by Todd Rutherford
If you’ve not purchased holiday lights in several years, you are in for some surprises next time you head out shopping for new holiday lighting. Recent advances have produced a wave of new and innovative LED lighting that is far more energy efficient than holiday lighting your father or grandfather installed in years past. Many of the new LED holiday light strings are 7 to 8 times more efficient than traditional incandescent light strings. This translates to additional benefits aside from lowered electricity bills: more strings can be safely strung together end-to-end (which may mean a simplified layout of your light display) and there is a lowered fire hazard as the strings do not get as hot as many of the incandescent holiday light bulbs.
One down side to these new types of holiday lights is their higher up-front cost. But if you calculate in the lower operating costs, LED lights are likely to cost you less money in the long run. And as more LED holiday lights are being manufactured, prices have been dropping.
One criticism of LED lights has been the tendency of light from LED bulbs to appear harsh and “cold”. Manufacturers have responded to this issue and are now producing LED holiday lighting that appears “warmer”, like the incandescent lights they are intended to replace.
So this year, consider adding some ‘green’ lights to your holiday decor by choosing energy efficient LED holiday lights.
Here’s a list of pros and cons for LED Holiday lighting:
PROS
Lower energy use / operating cost
Lower heat output (Less fire hazard)
Longer life
More strings can be connected safely (Fewer outlets or extension cords needed)
CONS
Higher purchase cost than incandescent.
Color & “temperature” of light output difference as compared to incandescent
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.
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by Matt Corrion
Recently I had a client express frustration about his inability to kill the crabgrass weeds in his lawn.
It turns out that what he had was tall fescue rather than crabgrass. Tall fescue is a spreading cool season grass that often appears in lawns. It has a courser texture than bluegrass, and will sometimes “green up” in the spring earlier than the rest of the lawn.
How to Remove Tall Fescue
Crabgrass (left) has smooth leaves that often have small hairs. Fescue (right) has ridges on the leaves.
So here’s the thing about trying to remove it: Selective weed killers that target weeds such as crabgrass will not kill tall fescue.
The only way to remove the tall fescue is to treat it with a non-selective herbicide such as Roundup. This type of weed killer will also kill the lawn that is directly around it. Which means you will need to spot-seed that area, or if you have a lot of fescue you may need to remove the entire lawn and start over with seed or sod.
Should You Remove it at All?
In my lawn, I have clumps of tall fescue but I don’t like to use many chemicals on my lawn. I just leave the clumps in place- they are hardly noticeable once the lawn greens up.
Tall fescue emerging in a bluegrass lawn that is still dormant in early spring.
Fescues are actually pretty highly recommended as lawn grasses- according to the Colorado State University Extension Office a fescue lawn can require up to 50% less water than a bluegrass lawn. In fact, one of the popular sod blends we often specify for the front range is a “90/10 Fescue Bluegrass” blend. That is, 90% fescue and 10% bluegrass.
So before deciding to use a bunch of chemicals on the fescue in your lawn, or doing a major lawn renovation – consider leaving it in place. The fescue can be hardly visible at all from a distance, and may end up saving you money in the long term on watering.
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.
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by Todd Rutherford
You may have heard recent dire reports about the health of bees and butterflies. Whether it’s the declining number of the amazing Monarch Butterfly or the constant reports of “colony collapse disorder” in beehives, these reports are alarming. One of the best and easiest things you can do to help these crucial creatures survive and thrive is to plant the perennials, shrubs and trees in your landscape that will give bees and butterflies the food they depend on. Help these pollinators while creating an inviting outdoor space for yourself. Or, if you are pondering the possibility of updating your landscaping in the near future, let Outdoor Design Group design a bee and butterfly friendly garden for you.
Below are listed several different perennials, shrubs and trees that provide food for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. While I’ve listed several pollinator friendly plants here, there are still many more to choose from. Consult the Xerces Society, a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat, or your local university extension agent for more suggestions of pollinator friendly plants that will grow well in your area.
