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Jun 07
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The Benefits of 1-on-1 Garden Coaching

By Boundless Landscapes

I’ve made every gardening mistake in the books so you don’t have to!

By Jennifer “Fern” Deininger, Farmer & Gardener

If you’d asked me a couple of years ago about doing online garden coaching to help people gain the knowledge and skills needed to grow their own food with ease, I probably would have expressed my doubts and graciously passed on the opportunity. But now I’m a true believer. One-on-one and group Zoom coaching with Boundless Landscapes has allowed me to support more people and at a lower cost to them than I ever could have if I was traveling from garden to garden to offer guidance. And, it turns out to be quite effective! A recent coaching client said, “Thank you for arranging our time with Fern.  It was really very helpful, not only for trying to figure out what to do with our spaces but for additional practical information as well.  We left the session feeling less hopeless and helpless.” Yes! That’s what I’m talking about. 

Some call me Farmer Fern—I’ve been growing food my whole life, and have a passion for helping others get comfortable gardening. Currently, one of the ways I do that is as a coach and educator at Boundless Landscapes. So many of us have been taught that the best way we can lower our carbon footprint is to do as little damage to our ecosystem as possible, but I would wager that we have that slightly wrong.

My goal is to empower people (whether they’re first-time gardeners or seasoned pros) to be as active as possible and to do as much good as they can in our ecosystem. For many of us (kiddos too!) that means getting our hands dirty, forming relationships with our surrounding environment, and sharing the bounty with our neighbors.

I was farming professionally with Boundless Landscapes when the coronavirus pandemic hit. Amidst all of the fear, grief, and turmoil, so many members of our community turned to the land for comfort. More people picked up gardening for the first time than I had ever seen in my lifetime. Seed stores were sold out, and nurseries were back-ordered for potting soils, mulches, and fertilizer. For the first time, many people were home enough to feel that they had the time to garden, and for others, there was a desire to grow their own food to help limit trips out to the grocery and protect against supply chain disruptions.

That’s where the one-on-one coaching comes in! This offering emerged out of the hunger for gardening-related information in the midst of the pandemic. Boundless Landscapes sprang into action to offer 30-minute, 45-minute, and hour-long sessions via video calls to discuss any and all things related to gardening.We help provide regionally-specific advice for new and experienced gardeners based on their specific microclimates, the time of year, and household budgets. 

I’ve been able to help folks plan their veggie garden, learn about cover crops, figure out how to harvest arugula and trellis tomatoes, and decide on how to fertilize.

There is a lot of lawn in this county, arguably a bit too much (Did you know lawn is the largest irrigated “crop” in the US and covers 40 million acres of land?), and at Boundless Landscapes we’ve been chipping away at it as best as we can! If I could personally go out and help turn every lawn into a garden or perennial habitat I would, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

Our goal is to help empower homeowners, neighborhoods, business owners, churches, schools, and whole blocks to go for it and garden. 

While growing food is not rocket science, it requires collaborating with nature and that is a messy (and beautiful) process inevitably full of challenges and learning opportunities. In our coaching sessions, I always invite curiosity about the things that “worked”, but especially about those that didn’t! I’ve had many gardening role models in my life who have kindly shared all sorts of wisdom with me—but probably the best thing I’ve learned from all of these folks is that it’s okay to make mistakes when gardening, as long as you learn from them, gather support when you need it, and share what you’ve learned with others! 

Turning your lawn into a garden may seem daunting but I’m here to help folks jump in and give it a try because the need is immense, the momentum is here, and our neighborhoods and communities will be so much better for it!

You can book One-on-One coaching sessions at www.boundlesslandscapes.com/learn where $5 from every session will be donated to DUG. Happy growing!

Nov 29
Love0

The Garden in December

By A Year in the Garden, Education

There is nothing typical about Denver weather, and each year that passes seems to surpass expectations in terms of drought, heat, and other manifestations of climate change.

Now, more than ever, it’s the time to plan, prepare for, and play our part to deepen our connection to the regenerative power of the earth. This also is the season for us to focus on our ROOTS.

