Hey garden club, I just added a new bundle course to consolidate all the additional advise, tips, tricks and hacks we use in the garden over the seasons. Things such as pest control, summer planting, vertical growing space and I just added a new post on Guilds. Go check it out and keep an eye on it for regular updates. This is a way to keep information more organized and accessible for everyone. Let's keep the questions and feedback going so we can continue to build this library. Let's grow!

🪴 🌱 😂 Happy Monday!

You know that in this club we talk about polyculture and working with nature rather than against it… This is exactly where that comes to life. One of the biggest shifts you can make: stop thinking about pest control and start thinking about ecosystems. There are plants that actively support beneficial insects—the ones that keep pest populations in check for you. A few to start working into your garden: • cilantro (let it flower) • yarrow • sweet alyssum • calendula • fennel (let it flower) • cosmos You can mix these right into your beds, or plant them around your veggie garden as a natural hedge. They attract and feed: ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, parasitic wasps, ground beetles And those insects go after: aphids, caterpillars, whiteflies, even some slug pressure A quick note on yarrow: It’s one of the most beneficial plants you can grow—but it will spread. Be mindful of your space and place it where it has room to move. This is the shift: Instead of reacting to pest, design your garden so they’re handled naturally Mix flowers into your vegetable beds. Let things bloom. Create habitat. This is how we move from control to balance. A simple bonus hack: Let a couple of radishes go wild at the edges of your garden.They flower fast and act as powerful pest deterrents while also attracting beneficial insects. What are you planting this season to support beneficials? 🌼

Hey Garden Club As we get closer to last frost here on the Front Range, this is your reminder: Don’t rush warm-season crops. Let the soil warm up first. These are great to direct sow after frost: beans, cucumbers, squash, corn, watermelon, okra, sunflowers, pumpkins, basil But the real key isn’t the calendar… it’s soil temperature. Most of these want 60–70°F soil to actually germinate and thrive. Planting too early = slow growth, rot, or just nothing happening. Simple move: 👉 Grab a cheap soil thermometer and check before planting And this season, I want to introduce a shift in how we think about water-wise gardening: Instead of mulching with materials… start mulching with plants. Dense planting creates living cover: • shades the soil • reduces evaporation • protects soil life • increases resilience Think of your garden less as rows… and more as a plant community. This is the direction we’ll be exploring at this season—designing beds that hold moisture not just with inputs, but with life. What are some of your favorite warm-season crops to grow?

Hey Garden Club, I’m really looking forward to seeing you all at the groundbreaking this Sunday. This garden is more than just a space to grow food. It’s an opportunity for us to come together more regularly, to shape it with our hands, plant it, care for it, and learn alongside each other. We get to build this as a community. Every bed, every planting decision becomes part of a shared process where we experiment, observe, and grow together. This season is already showing signs of being dry, and that’s going to guide a big part of our focus. At the garden, we’ll be leaning into water-wise strategies, using permaculture principles and naturalistic design to work with the land, not against it. This is where it starts. See you Sunday 🌱