Colorado Master Gardeners - El Paso County

Published in The Gazette, Saturday, August 15, 2026
Year Round Gardening – Join a community of gardening educators
By Allisa Zurbuchen, Horticulture Specialist, CSU Extension El Paso County
Photo Credit: Debra Stinton Othitis, Colorado Master Gardener, Emerita

In El Paso County an enthusiastic group of 90 Colorado Master Gardeners (CMGs) volunteer in our community sharing research-based gardening education. These volunteers can be found at our gardening help desk, a place where people in the community can ask their gardening questions via email, phone, Zoom, or in person and bring in plants, insects, photos and more for diagnostic inquiries. You can also find these volunteers at garden centers and events throughout the gardening season, and they are eager to support you as you work through gardening challenges.

Our volunteers include speakers and writers, and many serve in supportive capacities behind the scenes. CMGs are frequently out in our native plant demonstration garden at 17 North Spruce Street, which is open any time to the public.

You may be interested in joining this community of gardening educators who have a passion for helping their community. We are now accepting applications for the Colorado Master Gardener program and the application period closes on August 31st. If the idea of being a CMG and helping local gardeners learn and succeed appeals to you, think about applying this year. You don’t need to be a gardening expert; you just need to be willing to learn and then share what you have learned with others. Don’t let a feeling of inadequacy keep you from applying.

Applicants who are accepted into the program spend their first year as an “apprentice.” During this period volunteers complete a rigorous program called Green School that is equivalent to a four-credit college course in garden science. Upon successful completion of the Green School final exam, apprentices receive mentorship and training to gain confidence in assisting with a wide variety of home gardening inquiries. Even after the apprenticeship ends, being part of the extension community gives you access to a lot of continued learning through mentorship and ongoing continuing education opportunities. No one is expected to know everything!

CMGs are lifelong learners who are eager to cultivate their gardening knowledge while helping to grow a more knowledgeable gardening community. Learn more and start the application process at https://col.st/mahft.

Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. Visit elpaso.extension.colostate.edu and register for upcoming classes at epcextension.eventbrite.com.

Published in The Gazette, Saturday, August 15, 2026
Year Round Gardening-Pollinator Host Plants
By Kim Snowdon, Colorado Master Gardener , Emerita
Photo Credit: Allisa Zurbuchen, Horticulture Specialist, CSU Extension El Paso County

"Don't waste your time chasing butterflies. Mend your garden, and the butterflies will come." (Mario Quintana)

As gardeners, we enjoy seeing bees and butterflies feasting on the spoils of our efforts. But their needs may not be at the forefront of our minds when we're making design or planting decisions. Native pollinators often have very specific habitat requirements to thrive in our planted spaces. While adult butterflies may be generalists and able to find nectar from a variety of flowering plants, their larval stage (the caterpillar) must eat certain host plants particular to their species. For example, the monarch butterfly lays its eggs on milkw**d and only milkw**d, the food source for monarch caterpillars. There are about 100 species of native milkw**d, but monarch populations have declined by nearly 90 % in the past 20 years. Milkw**d used to be found in abundance along edges of fields but has been greatly reduced largely because of farming practices. Deforestation has further reduced habitat for overwintering adult butterflies.

Many hybridized annuals and perennials have been bred for more dramatic flowers but often don't have the nectar that the original species did. So including some native perennials and shrubs in your landscape improves the chances that pollinators will find the food they're looking for. Include early, mid, and late season flowers to maximize their choices.

Early Season Flowers:
• Sulphur flower (Eriogonum umbellatum)
• Wallflower (Erysimum spp.)
• Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)
• Blue Mist Penstemon (Penstemon virens)
• Pasque flower (Pulsatilla nuttalliana)
• Golden Banner (Thermopsis rhombifolia)
• Chokecherry (shrub; Prunus virginiana)
• Serviceberry (shrub; Amelanchier alnifolia)

Mid Season Flowers:
• Showy Milkw**d (Asclepias speciosa)
• Aspen Daisy (Erigeron speciosus)
• Blanket flower (Gaillardia spp.)
• Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon strictus)
• Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatonii)
• Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
• Coneflower (Echinacea spp.)

