2012 Spring Home & Garden

page 1spring 2012

A speciAl Advertising section

page 2 spring 2012

welcomespring garden time

Few things are anticipated more in spring than the arrival of new leaves on the trees and budding flow-ers in the garden. A landscape awash with fresh col-ors can brighten the spirit and make anyone want to head outdoors.

There are many different plants that begin to show their colors in the spring. A number of perenni-als, annuals and trees begin to flower or show new sprouts come the springtime. Here are some plants that can be planted for springtime enjoyment.

PerennialsThese plants will come back year after year and offer spring shows.• Cherry blossom: The flowers that sprout on cherry

trees are some of the first signs of spring. Their pink or white buds are often a spectacle, so much so that towns and cities hold festivals.

• Columbine: These beautiful blooms attract butter-flies and can be a nice part of a garden bed.

• Jacob’s ladder: Variegated foliage that is dappled with violet-colored flowers can add a sweet smell and visual interest to the garden.

• Primrose: These flowers come in a variety of shades, making them versatile in any garden. They also tend to attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

• Sweet violet: These fragrant flowers are edible as well as attractive. These plants can self-plant, so unless a gardener wants them to spread, they should be kept contained.

annualsLooking for first signs of color? Look no further than these wonderful annuals.• Alyssum: In April, this cascading bounty of tiny flow-

ers offers a sweet aroma that attracts butterflies.

• Dianthus: These vivid flowers also attract butter-flies and are often a cottage garden staple.

• Gypsophila: Also known as baby’s breath, can serve as filler in any landscape. Pink and white varieties are available.

• Impatiens: One of the best-known plants for the garden, these annuals come in scores of colors and can generally tolerate full sun to full shade.

• Larkspur: Belonging to the buttercup family, these flowers bloom in shades of white to violet.

• Pansy: These flowers are some of the earliest spring bloomers, arriving alongside spring bulbs like tu-lips.

• Petunias: Petunias put on a show of color through the entire season, making them a popular bedding flower. ■

Wire storyMetro Creative Connection

Cherry blossoms are one of the earlier signs spring has arrived. Courtesy photo

The 2012 Spring Home & Garden is a publication of Community Media of Colorado, 9800 Mt. Pyramid Ct., Ste 100, Englewood, CO 80112. Spring Home & Garden is an annual special supplement to the Castle Rock News-Press, Centennial Citizen, Douglas County News-Press, Elbert County News, Englewood Herald, Highlands Ranch Herald, Littleton Independent, Lone Tree Voice and the Parker Chronicle.

Online at ourcoloradonews.com

President & CEO: Jerry HealeyManaging Editor: Christopher RotarAdvertising: Jim Diaz, Erin AddenbrookeWriting: Jeff Golden, Tom Munds, Ryan Boldrey, Benn Farrell, Sonya Ellingboe, Jennifer Smith, Scott GilbertDesign: Andy Rickard

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page 3spring 2012

home

Jennifer [email protected]

Colorado enjoys a reputation of being one of the sunniest places in the country, so it stands to reason that solar energy would be popular here.

In fact, according to the national Solar Foundation, Colorado leads the nation in solar jobs per capita.

“Colorado is a national leader in solar innovation and job creation,” said Neal Lurie, executive director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association. “... Colorado’s entre-preneurial climate, commitment to clean energy and growing customer demand have developed solar into a powerful economic driver.”

And Colo-rado residents are making sure those workers are kept busy by in-creasingly taking advantage of the benefits of solar panels to power their homes. An incentive is Xcel Energy’s SolarRe-wards program, which pays ho-meowners who generate more energy through their solar panels than they use.

“I want to get to the point where Xcel pays me to heat this house, not vice versa,” said Richard Nolde, who recently purchased a unique system on his 41-year-old Littleton home that features a metal roof and reflec-tive panels. It cost him $18,000, but he’s already gotten a $6,500 rebate from Xcel and will add a $3,000 tax rebate to that. He gets an additional $250 a year from Xcel for energy he puts back into the grid. On top of

all that, he never has to pay another electric bill.

Nolde’s system is guaranteed for 30 years – a regular shingle lasts only about six. Nolde figures that over the life of the system, he will earn about $44,000, and his neighbors will go through five roofs to his one.

