Written by Ellen Bell, Colorado Master Gardener Class of 2019

November 2021

As the days grow shorter and colder the plants in the garden at the Southeast Colorado Water Conservancy are preparing for their winter rest. Plants are living things and like us, have their own biological clocks.

During dormancy they stop growing to conserve their energy until the warmer weather and longer days return next year.

Even though our weather has been mild and dry this autumn, the plants still know to prepare for the coming winter months.

There is still a lot of color and interest this autumn. The sumac is bright red and the different species of Hawthorne trees have berries ranging in color from orange to burgundy. The Cape leadwort is holding on to its blue blooms while Prairie Ironweed is a bright red-violet. The Maximilian sunflowers are still blooming keeping the bees very busy. The squirrels must have been busy as well since there wasn’t an acorn in sight.

As the garden heads back to where I first encountered it last February this completes my year- long observation of this garden. It has been interesting to observe in all its phases. I hope you have managed to take a walk for yourself in at least one of the seasons of this garden.