Sound the Trumpets for "Plant Select 2013!"

     "Plant Select" is one of my favorite plant programs ever, and it's headquarters are right out our front door, at the CSU campus in Fort Collins.  That means you can count on these plants to be Colorado tough.  The eight tried-and-true gems on the 2013 Plant Select list are certainly no exception. 

     Details of all of the 2013 plants and dozens more can be found at Plant Select's excellent website:  www.plantselect.org    The site comes complete with suggested designs that can incorporate the Plant Select winners and many other drought-tolerant plants for a water wise landscape.  Once the plants are "established," (one to two growing seasons), many of them will thrive on moderate- to low- to no-supplemental water.  

"Turquoise Tails Blue Sedum"

     This wonderful blue-green sedum will offer up creamy yellow flowers in mid-summer.

photo courtesy Lauren Springer Ogden



    

photo courtesy Harriett MacMillan

"Narbonne Blue Flax"

     The flowers on this Mediterranean form of blue flax just keep coming, all summer long.







photo courtesy Mike Kintzen

"Tennessee Purple Coneflower"

     This lovely coneflower was once endangered in the wild, but has made a great comeback, and is now a Plant Select winner!  










"Curly Leaf Sea Kale"




photo courtesy Pat Hayward

      Big, distinctive waxy blue leaves last all summer long.  Clusters of white flowers will help you celebrate the beginning of the garden season.



         






Chieftain  Manzanita                                                       

     One of Plant Select's toughest players....
     and a terrific evergreen groundcover.     

photo courtesy Gary Epstein

And for the first time:  "Plant Select Petites"

"Oxslip Primrose"

     An oh-so-tiny primrose that is so much tougher than it looks!  (See www.plantselect.org for picture.)

photo courtesy Kirk Fieseler

"Sandia Coralbells"

     These diminutive pink flowers top out at just eight inches tall, but they're a magnet for hummingbirds and bees in May and June.


 
 




 "Scott's Sugarbowls," "Scott's Clematis

photos courtesy Kirk Fieseler
 

     As if the mounding, lacy blue-green foliage isn't enough, the delicate purple flowers are sure to win your heart!

Reminder: You don't want to miss our "Night of Wine and Roses!"

"Ketchup and Mustard"

Counting down!! 

       "Night of Wine and Roses"

               Friday, April 19th.  4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

     Big doin's coming up at Tagawa Gardens!  It's our annual "Night of Wine and Roses."  Thousands of roses will be available for sale for the first time this season. 

     Members of the Tagawa family will be hosting the event, serving gourmet cheese, fruit and wine from Balistreri Vineyards.  It's the Tagawa's way of saying "thank you" to our many oh-so loyal customers.



"Sunsprite"

     And as if that wasn't enough, everything in the store.... (everything!) will be 20% off, this evening only.

     We'll have an official ribbon-cutting to open the rose department at 4:00.  The event will continue until 7:00.



"Love Song"

"Pink Home Run"

     Color?  You bet!  Just take a look, and mark your calendar for April 19th.  The "Night of Wine and Roses" is a tradition not to be missed!

               
                    




"Sparkle and Shine"





"Bronze Star"



"Cinco de Mayo"



Heirloom"




"Apricot Drift"



"Vavoom"

"Tiffany"



"Scentimental"



"Abraham Darby"

"Outa the Blue"

Watering Restrictions Update

     It's official!  Watering restrictions are kicking in.  Thankfully, there's one central website you can go to for up-to-date details on what rules are in effect where.

     www.coh2o.co

    The website is maintained by the Colorado Water Conservation Board.  The CWBC is a state-sanctioned group that collects and coordinates water-related information for all of the major drainage basins in Colorado.  It's the shortage of snow that's fallen on those drainages that's prompting so many of Colorado's water agencies to issue restrictions on outdoor water use.

Different areas, different rules

      At www.coh2o.co  you can enter your zipcode.  That will link you to the agency that governs water use in your area and determines the rules that apply to your home or business.  Different water districts set their own restrictions based on their specific water deficits. 
 
     In general, many districts are imposing twice-a-week watering limitations, based on odd and even addresses.  Most of them ban watering during the heat of the day, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., on the days that watering is allowed.  Frankly, that just makes sense even when we're not in a drought.  Most of Colorado is, after all, a semi-arid climate.  Right now, we're just more arid than not.

Exceptions....

     Some districts, including Denver Water, will allow hand-watering of flowers and vegetables on days other than those tied to odd/even addresses.  The hose cannot be left unattended, and you'll need to use a watering attatchment that includes a shut-off valve.  No running back and forth to the hose bib as the only way to shut off the water.  Again, the rules may vary from one area to the next, so checking with the website for specifics is your best bet.

Tagawa's is here to help.

