Serving all of Eastern Laramie County since 1908
Serving all of Eastern Laramie County since 1908
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Pumpkins are the face of Halloween. Uh Hum. Pardon the pun. That may be what they are best known for but they are so much more. The first thing that we need to understand in order to understand pumpkin is that it is a winter squash, a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. This is important information when it comes time to plan your garden for the next year. You don’t want to grow other curcubits where pumpkins have grown (or any other curcubit) for at least four years. That’s good crop rotation practice. The reason I bring pumpkins up now ins...
With downcast eyes and a cowed demeanor, I have to admit that I never liked tomatoes. Everybody around me would put raw, sliced tomatoes on their sandwiches or even just eat the fruit by itself. But me, no, I just couldn't stand them. UNTIL! Yes, until I tried a tomato right off the vine. Suddenly I fell in love with this terrific, tasty fruit. I don't quite understand this phenomena because I've always loved ketchup, pizza, marinara sauce, spaghetti sauce and such. All are made with tomatoes....
The first Farm and Ranch Show at the Archer Event Center was held last weekend and was a very pleasant surprise for me. I fully expected that everything would be applicable only for commercial farm and ranch operations but that just wasn't so. There was something for everyone that has anything to do with animals or growing plants in general. There was even a special section just for kids with projects, hands-on displays and petting animals. Most of the displays and booths were directed at...
I don't know about you but I'm getting the itch to get outside and play in the dirt. I have a lot of projects planned for this year and some of them require an irrigation system to be installed. We've had plenty of rose bushes, honeysuckle, trees and other plants that have spent their entire life fending for themselves. My New Year's resolution is to be more involved in the yard and taking care of the plants that I've ignored for so many years. My first major project was actually started last...
Sometimes I think Wyoming is either feast or famine. This winter has actually been pretty good as far as the temperatures go. At least we haven't had a long stretch of sub-zero temperatures. Nor has it been in the 60s or 70s for long. Today, as I write this, the outside temperature is 60 degrees and the greenhouse temperature is 85 degrees. It's a beautiful day but I'm having trouble keeping the greenhouse cool. Overall, though, the weather hasn't been bad. Thank you, National Weather Service fo...
Believe it or not, spring is rapidly approaching. Yeah. Once again the weather has been up and down, cold and warm, windy and calm, snowy (well, kind of) and dry. It's almost like it can't make up it's mind. The last few years have been a bit unusual as far as the temperature goes. I remember the first year I planted lavender my thermometer read 125 degrees on May 25th. I also remember having snow in June just a few years before. Regardless of the weather the calendar is telling me that spring...
Hail is Public Enemy #1 in southeastern Wyoming. The entire state has hail, but did you know the worst hail zone in the country is right here in Laramie County? Yep. The oval from Burns to Carpenter has more major hail events each year than any other place in the world. When you add that to the fact that we're on the extreme western edge of "tornado alley" it equals the potential for a whole lot of bad weather. We have high wind, extreme cold, blizzards, extreme heat, drought, torrential...
In 2020 nurseries ran out of seeds, shrubs, trees and nearly everything else we need to plant our gardens in the spring. Even more surprising, they ran out early in the season. It wasn't even only the local nurseries either. Everyone, nationwide, ran out. Even the big national suppliers. Some stocks weren't replenished until December 2020. I suspect it was due to COVID and more people were staying home, looking for something to do. I'm very happy that an unusually large number of people turned...
It does seem like an odd time to talk about fertilizers. There’s still snow on the ground, the wind is howling, Christmas is only five days away as I write this, and you’re probably like me, not at all interested in garden or lawn care right now. On the other hand, it’s never too early to learn the basics of fertilizers so that you get the right ones for the coming season. Did you catch the word “ones”? That’s right. You’ll be using multiple fertilizers. Lawns, flowers, vegetables all have different needs. In fact, vegetables have a wide variet...
This year has already been pretty strange as far as the weather goes. It's January and nearly tee shirt weather. One day it seems like we're really going to have a good winter, snow and all, then the next several days are beautiful. It's hard to believe it actually is winter. Seems more like spring to me. And that turns my mind to starting plants. I just hope we don't get the fluctuating temperatures like we did last spring. It's not quite time yet, but it is time to start getting the supplies...
As I was contemplating the topic for this week it occurred to me that I've never written an article on houseplants. That seems odd. At least until you consider that I don't grow houseplants. Linda does, but I've always focused on what can be grown outside. I do enjoy houseplants and I admire anyone who keeps plants inside their home. Plants in the house create a calm, relaxing environment. The more plants, the more relaxing they are. There are times that I go out to the hydroponic room where I...
When I was in Saudi Arabia and other countries on the Arabian Peninsula I saw a lot of sand. Everywhere I looked was sand. Well...sand or concrete. Very little concrete. It was the most desolate region I've ever seen. I couldn't believe anything could grow there. Yet there were plants growing. In fact the Saudis had an ingenious cooling system for the walkways. Vining plants were growing directly in the sand with a slow drip system at each plant. The vines covered a trellis system, hanging down...
