Gardening Program Helps Prepare for Winter

The beautiful Indian summer of the past few weeks is giving way to cooler temperatures and a shift in Gardening tasks. There is still ample time to prepare your outdoor Garden for the winter season ahead.

Planttalk ColoradoTM, a 24-hour toll-free automated phone service and Web site, provides timely information on a variety of horticultural topics, including winterizing your yard. The service, sponsored by Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Denver Botanic Gardens and the Green Industries of Colorado, can be reached at 1-888-666-3063 or www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk.

Now is the perfect time to browse the Planttalk Colorado Web site or pick up a brochure and review the following messages: Annuals and Perennials message 1020, Perennials: winterizing and 1012, Bulbs: spring flowering; Lawns messages 1523, Fall-lawn fertilization, and 1526, Fall-lawn weed control; Trees, Shrubs and Vines message 1728, Why leaves change color in the fall: and under the miscellaneous section, message 2015, Lawnmower maintenance. Indoor Gardening enthusiasts will find a wide range of interesting messages that include Houseplants message 1319, How to force bulbs indoors, 1318, Houseplants: watering and 1331, Houseplants: fertilizing.

For a complete list of the more than 400 Planttalk Colorado messages, contact the Denver Botanic Gardens, nurseries or Garden centers, or your local Colorado State Cooperative Extension office, usually listed under the county government section in your local phone book. A wide range of topics address all aspects of Gardening with emphasis on basic Gardening practices, selecting appropriate plants for Colorado, information on Insects and diseases and environmentally sound Gardening.