The following sale prices are good at Glover Nursery through September 31st, 2011:

On June 10th and 11th Utah State University Extension Master Gardeners in Utah County invite you to join us for the 15th year of discovering some of Utah Valley’s most beautiful private gardens.  Tour includes: Entrance to 15 beautiful hidden gardens from Orem to Alpine.  Tickets are $13 (in advance) or $16 (at the [...]]]>

On June 10th and 11th Utah State University Extension Master Gardeners in Utah County invite you to join us for the 15th year of discovering some of Utah Valley’s most beautiful private gardens.  Tour includes: Entrance to 15 beautiful hidden gardens from Orem to Alpine.  Tickets are $13 (in advance) or $16 (at the Gardens).

You can purchase tickets online at www.hiddengarden.org or at these locations: Cook’s Farm and Greenhouse, 1248 S. 1200 N. Orem Utah 801.225.8271 Diamond’s Greenhouse, 643 South, 1500 East, Springville 801.489.5561 Extension Office, 100 East Center St. Rm. L600 (lower level of the building) Provo Thanksgiving Point Gardens 801.768.4999 Lindon Nursery, 535 N. State St. Lindon 801.796.8576 Olson’s Plant Shoppe, 1190 West 400 North, Payson 801.464.4422 Sun River Gardens, Inc. 1248 N. State St., Orem 801.229.1975.

There are also free classes available exclusively for ticket holders:

• Thursday June 9 – Joy Bossi from ABC 4 Good Things Utah and host of a weekly radio show “Joy in the Garden” 7 pm – “Herbs and Other Edibles for the Front Garden”
• Friday, June 10 – Larry A. Sagers Extension Horticulture Specialist Utah State University Thanksgiving Point Office 10 am – “Getting More from Your Vegetable Gardening” 11 am – “Fabulous Flowers for Your Garden”
• Saturday, June 13 – Classes By Loren Nielsen and Eco-Scraps 8 am -”Horticultural Hotties – Hot New Plant Introductions for 2011″ 9 am – “Composting” Mystery Plant Contest and prize drawings Live entertainment (various times at selected gardens)
• Gardening clinics (various times at selected gardens)

Click here for more information.

The latest pest advisory from the Utah State Extension Office is up.  You can click here to view it.

This Saturday, May 7th, Conservation Garden Park will be holding their annual Mother’s Day Garden Fair from 9am-5pm . There will be plant and garden-ware vendors, experts, workshops and mini-classes throughout the day. This is also an excellent opportunity to get that last-minute gift for mom! Admission and parking are free.

This [...]]]>

This Saturday, May 7th, Conservation Garden Park will be holding their annual Mother’s Day Garden Fair from 9am-5pm . There will be plant and garden-ware vendors, experts, workshops and mini-classes throughout the day. This is also an excellent opportunity to get that last-minute gift for mom! Admission and parking are free.

This event is held at the Conservation Garden Park, 8215 E. 1300 W., West Jordan, UT.  Click here for more information.

Click here right now to purchase a $40 gift certificate to Millcreek Gardensfor only $20!

This offer is through Groupon.  Here are the rules:

This season in the Smith’s Marketplace Garden Center:

I was just sent this article from the Utah State University Cooperative Extension and it really shed some light on a problem I’ve been noticing around my neighborhood and (sniff, sniff) in my own yard:

(Note:  this is edited down a bit.  For the full article, click here.)

Several [...]]]>

I was just sent this article from the Utah State University Cooperative Extension and it really shed some light on a problem I’ve been noticing around my neighborhood and (sniff, sniff) in my own yard:

(Note:  this is edited down a bit.  For the full article, click here.)

Why Evergreens Are Turning Brown

Several types of evergreen trees and shrubs in northern Utah are showing signs of significant foliage damage this winter. Damaged foliage often turns purple, and if irretrievably damaged, will turn brown and eventually drop off.

“Most pines, spruces and junipers seem to be unaffected,” Kuhns said. “Though there aren’t a lot of broadleaved evergreen trees and shrubs in northern Utah, some of them, like euonymus, are showing

My own, very sad, Laurel.

damage too. Damage tends to be worse for plants with a great deal of sun exposure and also tends to be worse on the south and west sides of trees and shrubs where they get more sun.”

According to Kuhns, the likely reason for most of the damage this winter is a weather pattern that occurred in mid-to-late fall when temperatures were fairly mild, followed by a quick drop to low temperatures.  Kuhns said the mild November temperatures followed by very cold temperatures meant some trees that are weren’t as cold hardy may not have been completely hardened off in late November.

“Plants go through a process of hardening their tissues as winter approaches,” he said. “Sugars and other materials accumulate in cells, and other changes occur that allow plant cells to withstand cold temperatures. Plants that are well-adapted to an area rarely get fooled. They start the hardening process early in the season so they are ready for anything that comes their way.”

Non-native plants from warmer climates may start to cold-harden early if temperatures get steadily colder early, but will wait until later in a warm fall. If they wait too long, they get caught with tissues that aren’t cold-hardened when the weather finally turns cold.  Another factor for brown evergreens in some locations may be dry soils. Evergreens lose moisture from the stomates in their leaves all through the winter, especially when temperatures are mild and when foliage is exposed to a lot of sun.

Kuhns said there is a good chance that, for most of the trees and shrubs that are showing damage, the buds for this coming growing season weren’t damaged. If so, they will bud out normally this spring and new twigs and new foliage will form.