I've always been in love with a good steak right from the cow and cooked on the grill. Plain meat. No frills. Charbroiled to perfection. Melt in your mouth. Oops! Back up that tape. Not melt in your mouth. No. That's the ideal but you won't get that without some preparation and just the right cooking method. That pretty much means a marinade and a marinade means herbs. Herbs add flavor to anything and everything. That's why they've been used for thousands of years to make good food great. Herbs...
This is the time of year that we break out the pots and pans, those special cooking machines, our best dishes and get ready for huge feasts, celebrations, and the great company of family and friends. This year may slow us down a little, but I suspect not very much. A number of annual gatherings, mostly business and commercial, have been cancelled or scaled down, but we are Wyomingites. There's not much that will keep us down for long. We'll just take precautions and press forward with life. That...
For most of my life I thought the garnish on my plate at the restaurant was a waste of money for the restaurant and a waste of my time to take it off my plate. It wasn't until I was much older that I learned that there was a reason for the garnish, parsley, and it wasn't just to make the plate look pretty. The parsley on the side is intended to be eaten. The reason I was given was that it would freshen breath after eating. I'm not saying that I ate it but it did seem reasonable. And, yes, it...
Can plants really purify the air in our homes? That's a good question. Some researchers, such as scientists at NASA, say, "Yes": Other notable researchers, such as Lauren Johnson at CNN, will say, "No". Of course I'm being a bit facetious here. Lauren Johnson is not a researcher, but in typical CNN fashion seems to believe that anything she says is the absolute statement of fact and her "science" debunks everyone else. The fact is that the question is still up for debate. The science is not...
If someone had told me a year ago that my worst insect problems would be in the dead of winter I would have said they were nuts. If they said that today, I'd have to say, "I know." In the 24 years I've been gardening in Wyoming I've only had insect problems once before. I had cabbage loopers in my cabbage. Even then they didn't do much damage and I had more cabbage than I know what to do with. That was about five years ago and we're still eating cabbage. Then last year hit. I guess it was God's...
This past year has seen nurseries across the United States running out of trees, shrubs, and seeds. Even our local nurseries in Southeast Wyoming and Northern Colorado were running out. I don't know if it was the public's response to COVID, a bad year for supply, or something else. Some seeds still aren't available. I tend to think that with so many people having to stay home and not work they chose to beautify their property and plant gardens. Seeds that have not been available since April are...
This has been an extremely odd 10 days or so for me. As far as time goes I seem to have been in a daze to the point that I've had trouble remembering what day it was. When I'm busy trying to accomplish tasks that seem to be never ending every day just rolls into the next. I haven't driven or even left the house since October 8th with only one exception. We went out to dinner once. Other than that my life has been in the shop working with my plants and trying to clean up a few projects that are...
My wife comes from a long line of farmers and ranchers. So naturally when Linda and I were married, long ago, I became part of that community. Fortunately, I really enjoyed the people with their knowledge, customs and traditions. My father-in-law taught me quite a bit about the different grasses and their suitability for forage for livestock. He also taught me about those DW's. D*** weeds. We have a lot of those here in the west. I guess every place has its share, but those I learned most about...
A few weeks ago Linda was rummaging through some boxes and came across a small book, "Hedges, Windbreaks, Shelters and Live Fences", by E. P. Powell. It's a very small book, only about a half inch thick, but full of interesting information. What I found most interesting was the copyright date, 1900, even though the book covered the period 1859 - 1899. It was a pretty quick read overall, even though the writing style of the author caused me to have to go back and reread several portions to...
Stinging Nettle could easily be called a Prince among weeds. Not a very illustrious title, but it fits. If you've ever come in contact with the plant then you've experienced the burning, stinging affect that it has on human skin. It can be much more than just irritating. Then if you've ever tried to get rid of a patch of stinging nettle you realize just how tough and persistent, color that word to mean invasive, it is. On the other hand, if you've used stinging nettle for it's health benefits...
WOW! How about that smoke Saturday morning? I went out to the shop not long after daylight and it was pretty clear when I went out. I spent the morning getting my garlic ready to plant and it was 1 p.m. when I stepped back outside. Needless to say, I was shocked at what I found. All I can say is, "Otherwordly". I don't know what else to call it. The world was yellow, smoke was hugging the ground, and it looked like it was almost night time. I've been in worse, but that was a lifetime ago. A...
Garlic is a fascinating plant that most people just think of as only a seasoning in foods. It is a great seasoning, but oh, so much more, too. I hadn't realized just how special this plant was until I was asked to grow it for medicinal use. Then I started researching the plant. I started with the basics. You know, how to plant, how to harvest, how to process, etc. Then I started looking at the health benefits, too. I've always loved garlic, but now I'm eating a lot more of it because I'm living...
Our first cold snap of the year has now come and gone. If I was a betting man, I would have lost the bet. I told several people that I didn't believe it would snow here. In the higher elevations, absolutely, but not here. Surprise! Never underestimate nature. It's full of surprises. Although I will say that at my place, whatever snow we had Monday night melted as soon as it hit the ground or wasn't very much. Our big issue was sleet Monday night and all day Tuesday. The thermometer said the low...