    This growing season is all about gardening smart!    That's something we at Tagawa's urge our customers to do anyway, so it comes as no surprise that we're at-the-ready to help now.  We have plenty of tools that can make this growing season a success:  different mulches that will help conserve moisture, watering wands and hose-end attatchments with shut-off valves, soaker hoses, moisture meters and rain guages to help you judge how much water your landscape might need. 

     We'll also carry a large array of plants that can adapt to low-water conditions once they're established.  And perhaps best of all, we'll have all the advice and hand-holding you could possibly need to make this gardening season a winner! 

     Let us help you take care of your existing landscape, which adds so much to the feeling of "home."  And don't be afraid to add new plants.  It really is all about gardening smart! 

The roses are coming! The roses are coming!

     Mark you calendar now!

NIGHT OF WINE AND ROSES

                               TAGAWA GARDENS

                               FRIDAY, APRIL 19           

     If you've never been to Tagawa's for our Night of Wine and Roses, you're in for a treat!  Four-thousand bare-root roses have been planted by the Tagawa production crew during the past two weeks.  In that short time, these dormant plants that came in looking like gnarley sticks have already begun to sprout.  It's almost as if you can watch them grow!
    
     Four-thousand additional roses started by other growers will also be coming in soon.  And by early April, Tagawa's rose department will be wall-to-wall color.  Shrub roses, climbing roses, hybrid teas.  It's a sight to behold!!

     But be advised:  None of
wa's roses, not a single one, will be sold before the Night of Wine and Roses.  No exceptions!  Our average last frost along the Front Range is mid-May.  Taking good care of a potted rose 'til it can be safely planted outside requires T.L.C.  For the roses' sake, mid-April is the earliest we'll let them head out into the "real world."

As if 8000 roses isn't enough, the Tagawa family will be your hosts on this special night, personally offering wine from Balistreri Vineyards, gourmet   and their sincere thanks for nearly thirty years of amazingcustomer loyalty.

     I'd urge you to mark your calendars now for Tagawa's Night of Wine and Roses.    Whether you'd like some new roses for your garden.... or just want to enjoy a wonderful, colorful evening surrounded by beautiful plants.... the Night of Wine and Roses is a lovely and exciting way to celebrate the return of spring. 
                          

                                        
                                                 

Snow can be pretty without being especially helpful

  
      Even people who don't like winter will usually admit that a fresh covering of snow can be pretty.  Now, here comes the "but.....".

     Please remember that the moisture from our storm this week does not count as "winter watering!"  In general, the amount of snow that fell along Colorado's Front Range wasn't deep enough or wet enough to offer a decent "drink" for plants' roots.  Our lawns might benefit a little.  Something is better than nothing, right?? 

     But roots of perennials are down several inches.  Roots of mature trees can and should be down more eighteen inches or more.  The modest moisture contained in this storm won't even begin to soak in that far.

     So I will continue to urge you to drag out a hose on a warm winter morning and give the trees, shrubs and perennials in your yard a good, deep drink....  something that will percolate down to the base of the root system.  The friendly folks at Tagawa's are always ready to help explain how much water the plants throughout your landscape are likely to need during cold, often windy and dry winter months.

     I know it sounds like a chore, but trust me on this:  when we haven't had a good  
soaking snow for four to six weeks, winter watering can make all the difference on whether the plants in your landscape survive and thrive. 
    

Decoding Gardening Jargon: "Winter Interest"

     Any business can get caught up in its own jargon..... terms that are common and clear to "insiders," but are misunderstood or just plain meaningless to the general public.  The gardening business is no exception.

     We at Tagawa's want to clear up some of that confusion, and translate these "insider" phrases.   We hope this decoding might be helpful to interested gardeners who are always ready and willing to learn something new. 

Winter what?

   So here we go.  I'm going to start with one of my personal favorites..... a gardening term I use all the time.  "Winter interest."  No, it's not about having a non-gardening hobby in the off-season.  Winter interest is a key component of landscapes that are appealing all year 'round.  It focuses on plants and landscape features that are attractive even during the "off" season. 

     Winter interest refers to anything in our yards and gardens, including patios and balconies, that creates eye appeal (or "eye candy," if you like) in the winter, when the leaves and blossoms are long gone.  Maybe it's a shrub, like a red twig dogwood.  As the name implies, the plant's rich red bark looks beautiful even when it doesn't have a single leaf.

Ornamental grasses as winter "eye candy"

     Ornamental grasses can give our landscapes lots of winter interest.  It's one of their best assets.  With a nice bit of snow, the stems and seedheads of ornamental grasses look like a beautiful winter bouquet.  Even without snow, many of the ornamental grasses will dance and wave with the slightest breeze.  Unless they're trampled by a pack of hounds (okay, my pack of hounds) or a heavy, wet snow (don't we wish....), clumps of ornamental grasses can be left standing tall until it's time to cut them back in early spring, when the new shoots begin to emerge. 

