Reflections
Newsletter
Take Root. Grow. Flourish.
Fall 2014
Letter From the Director, Michelle Provaznik
Where did the gardening season go? As fall settles in, we begin to wrap up our 10th
anniversary year at the Gardens on Spring Creek. It has been a year of reflection and
planning for the future. Highlights of the anniversary campaign include:
• We selected the purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) as the official flower and
created a stunning logo for the year.
• Our history was documented and a pictorial
timeline created.
• We handed out 5,000 packets of Echinacea seeds at all of our community events.
• Elementary students from across Poudre School District submitted artwork as part of
the celebration—be sure to check out the new notecards featuring the winners of the
art show in our gift shop.
• Our 10-year volunteers shared their favorite memories of The Gardens over the years.
• To cap off the year, we will be unveiling a new coneflower sculpture at Garden of Lights.
We are honored to have served the Fort Collins community as its botanic garden for the past
10 years – a special thank you to all of the members, volunteers, Friends Board Members,
and staff for all of their efforts to make The Gardens a gem in our community. We look
forward to what the next 10 years will bring as we work to complete our Master Plan.
Youth Program Update
Parent-child classes have moved to a new date and time! We’ll be spending time with the little
ones who are near and dear to our hearts on the first Tuesday of every month from 6–7:30
p.m. These classes are designed to be a partnership between a kiddo and someone they love,
whether that’s grandparents, nannies, aunts and uncles or parents! Classes may vary in price
and/or age range. Scholarships are available. Preregistration preferred.
Yummy juices with Wunderjuice! - October 7
Children $10, adults free. All ages welcome. All materials provided.
Garden Art - November 4
Come ready to craft! We’ll be making all natural salve, potting mini succulent gardens and
much more! Children $10, adults free. Ages 5+. All materials provided.
*NEW* School’s Out Day Camps
School’s Out Day Camps will be available for children ages 5–11 this fall and winter during
teacher work days. Pack a lunch and come spend a day gardening, cooking, crafting and
discovering! Camps will be from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. on the following dates: 10/16, 10/17, 12/1,
1/5, 2/16, 4/10, 4/13, 5/15. $45 per child. Scholarships are available. Pre-registration is required. Call 970-416-2486, drop in to The
Gardens or register online at fcgov.com/gardens.
Children’s T-shirts are also now available in the Gardens on Spring Creek gift shop. Outfit your littlest gardener in one of our fun new designs!
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In their Own Words: A Decade of Service
Over the course of this year, we have celebrated our past by recognizing our volunteers and staff who have participated in The
Gardens growth since 2004. This season we highlight our last two fantastic volunteers who have been with us from the very
beginning. When asked what volunteering at The Gardens has meant to them over the years, here’s a snapshot of their story…
“Being one of the original
“On the wall of the break room
volunteers at The Gardens,
of my first day on the new job
I’ve seen it grow from
in October 1997, just after the
administrative offices with
flood, was a poster asking for
a greenhouse attached to
thoughts on the concept of a
what is presently at The
botanic garden in town, only with
Gardens. I continue to work
a more hands-on, community
in the greenhouse, but have
orientation than traditional
spent time planting and
botanic gardens. I got through
weeding in the Children’s
on the first phone number and
Garden and along The
wound up talking for over half
Strip on the south side and
an hour to Jim Clark, the GOSC’s
working special events. I
first director.
view The Gardens as a gem
I was newly back in Ft. Collins, my old home town, having
in the growing city of Fort Collins - a place that provides peace and
serenity, beauty, fun and education to the community and visitors.
As it continues to grow and expand, it will prove to be a local
treasure!”
 Tanya Paleski
been recruited for a technical job that wouldn’t have existed in
anybody’s vision, even, when I left for college. The town had
tripled in size, and now there was going to be something like a
botanic garden. What a homecoming!
Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering in various
capacities, starting with late-summer garden tours to promote
GOSC even before a site was selected or the name chosen, along
with other GardenFest members who have since become staff
and staunch volunteers.
Once the greenhouse became reality, I’ve seeded, transplanted
and potted thousands of plants for the Garden’s programs, under
the tutelage mainly of Ted Schaaf, from whom I’ve learned so
much. I’ve also served as docent for its visitors, volunteered at its
festivals and sales, and researched and compiled the Integrated
Pest Management manual for the greenhouse.
Every time I come to the Gardens, there’s a sense of renewal.
