Taste of Vail for some mountaintop dining, April 3 - 6. https://tasteofvail.com/
The kids might enjoy the Tulip Fairy and Elf Parade on the Pearl St. Mall on Sunday, April 28. https://www.boulderdowntown.com/events/tulip-festival
Cinco de Mayo Festival and Parade, food, fun and culture downtown at Civic Center Park in Denver – May 4 and 5, http://www.cincodemayodenver.com/
Denver Arts Festival, Memorial Day Weekend, Central Park. Art, music, and fun! https://denverartsfestival.com/
Free days this month and next. Be sure to reserve ahead of time if required.
Molly Brown House, Denver – Tuesday, April 2 and Tuesday, May 7, 5-7 pm.
Denver Zoo, Sunday, April 7
Denver Art Museum – Tuesday, April 9, Sunday, April 28, Tuesday, May 14
Denver Botanic Gardens – Monday, April 22
Four Mile Historic Park, Friday, April 26 and Friday, May 24.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Sunday, April 28
For more ideas check out https://www.denver.org/things-to-do/
April is the month where gardeners come out in earnest, usually in between snow storms. It’s wonderful to look out and see small explosions of color from spring bulbs and early blooming perennials.
The crucial item for a successful garden? Soil. I add compost to the garden beds every spring and fall. Check out www.dug.org for garden and composting classes. No space for a garden? DUG also has garden plots for rent.
Now is the time to divide your overgrown perennials and get all those weed seedlings out. Come on an herb walk to find out which ones make a tasty addition to dinner.
I like a garden that features fragrance, herbs, veggies, and edible and cut flowers for the house. Drought tolerance, long bloom and easy maintenance are also essential. Check out https://extension.colostate.edu/ for pages of information on the best choices for gardening in Colorado. Curb your enthusiasm and don’t plant more than you are willing to maintain in the dog days of August.
You can put in your cool weather crops now including kale, spinach, salad greens, onion sets and strawberries. Put out some pansies and primrose to compliment your spring bulbs. Cut back grasses, roses, perennials and dead wood in shrubs. Resist the urge to buy tender plants too early. If a late frost doesn’t kill them, it will definitely stunt them. Wait until Mothers Day or after to put out your tender annuals.
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are an easy to grow, perennial plant that offers taste, edible flowers, a long season and low maintenance. They have a mild onion taste that works well for eggs, meat and cheese dishes, vegetables, basically anywhere you would use onions. The flowers make a delightful vinegar or garnish. I like to hang the flowers upside down and store them in glass when dry, using them as a beautiful floral garnish.
When harvesting chives, which resemble a clump of grass when not in bloom, cut from the bottom, taking the whole stalk. It will regrow. Pick a few stalks, fold them over each other and snip the ends for a garnish over cooked veggies, egg dishes, cheese or whatever else you’re serving. Use them at the end of the cooking process to avoid a soggy seasoning.
You can pull up your plants in the spring, digging up the whole clump, divide into sections and replant to increase your yield. Chives like sun or part shade, and moderate water.
I love mixing chopped fresh chives and chive blossoms into butter, sour cream and yogurt, cream cheese, vinaigrettes, and dips. Try this recipe for Cheddar Biscuits with Chive Butter – delicious! https://www.smalltownwoman.com/cheddar-drop-biscuits-chive-butter/
“Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul.” – Luther Burbank