     Don't get me started on which Colorado front range county cuts back all of its clumps of ornamental grasses the first week of January.  The buzzed plants have no choice but to look pathetic for months, just waiting for spring to arrive.  It's a pet peeve of mine, but it's a good one....!

Decode, if you please....

     It may not qualify as a pet peeve, but I do think I'm going to make decoding garden jargon a new part of my mission at Tagawa's.  Stay tuned!  There's a lot that we don't want being lost in translation!


    
    

If you feed them, they will come!

     It's 13* outside right now, but there's a party going on in my back yard.  A bird party.... a delightful feeding frenzy of sweet birds, many of them singing their hearts out on this cold winter day.  And why not?  They have plenty to eat, lots of shelter and water in their birdbaths.  (We'll talk more about the water in a minute.)

Choosing feeders and food    

     There are so many different types of bird feeders on the market.  Tagawa's has a huge assortment, and an experienced staff to help you choose the one that's just right for you and the birds you want to attract.

     Tube feeders can accomodate several small birds at one time.  My feeders are a neighborhood gathering place for chickadees, finches, sparrows and many more.  I was delighted to see a group of red-winged blackbirds zipping around the back yard just last week.

     Tube feeders with thumb-sized ports or openings are great for a seed mixes.  Tagawa's sells mixes both bagged and in bulk.  They're excellent for attracting a broad assortment of birds. 

     When in doubt, let the birds load up on plenty of black oil sunflower seeds.  The oil in the seeds gives the birds much-needed fat, which is especially helpful in winter and early spring.

     If you're fond of finches, then your bird buffet definitely should include niger thistle.  Finches can't resist this oh-so tiny black seed. 

     Thistle feeders can be very simple, such as a long mesh stocking hung in just the right spot.  Or they can be more sophisticated.  I have two bright yellow thistle feeders made out of recycled plastic.  It took the finches maybe twenty minutes to spot them.

     And I made a lovely discovery this past summer.  If I fill the feeders with a combination of thistle and sunflower chips from Tagawa's, I get a whole different set of visitors in addition to the finches:  red-shafted flickers, downy woodpecker and hairy woodpeckers.  What fun!!  

Pass the suet, please

     Birds that dine on insects during mild weather will "flock" to suet feeders any time of year.  If birds could shop, the chickadees, nuthatches, thrushes and blue jays would be lined up at Tagawa's "Seed Shack."  They'd have a hard time choosing from the variety of suet options we offer, including suet cakes that are spiced with hot pepper flavoring.  The birds don't give a hoot about the spicey tang, but the squirrels are another matter.  They'll leave the suet alone.  As for my yellow Lab, "Vinny," if it's within reach, suet of any shape, size or flavor would be welcome.  Place your suet cakes accordingly.
      
     For the safety of the birds, set up your feeders near.... but not in, trees and large shrubs.  This will help the birds see the feeder, so you get more "traffic," but it also gives the birds a safe place to shelter from predators that try to pop in for a quick bite.

Speaking of shelter...

     Trees, especially conifers, act as a magnet for birds, both in summer and winter.  I think one of the reasons my feeders are so busy is because there are nearly two dozen mature trees in my back yard.  Most of them are conifers... Ponderosa pine, blue spruce and fir.  At times, it's like Grand Central back there, as the birds come and go, taking turns at the feeders.

     And for the record, while they're basking in warmer climates at the moment, hummingbirds are regular  guests in my pine trees all summer long.  Planting trees, making sure to get the right tree in the right place, is a big plus for the birds and for your property value.  Tagawa's nursery staff can help you choose the purr-fect tree to enchance your landscape.... and your bird population.

Don't forget the water....

     Water is essential for birds in winter, both for drinking and for bathing.  I shiver to watch, but the birds just love to bathe and splash about whenever fresh water is offered.  The temperature doesn't seem to matter to them.

      Tagawa's has bird bath heaters that keep the water from freezing, even on frigid days like this.  I got into the habit long ago of using plastic pot saucers as  inserts in my bird baths.  When the water freezes, I give the saucers a hard twist and the ice pops out, just like the old plastic ice cube trays.  (I date myself, but they do work....!)  Still a bird bath heater would be easier, and I wouldn't have to head out back with a bucket of water several times a day.  I need to look into that....

Do the birds and yourself a favor.

     Don't assume that the joys of songbirds are just a fair-weather activity.  Set a feeder, or two or three, out in your own yard, where you can watch these lovely creatures come and go.  Somehow, it makes it feel as if spring isn't so far away afterall.