Later Season Flowers:
• Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Cleomella serrulata)
• Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
• Spotted Gayflower (Liatris spicata)
• Aster (Xanthisma coloradoense)
• Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
• Rabbitbrush (shrub; Ericameria nauseosa)
• Boulder Raspberry (shrub; Rubus deliciousus)
Host Plants for Butterfly Caterpillars:
• Painted Lady – Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Mint (Mentha spp.), Sage (Salvia spp.), Wormwood (Artemesia absinthium)
• Black Swallowtail, Anise Swallowtail – Dill (Anethum graveolens), Caraway (Carum carvi), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), Wild Carrot (Daucus carrota)
• Red Admiral – Hops (Humulus lupulus)
• Cabbage White – Nasturtium (Tropaeolum spp.)
• Fritillary – Sweet Violet (Viola odorata)

More than 70 % of the world's flowering plants rely on pollination. Urban gardeners can play an important role in creating pollinator friendly places for bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators. Diversity of planting, in drifts rather than individual plants, gives native pollinators the best opportunity to find nectar. Avoid using pesticides and herbicides. Allow some patches of bare ground for nesting bees. Creating a diverse and healthy garden habitat will reduce troublesome pests, encourage a variety of pollinators and increase your own enjoyment of your thriving garden. Read more at: https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/butterfly-larval-host-plants/
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/creating-pollinator-habitat/
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/attracting-butterflies-to-the-garden/

Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help
desk is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. Visit
elpaso.extension.colostate.edu and register for upcoming classes at epcextension.eventbrite.com.

Published in The Gazette, Saturday, August 8, 2026
Year Round Gardening - Milkw**d is not just for Monarchs!
Article and photo by Fredricka Bogardus, Colorado Master Gardener Emerita

Native milkw**d plants are a great addition to Colorado gardens. They are attractive flowering plants that, contrary to their name, are not at all w**dy. There are 19 milkw**d species native to our state. Two native species butterfly milkw**d (Asclepias tuberosa) and showy milkw**d (Asclepias speciosa) are especially good choices for gardens in the Pikes Peak region. Both of these species thrive in full sun, and tolerate drought and poor soils.

Monarch butterflies have a special relationship with milkw**d. The flowers provide rich nectar for the adult butterflies and the leaves provide larval food for the caterpillars. Most other butterfly species can enjoy the rich nectar of the milkw**d flower, but the leaves are toxic to their caterpillars. They need other larval food plants to complete reproduction.

If you live in an area where monarchs are present, milkw**d will attract them to your garden. However, in the absence of monarch butterflies, other butterflies and bees will enjoy the rich nectar of the flowers and find other sources of larval food nearby.

To get started you can find plants in garden centers either locally or online. You can also start the plants from seed. If you decide to start from seed, either purchased or collected, make sure you get the seed early enough to include a 30–60-day cold stratification period. Cold stratification means putting the seed in a cold, moist environment prior to germination. An easy way to accomplish that is to store the seed in the refrigerator before planting the seed. Another option is winter sowing (https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-01-27-seed-stratification-what-seeds-require-cold-treatment). The simplest approach may be to simply plant the seeds in the garden in late autumn or early spring.

Butterfly w**d should be planted where you want it permanently. It forms a long tap root and does not transplant or divide well. Showy milkw**d spreads by rhizomes and is difficult to transplant, if you attempt to dig up the plant it will generally break off the rhizome. Both species will reseed, but not excessively.

It may take a couple of years to have significant blooms, but they are worth waiting for. Butterfly w**ds feature bright orange flowers that are irresistible to butterflies and bees. Showy milkw**d has attractive pink flowers that are also rich nectar sources.

Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays ,Wednesdays and Thursdays at 17 N. Spruce St.

Published in The Gazette, Saturday, August 1, 2026
Year Round Gardening - August Garden Calendar
by Kerry Peetz, Colorado Master Gardener, Emerita

August has officially pitched its tent in Colorado. While the alignment of the corn stalks—and the impending return of school buses—suggests summer is winding down, our gardens clearly missed the memo. Under our signature high-altitude sunshine, paired with the hot temperatures and lack of rain our Front Range landscapes are just trying to survive.

If you listen closely, your slicing cucumbers, which are prime at six to eight inches, are calling you to harvest. Your bell peppers, which you can pick the moment they look big enough to stuff should be getting close. Meanwhile, when the onions play dead, dropping their green tops that’s the signal they are ready for the pantry.
Your tomatoes, however, require a psychological trick. Keep watering them reliably for now, but come late August, cut off the tap. A little moisture stress panics the vines into ripening their fruit before the first frost.