“Plus, there’s the feel-good stuff about how many trees you’ve saved,” he said.

Solar panels have come a long way since the 1970s, when tilted panels popped up all over town like giant

porcupines next to enormous satel-lite dishes. Nolde’s panels lie flat and aren’t even visible from the street.

“After a great deal of research and years of study, we determined that going solar was the right thing to do for anyone who could,” said Little-ton resident Betty Harris, who leases her system and paid just $159 to Xcel last year. “It creates energy indepen-dence, helps with clearing the air, and it’s really interesting to watch how it works. Although the return on investment has been excellent, we do not think that is the important is-

sue at all. We believe investing in our future and that of the earth is much more important. Now that it’s pos-sible to lease the panels rather than buy them, it was really a no-brainer for us to do the right thing for us all.”

Harris is organizing the Littleton/Centennial leg of this fall’s Colora-do Renewable Energy Society Solar Home Tour. This will be the first time the event has included homes in the south metro area, and Harris is cur-rently looking for homes to feature (303-806-5317 or [email protected] for more information). ■

coloradans take shine to solar

Above: Workers install solar panels on Richard Nolde’s Littleton home. Nolde expects to earn about $44,000 from Xcel over the 30-year life span of the system.

Left: Though Richard Nolde’s Littleton home was built in the 1970s, solar panels have come a long way since then. They lie nearly flat and can’t be seen from the street.

page 4 spring 2012

do-it-yourself home projects help you saveBy Family Features

This year, everyone is looking to save on their household bud-get. But just because you’re scaling back doesn’t mean you can’t make some im-provements around the house.

Use these DIY home improvement and cleanup tips from the experts at Grime Boss to help revamp your home, without spending a fortune:

rePaint the Walls

One great way to update your home without having to replace carpeting or furniture is to refresh walls with a

fresh coat of paint. Deter-mine the amount of paint needed by using an online calculator, such as the one provided at homedepot.com.

To save even more, sim-ply update the paint on doors, cabinets and crown molding, rather than the walls. Likewise, you can paint an accent wall along a hallway, or within your kitchen or living room, rather than the entire space.

rePlace hardWareIf you’d love to renovate,

but it’s simply not in the budget for this year; make small updates now that you

can incorporate into later construction projects. One small trick is to replace the hardware in highly

trafficked areas, such as the kitchen or the bathroom. Replace cabinet han-dles or knobs and drawer pulls. While replacing hardware, make sure to give your door hinges and drawer tracks a good oiling to prevent squeaking.

Give your car a tune-uPWhen it comes to saving, learning

how to maintain your vehicle can go a long way in terms of managing your household budget. Remember, you should change the oil in your car ev-ery 3,000 miles or 3 months. Check out ehow.com for videos on how to check, fill or change your oil and other auto maintenance tips. For quick cleanup post-tune-up, use Grime Boss wipes to remove oil and grime from your car, your surfaces, and even your hands.

install shelvinG in the GaraGe

Who couldn’t use extra storage space? For many, additional storage may mean looking beyond the house

to the garage. Find a variety of storage solutions that fit within your budget — from finishing rod racks to cabinets and overhead ceiling-mounted shelv-ing — at retail stores such as walmart.com.

uPdate FloorinGTo cover existing flooring, use float-

ing laminate pieces. Installing wood laminate in your bathroom, bed-room, kitchen, or living room is easy with snap-together pieces. Check out diynetwork.com for step-by-step in-structions.

Make cleanuP a BreezeWhether you’re changing the oil in

your car or cleaning up latex paint, save yourself time and hassle with Grime Boss Heavy Duty Hand Clean-ing Wipes, which are tough on big messes, but gentle enough to use on your face and hands.

Learn more about the versatility of these wipes at grimeboss.com. ■

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page 5spring 2012

refinishing furniture on a budget

ryan [email protected]

For the do-it-yourselfer out there, one of the best ways to give your home a facelift on a budget is by finding good, previously owned wood furni-ture, stripping it down and making it look new again.

Many people don’t know just how easy locating that right piece of furni-ture really can be. Whether it is a desk, dresser, bookcase or dining room table you are seeking, your neighbor-hood garage sales and thrift stores can be absolute gold mines for finding your next project.