The smell of herbs in the greenhouse, the bumper crops of
veggies after surviving yet another hailstorm and going now
to the Food Bank, the giggle of children splashing in the water
outside, the camaraderie and mentoring of staff and interns, the
classroom filled with folks learning yet more about how to care
for their yards and gardens, and the Saturday morning bustle
of volunteers preparing to let the line of eager clients into the
season’s plant sale – all are what happens here at GOSC to fulfill
its mission.”
 Nan Daniels
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Plant it Forward: Harvesting Success
As a partnership with the Gardens on Spring Creek and the Food Bank for Larimer County, this year’s donation program exceeded all expectations! With a goal to gather 15,000 pounds of food from community members for donation to the Food Bank, the community responded in
a big way, filling our Plant it Forward bins with enthusiasm. Neighborhood Champions were recruited to coordinate the collection of gardening
neighbors’ donations and delivery to the Food Bank. This year, Plant it Forward rose to the next level with workplace gardens, gardens at nonprofit agencies and organizations, and individuals all growing food to donate to the Food Bank. Thank you to each and every one of you who
participated; to Bohemian Foundation for providing a seed grant; no donation was too small or too big! Final numbers will be announced at
the close of this harvest season—we are excited to tell you the news…
From the President, Randy Morgan
It was an incredible summer and early fall for the Gardens—fabulous produce from the Garden of Eatin’ and the Rock Garden has never been
more beautiful. We had several wonderful events this summer, capped off by both the Wine Dinner and Beer Tour for Garden a’Fare. I heard
nothing but great compliments from attendees and vendors for both of these events. Thank you to both the staff and volunteers for making
these evenings so enjoyable. Our capital campaign continues to make progress with the goal of finishing The Gardens and the Visitor’s Center. It is a very exciting time for the Gardens on Spring Creek. Thanks to everyone who continues to help make this a very special place in Fort
Collins.
Friends Board of Directors
Randy Morgan, President | Dulcie Willis, Vice President | Sally Guthart, Secretary | Barbara Jehu, Treasurer
Jesse Eastman | Jessica Hunter
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| John Papile
| Marcia Petrun | Roger Warren
Fall & Winter Events at The Gardens
Halloween Enchanted Garden
Upcoming Fall & Winter Adult Classes
Saturday, October 25, 10a.m.–2 p.m.
All the following classes are recommended for adults age
$5.00 per child online or at the door
18 and up and take place in our classroom. Pre-registration
Tickets at www.fcgov.com/gardens
is highly recommended, and member discounts are taken
Presented by Kaiser Permanente,
during registration.
Halloween Enchanted Garden is
Flower Pounding Art – Oct. 18, 10 a.m.–Noon, $25
everything sweet just without the
Tasting Teas of the World, Oct. 23, 5:30–7 p.m., $20
candy! Take part in a day of magical
amusement and old-fashioned fun
Natural Lip and Hand Balms, Nov. 1, 10–11:30 a.m., $25
celebrating the Halloween season,
Garden Flags, Nov. 15, 10 a.m.–Noon, $25
especially planned for young children
Create a Christmas Wreath, Dec. 6, 10 a.m.–Noon, $25
8 years and under. Be sure to wear
your costume and be ready for some
Create a Christmas Swag, Dec. 6, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., $20
magical (never frightening!) fun. Interpreting and Using your Soil Test, Jan. 17, 10 a.m.–Noon, $8
You can count on visiting with the
Sketching 101: Forms and Textures of Nature, 1/22,23,24
and 25, 1–3 p.m., $90
legendary Talking Pumpkin, listening to a Halloween story with the
Reading Retriever, playing Halloween games, and creating unique
seasonal crafts.
Garden of Lights
December 5 – January 1, 5–9 p.m.
(Open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and
New Year’s Day)
Beginning Landscape Design: Planning, Plants and Placement,
Jan. 31, 10 a.m.–Noon, $12
Pruning Shade Trees, Jan. 31, 1–3 p.m., $18
Landscape Design with Rocky Mountain Native Plants, Feb. 7, 10–Noon, $8
How to Begin Rock Gardening, Feb. 7, 1–3 p.m, $8
Weekday suggested donation $2 per person; weekend
ticket admission required.
