Xeriscape & Garden of the Gods

I had an appointment at the Air Force Academy today (did you know that gardening can give you "tennis elbow"?) and since I was on the west side of the city, I decided to stop at the Colorado Springs Utilities Xeriscape Demonstration Garden. I kept meaning to go last summer but never made it, so this was my first visit.

I wanted to share a few photos to help dispel the false impression that Xeriscape = Zeroscape. I see the misuse of the term xeriscape quite often. Xeriscape is not a sea of rock. Rock may have it's place in a waterwise landscape but it's really not the only option.

I only had a few minutes to preview the garden (I'll go back in a couple weeks with Mom while she's here) so I didn't get to really read the signs well. I know one of these photos is of a moderate water use garden (the 2nd one) but I think the others are all low water use. One of the principles of xeriscape is to group plants by their water needs.

So, here's the short tour:

One website I think is a great source of information on plants' water needs is X-rated Gardening http://www.gardencentersofcolorado.org/xratedgardening/perennials.htm.

Colorado Springs Utilities also has xeriscape information here-
http://www.csu.org/residential/greenback/water/xeriscape/item1123.html


I didn't have a lot of time before my appointment and on my way across town, I kept going back & forth, trying to decide if I should go to the gardens or to Garden of the Gods. I opted for the gardens but I ended up going to Garden of the Gods after my appointment. I was there for a picnic with my neighbors a couple weeks ago and with all the rain we had earlier this spring, everything is so green here this year. The contrast between the rocks and the vegetation is just so pretty.

For those who don't know, Garden of the Gods is a park on the west side of Colorado Springs with some unusual rock formations. When it was gifted to the city, one of the stipulations was that it would always remain free and open to the public. Today, I just drove the loop around the park, but there is also a very nice walking trail through the formations. It really is a beautiful park.

If you'd like more information about Garden of the Gods, visit their website http://www.gardenofgods.com/yourvisit/index.cfm.

Introduction

I live and garden just east of Colorado Springs, CO. I moved to Colorado in December 2007, and I started my raised bed vegetable garden last summer. I grew up in Vermont, and have lived in other western states, but my garden here is subjected to more extremes than gardens past. Just this past week, we have seen temperatures between -6F and 70F!! This year, I am expanding the vegetable garden with additional beds and adding berries and fruit trees. I am also planning a flower garden for the front yard and some plantings for the back.

I'm going to start my story with last summer's garden.