The Thyme Is Now: June Garden Notes
Pink Chintz Creeping Thyme
May Recap
May was an incredibly busy month. Early in the month, we finished hauling several cubic yards of soil to the north end of the garden’s footprint. We set up a pop-up nursery, seeded our perennial beds, laid cardboard and mulch over the new garden area, and most of our plots are cultivated. Whew!
June promises a more relaxed schedule (and hopefully, more stable weather).
June Events
June Monthly Maintenance
Saturday, June 28th
10:00 AM 1:00 PM
Mid Shooks Run Community Garden
June Announcements
June “Pop-Up Nursery” Hours
Pending fair weather, the pop-up nursery will be open every day from 8am - dusk.
During inclement weather, nursery stock will be moved to the greenhouse (e.g., temperatures drop below 50 fahrenheit, hail, strong winds, torrential downpour, etc.).
The last day of our “Pop-Up Nursery” is Sunday, 6/15/25.
Don’t Miss the June 15th Deadline
Attention all garden members: the deadline for cultivating at least 50% of your plot is June 15th. If you find that you will not be able to meet this deadline, or if you know you won’t be able to garden this year, reach out to us.
Project Highlight: South-Facing Perennial Bed Enhancements
This year, we’re enhancing the south-facing perennial bed to support local pollinators and a healthier, sustainable garden. We’ve added several species of native, water-wise, and low-maintenance plants to support local biodiversity while conserving resources. Be on the lookout for these additions:
Larvae host plants are specific plants that provide food and shelter for the larvae of certain insects, playing a crucial role in their development and life cycle. Often, these species are specialized feeders; they cannot digest plants other than their host-plant.
Butterfly weed- AKA orange butterfly milkweed, and host plant for monarch butterfly larvae. It typically begins to bloom in late spring and continues through summer. Stratified over winter and direct sown in April.
Lance leaf coreopsis - host plant to the Wavy-Lined Emerald moth larvae. Lance leaf coreopsis features long, narrow, lance-shaped leaves with bright yellow, daisy-like flowers that have a central disk surrounded by petal-like rays. Direct sown in April.
Pearly Everlasting - host plant to American Lady butterfly larvae. Pearly Everlasting features delicate, silvery-green leaves and clusters of small, white to creamy flowers that resemble tiny daisies, creating a stunning contrast with its lush foliage. Direct sown in April.
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant - host plant to several species of white butterfly larvae. Slender, upright stems adorned with clusters of small, tubular, pink flowers. Stratified over winter and direct sown in April.
Showy milkweed - host plant for monarch butterfly larvae. Large clusters of vibrant pink flowers sit atop sturdy stems that reach heights of three to four feet. These perennials were transplanted from soil blocks last summer and will bloom in 2026.
Living mulch - these low-growing, ground cover plants are intentionally used in gardens and agricultural settings to provide many of the benefits of conventional mulch: they suppress weeds, conserve soil moisture, and prevent erosion. Our aim is to eventually replace the mulch with species that have additional features: evergreen aesthetics, pollinator-attracting, and drought tolerant.
Creeping Thyme (Pink Chintz) - a low-growing, aromatic herb with small, rounded leaves and clusters of tiny purple-pink flowers that bloom in the late spring and early summer. Transplanted from rooted cuttings last summer.
Dragon’s Blood Sedum - Dragon's blood sedum features vibrant, deep green leaves that form dense, sprawling mats. In the summer, this mat will be adorned with star-shaped, pink flowers. With cooler temperatures and over the winter, these leaves will transition to burgundy until the spring. Transplanted from rooted cuttings in April.
Sedum Hispanicum - the only stonecrop variety that is technically an annual. Easily reseeds itself each fall after it blooms with small, pale pink flowers with red centers.
Sedum Octoberfest - a low carpet of light-green foliage that blooms in late summer to early fall. Its namesake comes from its prolific blooms of tiny, white star-shaped flowers that resemble beer foam. Transplanted from rooted cuttings in April.
Pollinator-friendly perennials
Monarda - AKA Bee balm features square stems and lance-shaped green leaves. Blooms from June to September are presented in clusters and resemble tiny tubes. This variety is purple, but they come in other colors including red and pink. Stratified over winter and direct sown in April.
Gaillardia - AKA Blanket flower, showcases a stunning combination of fiery yellow, orange, and red. Blooms from late spring through the summer and can continue to produce flowers well into the fall. Direct sown in April.
Echinacea - AKA coneflower, is a hardy native renowned for its long bloom time that ranges from early summer to late fall. The flowers have daisy-like heads heads with prominent, cone-shaped centers. Petals come in a variety of colors - purple, pink, white, and orange. Flowers and roots are often used in teas and herbal remedies. Once established, echinacea requires minimal watering. Stratified over winter and direct sown in April.
Prairie coneflower - is a vibrant and resilient native wildflower that blooms from early summer to fall, attracting a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies. Stratified over winter and direct sown in April.
Rudbeckia - AKA black-eyed Susan, lights up gardens with its cheerful yellow petals and distinctive dark centers. Flourishing in a variety of soil types, blooms from late summer to fall. Stratified over winter and direct sown in April.
Mulch For Pathways
Community Garden Members - if you’d like to cardboard and mulch the pathways around your plot, there is mulch at the community garden. There’s a pile located outside the garden’s north fence - help yourself. To add an extra layer of water retention and weed barrier, consider putting down cardboard before adding the mulch (you’ll need to bring some cardboard from home - we used our cardboard stockpile at our May maintenance event).
Burn Notice: Know Your Noxious Weeds
Noxious weeds are plants that are legally designated as harmful to public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife, or property. Uproot them on site! We have two weed species that are noxious to Colorado that regularly make an appearance at the community garden:
Siberian Elm
Several traits make Siberian elms (Ulmus pumila) one of the most despicable invasive tree species around. A hardy, fast growing, prolific, mid-sized, deciduous tree / shrub, the Siberian Elm has few redeeming qualities.
Siberian elms outcompete other, more desirable species, uproot walls around yards, don’t age well (branch breakage is common), and exacerbate allergies too. The leaves look like a little, serrated mint leaves, about 1.5" to 2" long, symmetrical and cat's-eye shaped. It often has a taproot that’s longer than the above-ground parts. They produce a ton of seeds each spring that fly around, sprout up everywhere, and unless you get them that first season, they are very hard to pull.
Field Bindweed
Bindweed is considered one of the most noxious weeds in the world because it can be difficult to control.
Bindweed creates extensive root systems up to several yards below the ground. Repetitive digging and pulling every two to three weeks throughout the growing season will deplete the root system and provide control until our field bindweed mite colony is operational.
Absolutely don’t let it go to seed, and remove as much of the root system as possible when found. Any root portions left in the soil will re-sprout in about two weeks, so be sure to dispose of bindweed in the trash (not our compost!) and be prepared to weed the same area every three weeks.
Happy Gardening!
