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Best Plants to Grow in a Community Garden

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Best Plants to Grow in a Community Garden

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One of our favorite things about Boulder is its plethora of community garden space. Each spring, as the snow begins to melt off the mountains and the rivers gather momentum, our community gardens beckon for new vegetables and fruits to fill their beds. At Habitat Apartments in Boulder, we offer our own community garden space for residents to try their hand at living off the land. Here are some of the best plants to sow in a community garden.

Lettuces

This is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Lettuces are cold hardy up to certain temperatures and can be planted immediately after the last frost. Heads grow quickly and offer lettuce leaves in as little as 40 days.

Lettuces make a great community garden addition because salads are an ever-popular summertime entrée and lettuce can be utilized in a variety of recipes. Leaf lettuces can be harvested throughout its growing period by clipping fully-formed leaves off the plant while letting baby leaves continue to flourish. Heads of lettuce can be harvested at the base and new seedlings can be planted.

Snow Peas

Edible right off the vine, snow peas are a fantastic addition to community plots because they encourage kids to get excited about gardening. This climbing vegetable doesn’t take up much space if trellises or ropes are provided for the plant to stretch out on. The more snow peas are harvested, the more the plant produces — pick away!

Kale

The leafy green beauty can withstand temperatures as low as 20 degrees. With this crazy Colorado weather, you don’t have to hold off until the last frost to ensure the plant’s survival; it’s easy to grow and requires little care. In the summer, plant kale in partial shade to encourage water retention. This dark green veggie adds plenty of antioxidants to salads, smoothies, and stir-fries.

Zucchini

Any Colorado gardener knows that this plant usually overproduces. Zucchini thrives in our state’s summer climate and can be known to double in size within just a few days. Pick the zucchini when they reach about 8 – 10 inches to ensure they don’t become too fibrous and tough. If you’ve blinked and they grew longer than a foot, shred the veggie and use it in breads, muffins, and cakes.

Herbs

One of the most forgotten recipe items and one of the hardest to keep fresh for long in the fridge, herbs are a chef’s best friend. Mint, basil, and rosemary make fragrant additions to any community garden while parsley and oregano are easy to grow and add flavor to Italian dishes. If the community garden has a little space left over, plant herbs, as they don’t take up much room and won’t overcrowd other vegetables.

Habitat Apartments in Boulder provides residents convenient access to Boulder’s bustling downtown and its beautiful mountain terrain. Our apartment rentals offer natural spaces where residents can enjoy warm Colorado summer nights under the stars. Contact us today and schedule a showing of our affordable, spacious apartments.

Tips For Hosting a Movie Night with Friends

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There’s nothing that brings friends together quite like a movie night. This budget friendly, low-stress hang out is the perfect chance to catch up, kick back, indulge in some delicious snacks, and revisit beloved rom-coms or scare each other with the latest horror flick. Read on for tips on how to host the best movie night your friends have ever experienced!

Choosing Your Film

Firstly, it’s important to know your audience. Perhaps you’re hosting a couple’s movie night or former high school friends are coming over. Either way, you’ll want to choose a film that caters to the crowd. Gather a few options and take a poll prior to movie night. Tie-breaker? Rent both and flip a coin when guests arrive. Bonus: if there’s extra popcorn and M&M’s when the first movie is over, you can move on to the second. 😉

Pick a Theme

Spice up the movie night by creating a theme around your chosen flick. For instance, if you chose Mean Girls, you could request that everyone wear pink. A movie night is enticing, but planning a themed evening around the movie turns it into an event. Make themed appetizers, cocktails, or dress in costume to pull it all together.

Whip up Delicious Snacks

To keep it low key, make a few fun appetizers and skip the big dinner preparation. You’ll keep the kitchen clean and your guests won’t have to worry about rushing home from work to whip something up. Instead, request that everyone bring his or her favorite movie snack. That way, you’ll have a variety of candy, chocolate, and other tasty treats when it comes to viewing time, regardless of guest preferences. Pop up plenty of buttery popcorn and pass the gummy worms.

