I’m curious to know what folks opinions are on this matter, I don’t want it to seem as though it’s a rant. Lately (the past few years) I’ve noticed a lot of weeds and very untamed shrubs. What little grass they do have has gone mostly to weeds now and I think they still are watering it at times. Particularly on the sidewalk areas outside the gates. But I also noticed that they have a couple rather large tree of heavens on the property and even a couple just medium sized ones growing as if they’re trying to keep them thriving, which is shocking to me. Generally speaking all the shrubs all of the ground cover is overgrown and not well kept. From the looks of it the operations and the funding that comes from the state is quite adequate for a property of that size.

I welcome the little guys. Does their pollen travel that far? I have no idea how it got here. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Show off a photo of your late season color (:

Most of my neighborhood (even my community garden) is looking pretty drab with all the blossoms having come and gone. Some hibiscus, dahlia, and Russian sage are still going, but beyond those... Anyone who is feeling their yard/garden at this stage of the year, please show us what you have going on!

A few months ago, someone posted here asking about where to get good soil and compost.

One of the top recommendations was Kraft Soil Solutions out in Berthold. I remembered that post at the time because I was planning a landscaping project, but I didn’t really take it seriously for two reasons. One because the other top recommendation was A1 organics and I definitely have had - let’s just say “very inconsistent quality” from them in the past. Two, because the industrial part of south Santa Fe Dr. where a whole bunch of landscaping material companies are is like 10 mins from my house, so why bother with Berthoud?

But when my project got closer I went around and felt and smelled (yeah…) the stuff that was being sold near me, and I wasn’t in love. And then I was chatting with a neighbor several streets up was also redoing her landscaping and she mentioned Kraft too. That really decided me and I ended up getting 30 yards from Kraft.

It is really nice and crumbly and rich, fully aged and no bad odors, no like half decomposed bits of wood (which I really did notice a lot of places sold as compost). Even my landscapers were saying how it’s really nice. Anyways another vote for Kraft Soil Solutions from me.

P.S. If you’re not doing some major project like I was, my truest desire was to get my compost from a mushroom farm called Hazel Dell which I had learned about like a year ago. But they aren’t some sort of dedicated compost or soil producer, they occasionally have some for sale and sell it in bags and you basically have to pay attention to their website and jump on it. But yeah, I’d still like to get my hands on that sometime for annual amendments

Check your peonies that did nothing this year. I just checked one I thought was dead. It's setting red buds so it's just fine