Explore 20 homegrown parks where Colorado wildlife thrives

Douglas Tallamy author of Nature s Best Hope A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard proposes the clever concept of homegrown national parks which he calls critical urban suburban wildlife corridors We have national parks and land conservancies but they re isolated and relatively small Tallamy revealed The resolution is to start practicing conservation outside of parks and preserves Most of wildlife species need ample space to thrive and homegrown national parks allow local landowners to collaborate to expand breeding grounds while preserving ecosystems Maybe a native garden the size of a smallish Chipotle parking lot won t leave you as awestruck as a trek through Rocky Mountain National Park But after a month of touring Front Range native demonstration gardens I located plenty to love Pocket habitats These habitat pockets are alive in every sense of the word and I thoroughly enjoyed watching hungry birds hunt caterpillars to feed their nestlings Since native plants attract butterflies I plan to return to my favorite gardens later in the season to see monarchs and other winged insects perform their tiny acrobatics between colorful Colorado blooms After a brutal winter watching diverse species return in full force is nothing short of magical Diverse ecosystems start with native plants declared Karim Gharbi horticulture specialist at the Denver County CSU Extension CSU Extension a organization of experts focused on issues such as agriculture and natural materials offers growers expertise on planting pest control and more through its gardening programs Chosen gardeners prefer an old English aesthetic i e perfectly manicured turf lawns with trimmed shrubs and colorful blooms It might look pretty but it won t provide habitat for the caterpillars our local songbirds need Gharbi mentioned There has in the last few days been a surge of interest in native landscapes and master gardener Danna Liebert who owns Grounded Increase Landscape Design thinks this is great news Planting native species she stated Is one of the easiest techniques to advocacy local wildlife and reduce the need for excessive water and chemicals Through her function as a Wild Ones Front Range board member Liebert helps advance the volunteer-run nonprofit s mission of promoting Coloradoscapes an idea that expands on the xeriscape trend by considering native plants Related Articles Gardening Turn to Coloradoscaping with native plants less water The secret to a refreshing cocktail or mocktail might be growing in the garden Denver offering gardeners free mulch and compost May Asparagus in the garden takes its time but is worth the wait How to grow houseplants and keep them healthy While a great number of native gardeners learn toward a naturalistic style as Liebert puts it you need only visit a limited demonstration gardens to see that local flora is merely a palette You can use them in any style that appeals to you Liebert notes Matter in point The Gardens of Versailles in France inspired Centennial Gardens Little Raven St This five-acre Denver area tract features a mix of elegantly arranged native and water-wise species various unlike anything else in town Think formal garden design but with a delightful Colorado twist What we need Tallamy explained me Are model landscapes that are beautiful and ecologically functional at the same time A mile above sea level you can find places on a self-guided native garden tour that might be just what you need to breathe new life into your home landscape Front Range beauties Liebert admits being biased but recommends starting in Englewood at Depot Prairie Park W Dartmouth Ave a colorful modestly sized constituents plot she helped design and plant in with Kenton Seth owner of Paintbrush Gardens and a organization of participants Master gardener Danna Liebert owner of Grounded Enhancement Landscape Design recommends starting your exploration in Englewood at Depot Prairie Park This colorful and modestly sized population garden was designed and planted in by Liebert along with Kenton Seth owner of Paintbrush Gardens and a crew of dedicated contributors Photo courtesy of Danna Liebert The project replaced non-native turfgrass with primarily native plants reducing water use by percent in the first year alone This cute space teems with wildlife the present day and the bug hotel created by th graders at Bishop Elementary is a nice touch Don t miss the crevice garden on either side of the policies It s a short -mile walk or ride to Harvard Gulch Park where Denver Master Gardeners maintain three demonstration patches including the Children s Home Memorial Garden planted directly in front of the CSU Extension building E Iliff Ave Since its installation in I ve hurried past this garden dozens of times Next time you re in the area take a closer look In a volunteer group absolutely revamped the landscape focusing on native plantings Every June Jefferson County CSU Extension runs its Purge Your Spurge event here offering free plants to folks who bring in an invasive weed called Myrtle Spurge Summer Home Garden a populace pocket park near Washington Park features a lush colorful habitat overflowing with native and xeric plants in a crevice garden Photo courtesty of Kristin Laux Continuing north Liebert points me to a inhabitants pocket park a insufficient blocks east of Washington Park At Summer Home Garden S Vine St you ll discover a lush colorful habitat overflowing with native and xeric plants flaunting a truly extraordinary crevice garden The designers Liebert reported used an AI to craft their plan