Perennials for Butterflies and Bees
Asclepias species. Commonly referred to as the Milkweeds due to their milky sap, there are many species in the Asclepias genus that are utilized by butterflies and bees. Many biologists believe that the decline in the Monarch butterfly population is directly correlated to the increasing use of herbicides used to kill Milkweeds in North America, because Monarch butterflies depend on Milkweeds as food for their larvae. There are many Asclepias species that grow in North America, but two that do well in Colorado are Asclepias tuberosa (showy milkweed) and Asclepias speciosa (butterfly weed). Ht. and Wd. varies depending on species and cultivar, generally 15-60” Ht. x 12-18” Wd.
The Mint Family (Lamiaceae). Many familiar and popular garden plants from the so-called Mint Family are favored by bees. Some of these are culinary sage, Russian sage, mint, basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, lavender, lamb’s ear, hyssop, lemon balm, and bee balm. Ht. and Wd. varies depending on species and cultivar.
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’. This tall stone crop flowers in mid to late summer (see photo above), making it a good late-season nectar source for pollinators when many other plants have stopped flowering. 18-24” Ht. x 12-18” Wd.
Datura wrightii Although Sacred Datura may not always be a perennial in all parts of Colorado, depending on the severity of the winter, bees love it’s flowers which emit an amazing scent, so even if it is frost tender and may need to be regrown from seed in colder areas, it is worth it. The bees will thank you. 18-24” Ht. x 6-8’ Wd.
Shrubs for Butterflies and Bees
Buddleia alternifolia ‘Argentea’, Silver Fountain Butterfly Bush. This butterfly bush blooms earlier than the other species and cultivars of Buddleia. This large shrub does well in most soils and sites but doesn’t like its roots to stay wet. 12-15’ Ht. x 10-12’ Wd.
Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Blue Mist’. Blue Mist Spirea is also in the Mint Family, and is not a true spirea, but has flowers that resemble those of the spirea. It is a hybrid of C. incana x C. mongolica that was created in the 1930’s in England by Arthur Simmonds. There are several cultivars of Caryopteris x clandonensis that are good choices for Colorado and which bees and butterflies (see photo below) love. 3-4’ Ht. x 2-3’ Wd.
Mahonia. This genus has several members whose flowers will delight your winged friends. Mahonia aquifolium is a familiar shrub known as Oregon Grape Holly. It is evergreen, easy to grow and produces edible (but not tasty) berries from the yellow flowers that bees appreciate. 4-6’ Ht. x 4-6’ Wd.
Prunus bessyi, Sand Cherry 4-6’ Ht. x 4-6’ Wd.
Philadelphus lewisii, Cheyenne Mock Orange 5-7’ Ht. x 4-6’ Wd.
Rhus aromatica ssp. Trilobata, Three leaf sumac 3-6’ Ht. x 3-6’ Wd.
Rosa woodsii, Wood’s Rose 3-6’ Ht. x 3-6’ Wd.
Trees for Butterflies and Bees
Tilia cordata, Little Leaf Linden. Linden trees perfume the air in springtime and offer up small yellow flowers (see photo below) for pollinators. I’ve heard that in Eastern Europe, a type of beer is flavored with the linden flowers. 30-50’ Ht. x 25-35’ Wd. (depends on cultivar).
Apple / Crabapples. The Malus genus offers many species and cultivars that are attractive to bees. In fact, if there were no bees, you probably would not get any fruit from your apple trees. Ht. and Wd. varies depending on cultivar.
Prunus armeniaca ‘Moongold’, Moongold Apricot. 15-25’ Ht. x 15-25’ Wd.
Prunus nigra ‘Princess Kay’, Princess Kay Plum 15-20’ Ht. x 10-15’ Wd.
Catalpa speciosa, Western Catalpa 40-60’ Ht. x 30-50’ Wd.
Cercis Canadensis, Eastern Redbud 20-30’ Ht. x 20-30’ Wd.
Crataegus ambigua, Russian Hawthorne 15-25’ Ht. x 20’ Wd.
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.
