TRASH INTO TREASURE
Learn to turn your garbage into gold by taking a free, two-hour backyard composting class. Classes will be offered on various weekend days through the end of October. To find out the class schedule and to register, please visit DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles or call 720-865-6810.
TO DO IN JUNE...
• Prune spring-flowering shrubs such as lilac and forsythia. Pruning these shrubs now that they have finished flowering can improve their form and help them set a strong crop of flower buds for next year.
• Wash aphids off with a strong jet of water. Hold off on the insecticides for those juicy aggregations of aphids. A blast of water that dislodges them from the plant will damage their mouth parts so they can no longer feed. An aphid that doesn't feed is no longer a pest.
• Mulch those beds! Now that the soil has warmed up, lay down a nice, thick layer of organic material. It conserves soil moisture, suppresses annual weeds and protects roots from the scorching heat to come.
• Plant warm- season vegetables. If you haven't done it already, now is the time to plant veggies like tomato, pepper, eggplant, melon, squash and beans.
Colorado State University Cooperative Extension
WHAT'S IN BLOOM?
• Aloe vera
A gardener's true friend, aloe vera contains a soothing sap that can be used to treat sunburn, insect bites and stings, minor cuts and even dry, cracked knuckles. Native to the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, the attractive plant is composed of pale green, white speckled fleshy leaves. It's best suited to container culture in our climate. An aloe plant can eventually grow into a large specimen and produce spikes of pretty, tubular yellow flowers. Drought-tolerant, it grows best in a sunny window or outside on a patio or deck in sun to partial shade.
- Rob Proctor
GARDEN WISDOM
"Gardening is not a race to the finish line; it is an enjoyable amble through your own private paradise. The process of creating a garden should be as rewarding and satisfying as the end result."- Katherine Whiteside, author of The Way We Garden Now
DUNK THOSE MOSQUITOES
Rather than spraying a chemical poison in the yard that will kill every kind of insect from pest mosquitoes to beneficial ladybugs and honeybees, try a less-toxic approach. A small Mosquito Dunk placed in birdbaths, ponds, gutters and anyplace where water collects will kill mosquitoes before they become flying, biting adults. The active ingredient in Mosquito Dunks is a bacterium that's deadly to mosquito larvae but harmless to other living things. A six-pack of Mosquito Dunks sells for about $10 at home centers, hardware stores and garden centers including Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Home Depot, Do It Best, Ace Hardware and True Value Hardware. summitchemical.com
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