Colorado Native Flower Garden...Finished!

 

My new Colorado native flower garden is officially done except for the bare area where I'll be scattering seeds in the fall. This project required us to remove 8 inches of pea gravel, rototill, add 8 inches of soil, build a path of paving stones, plant 176 plants (some that I grew from seed, some that I got at plant swaps, and some that I bought), top with mulch, and water one to two times a day, depending on heat and wind. They say the first year is for setting roots so hopefully this time next year it will look more like a flower garden!

For native garden expectations (hopes, dreams), the saying goes: first year sleep, second year creep, third year leap. So this year, the roots should be establishing themselves so that they can survive the winter. I am hoping that I get more blossoms during the creep year, when the plants should be spreading out, sending out runners, etc. And then, hang on for the leap year!

Here is my layout of plants, quantity, and location. The legend is at the top and the planted area is below with abbreviations and number of plants. The general idea is tallest at the back, along the fence. I had wanted more purple and orange, but they were hard to find. The butterfly weed is a CO native milkweed. The goldenrod and chokecherry are keystone plants, meaning that it is host to many different insects and birds, and not species-specific like the milkweed/Monarch butterfly relationship. The green stuff is ground cover that will hopefully fill in around the paving stones.

BTW, I did win a $500 grant from the Landscaping With Colorado Native Plants Conference. The grant money can only be used for buying native plants, not soil, paving stones, mulch, etc. It turns out that I spent a bit over $500, but I will be filling out the paperwork with receipts, photos, etc for reimbursement shortly. Actually, I figure that I was able to grow a third of the plants from seed, acquired a third at plant swaps that only ask for donations, and got the final third from our local native plant supplier, Harlequin's Gardens in Boulder. Even if you're not in CO, Harlequin's website is a treasure trove of info if you are interested in going native.