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Gardening: Going back to your roots |
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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Thursday, 29 March 2007 |
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 There’s something nostalgic going on in the garden. For generations people have worked the earth. Now that it’s spring, as sure as the shining sun, gardeners will grab their gloves and spades and head outside in the coming months.
“Fort Collins is filled with plant savvy people, garden lovers and plant lovers,” said Robyn Dolgin,  horticulture program coordinator at The Gardens on Spring Creek. The Gardens on Spring Creek is a botanic garden operated by the city of Fort Collins and focused on the community.
There’s something familiar, yet fresh, pure and gratifying when it comes to gardening. And this year, it’s all about going back to the roots, origins and natural methods.
Dolgin said there is a renewed interest in heirloom plants.
“The flavor of heirloom vegetables can be incredibly delicious and incomparable,” Dolgin, 51, said.
Heirloom vegetables are old varieties where the seeds can be saved and replanted the following year, according to the Home and Garden Television Web site.
However, heirloom vegetables are sometimes more susceptible to disease compared to hybrids. Hybrids — for all you non-gardeners — are plants that have been bred for certain desirable characters such as disease resistance. They tend to offer more consistency in shape, size and color.
Maggie Kunze, marketing director at Fort Collins Nursery, 2121 E. Mulberry, said heirloom tomatoes are particularly popular.
“Old is new again,” the 51-year-old said.
For people who want something unusual, the Fort Collins Nursery has a citrus plant which has navel oranges, Valencia oranges, mandarin oranges, limes and lemon all on the same tree. This is accomplished through grafting, meaning the tissues of one plant are encouraged to fuse with those of another plant. Word of caution though — grafted plants usually require more care. The average gardener is more apt to stick with the regular fruits and veggies.
Mundy Miller, 36, of Fort Collins, is one of many in the area with a green thumb.
“I plant anything and everything— anything I can get my hands on,” Miller said
Miller is the garden center manager at Bath Nursery and Garden Center, 2000 E. Prospect in Fort Collins.
This year, the center is largely focused on organic growing with shelves of organic lawn treatments and organic solutions for bugs, pests and diseases.
Miller said while the store has always carried organic products, this year they’ve found even more options and brands.
“Organic gardening is getting bigger and bigger,” she said. “People care about what they are eating.”
Chemical alternatives are better for the environment and safer to use around kids and pets.
“My dog eats everything and if it eats the organic fertilizer, it will be fine,” she said.
Phil Phelan, general manager of Bath Nursery and Garden Center has turned his yard completely organic and has been amazed with the results. Last week he shared some organic gardening tips in a class at Salud Cooking and Lifestyle School at Whole Foods Market.
Even with more than 15 years of experience in the garden industry, Phelan said a lot of times it comes down to trial and error.
“I’ve learned enough to know I don’t know much about plants,” the expert said. “They can prove you wrong and they will.”
SILLY SALLY SELLS SEA SHELLS
Apparently living in a land-locked state makes gardeners yearn for the sea.
Annie Lucke, buyer for Bath Nursery and Garden Center, said the sea shore and beach motif is a growing trend for lawn and garden ornaments.
“It’s strange for Colorado, but there’s a lot of blues and sea shells,” said the 30-year-old from Fort Collins.
FROM SNOW TO GROW
“People are more gung-ho to get out and garden,” said Robyn Dolgin, horticulture program coordinator at the Gardens on Spring Creek. “People had more extreme cases of cabin fever and are really ready to go start working the soil.”
With all the snow, Dolgin said the ground could be more moist this year. Also, the soil textures and quality might be in better shape because the blankets of snow protected against harsh winds and erosion.
However, the blizzard conditions may have contributed to some other problems. Maggie Kunze, marketing director for Fort Collins Nursery said we do not typically have snow stay on the ground as long as it did this past winter.
“We are seeing a lot of snow mold in the grass,” she said.
The way to get rid of snow mold is to rake the affected area and let it dry out. In more severe cases, you may need to lay more grass seed, but the damage caused by snow mold is seldom serious.
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CLASSES: Savor the knowledge
Designing the Year-round Garden. 7-9 p.m. April 10, 17, 24 and May 1 at The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 S. Centre Ave., Fort Collins. Fee is $75 for members and $80 for non-members. Call 416.2280.
The Best Approaches to Vegetable Gardening. Noon-1 p.m. April 11 at The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 S. Centre Ave., Fort Collins. For information call 416.2280.
Growing Your Garden Organically. Noon April 21 at Bath Garden Center and Nursery, 2000 E. Prospect Road, Fort Collins. Free. Call 484.5022 to register. For more classes at Bath visit www.bathgardencenter.com.
Sweet Savory Spring Plant Sale. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. April 28 at The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 S. Centre Ave., Fort Collins. For information call 416.2280.
Fourth Annual Garden Expo. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. April 28 at The Fossil Creek Nursery, 7029 S. College Ave., Fort Collins. Classes also offered at the nursery, call 226.4924 or visit www.fossilcreeknursery.com.
Second Annual Spring Open House and Plant Exchange. 4-6 p.m. May 5 at Come Back To The Table, 725 E. Mulberry St., Fort Collins. For more information call 407.8828.
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 JUST A TAD DIFFERENT
A quick trip to Whole Foods Market in Fort Collins revealed some produce we though was interesting. Here’s NEXTnc’s shopping list:
Canary melon
A large colorful melon that’s a bright yellow on the outside and a pale green or white inside. Look for ones that are firm, but slightly soft near the stem end.
Blood orange
A type of orange with a crimson colored flesh.
Pomelo
A large citrus fruit usually a pale green or yellow when ripe. Pomelos have a sweet flesh and thick spongy rind and are the grandparents of grapefruits.
Belgian endive
A cone-shaped white or yellow plant resembling a small ear of corn.
Broccolini
A green vegetable resembling broccoli. It’s a natural hybrid of the cabbage family Brassica oleracea, a cross between broccoli and Chinese Kale, a green vegetable resembling broccoli.
Finger potatoes
A small narrow potato, that is actually a very young tuber. Finger potatoes, like other potatoes, can be baked, boiled, fried, grilled, roasted, steamed or sautéed. | Only registered users can write comments.
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