A coldframe is essentially a box with a slanted glass top.  Sun warms the soil during the day and the frame retains heat at night.  A cold frame is used for growing cool-season crops even in the middle of winter.

Our friend David came up with a clever way to heat a cold frame.  He filled a large jug with water, inserted an aquarium heated into the jug, and sunk the bottom 2/3 of the jug into the soil.  This heater will heat the soil, not just the air inside the frame.

If you can't say goodbye to your garden in the fall, try a cold frame!  Winter lasts longer than summer in Colorado, and you could be enjoying cool-season vegetables like lettuce, spinach, beets and more year-round!  Just find an old window, and use 2.8

Why you should choose a real Christmas tree this year

Chopping down a living tree doesn’t seem like an environmentally-friendly thing to do, but it’s not so much about what the tree is made of—it’s about what it does for the environment.

An artificial tree offers a long-term solution to holiday decorating, and can be easier on your wallet.  But consider that artificial trees are generally replaced every 7-10 years, then tossed in a landfill where they live forever.  More than 80% of artificial trees are imported from China.

When the trees are harvested, each tree is replanted with 1-3 new trees in order to maintain a constant supply.  So the tree population is not reduced due to Christmas tree farming, it is maintained, protected, and in some cases increased.

Tree farms are usually in areas where the land is unsuitable for other purposes.  Because Christmas tree are hardy, they can be planted on barren slopes and grow underneath power lines.  More than 500,000 acres in the U.S. are devoted to Christmas tree production.  One acre of a tree farm provides enough oxygen for 18 people.

Real trees are an all-natural, renewable source.  Most trees are harvested after 8-12 years.  They often require pesticides and chemical fertilizers during this time, but while the trees are growing they absorb carbon dioxide.  Each year, an acre of Douglas Fir can absorb 11,308lbs of carbon dioxide. 

When Christmas is over, recycle your tree at one of the locations designated by the City of Fort Collins.  Trees will be recycled into mulch and used for reclamation projects.

We're closing at 4pm today, but until then all poinsettias are 25% off!  Grab a couple as gifts for your Thanksgiving dinner hostess!

Thank you to everyone who donated to our supply drive for The Animal House last week.  Your generosity makes it possible for The Animal House to continue their mission: saving animals in need.

We offer free tours for children and other groups who want to learn how we maintain our greenhouses and keep our plants healthy.  On November 16, we had Fifth grade students from Heritage Christian Academy come by for an education tour and a little fun!


Would you like to schedule a tour for a small group?  Contact Mundy.

Our staff donated their time to decorate wreaths to donate to the Spay-ghetti and No Balls Dinner and Craft Fair, benefiting the Larimer Humane Society.

If you've seen our beautiful poinsettias before, you'll be glad to know we're introducing a new variety this year - Ice Punch.  It's pink-red bracts feature a feathery white center and plants are more upright than many other varieties.


Poinsettias are grown by cuttings that must be started in greenhouses in June.  They are fussed over constantly with the right amount of water and fertilizer, the correct temperature and light requirements to make sure they are pest-free and beautiful in November.