Start now while it’s still summer, pull and spray weeds as much as possible. And if nothing else, at least remove the seed heads to prevent seeds from spreading. In October, and again in late February, the application of a pre-emergent herbicide such as organic-friendly Corn Gluten or Amaze will prevent the majority of existing weed seeds from germinating next spring.

By doing this every year, you can virtually eliminate your weed problem.

If you can reduce harsh herbicides in your garden, you will also improve the health of the environment and your landscaped plants. By minimizing strong sprays like 2,4-D and related compounds, the soil microbes, the earthworms and your woody plants will be much healthier overall.

On the other hand, glyphosate-type chemicals like Roundup or Killzall are very useful in the landscape and are less contaminating to the soil than most other broad-leaf weed killers. We sell Killzall in several size bottles in a variety of concentrates.

We also carry grass-specific herbicides that can be used in the ornamental garden to control grass that would be too difficult to remove by digging in and around your other plants. To find out more, give us a call at (303) 420-4060 to talk to a staff member.

If you’re looking for detailed information on noxious weeds in Colorado, you can access the list on the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s website. They’ve got a PDF document with the full noxious weed list, as well as pictures you can use to identify them. It’s a fantastic resource.

Good luck with your weed prevention.

From low creepers to the very tall, Xeric, to shade, there are many varieties and colors of blooms that will brighten up your hot summer garden. Many bloom for a couple of months and others will go until frost. Xeric plants love the heat and will show you their true colors. Those needing more moisture we call garden perennials. Planting any of these will surely add a pleasant burst of color to any garden.

Please don’t hesitate to call us at (303) 420-4060, we’ll do our best to help you answer any questions you might have.

Also, as of August 1st, 2010, all of these perennials will be on sale for Buy 2 Get the 3rd Free, so hurry in for the best selection.

From short-to-tall, here are some examples that we carry. Click the small images for a larger view.

Xeric Plant Examples
	Variety	Colors
Click to enlarge	delosperma (ice plants)	Pinks, whites, magentas
Click to enlarge	cotula	Round yellow buttons
Click to enlarge	sedum	Yellow, pink, white and burgundy
Click to enlarge	snapdragons	Apricots, yellows and rose
Click to enlarge	agastache	Apricots, peach, lavenders, raspberries
Click to enlarge	hollyhocks	Whites, reds, pinks, deep purples
Click to enlarge	gaillardia/blanket flower	Reds, golds and lavenders
Click to enlarge	penstemons	Pinks, blues and purples
Click to enlarge	verbena	Reds, yellows and lavenders
Garden Perennial Examples
	Variety	Colors
Click to enlarge	thyme (blooming)	Whites, lavenders
Click to enlarge	daylilies	Apricots, golds, oranges and pinks
Click to enlarge	geraniums	Lavenders, blues and rose
Click to enlarge	shasta daisies	Whites, pale yellows
Click to enlarge	balloon flower	Whites, blues
Click to enlarge	heliopsis	Deep golds, yellows
Click to enlarge	solidago	Golden red
Click to enlarge	tall phlox	Hot pinks, rose and whites
Click to enlarge	scabiosa	Lavenders, pinks
Click to enlarge	veronica	Lavenders, blues

The key to crack-free tomatoes is consistency of watering. I like to hard water my tomato plants in the evenings. This way, the water soaks into the soil with less evaporation from the hot sun. In the mornings I’ll check my plants again and if the forcast calls for really high temps, I’ll give them another soak to get them through the day.

This month is also a great time to ‘sidedress’ (feed) your plants. I like to use a granular fertilizer we carry at Timberline called El Primero. It’s organic, pet safe, and made by Alpha One, a company based out of Loveland. Always nice to support local businesses.

I take a handful of the fertilizer and sprinkle it 4-6″ away from the stem of the plants, gently cultivating it into the soil.

If you prefer to use a liquid fertilizer, Seaweed Extract applied weekly is great for ‘pushing’ those longer maturing varieties. Timberline’s got concentrated Seaweed Extract in a couple of different sized bottles, so it’s a good bargain since a bottle goes a long way.

*Special Note: If you have purchased any of our new heirloom tomatoes this season, namely Caspian Pink, Legend, Jaune Flamee, Manyel, Nyagous or Speciled Roman, I’d love to hear how they worked for you. Should Timberline continue to carry these varieties or explore others? Let us know in the comments.

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!

There are two pieces of information you must have to calculate how many cubic yards of material you’ll need: The square footage (area) of the coverage area, and how deep you’d like it to be (depth).

So let’s say you have a planter bed you want to cover with mulch and you’ve calculated the total square footage at 500 square feet. And, you want the mulch to be two inches deep. That’s all you need to know.
Area, in this case square feet, is calculated by multiplying width times length.

Break out your calculator and a pen and paper and do the following steps.

1. First you’ll need to convert your depth into inches. This is accomplished by diving your depth by 12.
   Ex: 2″ / 12 = 0.167
2. Next you’ll calculate total volume by multiplying your converted depth times your square footage.
3. Last, divide your total volume by 27, because there are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard. That’s all there is to it.

If you’re shopping around on Timberline Gardens’ website, we even have a super easy-to-use coverage calculator tool right on our Bulk Materials page under ‘Our Products’. Using our calculator tool, you can get your total without a fuss and compare pricing on our bulk materials page, all in one place.

