Despite the wild swings in weather, spring has arrived to Colorado. The calendar has turned to growing, and the garden center advertisements are not far behind. Whether you’ve been gardening for years, or are looking to take your first ventures, your first (and often) stop should be the step-by-step guidance offered through PlantTalk Colorado. This online resource will give you the confidence to have the “best garden ever.”
Tips from the PlantTalk team are constantly being reviewed and updated; new information is added monthly. The experts on the team include horticulturalists from Colorado State University Extension, the Denver Botanic Gardens and GreenCo right at their fingertips. The reliable and timely information (more than 600 topics) includes everything from lawn landscape care to insect and plant disease problems. There is a wide range of articles and YouTube videos available — many in Spanish, too. Learn how to grow your own tomatoes, plant, fertilize and prune fruit trees and care for ornamental plants around your home or business.
On Pinterest
With nearly 20 years of experience adapting to the informational channels gardeners use, PlantTalk Colorado has taken outreach a step further by connecting with new and seasoned gardeners through Pinterest. With 2,500 followers, PlantTalk Colorado pins offer topics for upcoming garden tasks, with inspiring photographs for future projects.
“In the 1990s information was provided through a telephone answering system,” says Jim Klett, CSU Extension horticulturalist. “We moved to the internet early in the 2000s, and today outreach continues through the website and various social media channels.” Klett has been the driving force behind PlantTalk, but it’s the collaborative efforts of all the partners that keep the project fresh. Partners include:
CSU Extension
For over 100 years, Colorado State University has been helping people find the information they need in order to safeguard health, increase livelihood, and enhance well-being. In addition to gardening information, Colorado State University Extension provides reliable, research-based information on topics of health, food safety and nutrition, agricultural crops and livestock management, weeds, gardens, 4-H youth development, energy, community development and many others. Colorado State University Extension offices serve citizens in the entire state of Colorado.
Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Botanic Gardens strives to entertain and delight while spreading the collective wisdom of the gardens through outreach, collaboration, and education. In addition, its conservation programs play a role in saving species and protecting natural habitats for future generations.
Green Industries of Colorado
Green Industries of Colorado is an alliance of seven trade associations representing all facets of the horticulture and landscape industries. GreenCo members are committed to water conservation and industry-wide best management practices as a way of doing business. They provide expert advice on how to select and properly care for plants and landscapes.
Ask an expert
Don’t see the information you’re looking for on the PlantTalk Colorado website? The “Ask an Expert” tab allows gardeners to instantly connect with Extension staff and volunteers for timely get advice on horticulture topics.
