1. Alternatives to lawns, ie groundcovers, gardens (23 votes)

2. Ponds and waterfalls (14 votes)

3. Lawn care 101 (13th votes)

If you have a class idea, or just want to vote on ideas already suggested, head on over to vote.timberlinegardens.com to cast your votes today!

Thank you for taking part in our little experiment, we’re looking forward to offering more of the classes you want this season.

And remember, the 3 top-voted classes will be automatically placed on this season’s class schedule, so make sure to keep an eye on the class list so you know which classes are coming up and when.

Did you know that when you decorate with fresh greens during the holiday season you are carrying on traditions that began centuries ago?

In ancient times, evergreens were a symbol of rebirth. Greenery was brought into the home at the winter solstice to brighten up long, dark days and instill a hope of new life to come.

Its no known when the tradition of bringing a tree into the home and decorating it began. However, min the 16th Century, Germans decorated a Paradise Tree. It is believed that the decorating of a Christmas tree evolved from that practice. In 1700, German immigrants brought the tradition to the United States. It really caught on and became popular in the 1850′s.

The circular evergreen wreath represents eternity. Its green color symbolizes new life and hope. The American tradition of hanging a wreath on the door is a gesture of friendship and welcome.

Decorating with garlands was brought to the United States by European settlers. Greens were gathered, twined together and decorated with seeds, berries, pods and other gifts of nature.

At Timberline, we offer the freshest of greens including fresh cut trees, garlands, holly, wreaths and swags. We also have one-of-a-kind ornaments to decorate your greenery. So, whether you hang an already-decorated wreath or design your own in one of our classes, know that you are continuing the centuries-old custom of welcome friends and family into your home.

If you’re interested in making a swag of your own, check out my Holiday Swag class listing at this link. Happy Holidays!

For two weekends every year around Christmas time, we have a holiday open house and you’re invited!

It’s a merry smorgasbord of craftmakers, garden book authors, Santa, Christmas trees, hot cider, homemade cookies and holiday cheer. We also have a few holiday classes, you can find out more about them here.

This year, we’re excited to welcome a host of hand-craftsmen to celebrate the season with us. They include:

• Mary Maguire of FlowerWorks Botanicals
• Karen Hataaja and her hand-painted ornaments
• Mary Lilja with her wonderful soaps
• Dede Kipper and her enchanting jewelry
• Chad Griffin and his hand-made stained glass

On Saturday Dec. 5 from 10am-noon you’ll also have a chance to meet and speak with your favorite garden book authors. Authors like:

• Marcia Tatroe
• Gwen Kelaidis
• and more!

If nothing else, bring your kids to see Santa at Timberline this year. Something about the wonderful scent of fresh Christmas trees brings out the holiday spirit in everyone. And our petting zoo is not to be missed.

There’s something for everyone at the holiday open house, we hope to see you there!

For example, trees are dormant from fall through winter. While dormant, they are “unaware” of being transplanted from the nursery to the garden. When transplanted in the spring or summer when they have leaves, they easily go into shock. Leaving the nursery with their delicate leaves and going down the highway in the back of a truck can be very traumatic for a tree. Why not move it while it’s asleep and avoid all that stress? A tree that goes through transplant shock can take a year or more to recover and resume its normal growth cycle.

My acre and a third garden is the home of many, many trees. Honestly, I have to say that I’ve never lost any that have been planted in the fall. For this same reason, I prefer to plant shrubs in the fall too.

Keep in mind that trees and shrubs planted in the fall haven’t developed their new root system yet so, watering occasionally through the fall and winter is very important. You know how dry our winters can be. Check the root ball for moisture every few weeks or when we get a warm spell and help out Mother Nature. No fertilizer is necessary until growth resumes in the spring. Fast growing and fruiting trees will need more fertilizer than slow growing, low-water trees and shrubs.

Another great reason to plant in the fall are the great deals that you can find in nurseries as they are trying to reduce their inventory before winter. Think of how much money you can save especially if you are starting a new landscape!

UPDATE:

Based on some customer questions I’ve received at the garden center, I thought I might add a few tips for fall/winter planting.

After amending the soil you’re planting in, make sure not to drop a bunch of dirt clods back into the hole, because when they stack up, it creates air pockets. You really want to have workable soil, so when the roots branch out in the hole, they are hitting soil, not air pockets. This is why you shouldn’t tamp down the soil after planting anything. You don’t want to stomp on it and make it solid, the roots won’t grow. If anybody else has any questions for me, leave them in the comments or send us an email via the contact us form here

Cactus mother plants in the Timberline Gardens Cactus House.

Having grown up in Colorado it’s easy to take for granted the native beauty (the aesthetic) of the plains and foothills. The native flora is a beautiful tapestry of grasses, succulents and shrubs. They are intertwined in an amazing matrix that we water-conscious gardeners can only hope to mimic. I find that folks who move here from other (moister) climates either love this aesthetic or hate it and want their ferns and rhododendrons instead.

Among my favorite native plants are the cacti, yuccas and agave. In June and July these desert succulents have an explosion of flowers in amazing colors. We’ve been working hard at Timberline to bring you the best and hardiest of these wonderful desert plants.

Besides the floral display, each of these plants has a unique foliage or spine color and texture. Some cacti are woolly with spines some are nude. They contrast so beautifully with the fine textured leaves of the Harimann’s Yucca and the broad blue leaves of the Mezcal Agave.

Other desert plants like the soft-plumed Mexican Feather Grass provide a softening contrast to the edgy cacti. Our favorite desert shrub Manzanita has rich green leaves every month of the year. It’s the ideal shrub in really harsh locations where other shrubs have failed.

