Editor’s note: Get Growing, written by the La Plata County Extension Office’s Master Gardener Program, appears during the growing season. It features timely tips and suggestions for your garden and landscape.
By Gail Lovell
Who doesn’t love flowers? It’s a summer bounty that can be shared by all in August at the La Plata County Fair.
The Colorado Master Gardeners, through Colorado State University Extension Office, volunteer every year to host the exhibit room at the fair. There are entries into many, many categories of fruits, vegetables and, of course, flowers. This year we are encouraging all budding gardeners, young and old, to share their crop of flowers with the community by entering their stems.
There are categories for annuals, including snapdragons, zinnias, sunflowers and much more, and for biennials, perennials, dahlias, gladiolus, roses and lilies. Last year, we had the pleasure of enjoying an abundance of roses exhibited by the Four Corner’s Rose Society. So be sure to stop by and smell their roses. There also are sections for foliage, branches from flowering shrubs, even houseplants.
This year to add some magic, we are excited to be adding fairy gardens to the Dish Garden category. It’s a perfect way to include the little ones in the horticultural fun!
The theme for this year’s Artistic Design category is “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a favorite Shakespearean play with magic, mystery and tomfoolery.
Make sure that you check out the horticulture demonstrations during the fair at 11 a.m. Aug. 6, 7 and 8. We will have small workshops about fairy gardens, worm composting and beekeeping.
We are hoping that the flowers you see at the Botanical Society’s Garden Tour on Saturday will find their way into our exhibits after being swooned over. It is a great way to extend their life by sharing them with the community at large.
For more information, go to the CSU Extension Office at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave., to pick up a fair book detailing the category entries or visit, www.laplatacountyfair.org and select the Horticulture link.
Gail Lovell has been a Colorado Master Gardener since 2014. She lives in La Plata County.