R: Remember the past growing season by:

  • Making a simple garden map showing what you planted, its location in the garden and any companions it had (flowers, herbs)
  • Be mindful of garden challenges: (heat, insects, diseases, drought)
  • Was the garden utilized spring through fall?

O: Organize and clean any garden tools, sharpening edges of pruners, shovels and garden hoes, removing rust, and oiling wooden handles

O: Order fresh seeds if needed.

Typically, if stored in a cool, dry location, most veggie seeds, (other than lettuce, green onions, bulbing onions & leeks that lose viability after several years) can be successfully planted for the upcoming season. Order seed catalogs in December to expand your field of dreams. Some favorite selections include:

T: Treasure the gifts that each season brings.

Continue to:

  • Care for the soil by piling more leaves or straw on top of growing areas, to promote increased organic matter as they decompose over the winter season
  • Water fall-planted garlic once monthly if not adequately covered by snow
  • Deep water those treasured trees and perennial plants

S: Share your increasing garden knowledge, extra preserved garden harvest goodies with neighbors, friends, and others in your community.

Most of all, know that as we continue to nurture our growing areas, we are also nurtured in a sense of purpose and place.

Connect with other gardeners and plan your springtime garden in DUG Online.

Oct 28
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The Garden in November

By A Year in the Garden, Education

by Senior Education Specialist Judy Elliott

November in Denver is a time of varying degrees of temperature change and precipitation, with temperatures ranging from daytime highs of almost 60 at the beginning of the month, to the mid-40s by the month’s end. Nights are chilly, gradually cooling from the low 30s to the high teens, with daylight hours rapidly shortening. The possibility for snowfall increases with several inches expected during the month, although there have been years in which blizzard conditions have occurred.

The last fall leaves blanket the ground with a welcome cover, reminding us to use their bounty to mulch our garden beds, surround our perennials, shrubs and trees with a protective coat, and appreciate the importance of slowing down and gathering together. It is not the season of ‘doing’, but developing deeper roots. We are gently reminded to share.

S | Show up for the earth and others.

  • Make sure that all garden beds are protected from the effects of erosion by covering them with fall leaves, straw, and/or cover crops
  • Renew and restart compost piles utilizing disease-free end of garden crops, fall leaves, and non-meat food scraps
  • Utilize extra fall leaves as part of the indoor bedding mix for red wiggler worms (vermicomposting). This provides an easy-to-manage system for creating nutritionally-rich amendments for spring gardens and houseplants
  • Extend a helping hand to others in your community by sharing garden skills, recipes, and seeds

H| Harvest hope.

  • Concentrate on the successes of the season, realizing that gardening is a process, not a race
  • Make a plan to peruse your community and/or home garden on a regular basis, noticing different microclimates that can be utilized for customized growing
  • Leave seedheads on perennial flowers as sources of winter food for songbirds and habitats (leave the dead stems until spring) for overwintering beneficial insects

A | Arrange tool areas + tools. 

  • An often neglected task during the off season involves arranging your tool storage areas and making sure tools are in good working condition for the upcoming season
  • Store shovels and hoes off the floor to prevent rust accumulation & dull edges
  • Remove caked-on soil, oil any wooden surfaces with a thin coating of linseed oil
  • Garden centers offer end-of-season sales on that ‘must have’ pruner or other too essential. Tools make great gifts for yourself or friends

R | Revisit spring plans.

  • Resolve to garden ‘smarter, not harder’ by establishing set internal pathways for feet to show up on a regular basis
  • Plan for season wide usage of gardening areas, incorporating flowers and herbs that welcome beneficial insects and nurture your spirit
  • Grow what you love to eat, or can share

E | Ease into the season. 

  • Learn from the trees and perennials, that concentrate on developing deep roots
  • Consider regular get-togethers, either in person or virtually with gardener friends, to solidify lessons learned, share meals, decide upon shared tasks for the upcoming season
  • Grow a few houseplants to keep the ‘green connection’ growing, increase oxygen levels in your home and realize that you are a key part of our caring for the earth

Don’t forget that you can also save seeds from your final harvests for next year!