Botany for Gardeners, Feb. 14, 10 a.m.–Noon, $18
Stroll through the whimsically decorated and twinkling Gardens lit by
Grow Your Own Herbs, Feb. 21, 10–11:30 a.m., $15
thousands of LED lights. See the flower beds, our blue LED pond,
Pruning Fruit Trees, Feb. 21, 1–3 p.m., $18
the Primordial Forest, and all our enchanted botanical creatures—all
created entirely from holiday lights! Visit with Santa, listen to holiday
music, see the Sugar Plum Furries, and enjoy warm drinks. For a
complete programming schedule, please visit fcgov.com/gardens.
Grow the Rainbow: Daylilies and Iris, Feb. 14, 1–3 p.m., $18
SPECIAL EVENT! High Plain Landscape Workshop, Feb. 28,
8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., $49 before 2/1, $59 after 2/1, hosted at
The Lincoln Center
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Must-See Plants for Fall
Dillon Hancock recommends:
and 35' wide, lacebark pine is most often grown for its beautiful
This time of year in the Rock Garden, we may get lucky and catch
camouflage-colored bark featuring patches of white, green
the tail end of some late summer blooming perennials, but it’s
and purple shades. From China and hardy to zone 4, it prefers
all about those fall/winter transition plants. One of my favorite
average soil moisture, but will tolerate some drought when
conifers is located on the west edge of the garden and has a
established. Lacebark pine often grows naturally as a multi-
slightly irregular growth pattern. Pinus strobiformis ‘Coronado’ is
stemmed, almost shrubby tree, but can be pruned to grow with
a Southwestern White Pine that was collected in the Coronado
a single trunk or thinned so the bark is more visible. The Gardens
Forest in Arizona. This is a very drought tolerant pine and with
has two Lacebark pines on either side of our north patio. The one
irrigation can put on 6–12 inches of new growth per year. This
on the east has been thinned to showcase its bark; the western
dark green needled pine will start to lean one direction, giving it
plant is displaying its natural growth pattern.
an intriguing growth habit.
Mary Miller recommends:
Brussel Sprouts
Look for Brussel Sprouts—these
Fall brings about
large plants in the Garden of
seasonal charges in
Eatin’ with their sprouts all along
every garden, and
the 2-3 feet tall stalks. A sprout,
the Switch grass
resembling a tiny cabbage, sits
‘Shenandoah’ is one
against the stalk on the leaf axil.
of my favorites for its
Big sentinels in the garden, their
seasonal color. They
flavor is improved with the cool
tend to go unnoticed
weather of fall and with light frost.
until the cooler season
As autumn progresses, look for
the small green shoots of triticale.
A cereal grain, which is a cross of rye and wheat, is used as an
over-wintering cover crop. Very cold hardy, it will sprout in the
autumn and hold on until the warm days of spring, at which time
it grows quickly. It is grown to help hold the soil in place through
the winter, and when tilled in the following spring, it adds great
organic matter to the soil.
of the blades begin
to turn a beautiful
burgundy color
Switch grass ‘Shenandoah’
followed by matching seed heads. It can get a bit floppy with
age, however, division in spring will keep it more upright. Unlike
the more popular Feather Reed grass that is often planted in
masses, Switch grasses look best when planted as accents. They
more at home in our Colorado landscapes.
As every gardener knows, there are always areas in our landscape
that collect far too much water for most perennials to be
As our gardens
happy. Joe Pye Weed fills that niche as it loves wet feet. As the
transition into fall and
common name suggests, it can be a bit invasive as it spreads by
winter, we appreciate
runners. I recommend planting in an area where it can spread or
a little more plants
be contained such as near a walkway. I like the cultivar ‘Gateway’
that offer a lasting,
as it stays under 5 feet unlike its parent that often towers over 8
quiet beauty. Lacebark
feet. In late summer Joe Pye Weed becomes a showcase. Large,
pine, Pinus bungeana,
rose-tinted flowers cover this plant and are favored by butterflies.
fits that description
It can be slow to get out of the starting gate but well worth the
perfectly. A soft-
wait. Prune this perennial down in the fall as it will not hold up
textured pine that
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of fall when the tips
are more drought tolerant than the Maiden hair grasses, and look
Sherry Fuller
recommends:
grows up to 50' tall
Ted Schaaf
recommends:
well to snow.
Lacebark Pine
What to do in the soil this season?
• Finish cleaning up seed heads and discard or store for next year.
• Aerate/fertilize your lawn with a slow release winter fertilizer.
