2021 GARDEN IN A BOX: GARDEN INFO SHEET Rocky Mountain Retreat Designed by Kenton Seth of Paintbrush Gardens

Escape the sweltering heat and take it easy with this low-maintenance, 96 sq ft garden that showcases hardy perennials that thrive in Colorado. You’ll be mesmerized by its winter appeal as well as its dynamic blossoming from early spring through fall with a vibrant display of blues, pinks, purples, whites and yellows.

Full sun exposure (minimum of 6 hrs of direct sun per day)

Planting maps cover 96 sq ft

Blooms early spring to fall

Xeric (low water)

Hardiness maximum of 8,000 ft

Individual Information

AUTUMN JOY STONECROP - Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ QTY. 2

An umbrella of Mature height 18-24” Blooms late summer CARE: Older tend to split in changes from soft pink in Mature spread 12-18” to fall the center if not divided. To keep August to a coppery the plant smaller and prevent it bronze seedhead in from flopping over, prune the tips Full sun Attracts bees, November, atop pale butterflies 6-8” in late spring (this will also green, succulent like delay flowering). . Low water needs Resists deer and 1 rabbits

BLUE AVENA GRASS - Helictotrichon sempervirens QTY. 3

A clump forming grass Mature height 2-3” Blooms early to mid CARE: This highly adaptable grass that resembles tapering Mature spread 18-24” summer is tolerant of sunbaked locations pieces of steel-blue and poor soil of all varieties, and is linguine collected in a Attracts bees, ill-suited for shady, wet soils, which porcupine-like dome with Full sun butterflies will lead to poor structure and golden panicles in floppy growth. summer. Resists deer and 2 Low water needs rabbits

BLUE HAREBELL - Campanula rotundifolia ‘Olympica’ QTY. 2

A loose rosette consisting Mature height 6-18” Blooms spring to CARE: Hardier than its delicate of rounded basal leaves Mature spread 12-18” summer suggests, this plant performs become linear as they well on rocky mountain slopes, dry climb wiry stems to the Full sun to part Attracts bees, meadows and prairies, and open violet, bell-shaped flowers shade butterflies woods, and tolerates a variety of on top. soil conditions. 3 Low water needs Resists deer EUROPEAN PASQUE FLOWER - vulgaris QTY. 2

The harbingers of spring, CARE: Pasque Flowers are adapted Mature height 6-12” Blooms early spring Pasque Flowers boast Mature spread 8-12” to chalky and sandy soils at high starry, five-petaled, elevations, and will not tolerate purple-flowers with fuzzy soggy soils. Overall, it likes to be left Adaptable Attracts bees, orange-yellow stamen. butterflies alone! Due to its long tap root, Pasque Flower resents transplanting or division. Goes Low water needs Resists rabbits dormant in summer - mark its spot 4 with a stake to avoid accidentally digging it up. EVERGREEN CANDYTUFT - Iberis sempervirens QTY. 3

Candytuft provides us Mature height 8-12” Blooms late spring CARE: Will seldom need division, but with a generous display Mature spread 18-24” to summer prune hard at least two-thirds of the of small, pure white way back every few years in the flowers atop mounds of Attracts bees, summer to keep it vigorous and deep green, needle-like Full sun butterflies fresh. 2 leaves. Low water needs Resists deer and 5 rabbits

FRINGED SAGE - Artemisia frigida QTY. 2

This strongly aromatic Mature height 6-15” CARE: This plant grows prolifically in Blooms late summer plant is covered in Mature spread 18-24” the arid mountains and prairies of miniscule hairs giving it a the Western US in poor quality soils soft, grey-green and tolerates drought very well. appearance. It will grow Full sun Attracts butterflies into a shiny pillow that remains all winter long. Resists deer and 6 Very low water needs rabbits

NATIVE BLANKET FLOWER - Gaillardia aristata QTY. 4

The Native Blanket Mature height 18-24” CARE: Blanket Flowers appreciate a Blooms mid summer Flower boasts large Mature spread 18-24” bit of pampering the first season, daisies with reddish- and then take off on their own. Avoid brown/orange centers planting in rich, moist soils, which Full sun Attracts bees, birds, circled by ray flowers of butterflies can make the plants floppy and yellow/bronze. shorten their life-span. Once established it is very low- Low water needs maintenance, adaptable, and easy to 7 grow.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLUMBINE - Aquilegia caerulea QTY. 1

