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 four gardens:

• The Plant Select® garden, showcases and tests 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 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.
• The Critter resistant garden has plants that are aromatic or bitter, and therefore less attractive to ground squirrels, rabbits, deer, and pocket gophers. It also has wire mesh underneath it to keep the pocket gophers at bay.
• The Bird and Butterfly garden has plants for birds and butterflies, and as of 2008, has been planted in the same manner as the High and Dry garden.

Noxious weeds

Unfortunately, even in the midst of paradise, we have to contend with noxious weeds. Whether beautiful or ugly, these bullies 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.