough trees, shrubs and tall flowers marking its boundaries to keep you from seeing everything all at once.

Each section offers a peek to pique your interest. And yes, there is still some lawn.

            Some of the highlights include fountain and pond in the far corner, gazebo, garden shed/greenhouse, dead tree, patio, and flagstone paths and retaining walls.

            Dan was trying to remember how many tons of flagstone they ordered. Many pallets were delivered. But now plants curl around the edges and they look like they’ve been there forever.

            However, this spring, some of those flagstones will have to be pried up. Lois and Dan will be installing drip irrigation and sprinklers with timers because they want to travel, and no family members are available to water.

            Previously, Dan had a system for getting each area watered about twice a week by moving a sprinkler around. Lois got him a timer so he would have a reminder for moving the hose and wouldn’t accidentally leave the water on all night.

            A shirttail relation, recently trained in designing residential irrigation systems, will be helping the Pricketts plan the placement of the lines and the size of the emitters. But there will undoubtably be rocks in the way needing to be moved temporarily.

            Lois told me she wishes she’d taken the Master Gardener training 25 years ago, when they first started working on the backyard, instead of waiting until retirement. They might have planned a little better and saved themselves some extra work.

            The other advantage to the training is understanding where to plant which plant. Back where she grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, “You stick stuff in the ground and it grows,” said Lois. But here, she lamented, “Things lay down and die.”

Master Gardeners trained her to analyze information to choose the best plants for her location to improve her rate of success and save money.

            At this point in her life, Lois is looking for more perennials – food, as well as flowers, like her iris bed and butterfly garden, so she won’t have so much to plant each year. She and Dan already have fruit trees and shrubs, grapes and rhubarb. The new asparagus patch is coming along. Next on the list, horseradish.

            A long time ago Lois discovered the efficiency of tulips reblooming year after year and said she has planted them heavily in the backyard. There are so many that every May she was always able to cut a big bouquet for her office for National Nurses Week and you couldn’t tell any were missing. However, a few years ago, voles got in and ate quite a few bulbs, and she’s been replanting each year since.

            By chatting with Lois and Dan the last day of February, I thought I might get some tips on their early garden preparations, like seed starting. But Lois said she’s just getting into that. She usually relies on the Master Gardener plant sale for tomato and pepper plants. This year, it is May 6, out at the Archer Events Center. Next year, their garden shed/greenhouse should be ready for some seed starting.

            March is a good time to start some greens in a cold frame, or tomatoes under LED grow lights. I have lots of information from local gardeners at my website https://cheyennegardengossip.wordpress.com/, or in my book, “Cheyenne Garden Gossip,” available at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and other local gift shops or online.

            Just remember, Cheyenne’s average last day of frost is around May 25, but you should be ready to protect your tender plants from frosty nights as late as the first week in June.

Garden tours

Booyong Kim’s radial garden grows food in and out of the marked beds. Photo by Barb Gorges.

Summer tours show wide variety of garden interests

By Barb Gorges

            Within the space of a week in mid-July, I went on seven garden tours—no, nothing like my week in Vancouver, British Columbia, with Road Scholar. Just Wyoming gardens.

            The first was Piney Island Native Plants at Sheridan College, owned by Alisha Bretzman. The greenhouse full of exuberant plants uses an evaporative wall and was cooler than the 102 degrees outside. The plant list on Alisha’s website is pretty much my wish list and she is willing to ship.

            The next day tromping around in the flower-filled Bighorns was another form of garden tour. Then Mark and I met up with our old friends Michelle and Bill to walk around Kendrick Arboretum adjacent to Trail End, the house Governor/Senator Kendrick finished building in 1913. He planted a specimen of each of as many Wyoming native trees as he could. In 2013, the area became a designated arboretum, a garden of trees, and more have been planted since.

            We visited friends Dusty and Jacelyn on their family’s ranch in the Black Hills and they gave us a tour of scenic spots. The ponderosa pine forest, my favorite, is very open and garden-like.

            Outside Douglas, my friend Jean took me to see her pollinator garden. Some of it comes from the free seed packets given out by the Converse County Conservation District. It’s a different mix from our conservation district. She also lamented how difficult it was to grow fruit trees, even though she is 1,200 feet lower in elevation than us. Those deer are so sneaky.

            Back home, Laramie County Master Gardeners met at a member’s garden to enjoy the results of her hard work. Jutta Arkan’s perennial garden beds are even more full and colorful than last year. Bees were busy and a hummingbird stopped by, even though her garden is an island on the prairie.

            Earlier in the day, Carol Creswell gave me a tour of her garden. She lives about 10 blocks from me. She and her husband have lived in the same house for 54 years. However, the house is not the same now—it has grown, filling the lot nearly to the mandatory setback from the property boundaries. Every remaining square inch is landscaped with timbers, rocks, pavers, shrubs, trees and flowers. There’s no lawn, but I think I spotted an ornamental grass or two. There’s a vignette around every corner. And so many corners to explore. The best is seen from the covered patio, but I like the view from the front sidewalk too.

            Carol is never satisfied. There’s always some improvement she can imagine. The week I visited it was the reconstruction of the waterfall so that it won’t leak. Next is installing drip irrigation. She’s been hand watering everything this dry summer. And then there’s the two-story atrium where Carol’s houseplants can stretch out in indoor sunshine.

            Booyong Kim’s house also has a two-story atrium. It’s where her friends send their plants when they outgrow ordinary house spaces.

            If you frequent the winter farmers market at the depot or the one on Tuesday afternoons in the summer outside the east end of the mall, you’ve seen her selling kimchee, potstickers and other delicious food. In the fall she will be teaching Korean cooking classes on Saturdays through Laramie County Community College’s non-credit Life Enrichment classes listed in their Outreach and Workforce Development catalog.

            Booyong’s description of her garden philosophy is intriguing, and months ago she agreed to my visiting this summer.

            First, her garden is shaped by a gently curved retaining wall on one side which is echoed in reverse on the other side, forming the tapered shape of an eye. Where the iris would be there are eight pie-shaped beds radiating, delineated by boards (her husband tackled the weird angles), with pathways between them. The very center is like the pupil, a round bed marked by bricks.

            The whites of the eye are rather free-form, filled with various flowers, some volunteers. The radiating beds, however, are under more intense cultivation: vegetables and herbs. Booyong’s mother, visiting from Korea this summer, is hard at work, but comes over to greet me. She is the reason the vegetables are identified with hand-painted signs in both English and Korean.

             Some of Booyong’s treasured plants grow in the walkways between the beds. The pigweed tidy gardeners would pull out or try to avoid by using weed-barrier cloth, are actually edible, with high nutrition values.

            While Booyong is still trying to decide what is special enough to plant in the very center, the pupil, she went ahead this year with an experiment: plowing a patch of prairie next to the house to grow row crops. Friends Rusty Brinkman and Vally Gollogly helped her plant two long rows of garlic that she was about to harvest. She uses it a lot in her dishes. Her other vegetables looked good, however, she said, the carrots were a bust.

            It’s been a tough year so far for our landscape and garden plants. But the growing season isn’t over yet.