Maybe you’ve dreamt of the idea of a lush organic garden but didn’t know where to begin. Or perhaps you thought it would take too much time to manage without the help of pesticides. Or, if you’re like many beginning gardeners, you may have assumed Colorado’s climate was too dry to do anything but xeriscape with cactus, rocks and yard gnomes. Whatever the reason, you’re about to run out of excuses.

The benefits

The benefits of organic gardening go far beyond bragging rights. First, by avoiding the use of harsh chemicals, you’re not only protecting the earth, but also your family, pets and wildlife. Second, it’s much cheaper to grow your own organic flowers or vegetables (especially from seeds) than to buy them in the grocery story. Third, gardening with your family is a wonderful way to bond, get your kids away from the TV and/or video games, and teach them about the earth and self-sufficiency. And last but not least … gardening burns calories!

According to most researchers, the average 150-pound woman burns just over 300 calories per hour of weeding and garden cultivating. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should build a seven-acre garden. “Keep your gardening ambitions in line with your time and ability,” advises Jeffrey P. Restuccio, author of Get Fit Through Gardening. “Plant your garden so you plant bed one in May, bed two in June, and so on.”

When, what and how to plant

And while knowing when to plant is important in Colorado, so is knowing what to plant. “Even though we have a short growing season, many vegetables do well in Colorado,” says Denver Botanic Gardens’ director of horticulture, Sarada Krishnan. “Cool season crops like peas, lettuce, spinach and radish can be planted early, and warm season crops like tomatoes, peppers and squashes should be planted after the danger of frost is past, which is typically around May 15th in the Front Range.”

Like the birds and the (unexplainably disappearing) bees, companion planting is about choosing partners. The idea is to grow plants, flowers or vegetables near others that provide natural benefits (shade, water conservation, insect attraction). It can act as a healthy alternative to pesticides to control insects, animals and disease.

“By practicing companion planting, the use of toxic chemicals in the garden can be avoided,” says Krishnan. “For example, both cabbage and nasturtium are host plants for the cabbage butterfly caterpillar. By intercropping cabbage with nasturtium, the butterflies are encouraged to lay eggs on the nasturtium and this protects the cabbage crop from pest damage.” Krishan says another good example is planting marigolds in a vegetable bed, which deters pests like aphids.

Controlling weeds

A natural way to control weeds without herbicides is to blanket the ground around your plants with mulch. 

While mulch does help conserve water, Colorado State University’s Extension advises Colorado gardeners to apply the appropriate amount: “Trees, shrubs and most ornamentals benefit from mulch at a depth of two to four inches. You may use organic mulch composed of wood or other plant parts for many applications. Some plants, such as alpine and ice plant, may rot if mulched with organic material but respond well to rock or gravel mulch.”

Many towns in the Front Range offer free mulch to their residents. Here are just a few:

• Colorado Springs: (3 locations) The Forestry Operation Center at 1601 Recreation Way; Memorial Park at 1605 E. Pikes Peak Ave.; and the Cottonwood Park Recreation Center at 3920 Dublin Blvd.

• Broomfield: Eco-Cycle Recycling Center at 225 Commerce Street.

• Longmont: Public Works Operations at 140 Martin Street.

• Denver: for specific dates and locations, visit www.DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles.

If you’d like more information about organic gardening, consider signing up for a class at the Denver Botanic Gardens (www.botanicgardens.org) or your city’s horticulture division.

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Eco-friendly lawn & garden products

Donate that gas-powered weed trimmer and skip the pesticides — the word for 2009 lawn and garden products is “eco-friendly.” Just check out some of these cool products we found!

• LEHR has just announced its new line of commercial portable, propane-powered lawn and garden tools. All products are fueled by a standard 16.4-ounce propane “Twist n’ Go!” canister and the Eco Trimmer runs a clean two hours on one canister. (www.GoLEHR.com)

• If you hate wasting water (and just can’t give up your air conditioning thanks to global warming), pick up an A/C condensation watering kit. It’s the perfect way to re-use the water that would normally just drip. (www.cleanairgardening.com)

• Looking for vegan fertilizer? Lady Bug Cottonseed Meal 7-2-1 has no animal products or by-products. With a pH of 6.5, this fertilizer creates the right soil conditions for flowers and plants that prefer acidity. (www.downtoearthdistributors.com)

• Check out these 100 percent biodegradable, 33-gallon leaf bags! Filled bags hold together for up to five weeks and can go right into your compost pile. (www.gardeners.com)