Soon, the answer came to us: Chainsaw Mama. We had seen her work at her shop in Loveland on the way up the Big Thompson Canyon. Chainsaw Mama (Faye Braaten) is an expert chainsaw artist. She has been carving for twelve years, and her work can be found far beyond the borders of Colorado. She came out to take a look at our tree, we discussed a few ideas, and scheduled for her to return in February.

Watching her work is fascinating. The form for our sculpture is all in her head. I asked her if she had it all drawn out, and she admitted to drawing a few rough sketched of dragonflies and butterflies to make sure she was carving them the way she wanted, but other than that, the only blueprint exists in her mind’s eye. She uses four different chainsaws, each with its specific use depending on what stage of her sculpture she is on. To watch her wield a tool that is nothing more than a crude cutting tool in most people’s hands is to watch a master.

With the growling buzz of the engines and sawdust flying everywhere, our sculpture takes form. Two massive rose flowers sit atop the pedestal, supported by massive vining stems. More roses take form along the trunk and butterflies and dragonflies nestle between the leaves and stems. The strong scent of two-stroke fuel deceives passersby – how could they know what magnificent art is taking place?

The trees in northern Colorado suffered a collective tragedy last year. We were dismayed when we realized this wooden giant had lost this battle with the elements. Trees are the hallmark of an established landscape, and tell the stories of the generations of people who have enjoyed their shade. When a massive tree dies, the character of the environment around it is profoundly altered. Isn’t it nice to know that the end of life for a tree can still lead to the creation of new beauty?

Below are some pictures of Chainsaw Mama carving our tree. More pictures will be added as her work progresses!

• Pruning - Leaves restrict our view of branches, which makes this time ideal for spotting structural problems. Remove limbs that are broken or have narrow crotches, twin leaders, crossed branches, or dead and diseased wood. Live, healthy branches have plump buds and show green when scratched, so don’t be afraid.
• Dormant Oil - On a day above 50 degrees, apply this to trees and woody shrubs to kill scales, mites, and aphids. Follow label instructions and look forward to fewer pests.
• Watering - Much of our snow evaporates rather than melts, so many tender and young plantings need a drink. Feel soil by hand and water as needed.

If you have any questions about winter gardening and/or preparation for spring, please stop by the Nursery or give us a call to consult with one of our Nursery Professionals.

~ Resurrected from an article by Thomas Krafft in the Winter 1999 Fort Collins Nursery Tree Talk

Online Registration for this class is CLOSED, but there’s still space! To register, please call us at (970)482-1984.

Fort Collins Nursery employee Amy Vogt will teach you how to turn your hobby garden into a produce machine. Learn how to get more from your garden here!

From cold frames to high tunnels (hoop houses), find out which season extender is best suited for you. We will discuss and investigate ideas on purpose, style, function, and construction. Class includes media presentation, hand-outs, material lists, and a tour through nursery Quonsets.

Online Registration for this class is CLOSED. To register, please call us at (970)482-1984.

Class Fee: $12

Instructor: Amy Vogt

Date: February 4, 2012

Time: 1 pm- 3 pm

Place: Fort Collins Nursery Classroom

Experience Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Come shake that winter chill with a visit to our lush and temperate greenhouse. Get lost in our aisles while on safari for a perfect tropical plant.

All houseplants will be discounted from Jan. 21-29, 2012. Even with fresh exotic deliveries, you should stop by early for the best selection.

All Houseplants, Bonsai, Tropicals, Citrus, Herbs, Cacti, Succulents: 30% off

All Pottery: 20% off

Buy a plant and a pot together and we’ll pot them up for free!

Spend two hours with some of the region’s premier horticulture experts, authors and  professionals. Our carefully selected topics will help further your understanding, passion and inspiration of all things green.

Just starting out? Our workshops are an excellent way to spark your interest and get a head start. Experienced in the field? Become more well rounded with a new topic and perspective.

Click Here to register for workshops

Or, follow the links below to find out about any of our classes:

• Pruning and Training Trees That Live Longer and Stronger [Feb. 4, 2012]
• Cold Frames 101 [Feb. 4, 2012]
• The Building and Planting of Rock Gardens [Feb. 11, 2012]
• Fairy Gardening [Feb. 11, 2012]
• Preserves, Jams, & Jellies: Use Your Fruit [Feb. 18, 2012]
• The Best Fruits and Berries to Grow in Northern Colorado [Feb. 18, 2012]
• Sustainable Flowers for Northern Colorado Gardens [Feb. 25, 2012]
• Orchid Splendor at Home [Feb. 25, 2012]

Learn, Grow, Bloom!

Looking back at the last year, I am overcome by a profound sense of nostalgia mixed with giddy anticipation. I have never been more excited to be exactly where I am, nor have I ever been so excited about the opportunities that I see on the horizon.

Retired Owner Gary Eastman

2011 was the first year since 1976 that my father, Gary Eastman, was not standing at the helm. Kent Hixson retired in 2011, taking with him nearly 40 years of experience.

This is a trend that is sweeping through the nursery industry nation-wide. In the best scenarios, the business passes as a strong entity to the next generation, as in my case. In the worst scenarios, accidents have taken industry leaders before their time, as happened with the tragic loss of Warren Jordan of Jordan’s Greenhouse. As the younger generation takes the reins, the loss of institutional wisdom is profound, yet the possibilities seem endless.

Kent Hixson, retired 2011

Coupled with this changing of the guard, the aftershocks of the economic crisis are still rippling throughout the country. As a retail garden center, we are staying on our toes, always seeking new ways to help you keep growing as a plant-lover. The fundamental way businesses like ours operate is changing, and I am excited to see what fantastic innovations this shift will bring. Already, we have seen an explosion in outdoor container gardening, and indoor gardening has veered away from the traditional houseplant-in-a-pot and is hurtling headlong into trends like vertical gardening and fairy gardening. More and more people are planting vegetable gardens and home orchards. “Local” is the new buzzword, one which I am happy to say we embody thoroughly, with over 85% of our #1 (1 gal.) perennials being grown on-site by our production team! All of these steps that gardeners are taking to be more sustainable and to support local businesses have exciting implications for the future of gardening.

Ira Glenn Kinghorn, founder of Fort Collins Nursery

I mentioned the intense sense of nostalgia I feel when I look back at 2011. This sense of being a part of something much bigger than myself is due in no small part to the fact that I have the honor of ushering in Fort Collins Nursery’s 80^th year in as a purveyor of fine plants and expert advice. Founded in 1932 by Ira Glenn Kinghorn, this nursery sets the standard for garden centers in Fort Collins and throughout Colorado. Countless past employees are now running their own successful businesses, including but not limited to: Tom Throgmorton of Throgmorton Plant Management; Gary Kershaw of Fort Collins Landscaping; Denver City Forester Rob Davis; and Gary Epstein, past co-owner of Fort Collins Nursery and owner of Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery. I am truly standing on the shoulders of giants.

Finally, I believe you are the most wonderful and supportive customers around. You are the reason we do what we do. I recently had the opportunity to drive around Fort Collins with my dad as he pointed out the trees in various landscapes that came from Fort Collins Nursery. Most of them were older than I am, and many of those yards belong to customers who still shop here today. It is incredible to be a part of something so integral to the spirit of this city as the trees and gardens that dress the yards and landscapes all around.

It is with this in mind that I eagerly anticipate our 80^th anniversary year and all that comes with it. We have come such a long way, from our roots as a fruit and vegetable stand selling a few plants on the side to the thriving garden center we are today. I hope you will all be here with us as we journey on to the next step, whatever it may be.

Most municipalities in the U.S. offer some kind of recycling program for dried out Christmas trees, and the variety of uses for those tired old trees is truly astonishing. Probably the most common way trees are recycled is via the wood chipper, producing mulch that is then distributed to residents or used in city projects (this is what the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County do). Here’s a few other neat ways that Christmas trees are reincarnated:

• Take your tree out back and let it dry out. The needles make a great mulch, and can help acidify our alkaline Colorado soil. Use the wood in your fireplace. If you don’t have a fireplace, ask around. I bet you know someone who would be happy to have some free firewood.

• Stake your tree upright in the yard and string it up with popcorn or other bird treats for a wonderful winter wildlife feeder.

• On beaches where sand erosion is a serious environmental problem, old Christmas trees are used along with short sections of fence to create windbreaks, allowing the natural rebuilding of sand dunes, a vital ecosystem for many delicate species of plants and animals. This is especially useful in areas damaged by hurricanes, such as the Gulf Coast in Alabama following Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

• Old Christmas trees are used in a number of different ways to create habitats for animals. They are  sunk in the shallow waters of lakes and ponds to provide nursery habitat for young fish. Under the guidance of the Division of Wildlife, they can be bundled together and placed in forest areas where they provide cover for small animals like birds, rabbits, ground squirrels, and the like.

• Old Christmas trees are used for fuel in biomass heating systems and power generators.

There are probably many other creative ways to recycle Christmas trees. If you have a great idea, we’d love to hear about it! If you just want to drop your tree of somewhere and be done with it, The City of Fort Collins and Larimer County are offering free tree recycling until January 17, 2012. Here’s what to do:

• Remove all decorations, including tinsel, lights, tree stand, nails, and plastic bags.

• Take your tree to one of the following free drop-off locations:
• Edora Park, 1420 E. Stuart St. (Tennis court parking lot)
• Larimer County Landfill, 5887 S. Taft Hill Rd. (Monday – Saturday, 8a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
• Rolland Moore Park, 2201 S. Shields St. (Parking lot, S.E. corner)
• Streets Facility, 625 Ninth Street (S.W. corner of Vine & Lemay)
• Wellington Recycling Drop-Off Site (corner of 6th Street and Grant Ave.)

• All free tree recycling ends on January 17, 2012, so don’t wait. Besides, the longer you wait, the more dried needles you’ll have to dig out of your carpet.

Look for locally grown plants in Fort Collins Nursery pots.

A lot of noise is being made these days in support of local businesses, and it isn’t just hype; a collection of studies showing the economic impact of a dollar spent locally vs. a dollar spent at a national or international chain shows that when you shop from locally owned businesses, it generates more economic growth within the community and supports businesses that generally provide the majority of local jobs at better wages than national and international chains.

Not to toot our own horn (well maybe just a little bit), Fort Collins Nursery has been locally owned and operated since 1932. We have always operated with the belief that we thrive at the mercy of our community, and this belief has treated us well. Every year we donate thousands of dollars in cash donations, sponsorships, and donations of plants and gardening supplies to local non-profit organizations. We make every effort to buy locally grown plants and locally produced products. We like to think we are about as local as it gets, and we have just taken a huge step forward to be even local-er.

Come this spring, you will see tons of #1 (1 gal.) perennials in light brown pots bearing the Fort Collins Nursery logo, the Talking Tree. Each plant you see in one of these pots is guaranteed to be grown right here at our nursery. In fact, we already grow most of our perennials here. In 2011, out of 65,237 #1 perennials that moved through our nursery this year, 56,567 of them were grown right here at the nursery. We just found a better way to show you which ones are which so you know your plants are true locals.

We are proud to be local, and we know you are, too. Now you can garden with the peace of mind that if a plant comes in one of our branded pots, it is a true hometown hero.

Our Sub-Alpine Firs and Lodgepole Pines are native, wild grown Colorado Rocky Mountain trees that are shipped directly to Fort Collins Nursery after harvest. Sub-Alpine Fir trees have a silvery-blue cast and plump needles while the Lodgepole Pine is covered with cones and has open branching, allowing room for more ornaments.

Our Fraser Firs and Scotch Pines are plantation grown trees. Fraser Firs are very symmetrical, full and have a strong evergreen aroma. The Scotch Pine is the most economical tree, is light weight, and therefore easier to hold up in a stand.

Let one of our wonderful aromatic trees permeate your space this season. With trees starting at just $29, Fort Collins Nursery is sure to help you find just the right tree.