Once any plant crosses the finish line, evict it to the compost pile. Leaving dropped fruit behind is essentially opening an all-you-can-eat buffet for pests. And with our sweltering temperatures it’s literally a hot homecooked meal!

Over in the flower beds, maintenance is a game of tough love. Keep deadheading spent blooms to trick your perennials into thinking youth is eternal. If you notice a perennial with an actual hole in its center—looking less like a prize specimen and more like a floral donut—it is crying out to be divided. Late summer is the perfect time to split these spring and summer bloomers, giving them a fresh lease on life. Just ensure any fresh transplants get consistent hydration.

For your roses, the kitchen closes on August 15th. Mark it in ink: after mid-month, withholding fertilizer prevents tender new growth that would easily freeze in an early autumn snap.

Treat your trees and shrubs like a guest preparing for a long winter nap. Put away the pruning shears and the fertilizer; stimulating new growth now is a death sentence when the fall freeze hits. The lone exception is removing dead or broken limbs. Instead of feeding them, just keep the hose running (of course, only on your waterwise days). Deep watering now builds the root strength required to survive the chilly months ahead.

Finally, allow your drought-stressed, heat-dormant turf to rest. Avoid mowing scalped lawns or mowing them too short in the summer heat. Control w**ds to reduce water competition. Avoid core cultivation (aeration) when the soil is dry and little irrigation water is available in hot weather. Avoid irrigating in windy conditions and during rainfall.

Now, grab your sun hat and your trowel. August isn't the end of the gardening season; it’s just the home stretch.

Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help
desk is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. Visit
elpaso.extension.colostate.edu and register for upcoming classes at epcextension.eventbrite.com.

Year Round Gardening
Preventing and Managing Hail Damage
Kim Snowdon, Colorado Master Gardener Emerita

“Storms make trees take deeper roots”... Dolly Parton

This has been a challenging year for Colorado gardeners. A warm dry winter was followed by a hot dry summer. Most years, hail is also a serious threat to Colorado gardeners. Though perhaps we haven't seen as much this season, summer months carry the highest risk of hail. But with some planning, you can lessen damage to your garden in the event you are unfortunate enough to get hit by hail.

Hail damage is relative to the size of the hail and the duration of the storm. A brief storm with pea-sized hail will cause much less damage than a longer lasting storm or one with large hail. Plants with broad leaves, such as squash and ornamental perennials like hosta are especially vulnerable to hail damage.

Building special frames of wood, steel, or PVC that can be covered with hail cloth is one way to protect plants. Hail cloth is generally available from online sources or at some garden centers. If a storm is forecast, placing upturned pots can also provide short term protection from hail to smaller plants. Even placing your flowering pots under patio furniture is a quick trick. When draping plants with tarps or blankets, make sure the coverings are supported by poles or other strong supports so that heavy hail-laden cloths won't crush plants underneath.

If you do get hit by a hail storm, it can seem like the end of your gardening year. Don't panic! All is likely not lost. Light damage amounting to a few holes in leaves won't require any special attention. Just maintain good gardening practices. In the case of more serious damage, remove badly damaged leaves and broken stems, which can cause plants to be more susceptible to diseases. Allow slightly damaged leaves to remain so that the plant can photosynthesize and recover. Light applications of liquid fertilizer can boost plants' ability to regenerate.

Tree damage is more difficult to prevent and harder to deal with afterwards. Prune broken limbs using clean, sharp tools and proper cuts. Small wounds in limbs and the trunk may heal with time, though these wounds increase risk of fungal or bacterial disease. Well-established trees will generally have enough reserves to produce new leaves before long. Make sure recovering trees receive adequate water for the remainder of the season to avoid further stress. https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/miscellaneous/2040-hail-damage-trees/

It will take time, but you'll be amazed at how quickly plants can grow back! Years ago, my mother-in-law had a plum tree completely stripped of leaves in an early summer hail storm. Within weeks it was sending out new leaves and you could hardly tell that it had been hit by the end of that summer.

Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays ,Wednesdays and Thursdays at 17 N. Spruce St.

Published in The Gazette, Saturday, July 18, 2026
Year Round Gardening – Colorado Native Clematis
Article by Pat Shepperdson, Colorado Master Gardener

Clematis, a reliable garden favorite is known as the "queen of climbers." It adds height and color to fences, trellises, and arbors without taking up valuable ground space, and its abundant, vibrant blooms attract beneficial insects like bees and butterflies.

