Three Tough Beauties for Your Yard

Choosing the right tree in the Treasure Valley is about more than looks. Our landscapes demand plants that can handle real conditions due to their tolerance for drought, salt, and poor soils, while still providing shade, habitat, and long-term beauty. A great example is the honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Shademaster’), a thornless tree that balances function and form with ease, with golden color in the fall. Its fine-textured leaves create light, filtered shade that supports lawns and garden beds beneath it, making it an excellent choice for yards where multiple layers of plants need to coexist. It is also relatively low-mess compared to many shade trees, and its dappled canopy helps reduce water stress on turf and understory plantings during peak summer heat. It’s a quiet workhorse that brings both comfort and resilience to the landscape and the edible pulp in its seed pods, which are a food source for wildlife. 

The Treasure Valley climate brings hot, dry summers, cold winters, and alkaline soils that can stress less-adapted species. One way to build resilience into your landscape is to incorporate native trees that are already attuned to our region. Black or Douglas hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii) is a native gem that brings both beauty and backbone to a yard. This small, multi-stemmed tree thrives in irrigated areas or low spots that hold a bit of moisture, making it a great choice for swales, borders, or naturalized edges. 

In spring, it lights up with clusters of showy white blossoms that draw in pollinators, followed by dark berries 
that feed birds and wildlife. Its dense, thorny branches create excellent nesting habitat and can double as a living screen or informal hedge. While it won’t cast deep shade, black hawthorn adds structure, seasonal interest, and ecological value as part of a layered, living landscape. There is a a hawthorn called 'Paul's Scarlet' with striking pink blooms too!

For those with large areas, selecting species that are well-adapted to local conditions means less water, less maintenance, and greater long-term success. The bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) embodies this principle with its deep roots, drought tolerance, and remarkable longevity. It not only withstands Treasure Valley conditions, but also supports wildlife and adds lasting structure to a landscape. Over time, it can become a true anchor tree, offering shade, habitat, and a sense of permanence that grows with the landscape itself. This is a tree that rewards patience and strengthens the resilience of your yard for decades to come.

When you match the right tree to the right place, you’re not just planting shade, you’re building a resilient Treasure Valley ecosystem from the ground up.

More information is available here:

https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/NativePlantLandscaping.pdf

Front Range Tree Recommended List

International Society of Arboriculture  

10 Seed Catalogs Every Gardener will want to check out!

Growing flowers and vegetables from seed gives you more choices and saves money. Here are 10 great seed catalogs to check out. Jill Staake writes for and did all the work for us. The green links are live - just click & go. While the winter wind blows, gardeners everywhere turn to seed catalogs as they dream of the spring and summer ahead. The catalogs pile up, dog-eared and tattered, as growers plan for the future. Seed catalogs offer more choices than even the largest garden centers, and growing plants from seed is a great way to save money. We’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite seed catalogs you’ll want to have on hand as you prepare for the growing season. Tip: Want to save paper? All of these companies have websites, and many of them have digital versions of their catalogs.

Prairie Moon Nursery

If you’re dedicated to planting natives in your garden, Prairie Moon should be your go-to resource. They offer an incredibly wide range of wildflowers and grasses, with information about native ranges and growing tips. They sell most seeds by packet or in bulk for larger plantings, as well as bare-root and potted plants for some species. Seeds to Try: Milkweed, multiple varieties. Monarch butterflies need native milkweed throughout their range. Prairie Moon offers a dozen different species of milkweed seeds, covering much of the country.

Request a Catalog 

Select Seeds 

Flower lovers will revel in Select Seeds’ offerings. They specialize in fragrant, old-fashioned blossoms like those that filled your grandmother’s garden. Select Seeds also has rare finds and rediscovered antique heirlooms, like Job’s Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi), one of the oldest grasses in cultivation.