Enjoy this short video about how to save seeds from your dying flowers for use in your garden next year.

Quick Garden Tip: Successful Seeds 

Prior to planting season, spend a bit of time checking seed viability (their ability to germinate successfully). Seeds such as lettuce and onions generally germinate poorly after several years of storage. 

Do an easy test to check for seed germination:

    • Spread 10 lettuce or onion seeds out on a double layer of moistened paper towels. Space them evenly in 1 row on top of the towel
    • Roll up paper towel & place in a ziplock bag, keeping the bag in a cool, dark area
    • Each day, carefully remove the ‘seed towel’, unroll & lightly blow on it, releasing carbon dioxide that encourages germination
    • After around 6 – 8 days, if at least 6 seeds have germinated (60% rate), the seed variety is ‘safe’ to plant for the upcoming season.
Oct 11
Love0

Fall Basil Pesto Recipe

By Education, Fall, Grow a Garden

The first frost is headed our way soon.
Now is the time to harvest your remaining basil and make pesto!

Ingredients:

  • 2 c. fresh basil leaves (no stems)
  • 2 lg. garlic cloves cut in 1/2 lengthwise
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt (more to taste)
  • 1/3 to 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp. pine nuts
  • 2 Tbsp. freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
  • 1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan (to taste)

Instructions:

1. Place basil leaves in bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade & pulse until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

2. Add the garlic, salt, one-half of the olive oil, then briefly pulse. Add pine nuts & briefly pulse again.

3. Scrape down sides of bowl & slowly drizzle in remaining olive oil. Continue to process until the mixture is smooth & sticks together. Add the cheeses & pepper to taste & pulse until everything is well blended. Taste & adjust salt.

4. If not using right away, scrape the pesto into a glass jar, cover w/about 1/4″ of olive oil & refrigerate.

Sep 30
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The Garden in October

By A Year in the Garden, Education

by Senior Education Specialist Judy Elliott

October in Denver usually provides us with sunny days, not much in the way of precipitation, and temperatures that range from the low to mid-60s during the day, to a gradual lowering of nighttime temperatures from the 50s to high 30s. It is the time of obvious shortening of daylight hours, falling leaves, and the potential first snowfall.

Our gardens respond in kind: slowing and then ceasing growth of warm-season crops, welcoming the onset of cooler weather that allows us to replant some of our salad greens and kale. It is the season where we begin to notice the individual brilliant colors of remaining flowers and autumn leaves that stand out against the intensity of the blue sky. The ripening pumpkins and winter squash beckon us to put our gardens to bed, gather, and follow age-old cycles of renewal. It is the season of covering and connection to the cycles of the garden, and also of our lives.

Incorporate some of the lessons this month provides by:

C |Creating conditions for a thriving garden

  • Remove any remaining warm season crops.
  • Dispose of any diseased or insect-infested plants such as tomato vines and/or squash family members such as summer and winter squash, pumpkin vines, and cucumbers that have ‘powdery mildew’ on their leaves. Don’t put them in the compost pile!
  • Weeds left standing in the garden provide an ample supply of seeds for early spring growth. Be conscientious about digging them out & disposing of them now.

O| Optimizing soil health

  • After removing warm-season crops, spread ⅕” of plant-based or ‘homemade’ compost on the soil surface, digging it into the top 3” of soil.
  • If you have a source of fall leaves, utilize them as free nutrients. To prevent their clumping together, run a lawnmower over 1” layers of leaves or have the family engage in ‘group bonding’ by jumping on bags of leaves. Dig 1” layers into the soil for additional organic material.
  • Plant winter rye, hairy vetch, field peas or oats as ‘cover crops’. Follow package instructions for each variety, planting by mid-October. A combination of rye & vetch, or oats & peas will give back lots of top growth & deep rooting patterns to open up soil compaction.
  • Lessen soil erosion by trying to mimic a tall-grass prairie, covering all bare areas with fall leaves or straw. Strong winds can quickly remove precious topsoil.

