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!