• Start thinking about blowing out sprinkler systems towards middle/
end of October.
 Dillon Hancock
• If we haven’t had a killing frost yet, bring in tender plants you
might want to save including geraniums and rosemary. Check
them carefully for bugs first. After a light frost, dig non-hardy bulbs
including gladioli, dahlias and cannas. Store their roots in slightly
damp vermiculite or other medium. Check them monthly and
remoisten the vermiculite if it has dried or discard any that have
rotted from being too wet.
• This year was unusually bad for disease problems on many plants.
Rake and discard dropped leaves from under any plants that had
spotted or prematurely yellowed leaves to prevent overwintering of
disease spores.
• As the weather cools and daylight decreases, your houseplants need
less water. Keeping them drier will prevent fungus gnats getting a
toehold. These common pests don’t usually damage plants, but can
be incredibly annoying. They need moist soil to survive, so watering
less in the fall can keep them from thriving in your plants.
 Sherry Fuller
• Clear your garden veggie beds of spent plant debris to help reduce
the spread and persistence of diseases and to remove overwintering
sites for insects and pests. Then spread the dry, fallen leaves from
trees onto the garden area. Layer the leaves about 2-3 inches deep.
Till the leaves into the soil to increase the levels of organic matter.
• Plant garlic in October for a harvest the following July. Choose from
mild to fiery hot varieties. Plant numerous types for a bonanza of
cooking options when next summer’s garden abundance is ripening.
Separate the garlic bulbs into individual cloves for planting. Plant
the largest cloves from the bulbs spaced 4 inches apart and in rows
6 inches apart, burying the cloves 2-4 inches deep with the tip
end up. Water the bed and then cover with mulch to conserve the
moisture and protect the garlic through the winter months.
• Leave carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, and other root crops in the
ground. Mulch them heavily and continue to dig and harvest them
as you need them through the autumn.
 Mary Miller
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How to find us:
2145 Centre Ave.
Fort Collins CO 80526
970.416.2486
fcgov.com/gardens
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
2145 Centre Ave., Fort Collins CO 80526
PAID
Fort Collins, CO
Permit No. 2
Our Hours:
Oct. 1–Apr. 30
9 a.m.–5 p.m., Mon.–Fri.
9 a.m.–4 p.m. ,Sat.
Closed on Sunday
Official
Gardens
Sponsors:
Thank You Perennial Fund & Event Sponsors
The Gardens on Spring Creek is grateful to the many local businesses and foundations that provide in-kind services and cash donations
to our organization. Their support is critical to the success of our special events and overall operations. 2013-14’s corporate and
foundation donors included:
Agrium Advanced Technologies
Beet Street
Bohemian Foundation
Canyon Chop House
Cargill
City of Fort Collins, Fort Fund
City of Fort Collins, Utilities
Clays’ Ace Hardware
Colina Foundation
Color Pro Print
Colorado Creative Industries
Colorado Health Foundation
Coloradoan
Cornerstone Home Lending
Co’s BMW Center
Davey Tree
DeAnge Stone
Earthborn Landscape Design
Ed Carroll Motors
Eye Center of Northern Colorado
Fiona’s Delicatessen & Catering
Fort Collins Landscaping
Fort Collins Nursery
Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery
Fossil Creek Nursery
Gallegos Sanitation
Garden Thyme
Gulley Greenhouse
Harlequin’s Gardens
Heidi Muller Photography
Jax Fish House
Kaiser Permanente
KUNC FM
LaPorte Avenue Nursery
Lawn Doctor
Larimer County Natural Resources
Loveland Water & Power
MINI of Loveland
Moot House
Odell Brewing Company
OtterCares
Outpost Sunsport
Pinot’s Palette
Ram’s Point Winery
Restaurant 415
Savory Spice Shop
Spoons Soups Salads
Starbucks
Summit Lawn and Landscape
Sustainescapes
Swingle
Throgmorton Plant Management
University of Colorado Health
Waterwise Land & Waterscapes
Whole Foods Market
Thank you to our Contributing & Supporting Members: (As of May 23-September 10, 2014)
Rick & Mary Lyons | John & Marlys McGrath | Janell R. Francl | Chuck & Emilia Parker | John Dixon | Steve & Linda Schaefer
Randy & Nancy Morgan | David & Kay Woolhiser | Herb Schaal & Cindy Lechner | Mary E. Ray | Tom & Pegi Etzkorn | William Ray
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