V | Visioning is important

  • Learn to view your season as part of a cycle, remembering and jotting down every step to garden learning.
  • Resolve to make different mistakes each year and don’t try to become a garden ‘expert’.
  • Plan for internal pathways for feet to ‘dance’ and care for crops & planting areas that are not more than 3’ wide.

E | Extending the season for cool-season crops

  • To provide several weeks of additional growing time for salad greens and kale, utilize a type of fabric ‘row -cover’ material, usually made of a spun polyester material. These materials are permeable to water, provide different degrees of light transmission and several degrees of frost protection.
  • Keep the covering in place by either using garden ‘pegs’ or rocks.
  • Water all fall crops with a solution of liquid kelp (1 – 2 tsp.of kelp concentrate/gallon of water) to provide additional micronutrients & frost protection.

R | Rejuvenating and regenerating with respect 

  • A garden, in all of its glory, is part of the larger cycle of growth, experiencing germination, full growth, flowering, pollination, fruiting, and dormancy.
  • All of its components are essential for high-level wellness, beginning with the soil as a provider and ending with the remains of harvested crops that can be chopped & used in the compost pile.
  • Rejoice in the changes of the season that allow us to deepen our connections to the wisdom of slowing down and noticing, appreciating the power in reflection, sharing, and being a part of regeneration.

Quick Garden Tip: Green your windowsill

If you are still determined to continue ‘growing’, consider planting or transplanting lettuce, basil, or chives.

Process:

  • For lettuce or basil, fill 3” pots with an all-purpose ‘indoor’ potting mix that has been moistened well.  Do not use garden soil. 
  • Plant 2 seeds of lettuce or 3 seeds of a shorter growing basil variety per pot. Use the information on the back of their seed packets to determine planting depth
  • Place in an area that receives sufficient sunlight
  • Check for when to water by inserting a toothpick or sharp pencil into the soil several times a week. If soil adheres to the toothpick or pencil tip, no water is needed. Soil should always feel like a ‘wrung-out’ kitchen sponge. 
  • Garden chives can also be dug & transplanted for indoor growth. Again, when planting indoors, utilize a commercially available potting mix.
Aug 26
Love0

The Garden in September

By A Year in the Garden, Education

by Senior Education Specialist Judy Elliott

September in Denver is usually a month of glorious sunshine, changing leaf colors, sunny days, and not much in the way of precipitation. If we are lucky enough to experience decreasing smoke and haze from western wildfires, we can anticipate brilliant blue skies, temperatures from the 70s to mid – 80s during the day and nighttime temperatures cooling to the low 50s. With all of these changes, daylight hours have decreased dramatically, giving us less than 10 hours of sunshine and a lower angle of the sun. Our first frost of the season can usually be expected during the last week in September or the first week in October.

All of these different scenarios seem to precipitate a focus around ‘bringing in the harvest,’ planting ideas rather than crops, and slowing down enough to begin to appreciate the true lessons of the garden. As I consider the ‘harvest’, my thoughts turn inward to successes, challenges, and messages of possibility. Here are some ways to think in new ways about the harvest.

H |Harvest and care for crops regularly 

  • To maximize the yield from warm-season crops such as tomatoes, understand their growth habit. In early September, prune several inches off of the top of tomato plants to restrict vegetative (stem) growth and promote the reopening of ‘green’ tomatoes.
  • Continue to remove ‘suckers’ and long, trailing side stems that are interfering with air circulation
  • Remove most newly opened flowers on warm-season crops, since it takes at least a month from time of pollination to gain a fruit that will successfully ripen inside
  • Prune back rampant growth of winter squash and pumpkins to promote ripening of fruit
  • Check and harvest summer squash and cucumbers several times a week to make sure you don’t ‘miss’ any rapidly growing fruit