“All we can do is wait and see and not be in too big of a hurry to remove damaged plants or prune out damaged areas,” he said. “If your soil dries out and thaws in the winter and you are able to water trees and shrubs, do so. When planting less cold-hardy plants, locate them in shady areas protected from lots of direct sun and wind. If possible, plant them on the north sides of buildings or other large plants.”

To view supporting documents and/or photos, go to www.enr-corp.com/pressroom and enter Release ID: 288561

Though many of us still have snow on our lawns, and all of us will undoubtedly get more snow before this month is done, the gardening world has begun spring preparations!

Last Friday I was able to go out and cut down all the plants I didn’t get to last [...]]]>

Though many of us still have snow on our lawns, and all of us will undoubtedly get more snow before this month is done, the gardening world has begun spring preparations!

Last Friday I was able to go out and cut down all the plants I didn’t get to last fall and even do some weeding.  I’ve also started updating the UNLA “Activity for the Day” in the left sidebar.

While shopping at Costco, Smith’s Marketplace and Lowe’s this week, I noticed they have bags of summer bulbs in stock.  Lowe’s even has some bare-root fruit trees in their garden section!

Smith’s Marketplace also has 4″ Primroses for $1.50 each, Dormant Roses for $4.99, and, if you didn’t get them in the fall, 4″ pots and 6-packs of Pansies and Violas. (4″ pots are 2 for $3, 6-packs are 2 for $6)

Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan has announced 2 FREE gardening classes for March:

• Tree Care & Pruning Workshop Saturday, March 12 from 10:00AM – 11:00AM  (registration required)
• Basic Waterwise Landscape Design Thursday, March 31 from 6:30PM – 7:30PM  (registration required)

Conservation Garden Park is also offering a $10 gift certificate to Glover Nursery or Cactus and Tropicals to those who attend 2 classes in 2011.  Click here for more details.

Last but not least, Conservation Garden Park has put out an article on “How to Prune” that is a great resource for beginning gardeners looking to spruce up their trees and plants for spring.

• Click here to view Part 1
• Click here to view Part 2
• Click here to view Part 3

Mark your calendars!  The Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival dates have been set.  This year the festival runs from April 15th through the 30th  (closed Sundays).  I find it best to go a little later into the festival to ensure that the majority of the bulbs will be in full bloom.  There will more than [...]]]>

Mark your calendars!  The Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival dates have been set.  This year the festival runs from April 15th through the 30th  (closed Sundays).  I find it best to go a little later into the festival to ensure that the majority of the bulbs will be in full bloom.  There will more than likely be coupons available closer to festival time.  I’ll post where to find them as they become available.  Click here for more information on Thanksgiving Point and the Tulip Festival.

Coming up in March, Ogden Botanical Gardens will be offering two free classes on pruning.

The first, on March 5th and 12th, will be on pruning fruit-bearing trees and plants.  

“Take the fear out of pruning by learning the art and science of proper pruning practices. We focus on apples, peaches, grapes and [...]]]>

Coming up in March, Ogden Botanical Gardens will be offering two free classes on pruning.

The first, on March 5th and 12th, will be on pruning fruit-bearing trees and plants.  

“Take the fear out of pruning by learning the art and science of proper pruning practices. We focus on apples, peaches, grapes and raspberries. This outdoor event is one of our most popular workshops, so dress for the occasion and come ready to learn.”

The locations for this demonstration will vary so call (801) 451-3403 for more information.  Click here to register.

The second, on March 26th, will be on pruning landscape plants.

“Come learn how to prune your roses, ornamental trees and shrubs, or sit in on a class explaining the basics of fruit tree pruning. Each class will last one hour and be repeated each hour.  Come listen to one or all four.”

This demonstration will be held at the Ogden Botanical Gardens.  Click here to register.

Both classes run from 9 am to 12 pm.  Click here for more information.

FEAR NOT!  This website has NOT been abandoned.  I just took a very long break for the winter.  That’s not to imply that there’s nothing about gardening in Utah to talk about during the wintertime.  You can check out this, and this, oh and this if you need your winter gardening fix.  However, with [...]]]>

FEAR NOT!  This website has NOT been abandoned.  I just took a very long break for the winter.  That’s not to imply that there’s nothing about gardening in Utah to talk about during the wintertime.  You can check out this, and this, oh and this if you need your winter gardening fix.  However, with three little children of my own I thought it best to turn my focus for the holidays.  But I’m back!

Though some of the Daffodils are already poking their little leaves through, it’s still a little early to be busting out the gloves and spade (however I did find myself pulling weeds during that warm spell in January–I can’t help myself).

There are things to start planning for.  Gardening classes will be coming up soon around the valley.  I’ll be posting them as they become available.  This is also a good time to order seeds from catalogs such as Burpee or Thompson and Morgan.  On a side note,  Gardens Alive is offering $25 off a purchase of $50 or more.  This could work out to be a great deal for all of you organic gardeners.  Go here to check out their products.  The discount is taken off automatically at checkout.

As for me, I’ll be using the rest of my winter to clean the garage (once the temp gets over 5˚again) and finish up my inside projects.  That way I’ll be all set to hit the outdoors once the world defrosts once more.

Photo by Thomas Laupstad

Click here to download a free Vegetable Garden Guide eBook from Burpee.  

Thanks, Saving Dollars and Sense & Budget Saving Mom!

Beginning Monday, August 30 at J&J Garden Center in Layton: