Ferris Happy New Year!

Wishing you a very Happy New Gardening Year!

 

Ferris Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas 2019!

Ferris loves being outside in the snowy landscape, not so much for the reindeer ears!

 

 

Winter Solstice Coming Soon - Should I Plant Indoor Seeds?

But he really doesn't mean it

As I'm writing this opening paragraph, a blog written a few years ago comes to mind about an oft repeated phrase said by my Aunt Helen on my Mother's side. 

She'd say - "never say 'you should' to someone," and I'll add, to anyone. She said that no one likes being told what to do. For the most part that is sound advice and makes practically perfect sense, maybe not so much for the kindergarten teachers of the world asking squirmy five year olds to sit still for sixty seconds. There you have it. Should we plant indoor seeds soon to be ready for the 2020 outdoor spring planting? 

The short answer is no*, it's a bit early to start indoor seeds like tomatoes, peppers, snapdragons and cleome for transplanting in the garden next spring. The rule of thumb (the 'you should' part) is to start seeds anywhere from four to twelve weeks prior to going outside before, near, or after the final spring frost - which is usually mid-May or later along the Front Range in Colorado.  

There are a couple of ways to learn about seed timing if you're new to gardening or just need a reminder. The seed packet provides the best information listing days to weeks needed for indoor growth before they're developed enough for transplanting outside in the garden or containers. Other information on the packet mentions the number of days for seeds to emerge. I pay close attention to this because some seeds take a long time for their little green tips to show, parsley comes to mind. 

Back of seed packet instructions - helpful!

There are many other resources available online that mention seed starting time frames depending on planting zone and plant type. My humble seed charts may help you too, click here.  

It's not too early to purchase seeds and indoor seed starting equipment for the next growing season. In between wrapping presents or munching another holiday treat, sketch out your spring garden.

*I'm referring to seeding the most common vegetables, herbs and ornamental annuals. Western and or Colorado native plants including flowers, grasses, shrubs and trees may require special propagation procedures, treatments and timing. There are many resources for purchasing native seeds and plants including local independent garden centers, local plant associations and special plants sales. I'll be posting to this blog the 2020 special plant sale dates soon. 

December Decorating Part II

Festive Dish Gardens:

Mixed Holiday Planting - cyclamen, peace lily, ivy, palm, kalanchoe

• The traditional holiday plants like poinsettias, cyclamen and rosemary are never out of style for the holidays - they look perfectly placed as single plants around the house or grouped and combined with houseplants to make lovely seasonal specimens. 
• How to - just like planting outdoor containers, use the tried and true rule for a mixed holiday dish - combine thriller (tall), filler (round around the middle) and spiller (edging). Or toss out the rules and let your creative juices and plant availability shine with seasonal colors of red, white and green and shades in between. Toss in variegated leafed plants to kick it up a notch.
• Use - containers that drain are always best, but don't let that prevent using a non-draining pot, place a layer of pebbles on the bottom so the roots aren't sitting in water. Use fresh potting soil and a tiny bit of slow release granular fertilizer to keep the plant or plants happy well into next year
• Once you have the container and plants place them in the container while still in their pot to see how they can be arranged. Next remove the plants from their containers and plant one at a time (I start with the middle plants). Decision time - you may have to plant more than one container with the pretty seasonal plants available. Be sure to read the plant label for watering and light information.

  

  Mixed Succulent Dish

• The short list of plants to consider for mixed containers or specimens: Norfolk Island pine, lemon cypress, anthuriums, euphorbia, arrowhead plant, ivy, silver lace fern, coleus, cyclamen, poinsettia, holly, kalanchoe, peace lily, pothos and many more. A succulent dish garden works well too, choose vibrant colors, leaf shapes and rosettes for the most impact.
• Don't forget to add pinecones or ornaments for more holiday cheer. Consider using decorative moss around the plants after watering to tie it all together.
• Keep plants away from cold windows at night.
• ENJOY!!!