A| Arm yourself with ideas that expand your knowledge

  • The most productive garden starts with healthy soil
  • Plant cover crops such as winter rye, hairy vetch, winter peas, and oats by mid-late September to prevent soil erosion, provide quantities of organic material to dig into the soil in spring and promote a thriving environment for soil microorganisms

R | Review, reap, and renew

  • Remove unproductive warm season crops
  • Renew the soil with 1 ½” of plant-based compost dug into the top 4 – 6” of soil
  • Plant small quantities of quickly maturing crops such as lettuce, spinach, radish, arugula, or bok choy
  • Cover any bare soil with mulch
  • Plant garlic in late September or early October

V | View your plot and garden with an expanded eye

  • A garden feeds body and soul, providing a respite from the uncertainties of everyday stress
  • Gardens are intergenerational gathering places that celebrate diversity

E | Evaluate your steps to success

  • Success can be achieved when we vow to not repeat the same mistakes each year
  • Take pictures of your plot to plan for crop rotation, different varieties, diverse planting styles, peaceful gathering places

S | Share: knowledge, bounty, and small steps 

  • The beauty of a garden is that everyone has something to share: knowledge, food, recipes, help with plot maintenance, and family stories. Think of creative ways to involve our youngest generation, too

T | Trust the process

  • A garden is a circle, a cycle of integrated seed to seed growth that occurs in spite of the challenges of the seasons

Quick Garden Tip

Over the winter, soil can be eroded with our harsh winds and snow storms. Protect and restore your soil with cover crops!

Cover crops are best planted in mid-late September. As you harvest your summer veggies, consider creating space to plant cover crops like winter rye and hairy vetch.

Aug 25
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Why You Should Plant Cover Crops

By Education, Fall, Fall Gardening, Grow a Garden

Cover crops consist of many different types of plants, usually annual, biennial or perennial grasses or legumes, which are grown to cover the surface of the soil. After they are tilled or dug into the soil, they are known as green manures.

Benefits of cover crops

  • Cover crops act like a blanket and prevent soil loss from wind and water erosion.
  • Their roots hold the soil in place, and help to improve soil structure. During the process of decomposition, microorganisms and the decomposing cover crops produce sticky substances that glue soil particles together. This opens up air channels and also increases the water holding capacity of the soil.
  • Cover crops keep weed species in check by covering the soil surface and decreasing sunlight available for weed seed germination. Additionally, some grasses, such as winter rye exhibit a property know as ‘allelopathy’. Their roots, when tilled into the soil, prevent seeds from germinating until the plant has decomposed.
  • Crops in the legume family, such as hairy vetch, planted with specific types of bacterial inoculants, have the ability to develop special structures on their roots that store nitrogen and make it available as the crop is dug or tilled under.
  • Many cover crops reduce pest insect populations by serving as habitats and food sources for beneficial insects.

Early Spring Care

  • Cut the rye before it reaches knee-high, then dig or till or crop remains in. Wait two weeks for decomposition to occur prior to planting spring seeds. Enjoy your best garden ever, knowing that you have worked to prepare fertile, moisture-retentive, biologically alive soil.

Crop and Planting Specifics

    • Best choices for fall planting include Winter rye and Hairy vetch. Often a mix of rye and vetch is planted. Austrian winter pea is slightly less hardy
    • Plant by mid–late September as crops are harvested.
    • Prepare seedbeds by digging thoroughly, adding an inch or so of decomposed compost mixed into the top 4 – 6 “ of soil. Make sure large clumps are broken up.
    • Water the area well prior to planting the cover crop seed.
    • Follow directions on the seed package for seed sowing (Winter rye: 4 – 6 oz per 100 square feet, Hairy vetch: 2 – 3 oz per 100 square feet).
    • Rake seed lightly into the top 1⁄4 – 1⁄2” of soil, lightly pressing it in with a hoe.
    • Cover with light layer of straw or chopped leaves.
Aug 01
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The Garden in August

By A Year in the Garden, Education

by Senior Education Specialist Judy Elliott

August marks a transitional time in the garden. With daytime temperatures that can stay in the low to mid-90s during much of the month and nighttime temperatures falling a bit to the mid-50s, it can be confusing, to say the least, for our veggies, herbs, and flowers.

