
CSU Extension Boulder County Demonstration Garden at Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont. (Photos courtesy: Deryn Davidson, CSU Extension).



Deryn Davidson, Colorado State University Extension – Boulder County
By all accounts, these are trying times. So last week when the CSU Extension Boulder County Demonstration Garden received a Plant Select ™ Showcase Garden Award, it felt extra sweet. The Plant Select™ program is a collaboration between Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens and professional horticulturists. Their goal is to “create smart plant choices for a new American Landscape inspired by the Rocky Mountain Region”. The plants are trialed and chosen based on eight attributes: flourishing with less water, habitat friendly, tough and resilient in challenging climates, one of a kind/unique, resist disease and insects, long lasting beauty, and non-invasive. These are all important qualities in plants that we invite into our spaces.
Our demonstration garden at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont is one of several such gardens across the state. You can glean a good amount of information from plant tags and online research, but it is helpful to see with your own eyes how plants perform after establishment, or to see plant combinations growing side by side. Many demonstration gardens are in public areas and therefore always open to visitors. They can provide inspiration, a moment of outdoor respite during a busy day or a change of scenery when you want to get some fresh air.
Our demonstration areas include a Colorado native plant garden and the, now award winning (excuse me for tooting our own horn), Plant Select ™ garden which features perennial beds, a rock garden and sidewalk pockets (like the tough, unirrigated strip of ground you might have in front of your house between the sidewalk and the curb). These spaces are a mix of Plant Select™ plants and others found in garden centers and nurseries.
We are honored to have our gardens recognized and would love for you to stop by and visit them (9595 Nelson Road in Longmont). Offices are still closed due to pandemic and employees are working remotely. You can also visit www.plantselect.org for more information on Plant Select™ plants, get design ideas and find other demonstration gardens in your area.
By Deryn Davidson. Deryn is an Extension Agent – Horticulture at Colorado State University Extension Boulder County. For more information contact CSU Extension at the Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road, Box B, Longmont, 303.678.6386, e-mail [email protected] or visit boulder.extension.colostate.edu.