If you’re having a material delivered, we always suggest two things: 1) That you come to Timberline and touch, feel and look at the material prior to purchasing it, and 2) Make sure to remember there will be additional delivery costs on top of the material cost.

For more information, leave questions in the comments below or give us a call at (303) 420-4060. We’ll be happy to help you with any of your bulk material questions or concerns.

1) BLOSSOM END ROT

This is a common problem in our area.  A lack of soluble calcium or damaged roots cause a calcium deficiency in the fruit resulting in a black, leathery spot on the underside of the fruit making it inedible.  Allowing plants to get too dry can damage the root hairs and affect calcium uptake.  Soils lacking in soluble calcium can cause the problem too.  Spray plants with calcium phosphate (Yield Booster) weekly if you’ve had a problem with this.

2) BLOSSOM DROP

When temperatures drop below 48 degrees F. many tomato varieties will abort their flowers.  So no matter how carefully you grow and protect early-planted tomatoes, you may not realize an advantage because of the low temperatures.  Using the plant hormone sprays “Blossom Booster” or “Blossom Set” will help somewhat.  Spray the flower clusters daily.  Eventually, you’ll probably realize that there’s not much advantage of planting tomatoes before mid-May.

3) MULCHING

One of the best ways to preserve moisture in the ground and reduce drought stress is by mulching.  Apply mulch around tomatoes by June 15 before it gets too hot.  Use lawn clippings, shredded leaves, compost or any other organic matter.  Avoid too much manure.

4) SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Support systems produce more usable tomatoes and are space efficient.  When tomato plants sprawl on the ground they are difficult to manage and harvest and are highly prone to slug damage.  Tomato cages made of heavy galvanized wire should be 5-6 feet tall and 18 to 24 inches wide.  “Texas Tomato Cages” fold neatly in the winter for easy storage.  Sturdy wooden stakes (1 to 2 inches thick) six feet tall can be used also.  Using stakes, tie the main stem to the stake every 6 inches and remove side branches (suckers).

5) FERTILIZATION

Fertilization is crucial for a good tomato harvest.  Manure during soil prep is a good start.  Apply alfalfa meal (Alpha One) as a sidedressing about June 1, July 1 and August 1.  Apply about one half cup per plant.  Spray plants with “Yield Booster” (calcium) weekly to minimize blossom end rot.  Alternatively, spray plants with a dilute solution of seaweed extract weekly instead of using alfalfa meal.  Avoid salty fertilizers like Miracle Gro, etc.

6) HARVEST

You’ll get the best flavor if you harvest fruit when it is fully ripe.  As frost time approaches in mid to late September harvest larger sized fruit (getting whitish on the bottom) and let ripen on the garage floor or in the basement.  Just before frost juvenile fruit can be picked and used for green tomato recipes like relish, pickles, mock apple pie, fried green tomatoes, etc.

7) PRESERVATION

Canning tomato fruits can allow you to enjoy them all winter, it preserves the flavor we love.  Freezing them works well but some flavor is lost.  Dried tomatoes have an intense flavor and can be stored for long periods.  Tomatoes can be preserved as sauce, paste, salsa, whole or diced.

Lastly, keep track of varieties that do well for you as well as those that don’t.  If you find a variety that consistently develops disease try another.  If possible, move plants from one area in the garden to another every year to avoid the accumulation and diseases.

Garden Perennials

Achillea (all varieties) 4.5″ pot
‘Moonshine’
‘Gloria Jean’

Nepeta ‘Joanna Reed’ 4.5″ pot

Geranium ‘Tiny Monster’ 4.5″ pot

Lychnis ‘Red Maltese Cross’ 4.5″ pot

Scabiosa ‘Butterfly Blue’ 4.5″ pot

Xeric Plants

Agastache (many varieties) 4.5″ pot

Gaillardia ‘Arizona Sun’ 4.5″ pot

Penstemon
‘strictus’ 4.5″ pot
‘digitalis Dark Towers’ 4.5″ pot

Salvia nemerosa
‘BlueHill’
‘Lubeca’ 4.5″ pot &1 gal.

Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’ 2 gal.

Verbena bipinnatifida 3.5″ pot
‘Dakota Vervain’

Many cacti varieties

Rock Garden Plants

Delospermum
‘Tiffindell’ 3.5″ pot
‘White Nugget’ 3.5″ & 4.5″ pots

Sedum
‘Bronze carpet’ 3.5″ pot

Helianthemum
‘Single Yellow’ 4.5″ pot
‘Ben Moore’ 4.5″ pot

Limonium binervosum
‘Rock Sea Lavender’ 4.5″ pot

Sempervivums
‘Hens & Chicks’ 4.5″ pot

Shade Plants

Alchemilla erythropoda
‘caucasus lady’s mantle’ 4.5″ pot

Foxglove ‘Pam’s Choice’ 4.5″ pot

Aguilegia (Many varieties) 4.5″ pot

Irish/Scotch Mosses 4.5″ pot

Persicaria ‘Himalayan Border Jewel’ 3.5″ pot

Ornamental Grasses

Pennisetum ‘Karley Rose’ 4.5″ pot

Calamagrostis ‘Avalanche’ 4.5″ pot

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

• Video how-to’s for tasks like planting cacti
• Improved and more frequent email newsletters
• Ability to pay for and register for classes online
• and more!

As always, we’re grateful that you’ve chosen Timberline Gardens to fill all of your gardening and landscape needs!