What can often cost between $500 and $1,000 in a retail store, you can typically find, albeit in need of some tender loving care, for anywhere from $25‒$100. Keep in mind, the wood it-self is usually worth more than what used furniture sells for.

The rest of the cost you will put into

the project — chemical strippers, sandpaper, grain filler if needed, a brush and your choice of finish and sealant — definitely won’t put you anywhere close to those higher fig-ures.

And if you are already the do-it-yourself type, odds are you may just have some of that stuff lying around the garage already.

Once you have selected your furni-ture, your first and most arduous task is removing the old finish. Depending on the degree of the finish, this can be done either by sanding or by the use of chemical strippers.

No matter which you choose you will want to make sure you use prop-er safety goggles, however. Nobody wants to get sawdust or chemicals in their eyes.

You will also want to be very care-ful not to sand too deeply or against the grain of the wood or you may very possibly disfigure the furniture you

are working on.Once you get the old finish stripped

and the wood sanded down to a nice smooth finish, the hard work is all be-hind you.

What’s left is selecting your finish and the accompanying sealant, apply-

ing the two and calling it a day.For more tips and to see recom-

mendations on how to select a type of finish or sealant and what to do with a stubborn old finish, visit furniture-knowledge.com or tlc.howstuffworks.com. ■

Finding gently-used furniture and restoring it to suit your needs can save you plenty of money, and you might just find the experience rewarding in other ways.

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page 6 spring 2012

different ways to keep your coolAir conditioners, evaporative coolers make summer heat more bearable

tom [email protected]

The two tools available to keep homes cool as the temperature rise are an air conditioning system or an evaporative cooler.

“The trend for those looking at air conditioning is, when it is time to re-place the furnace, to choose a high-efficiency system and add on the air conditioning system,” said Cliff Selby, a seven-year employee of Aurora-based Bell Plumbing and Heating.

Air conditioners use refrigeration to chill the air that flows into the home. The cooling is done by forcing special chemicals called refrigerants to use the laws of physics and absorb the heat in the air by evaporating and con-densing over and over.

Selby said air conditioners have a standard environmental efficiency rating indicating the amount of elec-tricity it takes to run the system. Old-er units have a 13 SEER, while newer ones are available with a 14.5 rating.

He said there is little difference in the cost of the two rated systems and the homeowner can realize a rebate of as much as $750 from Xcel Energy for installing the higher-rated system.

Another way to keep the house more comfortable in hot weather is to have an evaporative cooler. The system works by pulling outside air through flowing water or pads, where air is cooled by evaporation and circulated through the house.

“There have been quite a few ad-vances in evaporative cooler systems in recent years,” Selby said. “The old-er versions are the four-sided metal structure on the roof. Air is drawn into

the system passes through flowing water so the cooler, moist air reduces the tem-perature inside the house.”

However, he said an Aero/Cool system is more efficient than the older system because it pulls the air through a thick water-soaked pad.

Another option is the Breezair system invented in Aus-tralia. The system also makes use of the cool-ing effect of

continued on page 7

page 7spring 2012

The basic process of air conditioning systems has remained unchanged for many years. The designs of air conditioners have been modified to make them streamlined or accommodate different sized houses or buildings.

evaporation but has made it more efficient with its design of a special fiber pad and water distribution sys-tem.

Of course, cost is a consideration. Selby said the cost for creating a central air conditioning system, in-cluding installation, can cost about $4,000. The cost for a larger cooling capacity system needed for bigger houses can run as high at $6,000.

Having one of the older style evap-orative cooling system installed can cost $3,600 to $3,900. Selecting an Aero/Cool system and having it in-stalled can cost $4,200 to $4,600.

The more efficient and effective Breezair system installed can cost $5,600 to $6,500, Selby said.

“I recommend a homeowner do his or her homework and consult li-censed contractors that have estab-lished a good reputation,” Selby said. “I also urge homeowners not to allow anyone to do work on their homes without getting and posting the prop-er building permit.” ■

continued from page 6

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scott [email protected]

Busy people who want to grow their own fresh food can focus on some easy vegetables, area gardening ex-perts say.

