Written by: Patricia O’Brien

This is the time of year when horticulturists and everyday gardeners turn to catalogues to envision summertime’s bounty.  Readers of this newsletter many have begun thinking about plants that, while more subtle in their colors and foliage offer many benefits for the landscape and our pollinators. If you are curious about knowing more, a good online source for education and getting questions addressed is the Colorado Native Plant Gardening page (via Facebook). The group offers information and education about native plants in Colorado.   As a member, I have found the site valuable. The next question becomes an obvious one, where do you find healthy plants to add to your landscape?

While Pueblo features a number of nurseries and local stores for annuals and typical plant material, it’s harder to find native plants ready to install early in the season before the summer heat. A first idea might be to talk to gardening friends to learn if they might provide you some starts to your native garden. For seeds, you might consider the library that the Master Gardeners maintain at the Rawlings library. See information about the lending library at https://pueblo.extension.colostate.edu/all-pueblo-grows-seed-lending-library/   Another link provides a listing of a number of both wholesale and retail places where native seed can be purchased: https://plantnative.org/nd_cotohi.htm

One of the most comprehensive sources in Colorado is The Great Plains Environmental Center located in Loveland. It’s worth the trip to visit their demonstration garden and learn how native plantings contribute to our health an environmental sustainability. Another source for many Colorado natives is High Country Gardens (https://www.highcountrygardens.com/ Though they only provide plants by mail, the packaging and information is well done.   I hope that is a good start for your native plant shopping. Keep your eyes on the CSU-Pueblo site for the SHED spring sale, which could also provide great options for your sustainable native garden.