Mother Nature is standing by ready to wreak havoc on Colorado at a moment’s notice. That truth may be most evident right outside your front door, where your landscaping is especially vulnerable to our state’s limited rainfall and abundant sunshine.
Although it might sometimes feel like it, Colorado wasn’t populated in an afternoon. That means residential landscaping has, for better or worse, drawn on techniques and preferences brought from all over. That variety has produced some breathtaking lawns, but persistently harsh heat and drought conditions combined with the area’s seemingly perpetual sun have prompted a thorough rethink of what actually makes sense for our climate. Today, green thumbs emphasize native plants and they shun plants like the “one size fits all” annuals found on super sale at big box retailers.
But just because a plant calls one part of Colorado its native home doesn’t mean it will thrive in the type of slower-draining clay soil that has been introduced to the urban and suburban Front Range corridor. Shrubs and flowers that thrive high in the Rockies aren’t necessarily as drought-resistant as they might seem, for example.
So have a look out your front window, take a deep breath and realize those bright colored geraniums of the Midwest might need to give way to a native plant.
Colorado Blue Spruce
Ubiquitous throughout Colorado, the Blue Spruce is, not surprisingly, our state tree. Though the Blue Spruce is an easy tree to grow, picking a sunny spot with soil that drains quickly is a safe bet.
Trivia: The Colorado Blue Spruce was Utah’s state tree until earlier this year. Our western neighbor’s new state tree? The Aspen. Way to think for yourselves, Utah.
Apache Plume
Named after the tribe that once roamed the southwest, this shrub is an example of a plant that might not technically be native to the Front Range but considers the area its rightfully adopted home. The Apache Plume offers excellent erosion control and can be kept relatively small with limited trimming.
Flexible enough to be planted both in full sun and partial shade, the Apache Plume thrives on limited watering once it is established. An attractive shrub for much of the year due to seed heads that stick around into winter, it is full of white flowers in spring and summer.
Columbine
Colorado’s state flower, the columbine actually comes in more varieties than you might imagine — its most resplendent shade is a bright golden hue and not the tri-color purple/white/yellow your neighbors just planted.
This native flower blooms from late spring into early summer but is resilient enough to survive through even the toughest winter.
Mr Coffman’s base is old white guys (like me) that think of themselves as so high and mighty. Coffman is afraid to upset his base by even speaking to Asian or Hispanic people. He refused to even participate in the Asian community debate. CD6 is a very diverse district that deserves someone who represents us all, including us old white guys. I’m voting for Romanoff.
As someone from the Asian community in Congressional District 6, what I found is Mr. Coffman is very open to the Asian community and always strives to make himself available for us. That is the consensus I found by talking to many of my contacts in the Asian community. Mr. Coffman accepted the invitation for the Asian Community Public Policy Forum hosted by Asian Roundtable of Colorado and arrived at the event early to llisten to people from the community. Concerning the Forum, candidates from both parties were very accessible and supportive to have the opportunity to have the platform to engage the Asian community. We in the Asian community appreaciate that. In my view, people may have different opinions toward their political beliefs and standing, but should not distort the facts.