Desert Canyon Farm celebrates becoming pollinator habitat
Desert Canyon Farm, 1270 Field Ave. in Cañon, is celebrating its 17th Anniversary, as well as becoming an official pollinator habitat, with a variety of workshops during their Open Farm Days, every weekend from Saturday, April 27 to Sunday, May 26.
Desert Canyon Farm is a USDA certified organic wholesale farm that provides potted plants of herbs and heritage-heirloom vegetables to independent garden centers throughout the Front Range of Colorado and northern New Mexico. They field grow perennial seed crops which are sold to Jelitto Perennial Seed Company in Germany.
In addition to being a certified organic farm, Desert Canyon is also a United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary, a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat, and now a Xerces Society Official Pollinator Habitat.
Native pollinators and domestic honeybees are necessary to produce good food crops, for farmers and gardeners alike. Bumblebees are a common native pollinators people recognize. They help pollinate squash, cucumbers, tomatoes and many other kinds of plants.
Honeybees are familiar too, and great pollinators for berries, fruit and nut trees, any number of vegetables and zillions of different flowers. There are several thousand kinds of native pollinators. Mason bees, squash bees, blue bottle flies, beneficial wasps, butterflies, and hummingbirds are all part of the pollinator community.
Desert Canyon Farm would like to encourage people to take good care of this pollinator community by providing pollinator-friendly habit on their properties. Growing as many different kinds of flowers, annual and perennial, is perfect. Each pollinator has a preference for flower type, and will be attracted by certain colors, shapes, bloom seasons, fragrance, and other traits, so diversity is the best approach.
Desert Canyon Farm will open to the public for five weekends, beginning April 27 through May 26. The farm is closed to the public on weekdays. Each Saturday and Sunday on these dates the public is invited to visit the farm between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to shop for plants in the Farm Stand.
Visitors are welcome to stroll the gardens, do some bird-watching, or bring a picnic to eat in the orchard.
This year there will be three guest teachers, in addition to Tammi Hartung teaching workshops; James Krumm, Brian VanIwarden, and Jerry Kossner. There is no need to pre-register for workshop, just show up with pen and paper and perhaps your lawn chair. Workshops are held outdoors, rain or shine, so please dress appropriately for the weather on that day. This year the number of workshops is doubled.
This year’s free workshops are as follows:
• Basic Vegetable Growing for Teens & Twenty-Somethings – 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, April 27 with Tammi
• Patio Container Herb Gardening - 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27 with Tammi
• Patio Container Vegetable & Fruit Gardening – 10 to 11 a.m. Sunday, April 28 with Tammi
• Learn to Plant a Fairy or Miniature Garden – 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 28 with Tammi
• Intro to Heirloom Veggies – 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, May 4 with James
• Choosing Plants to Create a Wildlife – Friendly Garden Landscape - 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4 with Tammi
• Welcoming Honeybees & Native Pollinators Into the Garden - 10 to 11 a.m. Sunday, May 5 with Tammi
• What It’s Like to Have a Perennial Garden in an Arid Climate - 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 5 with Jerry
• Growing Food Plants to Get You Through the Year - 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, May 11 with James
• Intro to Bee-Keeping – 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11 with Brian
• Growing & Using Medicinal Herbs for Health & Well-Being - 10 to 11 a.m. Sunday, May 12 with Tammi
• Choosing Excellent Perennials for Your Western Garden - 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 12 with Jerry
• Preserving Your Harvest of Fruits & Vegetables - 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, May18 with James
• Wonderful Herbs for an English Cottage Herb Garden - 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18 with Tammi
• Friendly Ways to Deal with Challenging Wildlife in Your Garden – 10 to 11 a.m. Sunday, May 19 with Tammi
• Growing Techniques for Perennials in a Western Garden – 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 19 with Jerry
• Making Herbal Tinctures, Vinegars, Infusions & Decoctions Demo – 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, May 25 with Tammi
• Proper Harvesting & Storing of Herbs from Your Garden - 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 25 with Tammi
• Growing & Using Culinary Herbs – 10 to 11 a.m. Sunday, May 26 with Tammi
• Choosing Herbs for a Moonlight Garden - 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 26 with Tammi
For more information or to read more visit Tammi Hartung’s blog at DesertCanyonFarm.wordpress.com.
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