Deb Babcock, 51, has been writing the weekly gardening column for the newspaper as a volunteer master gardener since May 2000. Master gardeners are volunteers who have completed a course of study through the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension office and provide research-based advice and assistance to local home gardeners. Prior to moving to Steamboat Springs, Deb was a market researcher in Ann Arbor, Mich., and now spends her time gardening, hiking, skiing and creating pottery at her studio, Blue Sky Pottery, in the Pine Grove Center.
Recent Stories
Deb Babcock: Report links aspen illness, drought
Scientists: High temperatures, low precipitation cause of decline
Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is likely the tree most coveted by homeowners in Routt County and the one most enjoyed by visitors and residents who love to hike the aspen-covered mountains surrounding our beautiful valley. Sadly, there have been stands of these trees that have been dying off in certain parts of the mountains, mostly at lower elevations.
Deb Babcock: Hanging on to your poinsettias
OK, the holidays are over, but you still have a pretty poinsettia plant hanging on to dear life. It seems a shame to discard the plant just because the leaves start to drop.
Deb Babcock: Jade requires minimal care
If you’re looking for a houseplant that is easy to grow, looks good and requires minimal care, consider the jade plant (Crassula ovata, formerly C. argentea). With its thick, glossy dark-green leaves, this plant is a beauty that can grow as tall as 4 feet and as wide as 4 feet.
Deb Babcock: Caring for your holiday plants
Don’t you love the beautiful colors, shapes and aromas of plants that seem to be available just during the holidays? The fast-growing, spectacular amaryllis plants that grow about an inch per day and the beautiful white, reds, pinks and now plum-colored poinsettias are so decorative.
Deb Babcock: Colorful Christmas cactus makes its debut
One of the most striking plants that we see during the holidays is the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera Buckleyi).
Deb Babcock: Decking the halls with holly boughs
When the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock on the day after Christmas in 1620, one of the plants that pilgrims certainly were happy to see was American holly (Ilex opaca), which no doubt reminded them of the popular holiday plant from home.
Deb Babcock: Houseplants filter air naturally
It seems every winter that half of Steamboat Springs seems to come down with what a lot of locals call “the crud.” I would describe it as a rattling, persistent cough that just hangs on forever.
Deb Babcock: Keep time with the flower clock
A couple of weeks ago, the beautiful composition called “L’horloge de flore” (A Musical Flower Clock) by French composer Jean Françaix was on my car radio. It made me curious about flower clocks and Carl Linnaeus and Françaix.
Deb Babcock: Considerations for a greenhouse
When it turns cold at the end of the gardening season, many of us who want to continue working with plants dream of having a greenhouse in which to work in warmth.
Deb Babcock: Tillandsia a plant living on air alone
Looking like strange, not-of-this-world beings, Tillandsia air plants can be quite spectacular and a focal point of a houseplant array.