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Territorial Seed Company

Veggie lovers, rejoice! Territorial Seed’s catalog has more than 100 pages of vegetable and herb seeds and plants to choose from. Some of their offerings are truly unique, like oak trees inoculated with Bianchetto truffles so you can grow your own fungi delicacies. They also offer flowers and fruits. Seeds to Try: Goldilocks Squash, BuffaloSun Tomato 

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Burpee 

Flower and vegetable gardeners will all find something to love in Burpee catalogs. Burpee offers a bit of everything, along with a variety of gardening accessories. Seeds to Try: Royal Purple Radish, Fourth of July Tomato

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Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds 

Heirloom seeds provide a direct connection to days past. Baker Creek sells over 1800 varieties of seed, specializing in types from the 19th century and earlier. A look through their catalog feels personal, as many photos include their family or employees showing off their offerings. Seeds to Try: Black Nebula Carrot

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Johnny’s Selected Seeds 

Johnny’s is an employee-owned company that takes special care to ensure all their seeds meet the Safe Seed Pledge. Their breeders use traditional methods to crossbreed new varieties, so if you’re concerned about GMO, you can trust Johnny’s. They offer a large selection of vegetables and flowers. Seeds to Try: Sun-Fill Purple Sunflower, Goldie Husk Cherry 

Request a Catalog

 

R. H. Shumway’s 

Take a trip down memory lane with R. H. Shumway’s print catalog. Charming black and white drawings illustrate the vegetable offerings, while the flower pages have color illustrations. You can visit their website to see photographs of most varieties before ordering, if you like. Seeds to Try: Pride of Wisconsin Melon 

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Harris Seeds

Based in Rochester, New York, Harris Seeds has been a resource for gardeners since it was founded in 1879. They now offer a large selection of vegetable and flower seeds, as well as live plants, bulbs, and gardening supplies. Request a Catalog

Park Seed 

Park Seed is one of the biggest names in the business, and they’ve been in business since 1868. They carry an array of flowers, vegetables, plants, and gardening accessories. If you’re new to seed-starting, check out their Bio Dome System, which makes it easy to grow strong healthy plant from seed. Seeds to Try:  Green Twister Coneflower, Honeybaby Butternut Squash Hybrid Request a Catalog

Annie’s Heirloom Seed 

The founder of Annie’s began the company when she realized just how much better heirloom vegetables tasted than commercially grown varieties. She had difficulty finding quality heirloom seeds, so she eventually decided to start her own company. Their carefully sourced seeds come from around the world, with new types added all the time. Request a Catalog

 Sit Back and Dream...

Seed Starting Mix: What It Is and Why It Matters

Seed starting mix plays a quiet but important role in successful gardening. While it may look similar to potting soil, it is formulated specifically to support seeds during germination and early seedling growth—when plants are at their most delicate stage.

Seed starting mix is typically a lightweight, soilless blend made from materials such as peat moss or coconut coir, combined with perlite or vermiculite. These components are chosen to create a balance between moisture retention and air space. Seeds need consistent moisture to germinate, but they also require oxygen around their developing roots. A well-made seed starting mix provides both.

One of the most important features of seed starting mix is what it does not contain. Unlike garden soil or many potting mixes, it has a very fine, uniform texture with no bark, compost chunks, or heavy materials that could interfere with tiny roots. Most mixes also contain little to no added fertilizer. At the germination stage, seeds rely on the nutrients stored within the seed itself. Introducing fertilizer too early can lead to weak, stretched growth or damage sensitive roots.

Using a seed starting mix also helps improve consistency. Because the texture is uniform, seeds make even contact with moisture, which supports more reliable and even germination. This is especially helpful for small seeds that need shallow planting and steady moisture to sprout successfully.

Another advantage is disease prevention. Seed starting mixes are sterile or nearly sterile, which reduces the risk of soil-borne diseases such as damping-off—a common issue where seedlings collapse at the soil line. While good sanitation, airflow, and careful watering are still essential, starting with a clean growing medium gives seedlings a healthier environment.

Seed starting mix is not intended to be a long-term growing medium. Once seedlings develop their first set of true leaves, they will need additional nutrients. At that point, gardeners can begin using a diluted fertilizer or transplant seedlings into a potting mix designed for longer-term growth.

For gardeners interested in a do-it-yourself option, University of Georgia Extension Fulton County provides guidance on making an effective, cost-conscious seed starting mix at home and explains when a homemade blend may be a good choice.

By using the right growing medium at the right time, gardeners can give seeds a strong, healthy start—setting the stage for sturdy transplants and productive plants later in the season.