“It’s not everybody’s favorite, but zucchini is the easiest vegetable to grow and you get huge yields,” said Maria Bumgarner, a senior horticul-turist at Denver Botanic Gardens.

Cabbage, broccoli and lettuce also are relatively easy, she said, adding: “What’s nice about cabbage is, once you cut it, you’re done.”

“Our climate is really good for pep-pers. Hot, dry, that’s what they like,” Bumgarner said. “If you can get some of the varieties that are smaller and

hot, you get more bang for a buck.”Peppers do fine in the clay soils

along the Front Range, she said, but as with any vegetable gardening, it’s im-portant to mix material such as com-post with the dirt. Bumgarner said a call to a Colorado State University ex-tension office will provide the details for the school’s soil testing service, which will provide answers about what should be added to the dirt.

Soil preparation also was empha-sized by Judy Elliott, education and community empowerment coordina-tor at Denver Urban Gardens.

“I think that if you’re talking about easy vegetables, you can’t neglect the connection between preparing soil adequately and planting,” she said.

She advised adding organic mate-

rial, such as an inch or an inch and a half of compost spread on top of soil and then dug thoroughly into the top three or four inches. Compost slowly provides major and minor nutrients, she said, and if the soil requires sup-plemental nutrition, liquid kelp and fish emulsion can be used.

With Colorado’s heavy clay, it’s im-portant not to dig soil when it’s wet, because it “will dry like adobe brick,” Elliott said. “I just take a little soil with a hand shovel, make a little ball, hold it a foot over the ground and drop it. If it breaks apart, I continue digging; otherwise I wait.”

Robert Cox, an agent with the exten-sion office in Arapahoe County, called zucchini the “almost guaranteed suc-cess” plant, and added that “tomatoes

are certainly right up there,” unlike some other experts who said the plant can be difficult for busy people.

“It’s better to buy tomatoes already started,” Cox said, but like others, he cautioned that transplants have to be protected against stress.

“Hardening” plants from a nursery can be done by setting them outside in a semi-shaded area for an hour the first day, then for increasingly long periods over a week before planting them.

Cox said protection from wind is im-portant for plants that have been newly set out. Wind can knock plants down, break them or take moisture from the leaves. “It can help to have protections on the north and west,” he said. “It can be helpful for a few weeks in May.”

garden

take the easy route to homegrown food

page 9spring 2012

A sheet of weed fabric or plastic will do the trick, he said, adding: “It creates a little microenvironment there.”

Curt Swift, an extension agent in Mesa County and former Front Range resident, said it’s important to choose high-quality transplants. For toma-toes, peppers and eggplants, he said, choose plants that are about 6 to 8 inches tall, with a spread of about the same dimensions.

“You don’t want plants that already have flowers or fruit,” he said. The plants need to be “stocky, short and full,” he added.

Plants that already have flowers or fruit will be stressed by planting and will have reduced size and yield, he said.

Like other experts, Swift emphasized soil preparation. Colorado’s heavy clay is good for nutrients, but frequently low in nitrogen, he said. ■

LEFT: When following some basic rules, home vegetable gardens like many found in Colorado are easy to start and can yield a bounty of fresh vegetables.

ABOVE: Peppers are becoming one of the most popular of all vegetables to grow, because of the many varieties available to the home gardener, especially when grown from seed.

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page 10 spring 2012

sonya [email protected]

Look up Plant Select’s website at plantselect.org and click “Map.” About 90 demonstration gardens along the Front Range grow and display the col-orful and hardy perennials and woody plants that are patented as “Plant Se-lect.”

Included in our south area: Hudson Gardens in Littleton, Sanctuary Center and Sedalia Demonstration Gardens in Sedalia. Here one can see plants that are native to the Rockies or to a simi-lar climate elsewhere in the world — plants, trees and shrubs that adapt to dry air, hot sun, winter thaws and wind.

The start of the Plant Select program was in the 1980s at Colorado State Uni-versity, according to Dr. James Klett, as the land grant university sought to identify woody plants that would thrive in the Rocky Mountain region.

By the 1990s, the idea had expanded to include Denver Botanic Gardens and Colorado’s green industry: landscap-ers and nurseries. The three entities worked out a formal business struc-ture, research processes and eventu-ally, marketing plans.