Nearly 380 species of Clematis have been identified. Most are Asian hybrids and cultivars; however, native plant enthusiasts will be pleased to know that five are native to Colorado. Flora of Colorado lists the following as Colorado natives:

The similar Rock Clematis (Clematis columbiana) and Western Blue Virgin’s Bower (Clematis grosseserrata) can be used as accents, or covers for hillsides or rock gardens. These trailing or climbing, semi-woody vines grow up to 5’ with deciduous foliage. They need a trellis, shrub or a tree trunk or can be grown across boulders to create a rambling groundcover. Blooming May-July, the flowers have four thin, drooping tepals, slightly reflexed at the tips. They are light blue, lavender or violet (rarely white) on a leafless stem and numerous stamens. Flowers are followed by a silvery plume-like cluster of long fluffy plumes called achenes for wind distribution.

Sugarbowls (Clematis hirsutissima) can be a climbing or trailing vine or an erect shrub, somewhat woody with several stems in a dense clump 16-20” high. Flowers bloom late spring and are nodding, bell-shaped with four, thick, dark purple petal-like sepals called tepals curved back at the tips with numerous stamens. Hairs covering the flower give the plant a sugar-dusted look.

Scott’s Clematis (Clematis scottii) is a non-vining bush clematis growing in an upright clump 12” tall and 18” wide working well in a raised bed or rock garden. The sprawling stems continue to elongate, producing new flower stalks as they go. Nodding turban-shaped blue flowers bloom in the late spring and early summer.

Western White Virgin’s-Bower (Clematis ligusticifolia) attracts birds, hummingbirds, butterflies and bees and it is a larval host for up to eight butterflies. It also provides a nesting habitat for finches, doves, wrens, and songbirds. It is an adaptable, tough and disease resistant climbing vine (up to 20’), somewhat woody at the base with flowers 1” wide, with 4-5 tepals, that blooms July-September. The male and female parts are on separate plants (Dioecious).

Clematis require well-draining, loamy, sandy or amended clay soils. In their native habitat they are found in sunny patches of the understory, so they do well in similar light conditions. They do well in sun to light shade with low to moderate water, depending on the species.

Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays ,Wednesdays and Thursdays at 17 N. Spruce St.

Published in The Gazette, Saturday, July 11, 2026
Year Round Gardening - Lavender is Lovely!

Article and Photo by Fredricka Bogardus, Colorado Master Gardener Emerita

Lavender can be a great addition to your garden. It is well adapted to our climate, tolerates slightly alkaline soil, and is drought tolerant. There are few pest problems, and it is deer and rabbit resistant.

In addition to beautiful summer flowers, lavender is a sub-shrub, meaning it has somewhat woody stems that do not die back to the ground in winter. While not dramatic winter interest, it does add some texture to the winter garden. The biggest benefit of lavender might be the heavenly scent when you walk past a planting. Lavenders have many culinary and craft uses.

There are two lavender species that are cold hardy enough to grow as perennials in zone 5. L. angustifolia, or English lavender, is one with many cultivars and varying characteristics. Lavandula x intermedia 'Provence' is the other option. A hybrid of English and French lavender, it will survive our winters. Provence, a much larger plant than English lavender, blooms once a year. English lavender blooms twice per season. When shopping for plants, make sure you are purchasing one of these options. Spanish and French lavenders are sold as summer annuals. While useful for summer color, they will not survive our winters.

English lavender comes in a multitude of cultivars. The classic standard was ‘Munstead’, but there are numerous other cultivars that are basically small variations in color or size. One very different cultivar is ‘Wee One’. This dwarf plant tops out at about 10” while other English lavenders grow up to 18”. Wee One is particularly useful in rock gardens and borders. When planted in multiples, it forms a beautiful mat of color.

Plants can be planted from spring through autumn so it isn’t too late for this year! Lavender cannot be propagated by digging up and dividing, and those started from seed do not don’t breed true. The best way to propagate is to use cuttings taken right after the bloom. Cut stems with no flower buds, remove leaves from the bottom half of the cutting and insert into well-draining soil or vermiculite. If kept moist, rooting should occur in about 3 weeks.