Comfy Seating

Guests are going to want to kick back and relax during. Couches and comfy chairs are great, but if moviegoers are platonic friends, they won’t necessarily want to cuddle up on the same couch. Pick up some oversized floor cushions from your local interior design store; they make for great additional floor seating and, when not in use, can double as throw pillows or be stashed easily in a closet or spare bedroom.

Lights, Camera, Action!

If you’re movie night selection is a light-hearted feature, cult classic, or time-tested childhood favorite, create bingo cards and award prizes at the end. Base the cards around your central theme and include famous quotes, notorious outfits, or for the true film buffs, technical aspects like shots, camera angles, and voice-over narration.

The Habitat Apartments are situated just outside Boulder’s bustling downtown and close to convenient Gunbarrel amenities. Our pet-friendly apartments are clean, cozy, and comfortable, making for the perfect place to host a movie night of epic proportions. Habitat provides residents with a quiet, tranquil home along Colorado’s Front Range. Contact us for a tour!

Early Spring and Summer Flower Arrangements

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The crisp, white snow capping the Rockies certainly made for a breathtaking backdrop all winter long. However, nothing speaks to Colorado’s beauty more than its spring and summer greenery, bursting forth from backyard gardens to mountain trails, and everywhere in between. For your own dose of Colorado color, plant these flowers in late spring or early summer.

Perennials

Perennials are often used in Colorado gardens for their low-maintenance nature. Blooming year after year, if pruned and cultivated correctly, perennials add beautiful pops of color when spring rolls around, without much additional thought for the gardener. While perennials are most often planted directly in the ground or in raised beds, a few varietals work well in window boxes or container gardens.

Lavender ‘Phenomenal’ is one of the best perennials to plant in Colorado as it is extremely cold hardy and rugged. It attracts butterflies and offers a fragrant smell, especially after a rainstorm. Ivy and other trailing plants are perfect for window boxes and container gardens when planted toward the rim of the pot. Creeping Myrtle or Periwinkle adds a pop of light purple to blue color with ease. This plant is low maintenance and can be trimmed back occasionally to avoid bushing out.

Annuals

As spring temperatures begin to rise and the summer sun lingers in the sky, spring annuals may suffer under the heat. Hardier, heat tolerant annuals are great for late spring and early summer container gardens. Geranium, marigold, and zinnia add vibrant pops of color to window boxes and pots without taking over.

Lantana is another Colorado summertime favorite, much to the delight of our state’s butterflies. This rounded flower produces bright yellow, orange, and pink blooms, with some varietals even producing ombre shaded flowers and variegated foliage.

Succulents

Many seasoned gardeners have trouble with succulents because they tend to over nurture them. Succulents love dry soil and hot day time temperatures. However, gardeners tend to overwater and plant them too close together.

Succulents have shallow roots and thrive in wide bowl or dish like pots, making the perfect centerpiece for a patio table or shelving unit. Soil conditions for succulents somewhat differ from annuals and perennials. Plant succulents in their own container with a cactus mix potting soil or make your own by adding equal parts sand and pumice to a regular potting soil.

Agave and aloe thrive in containers and both make for useful, gorgeous additions to any succulent container garden. Echeveria makes for a lovely green filler or can stand alone when potted in a brightly colored, small container.

Regardless of your gardening desires, Colorado’s summer weather can produce the perfect climate for container gardens. Mild evening temperatures, afternoon thunderstorms, and full, bright sun cater to a variety of plant types. Decorate your outdoor patio space or fill window boxes with colorful annuals, hardy perennials, or whimsical succulents for pops of color all season long.

The Habitat Apartments provides beautiful outdoor lounge spaces, encouraging residents to get outside, enjoy the Colorado summertime, and meet the neighbors. With four courtyards, spacious lawns, and a tranquil swimming pool, The Habitat makes for a quiet, peaceful home along the bustling Front Range.