Mountain Horticulture
Gardening in the mountains is challenging at best, but it is still
possible to grow wonderful flowers, trees and shrubs.
Gilpin County has an active group of Colorado Master Gardeners
who live and garden at elevations of 7500' above sea level or higher.
This group has recently put together an informative Mountain
gardening web page.
To learn more about becoming a Colorado Mountain Master
Gardener, click here.
Demonstration Gardens: Our demonstration gardens
in front of the Extension Office in the Exhibit Building are now
planted, thanks to our Master Gardeners. Come get ideas on low water
plants for your landscape.
There are three gardens – one is a Plant Select®
garden, showcasing and testing plants from the Plant Select®
program – these are new plants specially selected for the
high plains to the Intermountain region. We are one of the highest
elevation demonstration gardens for this program, and not all of
the plants will be hardy at this elevation. We will know more on
hardiness in the spring and summer of 2005. Plants were provided
by the Plant Select® Program.
The Master Gardener favorites garden received
donated plants from Paul’s Secret Garden (Boulder), Harlequin’s
Gardens (Boulder) and Timberline Gardens (Arvada), and many of the
Master Gardeners.
The High and Dry Garden
is a research and demonstration garden is made possible by a grant
from the Colorado Home and Garden Show. The idea behind this garden
is to determine whether it is possible to establish plants on no
water (besides the watering-in on the first day), because well water
restrictions are frustrating to many homeowners. This garden contains
mostly native, and all xeric plants. Data will be collected on the
survival rates of the plants over the course of this summer and
next year. Plants were planted on June 25, 2004. Additional seeds
and bulbs were planted in the fall of 2004. Because of the drier
growing conditions and mountain climate, this garden will not peak
for a few years.
Test
your soil to know what you might need to change to optimize
growing conditions
Noxious weeds
Unfortunately, even in the midst of paradise, we have
to contend with noxious weeds. These bullies, beautiful and ugly,
are rapidly destroying our mountain ecosystems. Click to learn
more about the weeds we need to worry about in the mountains.
Native plant master Program
Click for more information on this fun but intense
field class
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