When it was suggested that the group also promote showy but tough perennials, the program took off. Gar-deners recognized that they could have a rainbow of color by growing these plants with less need for water than those found in the lush English gardens usually pictured in books and magazines in prior years.

Horticulturists hunted in the im-mediate area as well as in California, Greece, Mexico, South Africa and oth-er locations with a similar dry sunny climate, bringing back specimens to CSU for propagation. (The trial garden on that Fort Collins campus is worth a midsummer trip. Take a notebook to

write down plants to search for near home).

At the same time, gardening books particular to this climate began to ap-pear. Two personal favorites: “Durable Plants for the Garden: A Plant Select Guide” and an earlier one that has been reprinted, “The Undaunted Gar-den” by horticulturist Lauren Springer. Both are well-organized so a novice gardener can figure out what will work and how a grown plant will look — which is sometimes difficult to imag-ine when contemplating little wisps of green leaves in a flat.

Plan for not only blends of flower color, but contrasts in foliage, which can range from silvery gray-green to bright yellow-green to almost choco-late brown — and shades in between.

Think of shrubs with berries that will attract birds and bright flowers that at-tract butterflies, “flowers on the wing,” and late summer red and orange blos-

soms to draw tiny hummingbirds. Agastache, sunset hyssop, is a winner that attracts butterflies all summer and hummingbirds in early fall.

Consider some fragrant plants near a seating area. (You will have time to sit and enjoy!) And invite friends and their kids to sit and watch the evening primrose open.

Give some thought to when plants bloom, so there will always be color. Labels tell that information as well as size and growing needs, i.e. full sun, partial sun, shade, low water, type of soil, etc. A new garden will need or-ganic matter dug in or at least in each hole dug for a plant or shrub. Extra wa-ter is needed at first, even for the ones that are listed as low water need.

Visit display gardens this summer and look for the native plants that are thriving. Keep a shopping list of variet-ies that would blend in with the start you have made and keep on collecting.

Sunset hyssop by Dan Johnson of Denver Botanic Gardens for Plant Select. www.plantselect.org

Hardy, colorful and not too thirsty

page 11spring 2012

Soon there will be extras to trade with friends and neighbors.

Annual brochures issued by the Plant Select organization are available at county extension offices: the Arapa-hoe County CSU Extension is at 5804 S. Datura St., Littleton, and the Douglas County office is at 8102 E. Ponderosa Drive, Parker. The information is also available online. The extension office also is staffed at times with master gar-deners, who are skilled at answering

questions and handing out sheets of how-to-do-it information.

For 2012, an ice plant called fires-pinner has a bright pink center, fusing into orange/gold petals. It will make a brilliant front edge for a sunny bed, bloom all summer and spread. It trac-es its lineage to the east coast of South Africa. Others selected this year: Cape forget-me-not; filigree daisy; weeping white spruce; ruby voodoo rose and Dalmatian daisy.

These hardy plants will come at a slightly higher price at the nursery —those that carry them — but they in-crease handsomely in size in very few years, filling in flower beds and giving the gardener plants to share before long. Some nurseries specialize in na-tive plants, but most carry a more gen-eral line, including things that will not grow at all happily here. One can fill in the beds with less expensive hardy an-nuals for color while those perennials

take hold.It’s usually a year after the initial

announcement before local nurser-ies will carry the newest Plant Select specimens because the supply is short the first year, I’ve learned after appear-ing with that new list in hand wanting one of each.

While waiting for spring, a visit to plantselect.org will be a way for the anxious gardener to spend some cre-ative wish-list time. ■

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page 12 spring 2012

Benn [email protected]

Any master chef would claim the best dishes only use the freshest ingredients.

And sometimes the produce department at the local gro-cery store isn’t fresh enough.

However, one way to at least ensure the herbs and spices for the dishes created by the family chef are as fresh as pos-sible is by growing them at home.

Basil, oregano, sage, parsley, bay, rosemary, thyme and even mint, for those home desserts and the stocked bar in the basement, are popularly being grown at home by those home chefs who want the best quality from their season-ing. There are other benefits besides freshness.