  

  Miniature Red Pepper Plants 

  
  

  
  

  
  

Poinsettias:

Mixed Container - poinsettia,cyclamen, lemon cypress, palm, ivy

• This holiday go to plant was used by the Aztecs for dyes and cosmetics instead of seasonal holiday decorating - at least as far as we know! 
• Poinsettias were first introduced to the United States around 1825 by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and amateur botanist. He found this large, red-flowering bright shrub growing near roads - good eye Robert!
• He brought cuttings back to his South Carolina greenhouse, then on to Philadelphia where other nurserymen saw the plant merits. In the early 1900s The Ecke family in California took poinsettias to the next level by mastering grafting techniques for mass propagation while promoting them for growing and decorating during the Christmas season.
• There are hundreds of poinsettia varieties on the market today, colors ranging in shades of white, red, pink, burgundy, yellow and peach. Blotched, marbled, variegated and splattered markings make heads turn and wallets open. Ruffled leaves mimic rose blooms. Red is still the the mainstay and never a bad choice to bring home.  
• Poinsettias need six hours of bright, natural (not direct) light from a south, east or west facing window (not too close). Keep them from cool drafts and heat vents. They like 60 to 70 degree indoor temperatures. Colors last longer at cooler temps. Never expose them to cold outdoors to and from the garden center. I use a insulated cooler or boxes to transport home.
• Don't forget to remove the foil or poke holes for proper drainage. Water when the surface feels dry to the touch. Avoid watering too much.  Plants are not poisonous to people or pets, but the milky sap from leaves may irritate the skin.
• ENJOY!!

December Decorating Part 1

December is a busy month. What to do first? Decorating and planting are at the top of any gardener’s list. Relaxing would be nice too, try to work it in.

Decorate - Fresh Greens for Inside or Out

• During the holidays it is your choice to deck the entire house or to focus on areas like the front door, entry and main living areas. Do you go for fresh or artificial greenery, maybe a combination of the two? How about bright colors and additional live plantings that will transition into the New Year?

• For fresh greenery—garden retailers and many grocery stores sell Christmas trees, wreaths and attractive bundles of assorted greenery. Christmas tree lots often have a box of trimmed fir branch cuttings that are free for the taking, just ask first. Consider getting a permit to cut a Christmas tree, then use the branches for decorating. Click here for permitting and more information.

Greenery for Swags or Wreaths

• The key for longer lasting fresh cut greenery is regular moisture from misting and using anti-desiccant sprays (sold at garden centers) to seal the leaves and pores on the bark to hold in moisture.

• Wear gloves and do your work over a tarp - greens will be sticky and messy! When making garlands, swags or wreaths for decorating set the stems in room-temperature water for a few hours before making the display. Use a hand pruner to make diagonal cuts through the stems, and then gently crush the exposed end—this will help with water uptake. Set the stems back in the water for a few hours before assembly and decorating.

Transporting Fresh Flowers Home from the Store 

• When transporting flowers of any type - cut bouquets, seasonal plants (poinsettias, cyclamen, etc.) it is important to protect them from cold temperatures when you leave the store and the ride home in your car.

Assorted greens make a simple, pretty holiday centerpiece

• When checking out of the store or garden center ask for a double layer of paper (may still not be warm enough for sensitive plants with temperatures in the 20s and 30s). 

• For better plant protection, I bring a large, soft sided cooler (which also keeps food warm) into the store and let it warm up while shopping. A sturdy box with a plastic or makeshift cover would work too. In go the plants at check out, and once zipped or covered, they're nice and warm for the ride home. Greenery bundles aren't cold sensitive and should be fine without extra bundling. 

Cranberries, Not Just Another Thanksgiving Side Dish*

Canned or cooked cranberries? That's a good opening question on Thanksgiving when seated next to your cousin twice removed. Go ahead and ask while the dish is being passed. Hopefully you both like each others answer. 

What version did you grow up with? Maybe you turned up your nose or shook your head with the "no way" universal food language of "please remove that red concoction from the house."  

I think we all agree that cranberries look pretty, they're red, shiny, just the right size to pop in your mouth (give a raw one a try and see what happens). As a kid when you saw the bags of Ocean Spray cranberries show up in the grocery store you knew Thanksgiving was getting close and Christmas was close behind! 

Internet Photo - Pinterest

Let's talk about the finer points of cranberries - after all Thanksgiving side dish blogs probably aren't on the top of everyone's reading list. Skip ahead and read the last line to know my preparation preference or spend eleven seconds and learn more about this delicious North American native fruit. 

Internet Photo - Pinterest

First, the name. The Internet says cranberry was originally called craneberry in 1647. Named after the German word kraanebere by John Eliot, a Native American missionary from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Seeing cranberries for the first time in their new country, John and perhaps other colonists saw the resemblance of blooming cranberry flowers, petals and the stem growing on the shrub to the head, neck and bill of a crane. That works.

Back in the day Native Americans picked lots of cranberries. Algonquins called them sassamenesh which translates to sour berries. They pounded cranberries into the first ever energy bar made up of dried deer meat and fat and stored them in small animal skin sacks to last several months.

Cranberries have excellent antibacterial properties and historically used by Native Americans to make poultices for wounds, to treat stomach issues and fevers. Dyes from the red skin of the fruit were used for clothing and jewelry.

Later when European colonists arrived they figured out quickly that cranberries and all their vitamin C helped keep away scurvy. Today cranberry juice and tablets are taken to prevent urinary tract infections. Cranberries are full of chemical proanthocyanidins (repeat that ten times quickly) which keeps bad bacteria from sticking to the surface of the inner tract. 

You're looking for the passed dish of cranberries right about now, aren't you?

The cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is native to the swamps of the northeast. It belongs to the heather family (Ericaceae) which also include huckleberries, blueberries and rhododendrons. The latter two and cranberries don't grow well in Colorado because of our alkaline soils. Cranberry shrubs are low growing, woody perennials with small oval leaves on their vine-like shoots. They form dense mats from their runners or horizontal stems that grow and root along the soil surface. They flower dark pink from May to June which then form berries in late September to October. The shrubs don't grow in a lake of water like the television commercials. Rather, fields are flooded for ease of harvest. Read more information about the natural history, growing and harvesting American cranberries at this link.

Today, five states grow the most cranberries - Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. 

Now for the decision. 

Do you prefer molded jellied cranberry? Directly out of the can this wiggly gelatinous tube once sliced moves with simple, sliding ease onto any plate no matter how highly piled with Thanksgiving Day "good eats."

Or, do you prefer the stove top cooked version of whole cranberries with cups (the number is up to you) of added sugar. The end result looks more like pie filling.

Internet Photo from chowhound.com

Drum roll please...I'll take either - whatever you're serving on Thanksgiving!

 
*Please pardon this timely repeat blog from last year. We found out recently that we'll be hosting Thanksgiving this year (thankfully), so my good intentions of completing and posting a blog I recently started on Thanksgiving family stories will not be finished before Thursday. On this snowy Tuesday I'm cleaning and prepping the dining table, polishing silver and tidying the house.Tomorrow and Thursday we cook pies and some side dishes!

This year we're especially thankful that Glen Sr. is out of the hospital and back home with Louise. This will be a very special day for the Cahill family. Ferris will be especially happy with a full house and lots of hands for petting.  

Enjoy your Thanksgiving with family, friends and new acquaintances! 

 

Indoor Herbs - Grow, Eat, Drink

Local Garden Center Herbs - Great Selection!

The holidays arrive next week and are over faster than a squirrel burying a winter snack. Carve out time with family and friends if there’s room in between party gatherings and gift shopping. This year assemble the easiest garden presents ever and grow some extra for yourself – indoor herbs. 

Growing indoor edibles is not complicated or expensive. No need for a pricey indoor light system with chain pulleys and special full spectrum tubes - although these work well if you own them.

With a sunny east, west or south facing window and at least six hours of direct, bright light, you’re all set to get growing. You'll need containers that drain, lightweight sterile potting soil, and plants from a garden center. Direct seeding herbs is another option, the focus of this blog is on starting with herb plants. 

Window sill herbs in matching containers, photo from cornallcapers.blogspot

•  Ideal herbs to grow indoors include culinary varieties that add flavor to many dishes and drinks. They smell great, add texture, interest and complement other indoor plants. Try any of these—chives, parsley, basil, chervil, oregano, rosemary, sage, stevia, lemon balm, lemon grass, mint, tarragon, thyme, Vietnamese coriander.

• Consider the best placement for what they need—warmth, sun and some humidity. Use a windowsill, shelf or table near a window. Hanging them near light sources also works.

Herbs Growing in Window Box, photo from gardenista.com

• For the quickest results start with small two or four-inch sized container plants from a garden center.  Also purchase individual containers or small window boxes or use ones from your own cache or garage sale finds. Sterilize used containers and freshen up with sealer and paint if needed. If sprayed, line with plastic for a protective barrier before adding soil. Empty washed tin cans work well too. Poke holes in the bottom and decorate the outside with material like burlap or a simple bow, don’t forget a plant label. 

• Replant your purchased herbs into slightly larger containers, leave an inch of space at the top so water doesn’t overflow. If roots are circling, be sure to tease or slice them to encourage roots to reach out into the new soil. They can be planted individually or plant multiple herbs in one container.

• After planting use tap water that has sat out for several hours or overnight to dissipate chlorine. This is recommended for all indoor house plants. Water to the point where it runs out from the hole in the bottom. If the container doesn’t drain, place an inch layer of small rocks or decorative stones in the bottom before adding soil.

• Place the herbs near each other or on top of a watered rock tray to create more humidity (lack of moist air can stress many indoor plants).

• Water when top half inch of soil is dry. Fertilize herbs every couple of weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer.

• Place herbs near a sunny window and rotate often for even light. If plants aren’t getting enough sun or warmth they may struggle. Inexpensive spot grow lights with a single light bulb can help. They are sold to clip on a rod or free standing. Use a timer and keep the light on for fourteen hours a day. Move plants away from cold glass at night.

• Herbs grow stronger by pinching the stem tips often (no more than one third of the stem’s length). They’ll grow back more slowly in winter but will quicken in spring. 

• Easily propagate herbs by taking a healthy stem cutting and removing leaves just below a set of leaves or use several cuttings and place in water until roots are plentiful. Keep cuttings in water (change water every few days) or replant in potting soil. Both water and soil grown herbs taste just that same - great. Just clip foliage as needed. Click here for helpful how to photos and more information on cutting herbs to grow in water. 

Rooted Mint in Water, photo from learningherbs.com

Herbs in the Kitchen—

• When using delicate herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, chives, marjoram or parsley, stir leaves into the dish a minute or two before serving for the best flavor.  For soup, place the herbs on the bottom of the bowl and ladle soup over the herbs. Hot soup infuses herbs and captures its fresh flavor. 

• For mint and lemon balm tea, pour boiled water over the leaves, steep for five minutes, strain and pour into your favorite cup

Herb Resources and Ideas—

Fresh Herbs, a Picture of Healthy Eating 

Cooking with Fresh Herbs

Indoor Herb Garden

Window Sill Herbs, photo from davedomoney.com

Plant a Tulip Cutting Garden - this Fall

Who doesn't love spring tulips, or any spring and summer bulbs for that matter. From diminutive anemones, aka windflowers that bring daisy-like cheer to any location in the garden to giant foxtail lilies with nicknames like king's spears and desert candles that describe these astonishing spires of blooming wow.

Back to tulip love. They've been popular since the 10th century. As with most bulbs, early, ancient civilizations knew how to choose and cultivate many different plants, including bulbs. Any culture that liked and grew my favorite bulb - garlic, is aces in my book. Click here for a quick, fun read on the history of tulips. And click here for some of my past garlic blogs.

Tulips have been difficult for me to grow in the landscape - the darn squirrels find and eat them no matter my good intentions and planting practices to prevent their dig, dine and dash enjoyment. This year I'm trying to "out squirrel them" with a spring tulip cutting garden carefully anti-squirrel planted in one of our three unused raised beds (two beds were recently planted with garlic).

One pack of tulips also includes daffodils, so the combination of assorted tulips from early to late spring bloom should be stunning. That's what I'm telling myself now in early November. If I'm brave enough to post how good or not good the blooms look next spring, we'll both know how my experiment turned out.

First, credit for this resourceful idea goes to a couple we hang out with who also garden. They have this handy, productive alley garden here in central Denver. They planted bulbs near their fall planted garlic a couple of fall seasons ago. I said at the time that this is an excellent idea and makes perfect sense, especially in cleaned out vegetable beds that lay fallow fall, winter and early spring. The soil is generally friable, fertile enough and in a sunny location where spring bulbs will shine, literally!

My intention isn't to keep the bulbs in this raised bed long term. Once the tulips have bloomed and been cut for indoor vases, they will be dug and composted. Basically I'm treating these fall planted bulbs as spring only annuals.

I chose generic tulip bulbs to plant, ones that aren't reliably perennial. These bulbs put on their best bloom the first year. Often commercial landscapers treat tulips and other bulbs as annuals for this very same reason. If that's not your deal (one and done), then plant them your usual way - everyone wins!
 
The best long-term perennial blooming tulips to consider include - botanical tulips, Darwin hybrids and fosteriana tulips.

Here's my precedure ... and please tweak as you like -

Shop - local is best and first choice, online second. Bulbs are usually discounted now that it's November - not indoor bulbs however. My bulbs were 60% off. As much as I prefer buying from local independent garden centers, they may be low on stock or sold out by now.

The same rules always apply for bulb planting - choose the largest, healthiest bulbs available. Mail order bulbs are kept cool and in ideal conditions prior to shipping - at least from reputable companies, I can't say this is true for all online mail order plant and bulb companies.

Prepare - your planting bed should be free of any vegetation and roots from this previous growing season. It's okay to work in some well composted soil if needed, just be sure you're not adding more organic matter if your organic matter level is 5% or more. If this doesn't make sense, click here and read about soil testing and how important not having too much organic matter matters to plant health. 

I did not add any fertilizer to this planting bed since my spring soil test revealed I was already too high in phosphorous and potassium. I added nitrogen this past summer. Bulbs are little self-contained food storage factories so they'll be just fine without any fertilizer additives in my situation. Click here for soil fertility preparation information when planting bulbs for long-term enjoyment.
 
Out Think the Squirrels - if Ferris could live outside 24/7, he'd be the best landscape protector from squirrels, not to mention bunnies, mice and neighbor cats. A mere whisper of the name sends him in manic flight outside to seek out any unwelcome furry visitors. Ferris can keep a squirrel spewing angry chirps on a high tree branch for hours! Ferris can't be outside every minute - meanwhile, squirrels are quick acting opportunists. They like using our raised beds for winter snack nut hiding. And, they love tulip bulbs, click here for bulbs they don't like as well.

I used three planting methods to keep squirrels away. 

• First, while touching and placing the tulip bulbs (125 total) I was careful to pick up any fallen tunics from the bulbs, which serve as the scented come and get it dinner bell for squirrels. 

• Next I placed the bulbs in the bed and heavily sprinkled the area with pest repellent granules. Granules will not hurt the bulbs.

• For the third step I covered the bulbs with most of the soil needed to cover the bulbs, then placed small opening wire mesh fencing over the soil so they can't dig through the soil. 

• Lastly I added a bit more soil to cover the fencing, although you probably don't have to do this step. Granules were sprinkled again, then a thick layer of shredded leaves for winter mulch.   

• I watered the bulbs well after the soil was in place, then again when the final layer of shredded leaves were added. And yes, once the mulch was dry I sprinkled more granules. Let's just say that if you were to stroll by this garden, you'd get a nice whiff of something akin to garlic, peppermint and cinnamon oil. Ferris kept his distance and so far so have the squirrels.

It goes without saying that I'll still keep a close eye on this tulip raised bed and I'll renew the granules every few weeks or so. The wire mesh (which is the most important part of this process) will be removed in early spring so the emerging tulips will have plenty of headroom to make their appearance for their debut on our dining room table. I already have the vase chosen. Stay tuned.

Home of the Future (Spring 2020) Tulip Cutting Garden Bed

Betty's How to Tulip Plant Video

2020 Garden Classes and Resources along the Front Range

Denver and Front Range gardeners are very fortunate in having many free and low cost outlets for garden instruction and continuing education.  

Below is a list with links for events that I know of right now. 

PLEASE check back often for updates.

Betty Cahill Photo by Don Ireland

This group of seminars, workshops, plant shows and conferences charge fees unless other wise noted. Click on each title for more information and sign up deadlines. The free events generally require signing up as well.

FRONT RANGE SEMINARS, CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS: 

April (all month, various dates) and early May FREE gardening webinars from CSU Extension

May 9 Andy Hough Suitable Trees and Shrubs for Elbert County, click on Seminars for more information, Kiowa

May 14 City of Greeley Landscape Lecture: Horticulture for Western Regions FREE with RSVP 

May 20 City of Greeley Landscape Lecture: Gardening for the Birds FREE with RSVP

May 30 Battling the Japanese Beetle, Denver

June 13 First Bloom Rose Display, Denver, FREE with paid admission to Denver Botanic Gardens

June 17 City of Greeley Landscape Lecture: Succession Landscaping to Support Pollinators FREE with RSVP

June 23 Growing, Using, Preserving Herbs, Pueblo 

July 18 Collecting Seeds from Native Plants, Pueblo

August 15 Battling the Japanese Beetle, Denver 

August 26 - 30 American Rose Society National Show, Colorado Springs

September 10 Outdoor Winter Containers, Denver

September 12 Soils and Bedding your Garden for the Winter, click on Seminars for more information, Kiowa

September 16 City of Greeley Landscape Lecture: Put your Garden to Bed FREE with RSVP 

September 23 Saving Seeds from Vegetables, Pueblo 

October 17 Composting Basics, Pueblo

October 21 City of Greeley Landscape Lecture: Composting FREE with RSVP

November 14 The Basics of Houseplants, Pueblo

ONGOING PROGRAMS AND SPECIAL TRAINING:

 
Beekeeping Classes at Hudson Gardens, Littleton
 
Become a Habitat Hero Garden

Building my Sustainable Farm/Ranch Business 

Certified Gardener Program Flexible Year Round Online Training

Cottage Food Safety Training 

Community Forester Program, Denver

Master Community Gardener Training Program with Denver Urban Gardens

Master Composter Training Program with Denver Urban Gardens

Native Plant Master Program, Metro to Mountain

Rocky Mountain Gardening Certificate Denver Botanic Gardens


AREA GARDEN CENTERS and BUSINESSES: too numerous to mention every outlet, many classes are free. Please contact your favorite stores and businesses for information or check their websites and social media for their 2020 classes and special events. 


GARDEN/NATURE TOURS:  

April 9 Davidson Mesa Natural Resource Tour, FREE, Louisville
May 17 Fairmount Arboretum Event Denver 
May 23 Memorial Day FREE Tour at Riverside Cemetery, Denver
June 7 Tour the World Famous Old Garden Roses at Fairmount Cemetery, Denver


PUBLIC GARDEN INSTITUTIONS AND BOTANIC GARDENS - Many Offer Classes, Seminars and Special Gardening Events. Free or fee based:
 
Betty Ford Alpine Gardens Vail
Butterfly Pavilion Westminster
Chester M. Alter Arboretum University of Denver
Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Cheyenne, WY
CSU Flower Trial Garden, Ft. Collins
Denver Botanic Gardens
Durango Botanical Society
Fairmount Cemetery Heirloom Roses Denver 
Growing Gardens Boulder 
Montrose Botanic Gardens
Plains Conservation Center Aurora 
Pikes Peak Urban Gardens Colorado Springs
Plant Select® Demonstration Gardens Various locations
The Arboretum at Regis University Denver
The Gardens on Spring Creek Ft. Collins   
The Hudson Gardens Littleton
Western Colorado Botanical Gardens Grand Junction
Yampa River Botanic Gardens Steamboat Springs 

Consider attending or joining a plant society, group or club. You will meet other friendly people. Most meet monthly, have low cost dues and offer educational seminars, garden tours and trips, plant sales and judged shows through the year.

PLANT SOCIETIES AND GARDEN RELATED GROUPS:
 
American Conifer Society Western Region
American Daylily Society Region 9 - Colorado
Colorado Cactus and Succulent Society
Colorado Beekeepers
Colorado Dahlia Society
Colorado Federation of Garden Clubs
Colorado Mycological Society
Colorado Native Plant Society
Colorado Water Garden Society
Community Forester Program Denver
Denver Field Ornithologists
Denver Orchid Society
Denver Rose Society
Front Range Organic Gardeners
Gloxinia Gesneriad Growers
Greater Denver Urban Homesteading Group
Ikebana Denver Chapter
Mile High Bee Club
Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society
Rocky Mountain Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society 
Rocky Mountain Koi Club
Rocky Mountain Unit of The Herb Society of America
The American Iris Society
Tropical Plant Society of Denver

Check out what's offered in your community if you're not in Colorado!