Desert Willow Seedlings

A lot of the seeds we started in January are ready to transplant right now. I'm talking about perennials and shrubs that we're growing from seed, not annuals. Perennials are usually slower to germinate and slower to put on much growth as a tiny seedling. The time difference between transplanting an Indian paintbrush seedling and a tomato seedling is measured in weeks, not days. 

Chilopsis linearis, the Desert Willow, is native to New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah, but not Colorado. Nonetheless, it thrives in Colorado, along the Front Range, and up to elevations as high as 6900'.  It is slow to leaf out in the spring, often not showing new growth until late May here in Rye.  It germinates readily, but then the little seedlings just sit there for a month or so. Here they are, ready to transplant.

Chilopsis is vulnerable to damping off, a fungal disease that attacks young seedlings, so it it important to wait until the little plants have at least one set of true leaves. We move them from the seedling flat to two and a half inch pots.  Moving a seedling to too large a pot makes the watering much trickier. It's very easy to overwater a seedling if you stick it in a gallon pot at this stage.  We were able to get eighty plants from the seedling flat! Here is a flat a few days after we transplanted:

The Desert Willow is a beautiful tree. Here is one in bloom.

Desert Willow provides nectar for hummingbirds and bees. It's a great tree for your xeriscape.

Evening Grosbeaks After the Snow

 

Fall Colors in Southern Colorado

Yesterday was one of those perfect autumn days and we took a drive up above Rye. The aspen trees in the national forest are clinging to some golden leaves, and the Gambel oaks are turning red! These first two pictures were taken near Lake Isabel.

The next set of pictures were taken here at the nursery. The best red foliage in this area comes from our native currant and from Virginia creeper. Despite the name, Virginia creeper is native, too.  Deer don't bother either of them.

There are some flowers still blooming, too. Russian sage has been blooming for months. Helenium autumnale started blooming in late summer, and, living up to its name, it's still blooming in autumn. 

Hope you get a chance to check out the colors of the season, it's beautiful out there.

Mid June in the Garden

Asclepias speciosa with painted butterfly.

We're gradually uncovering the gardens that have been so neglected the last few years. And things are blooming!

Allium caeruleum

Coreopsis --The Pink One

Hummingbird at Lonicera 'Major Wheeler'

One of the best plants we've ever planted for our hummingbirds. Long-blooming and "mostly" deer resistant.

June 2

Cuphea 'Batface'

June 1

Hello all, and welcome! 

This is our new website that will replace our pfplants.com website.  We are looking for a simpler (and free) method to communicate our love for plants and birds and all of the natural world. It's the beginning of a new chapter!