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General Site | Neighborhood Park | Spring Creek | Bike Trail | Parking | Building Description | Garden Descriptions
 The following are descriptions of the gardens that we currently envision having as part of the Gardens on Spring Creek, when it is "completed". There are two caveats with that statement. First, it is quite probable that this list of gardens will change as we grow, given our evolving knowledge of our site and the changes of horticultural interest from our staff, volunteers and visitors. Second, as any gardener knows, a garden is never truly completed. Part of the beauty of The Gardens on Spring Creek will be that it will continually evolve.
The Entry Gardens and Habitat Gardens were begun last fall and will be advanced this summer and fall. Also slated for establishment this current growing season are the Fruit and Vegetable Gardens and the Community Gardens.
Entry Gardens
The Entry Gardens are located in front of our building, along the south side of the entrance drive, and then wrapping around to the south in the parkway strip (the area between the road and the detached sidewalk) of Centre Avenue. The beauty of this garden then turns the corner and continues to parade through the parkway strip of Rolland Moore Drive. We are very pleased and proud to mention that these gardens are being designed by Lauren Springer, preeminent garden designer, author and speaker. This garden was begun last year, with the planting of 1,000 perennials and 9,000 bulbs in the parkway strip of Rolland Moore Drive. It will develop into a truly spectacular show!
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Habitat Garden
The Habitat Garden is located to the immediate north of the entrance drive, and continuing to the north along the embankment that is between the parking lot and Centre Avenue. As the name indicates the Habitat Garden will provide habitat for local wildlife, in particular songbirds and butterflies. It will serve as a demonstration for how food, shelter, and water can be provided for desired urban wildlife, in an attractive manner. It is composed entirely of native grasses, perennials, shrubs and trees.
Community Gardens
 Thirty-five garden plots of 150 square feet each are made available to people who like to do their own flower or vegetable gardening, but do not have access to "garden-able" land. We provide the tilled plots, water, and gardening tools. For a fee of $40 and a refundable deposit of $20 (total $60), the following will be provided for the growing season:
- Garden plot of approximately 150 square feet
- Soil tilled and amended with compost
- Irrigation water
- Use of garden tools and hose
This is a great way for new gardeners to learn skills from "seasoned veterans" and for all involved to make new friends. Of course, there's the added benefit of an abundance of self-grown fresh produce and flowers.
Fruit and Vegetable Gardens
 Encompassing about an acre, the vegetable gardens and orchards will display the vast variety of vegetables, tree fruits, bush fruits, and berries that can be successfully grown in this area, utilizing organic methods. The produce will be used to compensate volunteers, in addition to being donated to the Food Bank of Larimer County. A compost demonstration and possibly a beekeeping demonstration will be part of this area.
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 Children are an extremely important element of our mission. This is demonstrated by placing the Children's Garden in the most visible location of the entire site and by the fact that it is our current focus for fundraising. The Children's Garden will encompass a half acre of fun, interactive, and educational gardens and displays. It will include a small amphitheatre for presentations, garden plots for tending, a playful water feature and lots of fanciful theme gardens, all in a safely enclosed area. The Children's Garden is now under construction, and is expected to be completed by early summer, 2006.
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Meditation Garden
 The Meditation Garden will be a place for personal reflection, meditation, and renewal. It will be approximately 8,000 square feet in size, rectangular shaped, and enclosed with a beautiful wall of native stone. There will be an ample supply of attractive and comfortable benches tucked into recesses in the wall and in other semi secluded locations to provide a feeling of privacy. The garden will consist of a wide variety of colorful and fragrant flowers and an assortment of flowering shrubs and trees, balanced with evergreen plant materials. Comfortable pathways will be laid out in a geometric pattern.
Experiential Garden
 The Experiential Garden will serve as a complement to the Meditation Garden. While both will be very attractive and offer healing benefits, they will accomplish that in different ways. The Meditation Garden will be a quiet and peaceful environment for individual relaxation, reflection, and spiritual renewal. In contrast, the Experiential Garden will be a dynamic, interactive, and social place for people to engage in hands on horticultural activities. It will be approximately 8,000 square feet, and possibly enclosed by a hedge. The Experiential Garden will be located in close proximity to the education room and the greenhouse, thereby providing convenient access between this triad of resources for numerous workshops and classes. One likely feature will be a sensory garden, consisting of plants specifically chosen to stimulate each of our five senses. The Experiential Garden will also feature a wide variety of herbs, vegetables, and fruits, along with the enhancement of a soothing water fountain and water garden. A primary objective of this garden will be accessibility, in order to maximize the opportunities for many people to get involved. Therefore, the plants in this garden will be grown in a variety of methods, such as vertical walls, raised beds, tables, and containers, to facilitate people with different mobility impairments.
Prairie Garden
 The Prairie Garden will be a signature garden for The Gardens, strongly aligned with our mission of emphasizing native plants and creating a local sense of place. At approximately half of an acre, it will be large enough to convey the feeling of expansiveness that is characteristic of the prairie. At the same time, it will be designed and planted intensively enough to be perceived as a "garden", as opposed to an effort to create a prairie as seen in nature. A $20,000 donation was recently received to initiate the fundraising for this garden.
Rock Garden
 Fort Collins is blessed with a wealth of notable horticultural resources, including well-stocked nurseries and very knowledgeable and experienced horticulturists and designers. Kirk Fieseler is a local nursery owner, horticulturist and instructor who is especially skilled with rock gardens. Kirk has volunteered his time to assist with the fundraising, design and construction of a rock garden at The Gardens. Although some alpine plants and non-native plants will be used, an emphasis will be placed on plants native to our local bio-region. The rock will be carefully selected from the plentiful choices available locally. We estimate that this garden will require about 10,000 square feet in area.
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Great Lawn
The Great Lawn will be the central outdoor space for larger social gatherings, including small concerts, wedding receptions, or other public and private events. It will be about 15,000 square feet in size, have a scattering of inter-planted trees for light shade, and be surrounded by border gardens. At the north end of the Great Lawn will be a stage, bandshell, or similar structure. This area will be available to the public for renting, along with or separate from the meeting room and courtyard area.
Border Gardens
 The Great Lawn will be surrounded by a variety of border beds, displaying the wide variety of inter-mixed, beautiful herbaceous plants and shrubs recommended for our climate and soils.
Four Seasons Garden
This garden will consist of a diverse selection of flowering trees, shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, and bulbs, arranged for a year-round, sequential display related to the changing of the seasons. The center of the garden will feature a comfortable seating area and fountain.
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Xeriscape Garden
Xeriscape (water-conserving landscaping) is a dynamic area of horticulture. Since the concept of xeriscape was originally introduced in the early 1980's, many new and exciting plants and design ideas have emerged. The most recent and attractive of these approaches will be featured in The Gardens' Xeriscape Garden.
Permaculture Garden
Developed by Australian Bill Mollison, Permaculture is an agricultural system that emulates the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It seeks to provide the human need for food, energy, and shelter in a sustainable and space-effective way. It applies such concepts as "stacking" plants of differing heights, selecting plants with symbiotic relationships and emphasizing multi-function plants, such as those that provide food, produce nitrogen, and/or can be used as a mulch. This garden will be a display and experimental area for Permaculture.
Foothills Garden
An increasing number of people are living within the foothills region of our county. This is an area with unique horticultural challenges from its climate, soils, and wildlife. It is also an area of stunning beauty and distinctive gardening opportunities. The Foothills Garden will attractively demonstrate a diverse palette of plants that can thrive in that environment.
Water Garden
This garden will attractively integrate a naturalistic water feature with appropriate plants and possibly fish.
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