Site selection is critical to success. Full sun is best. The soil must drain well. Heavy clay soils put plants at risk for root problems. Avoid planting lavender in locations where snow will be shoveled on top of the plants during winter. The only thing worse than poor drainage, is cold poor drainage.

Lavenders should be pruned in spring once leaves start to emerge. Prune back about 1/3 to encourage new growth making certain not to cut into old wood below where the leaves are emerging. Deadheading spent flowers after the first bloom will encourage a second bloom.

Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays ,Wednesdays and Thursdays at 17 N. Spruce St.

Published in The Gazette, Saturday, July 4, 2026
Year Round Gardening - July Calendar
By Kerry Peetz, Colorado Master Gardener, Emerita

Beneath our Colorado sun July is shining bright. By now our gardens have been planted, it’s time to celebrate and busy ourselves with helping them thrive and survive.

Early July
• Last call for zinnia seeds! Plant in a sunny soil bed. While other annuals begin looking sad and spent these late bloomers will be fresh, caffeinated, and ready to strike a pose.
• If Mother Nature refuses us rain, don’t neglect your trees. Give them a deep soak. Pay attention to their silent cries for help:
o The Droop: Leaves looking limp and fainting during peak afternoon heat.
o The Crispy: Deciduous leaf edges turning crunchy, and brown.
o The Bleach Out: Vibrant greens fading into yellow, or conifer needles resembling rusty nails.
o The Toss: Tossing their leaves to the ground prematurely in a desperate, bid to conserve hydration.
• Do a quick check, if needed add mulch. Think of it as a cool, moisture-locking duvet that helps slow evaporation.
• Lawn should be kept at 2.5 to 3.5 inches tall. Why, you ask? Mowing to less than 2 inches can result in decreased drought and heat tolerance and a higher incidence of insects, diseases, and w**ds.
Mid-July
• Prune back the arborvitae, juniper, and boxwood once they explode past their neat boundaries. Never take more than one-third of their green unless you want them to hold a lifelong grudge.
• Drop your hands and back away from the asters and chrysanthemums; their autumn blooming schedule is locked in. However, feel free to pinch the petunias to force them into a second wave of flowering.
• Prune delphiniums and perennial salvias after their first show. They can produce a beautiful second encore.
Late July
• Give your tomatoes water on a predictable schedule. Break this rule and they will punish you with black, leathery bottoms and fruit shapes that resemble horror sculptures.
• Harvest your zucchinis when they hit 6 to 8 inches in length. Leave them for another weekend and they will swell into heavy, wooden clubs capable of breaking a car window.
• Plant new leaf lettuce seeds and sugar snap peas so you have something crisp to crunch on when the autumn chills come back to town.

War Against the Garden Monsters
• Hunt down the giant tomato hornworms. Pluck them off and “take them to the train station" or Yellowstone. No questions asked, no bodies recovered.
• If the Alberta spruce or junipers start looking like a haunted house draped in sticky white webbing, blast those spider mites with a high-pressure jet of hose water.
• Do not lay a single finger on a ladybug. Beneath that cute, polka-dot exterior lies a ruthless, bloodthirsty predator with a ferocious appetite for aphids. Treat them like the tiny hired mercenaries they are!

Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. Visit elpaso.extension.colostate.edu and register for upcoming classes at epcextension.eventbrite.com.

Published in The Gazette, Saturday, June 27, 2026
Year Round Gardening – Begonias
Article and photo by Debra Stinton Othitis, Colorado Master Gardener Emerita