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by Todd Rutherford
Culinary Sage
Many people may think that low-water gardening and edible plants are mutually exclusive. However, some of the tastiest culinary herbs are perennials that can find a home in your water-wise landscaping. So don’t just grow herbs in your vegetable garden, mix them into your perennial beds. While some of the culinary herbs need more water than extremely xeric plants, some of the best and most popular herbs are fairly drought tolerant, thriving in Colorado’s front-range climate.
Thyme is one commonly used herb that is fantastic when fresh. Even if you don’t intend to cook with fresh thyme, just picking a fresh sprig to crush in your hands, releasing the wonderful aroma, is reason enough to grow this versatile and hardy herb. Lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus) is a great addition to cooked fish or chicken.
Lavender is one classic herb that loves Colorado’s growing conditions if you amend the soil to make it well-drained. Lavender is not commonly used in most American kitchens, but can be part of some amazing deserts and drinks. The best varieties for Colorado are Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’, Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’ and Lavandula x intermedia ‘Provence.’
Oregano is perhaps one of the easiest herbs to grow in Colorado. In fact I’ve found that some varieties area so easily grown that they can become invasive due to their ability to re-seed. As with many herbs, some oregano varieties are better suited for cooking than others.
Culinary sage (Salvia officinalis) is more shrub like than the above listed herbs. As with the other herbs (most of which are in the Mint family) culinary sage produces gorgeous flowers that bees and other pollinators go crazy for. Culinary sage’s flowers are a gorgeous purple, blooming profusely in early summer. As with thyme, you may be familiar with its dried version, but fresh sage is much better.
A less drought tolerant group of herbs but that are still hardy and a nice addition to small pockets in flower beds are the chives. Regular chives and garlic chives are easy to grow and provide edible leaves and flowers. Toss in some fresh chive blossoms to your next breakfast egg dish, and you’ve turned an ordinary dish into something extraordinary.
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.
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by Matt Corrion
Furman’s Red Sage is wonderful small perennial that blurs the lines between perennial and shrub. It has a small, compact form and retains most of it’s leaves through the winter making it a more of a semi-evergreen shrub. And it’s magenta-red flowers just keep coming throughout summer and fall, making this plant a welcome addition to any dry landscape.
This plant combines well with many western natives, requiring little water and thriving in hot, sunny conditions. The unique bright colored flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds and gardeners alike.
PLANT STATS
Scientific Name: Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’
Plant Type: Perennial or small semi-evergreen shrub
Mature Height: 24″-36″, stays pretty small and compact unlike many larger sages and mints
Mature Spread: 30″-42″
Cold Hardiness Zone: 5 – 9
Water Requirement: Low water needs. Seems to do equally well in dry conditions, or with supplemental irrigation. Follow a regular watering schedule the first growing season, but requires little water once established.
Exposure: Full Sun to light shade. Most of the literature on this plant says that it requires full sun, however I have experimented with it in partial shade and it also does well. In partial shade, flowering seems to start later in the summer/fall.
Flower Color & Bloom Time: Flowers are magenta to red, often exhibiting a unique bright magenta hue that sets this plant apart from other red flowering plants. Blooms appear in early to mid-summer and continue in fall through the first frost.
Winter Interest: Furman’s Red Sage grows into a small evergreen shrub that retains it’s leaves throughout winter, unlike most perennials.
Disadvantages: I have not found any to date. If given too much water or placed in too much shade, plants tend to get a little “leggy”, but since they stay relatively small they tend to still stay pretty compact and do not flop like excessively like larger perennials.
Availability and Sizes: This plant seems to be regularly available and has gotten quite popular. It is typically sold in 4-6″ pots, but may be found in 1 gallon containers as well.
Maintenance Tip: Cut back low to the ground in early spring to promote new growth. Leave evergreen stems and leaves up through the winter, some die-back may occur in cold winters.
Wildlife Value: Hummingbirds are attracted to the red flowers and regularly feed at this plant. Said to be deer resistant.
Best Features: Attractive magenta-red flowers that appear over a long period. This plant starts flowering in the middle of summer and continues flowering through late in the fall- one of the latest flowering plants here in Colorado.
Other: Also known as “Furman’s Red Texas Sage” or “Furman’s Red Autumn Sage”.
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.
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