Rain is sporadic, winds seem constant, and the air is thick with the smoke from fires in Colorado and other western states. At this time of the season, many veggies and herbs seem to be not quite as vigorous in their growth and show increasing incidences of insect infestations or disease progression. Considering that from the beginning to the end of the month, we’ve lost a little over an hour of daylight, it’s not surprising that plants are stressed.

Let’s consider some strategies that either extend the productive lifespan of our garden or renew its possibilities for the fall months that are right around the corner. 

E |Eliminate diseased plants + those with heavy insect infestations 

  • Members of the cucurbit (summer & winter squash, cucumbers, pumpkins) are beginning to show signs of powdery mildew. The fungi responsible for this disease produce spots or patches of white to grayish talcum–powder–like growth
  • The disease is more prevalent as the weather becomes hot and dry and as plants age
  • To keep this in check, avoid overhead watering, pick off affected leaves, and promote air circulation by selectively pruning off excess growth
  • If needed, apply a product containing potassium bicarbonate (‘Bi-Carb’) available, as are many other organic remedies at ‘Arbico Organics’: www.arbico-organics.com
  • Any crops showing spots or blotches on the leaves should not be utilized in compost piles

X| Extend a helping hand

  • Donate or preserve what you can’t realistically eat fresh
  • Donate your skills (helping to care for a plot, ‘strong back brigade’, gardening expertise, calming presence to others in your garden community. What we give returns in so many unforeseen ways

T | Tend your garden on a regular basis

  • Adhere to regular routines of cultivating, renewing mulch, and watering at the base
  • Remember that plants that are thriving, receiving regular care, and are harvested frequently while fruits are young remain productive for a longer period of time than those that receive sporadic care routines

E | Enjoy early morning time in the garden

  • Turn over leaves: pick off eggs of cabbage butterflies, wash off aphids, prune off fading flowers, cut back basil that’s in flower to make pesto, cultivate, and water
  • This is special time for renewal, so enjoy these little moments of noticing and care for yourself and your plants

N | Nurture soil, plants, and spirit

  • Spread handfuls of compost around all existing plantings and lightly cultivate it into the soil
  • Foliar feed leaves with a dilute solution of 1 tsp. kelp/qt. of water
  • Lovingly investigate soil under mulch and notice the biodiversity. It’s home to red wiggler worms, sowbugs, millions of beneficial bacteria & fungi that feed the underground community that in turn, feeds everything above
  • Know that you are a part of creating this miracle of abundance

D | Designate areas for fall crops

  • As you remove ‘old’ crops, begin to plan and plant for fall
  • Early August is not too late to plant fall peas. Soak them overnight in 1 tsp. kelp/qt. of water
  • Mid – August.: Plant small quantities at 2 weeks intervals of lettuce, spinach, arugula, radish, cilantro
  • Early August: Plant greenhouse-grown transplants of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale
  • Cool-season crops planted in warm soil should be planted a bit deeper than in spring & mulched immediately
  • Save space in late September and October for garlic and fall cover crops

August can be an exciting time to evaluate, renew and plan. Focus on one or more things that were a joy to grow this season and think about deleting the ‘heartaches’ from your next year’s garden.

Quick Garden Tip

Another benefit of visiting your garden in the early morning cool, in addition to the peace and tranquility of the special moments, involves the absolute joy that can be found in:

Zero Cost, Minimally Invasive, 100% Effective Pest Control

  • For those noxious Japanese beetles that decimate everything, including Virginia Creeper vine, roses, pole beans, zinnias, marigolds  prepare a solution:
    • 1 cup water with around a Tbsp. of any kind of dish soap
    • Take the bucket to the garden
    • Stand quietly with cup underneath affected leaves
    • Brush off beetles into their bath. They will not emerge
    • Enjoy
    • This also works for cucumber and/or squash beetles in early morning, before they fly
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