Typical landscapes in our area are lacking in evergreen or winter interest. With this pallet of plants the garden can look just as beautiful in the winter as in the summer.

Ground covers that complement cacti, yuccas and agave include sedums, iceplants and sempervivums. Iceplants are a blaze of color from April through August depending upon species. Bulbs like species tulips are fantastic to plant in the succulent groundcovers for extra-early flower color.

If you want a super-low water garden, consider using desert succulents. Not only is this type of arrangement beautiful but low in maintenance and only used about 10% of the water of a traditional garden. As the succulents, cacti and ground covers meld and flow together the effect can be magical.

Right now at Timberline Gardens, the desert cacti, agave, yuccas and ground covers are 20-30% off. It’s a GREAT time to plant them! Watch our spring class schedule for classes about growing desert plants and check out Kelly’s website for more information www.ColdHardyCactus.com.

We often get customers who don’t know anything about planting bulbs. So this is our little guide on the subject.

Timberline is a great place to get a wide selection of bulbs and we’re always happy to answer customer’s questions.

So what are bulbs?

Bulbs are sort of a self-containing all-in-one plant. They contain the complete life cycle of the plant inside, providing built-in nutrients throughout the growing process. Most bulbs are perennials planted in the fall and bloom in the spring..

Now, many people think this might be a little odd. “Why plant in the fall to bloom in the spring?” Simply put, spring-blooming bulbs need a long period of cool temperatures to spark the growing process. The time-length between fall and spring gives these bulbs enough time to do that.

While it is still a little early for buying bulbs, now is the best time to shop for best selection. Bulbs can be held in a cool, dark location for a few more weeks until the soil cools down a little bit more…or if you are planting on the north side, you can probably get a jump on it and start planting right now.

“Ok, I’m armed with information, how do I choose the best bulbs for me?”

Picking out healthy bulbs is easy. You’ll want to avoid the ones that seem dry, withered or spongy. The bulbs should be firm. Generally speaking, the larger the bulb is, the more flowers you’ll get out of them.

How do I plant these?

You should take a few things into consideration before planting:

♦ Balance the soil

Balancing the pH in your soil is important, especially here in Colorado. We recommend amending your existing soil before planting anything. Using something like compost or other soil amendment will get your pH balance evened out. In addition to an amendment, you can’t go wrong with adding bulb food or bone meal into the mix. Both of these provide important nutrients allowing for brighter blooms and healthier plants.

♦ Pick a location

Most bulbs thrive in full sun. But partially shady locations can work fine too.

I’ve got my pH balanced and food in hand, let’s do this thing!

♦ Start by digging the holes

Often it’s a better deal to buy multiples or bags of bulbs rather than individually, so when planting keep in mind that you may have a dozen or more to plant. This makes designing a color palate for your spring garden a lot of fun.

Plant your bulbs in rows for great border color or in groups for masses of color. We carry several different types of tools to help with your bulb planting, including augurs you can use on your power drill for easy “digging.”

Be sure to plant your bulbs a little bit deeper than recommended on the package. Here in Colorado we often get extended periods of very warm days in mid-to-late winter, which can cause the bulbs to come out of dormancy too soon and then they can be damaged by the deep cold that will inevitably recur.

We also carry mostly mid and late seasons tulips so the late snows we can sometimes get doesn’t damage them. The early daffodils, scilla, crocus and other very early varieties tend not to suffer nearly as much as the tulips and bounce back nicely.

♦ Add a little amended/fertilized soil back

It’s best to give the bulb a little basis, so add a thin layer of amended/fertilized soil back into the hole for your bulb to sit on.

♦ Make sure they are pointed the right way

The pointy end of the bulb is the stem. You’ll want to plant bulbs with this point toward the surface. If, for some reason, it’s hard to tell which side the stem is on, don’t fret. The stem will find a way to make it to the surface.

♦ Finish up

After placing your bulbs at the prescribed or slightly-deeper-than-prescribed depth, cover them over with the remaining amended soil and water them in. That’s it.

If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to talk to one of our staff members, we’re always happy to help. In addition to the planting help on the bulb packages, there are also a myriad of online resources to help you solve planting problems.

We hope this information will get you started with planting bulbs and giving your garden a good colorful boost. Make sure to check back on the blog in a couple of weeks, where we’ll be listing some foolproof combinations and design ideas for planting bulbs. In the meantime, however, come on in and see us!

If you’re looking for a great deal on a wide variety of perennial plants, this is the best place to pick some up on the cheap. The jumble table selection gets replenished every day, so make sure to check back often.

The “jumbles” are anything from overstock to plants with lost tags, plants that are healthy but just need a good home and a little TLC. They generally cost just $1 each, though larger ones may run in the $2-$3 range, which is still a bargain.

The table will be stocked daily throughout the end of the season, so make sure to come check it out regularly. We’ve developed quite the crowd of jumble-table regulars over the years, and there’s a good reason why!

The containers I create for Timberline are unique. NO two are alike. For that baking-hot location select a container with bold sizzling colors. Or, cool off in your shade garden with a container highlighted with house plants. Before frost, bring those house plants indoors and get more bargain for your buck.

For the ultimate, consider a hardy succulent container garden. These gems are one-of-a-kind eye catchers and easy to maintain. It will be the highlight of your patio or garden.

Entertaining on the Fourth? Check out Timberline’s red, white and blue plantings to add living fireworks to your celebration! Remember, you can always design your own container from our wide plant selection.

Some red, white and blue plant suggestions:

Red: Geraniums, petunias
White: Geraniums, pentunias, marguerite daisies, bacopa
Blue: Amogalis, salvia, lobelics