The greenhouse and nursery are open for the season. Hours are: 9-6 Tuesday-Saturday and 10-3 Sunday and Monday. Although we are not a mail order greenhouse, we know that many experienced, new to the area, and just getting started gardeners like to plan ahead and come out with a list of possibilities in hand. Our Availability List Pages provide pictures and cultural information so gardeners can familiarize themselves with the shrubs, perennials, and annuals we offer and will be updated through the season.  In the greenhouse, the hanging gardens are making a lovely showing and are ready to enjoy through the season. We have also had great success transplanting these container gardens into larger 24"+ containers. A new season is a chance to look at trends in the marketplace and to put past practices into perspective. Continuing trends that we feel work well with meeting our goals include:  Recognize and welcome the new generation of gardeners that are just getting started and need some practical "how to" information to go along with their selections of beautiful flowers and landscape plants. Provide ideas and plants that allow customers to create outdoor living spaces that work with nature rather than trying to dominate it. Appreciate beauty in simplicity by using the same variety in mass plantings/drifts of shrubs and perennials, including bulbs, timed to seasonal changes.
Limiting gardens to a handfull of hardworking, high impact shrubs and perennials that range in size, shape, and textural contrast can provide four-season interest with minimal maintenance.
Layering to create a multidimensional landscape designed so the eye moves through, over, and beyond the garden ultimately resting upon the sky as the garden backdrop. This requires dense plantings that weave together, omitting gaps or breaks in the landscape. Use of art and creative hardscapes in the gardens to enhance plantings and tie gardens into their surroundings. Emphasis is on the use of natural materials and local artisans. Gardeners love container gardening. Available in every shape, size, and color, containers are the perfect way to complement any outdoor space. We reuse the 24"+ containers on our deck and in the nursery area. The container mix is also reused, though topdressed with 4-5" of new mix and slow-release fertilizer. After the initial cost of buying and filling large containers, the cost narrows down to the plants. Steps to successful container gardening: Start with a container size and shape to fit into the intended area. Tall, narrow containers look great in sets of three sizes, arranged in a triangle. Tall containers are already a vertical element, further enhanced by cascading an upright plant towards the back, offset with a mounding and then a trailing plant. Repeat either the upright, mounding, or trailing plant in each container to tie the three containers together. Short, wide colorbowls decorate tables, steps, and stands as they form a bubble evenly around from center to, but not far beyond, the rim of the container. The same plant, mounding petunias for example, fill the container and look great with either the same color or a mix of colors. Large containers, like the popular half barrel, are the most versatile size and shape and can be filled with whatever makes you happy. Customers have had great success with transplanting our 12" hanging gardens or colorbowls into larger sized, 24"+, permanent containers. Common mistakes include: Choosing containers that are too small or don't have drainage holes, using garden soil rather than a well-balanced container mix, and choosing plants that "don't play well together". Growing vegetables and herbs in raised beds and container gardens. Tomatoes and peppers are two popular favorites that we will offer along with Basil, Rosemary, and Italian Parsley. Declining bee populations are placing harvests at risk. Planting flowers in with vegie producing plants attract these necessary pollinators into the gardens. Increased use of perennials and shrubs in container gardens. Importance of winter survivability has shifted to the contributions they can make with long bloom times and foliar interest. Lowered use of chemical pesticides in the landscape by attracting and protecting beneficial insects to control pests. Requires a higher commitment to gardening; providing a diverse range of plants that provide needed food and shelter for over-wintering birds and insects.
Beginning in the Denver area in 1981, the term "Xeriscape" was invented to describe the conservation of water through creative landscaping. A whole new way of gardening has resulted. Despite the image of cactus and gravel that many people first envision, this style of gardening does not have to look bleak or stark. Fortunately for all, the term xeriscape has been adopted by the cultural mainstream and, for those of us who cultivate the need for plants and nature in our daily lives,Water-Wise Landscaping is here to stay. Wondering about the 5 day forecast? Check out The National Weather Service Click the "Back" button to return to Colorscapes. About Us Marvel's Corner In the Greenhouse Availability Perennials Availability Shrubs Availability Annuals 
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