With more than two thousand species, begonias belong to the fifth largest genus of flowering plants, Begoniaceae (begonia). Although their flowers come in shades of red, pink, white, yellow, or orange, begonias are primarily grown for their attractive foliage in shades of green, brown, bronze or maroon.
Treated as annuals in our climate, begonias thrive best in partially shaded areas. They can have upright or mounding habits for use in hanging baskets, flowerpots, and garden beds. Some varieties can be overwintered as house plants.
There are four main types of begonias: wax, tuberous, cane, rhizomatous. Sizes range from 6” to several feet in height.
Wax begonias, also referred to as semperflorens or fibrous-rooted begonias, are commonly grown for both their foliage and flowers. There are numerous single- and double-flowered varieties in shades of red, pink and white, with either bronze or green foliage that has a waxy appearance as the name implies. Popular in the landscape, the flowers keep their rich color throughout the summer. They have a mounding growth habit and grow 6”-12” in height.
Tuberous begonias are best known for their spectacular flowers. They are grown from tubers that can be dug up in the fall and stored in a cool, dry place to plant again the next year. Glossy foliage is available in various shades of green with touches of red or bronze. The flowers measure 3” across and appear in various forms, shapes and colors. This plant has a bushy, weeping or cascading habit and can grow 1’-2’ tall and equally as wide.
Cane-like begonias have stiff, upright stems that give them their common name. They produce year-round clusters of dangling flowers in red, orange, pink or white. Their leaves are spotted, banded or splotched with color, and wing shaped, giving them the popular name “angel wing” begonias. These begonias can get up to several feet tall.
Rhizomatous begonias grow from underground rhizomes and typically have a mounding habit. Rex begonias, a type of rhizomatous begonia, are popular for their easy growth and colorful foliage, although they do produce small white and pink flowers. Leaves come in a wide variety of colors and patterns that form dense, round structures. They have alternate leaf arrangements with simple leaves that stem from a rhizome beneath the soil. They can reach heights of up to 24”, making them an excellent choice for indoors. It is important to note that the underground parts of rex begonia plants contain calcium oxalate, which can be toxic to pets.

For pleasure throughout summertime, fertilize begonias several times a year with a controlled-release fertilizer, and cut them back to stimulate new growth and more flowers.
Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays ,Wednesdays and Thursdays at 17 N. Spruce St.

Published in The Gazette, Saturday, June 20, 2036
Year Round Gardening – The Annual Local Garden Tour Is Near
By Debra Stinton Othitis, Colorado Master Gardener, Emerita
Photo credit: Don Stull

2026 Residential Gardens Tour – A Treasure Trove of Gardens: Unlocking Garden Gems
June 27 and 28 from 9:00am-3:00pm
Colorado Springs Garden Tour Annual Fundraiser
Presented by Friends of Extension El Paso County, Inc. (FOX) and sponsored by Phelan Gardens
This year’s highly acclaimed Colorado Springs Garden Tour will be the fifteenth tour, having skipped the COVID year. The tour will highlight seven gardens by the Colorado Springs Country Club and nearby neighborhoods that display a wide variety of styles from English cottage to native pollinator friendly to creative plantings for steep slopes. Truly something for everyone. This year’s tour will include the 100th unique home garden to be featured in one of the annual tours since 2011. Mark your calendars now and plan to attend this popular event where there is something of interest for everyone.

Most gardeners have unique challenges in in their gardens—especially here in Colorado. The seven gardens on this tour demonstrate how the homeowners have overcome their challenges and transformed their gardens, sometimes over a decade or more, to reduce water usage and maintenance, amend soil, create wildlife habitats, add artistic and whimsical elements, hide unsightly concrete walls and create beautiful, tranquil spaces. You will be inspired by them!

As in the past, Colorado Master Gardeners will be available at each of the gardens to answer questions about plants and good gardening practices, while local Plein Air Garden Artists will be painting various aspects of the gardens.

Attendees will want to wear comfortable shoes, a sun hat and sunscreen, and bring water and a camera. FOX will provide you with a printed garden tour guide to record the plants and ideas that you want to remember. Please be aware that private gardens may not be able to accommodate strollers, walkers or wheelchairs due to narrow pathways and steps. Also, no bicycles will be allowed in private gardens. Only working service dogs are permitted.

Every year, the Colorado Springs Garden Tour receives accolades from attendees and garden owners alike. Since its inception in 2011, this popular, annual tour has showcased gardens throughout the city in neighborhoods such as Divine Redeemer, Patty Jewett, Middle Shooks Run, the West Side, the Old North End, University Park, Village 7, Mountain Shadows, Rockrimmon, Old Farm, Briargate and the Broadmoor area. Individuals can nominate gardens for future tours by submitting photographs and addresses at https://extensionfriends.org/.

Tour tickets are $25 for adults; children under 13 are free. Tickets are valid for both days of the tour and are available at local garden centers (cash/check only) or on Zeffy at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-colorado-springs-garden-tour

Proceeds from the tour benefit FOX, an independent 501 (c)(3) organization, whose mission is to raise money for agriculture, food/nutrition, horticulture, and youth development programs in El Paso County to include, but not limited to El Paso County Extension. Learn more at https://extensionfriends.org/

Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays ,Wednesdays and Thursdays at 17 N. Spruce St.