“It’s a lot more economical to grow your own,” said Su-sie Cee of Tagawa Gardens in unincorporated Arapahoe County. “It’s also an enjoyable time. I call them my Zen moments. You can get lost especially among herbs ’cause they smell so good. … Also, if you grow them organically, you can control how you feed and grow them.”

Growing said herbs isn’t any different than making any other plant sprout and sustain in one’s home. A pot at least six inches in diameter and at least five inches deep would be optimal for any herb project. Potting soil placed in the pot, preferably without clumping, is also a must, and of course, the optimal climate conditions.

In Colorado, many at-home herb growers will set up sta-tion on a back patio that gets decent sunlight through the summer. During the winter, however, these seeded pots would simply need room temperature and sunlight, so be-ing placed by a window that gets hours of sunlight would be best.

Thai herbs, including lemon basil, garlic chives, corian-der and lemongrass, are a little different in that more sun-light is required, from six to eight hours a day.

As for watering, herbs and spices don’t require daily exposure. One can water herbs only once a week. Those who water heavily can leave more time between exposures than those who water sparingly. About an inch of water per week is a good foundation.

“One thing I’ve learned is, if you’re not watering properly or letting the sun dry them out enough, it can attract in-sects,” Cee said. “Pay attention to how much water you’re

Home seasoning: Homegrown herbs and spices ensure their freshest quality

In Colorado, because of our seasons, the best way to have year-round herbs and spices is to plant in pots. In the summer, place these pots on patio or deck that gets decent sunlight. While during the winter, however, pots placed by a window that gets hours of sunlight would be best.

Freshness isn't the only benefit for those with green thumbs

page 13spring 2012

giving them and watch your insects. If a plant is struggling to survive, it’ll be an insect magnet.”

Except with coriander and caraway, any flowers that appear as the plant buds should be removed until it’s time to harvest.

When the herbs have flourished, it’s time to use them. Knowing when to harvest takes some experience. Most home chefs typically harvest their spices as needed, clipping them with kitchen scissors, first ensuring the plant is dry from overnight dew. However,

some home chefs prefer to hang-dry their freshly picked herbs before using them.

Although rosemary, thyme and mint can be picked and used almost imme-diately after sprouting, generally most home chefs will wait three months be-fore harvesting so the plant provides more than a tablespoon of the ingredi-ent.

With freshness being the key ingredi-ent in any dish, homegrown spices are the foundation to any main event on the plate. ■

When needed, herbs can simply be clipped from the plant.

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Make a free and natural fertilizerJeff [email protected]

If you’re looking for a use for this newspaper when you’re finished read-ing it, you might consider composting.

Composting is the act of turning or-ganic matter, such as eggshells, dead leaves and newspaper, into a free and natural fertilizer. It’s becoming a staple of organic farming, and many people view it as an easy way to aid the envi-ronment.

“It only takes a few minutes a day and not a ton of extra effort,” said Castle Pines resident Breanna Dunn.

More than 200 million pounds of trash are produced in the United States every day, according to environmental advocacy group the Sierra Club. About 15 percent of that comes from yard and kitchen waste, almost all of which can be used as compost.

A compost pile requires four main in-gredients: air, water, carbon and nitro-gen. Carbon generally means dry and brown items, such as dead leaves. Ni-trogen is the more colorful waste from fruits, vegetables and so on. Some items to avoid are meat, fatty substances such as salad dressing, and citrus because it’s hard to break down.

“I throw all my waste in a bowl by the sink, and just take it out to my compost pile once a day or so,” Dunn said.

Expensive but efficient compost tum-blers are available to hold the waste, but almost any container — or simply the bare ground — will work. Use roughly 25 to 30 times more carbon than nitro-gen, but it’s not an exact science. Then

toss in the nitrogen and keep the pile moist, stirring or tumbling it every few days. The waste will eventually break down into fertilizer over the course of four to six weeks.

Composting also creates a natural liquid byproduct called compost tea, which some of the fancier tumblers col-lect in a reservoir. Compost tea also can work as a natural, organic fertilizer.

“It’s a great way to get free fertilizer and save the environment at the same time,” Dunn said. ■

A compost pile can be made on bare ground and is an easy way to turn waste into organic, free fertilizer. Photo by G. Jeff Golden

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Documents

2012 Spring Home & Garden