The Colorado state Mature height 18-24” Blooms late spring CARE: Avoid heavy, soggy soil. flower! It is noted for its Mature spread 12-18” to summer Division is not recommended; large, rich violet flowers mature plants do not like to be with white centers and Attracts bees, birds, disturbed. If foliage becomes ragged long spurs mounted on Shade butterflies during high heat, cut foliage back to arching stems over 3 inches above ground and new blue-green foliage. leaves will grow in. Medium water needs Resists deer and 8 rabbits

ROCKY MOUNTAIN PENSTEMON - Penstemon strictus QTY. 3

This penstemon’s Mature height 18-24” Blooms early to mid CARE: This semi-evergreen plant will brilliant purple flowers Mature spread 12-18” summer thrive in rocky, poor and disturbed form open spikes on soils. It can be slow to establish, so stout stalks arising from Full sun to part Attracts bees, butterflies, be sure to weed around it regularly narrow, glossy semi- shade hummingbirds to improve establishment. evergreen leaves. 9 Low water needs SANTA FE ASTER - Machaeranthera bigelovii QTY. 1

A Colorado native, this Mature height 1-3” Blooms early CARE: An extremely low- aster forms a bushy, Mature spread 1-2’ summer to fall maintenance plant, as a prolific multi-branched clump native plant to our region it will with fine, daisy-like do poorly in over-fertilized, rich flowers that are violet/ Full sun Attracts bees soils. purple during early summer to fall. 10 Low water needs

TENNESSEE PURPLE CONEFLOWER - tennesseensis OR PURPLE CONEFLOWER - QTY. 4

Large, upswept, daisy-like Mature height 2-3’ Blooms mid to late CARE: Avoid planting this variety purple flowers with showy, Mature spread 18-24” summer near other varieties of -colored rays above coneflowers to prevent sturdy yet thin green Full sun to part Attracts bees, overcrowding. Division is not stalks. shade butterflies, recommended due to long tap hummingbirds root. 11 Low water needs

Plant Maintenance By Season

MAINTENANCE TASKS PLANT

SPRING (AFTER FIRST GROWING SEASON)

Cut back old growth to 6 inches before new growth begins to show. Rocky Mountain Penstemon Cut back old growth to 2-3 inches before new growth begins to show. Blue Avena Grass, Rocky Mountain Columbine, Purple Coneflower Divide mature plants in early spring every 3 years, Autumn Joy Stonecrop, Blue Avena Grass, Blue Harebell, as needed. Fringed Sage, Native Blanket Flower, Rocky Mountain Penstemon, Santa Fe Aster “Comb out” or remove dead foliage. Blue Avena Grass, European Pasque Flower

SUMMER

Once established, deadhead to encourage compact growth. Evergreen Candytuft, Fringed Sage Deadhead spent flowers to encourage new blooms and/or Autumn Joy Stonecrop, Blue Harebell, Native Blanket Flower, minimize self-seeding. Rocky Mountain Columbine, Rocky Mountain Penstemon, Santa Fe Aster, Tennessee Purple Coneflower

FALL

Leave last round of blooms to self-seed and/or to provide food for birds. Autumn Joy Stonecrop, Rocky Mountain Columbine, Tennessee Purple Coneflower Cut back to 6 inches in late fall. Native Blanket Flower Do not prune or cut back. Plant susceptible to winter damage if pruned. Evergreen Candytuft, Fringed Sage, Rocky Mountain Penstemon, Santa Fe Aster Plant by Number Design Suggestions

Key 7 1. Autumn Joy Stonecrop (Qty. 2) 3 SUGGESTED FRONT SIDE OF GARDEN 2. Blue Avena Grass (Qty. 3) 3 3. Blue Harebell (Qty. 2) 9 14’ x 14’ triangle 4 4. European Pasque Flower (Qty. 2) 11 5. Evergreen Candytuft (Qty. 3) 14’ 7 2 6. Fringed Sage (Qty. 2) 2 7. Native Blanket Flower (Qty. 4) 7 4 8. Rocky Mountain Columbine (Qty. 1) 8 2 9. Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Qty. 3) 11 1 11 9 10. Santa Fe Aster (Qty. 1) 5 11 11. Tennessee Purple Coneflower (Qty. 4) 9 10 5 6 7 6 5 1 1 box = 1 square foot 14’ 9 7 4 11 4 11 2 10 9 9 1 6’ 8 6 11 1 11 7 7 2 2 6 7 5 3 5 5 3

6’ x 16’ rectangle16’ SUGGESTED FRONT SIDE OF GARDEN

5 6 1 11 4 2 11 4 10 8 2 7 8’ 2 11 1 9 7 11 3 9 9 5 7 3 7 5 6

8’ x 12’ rectangle12’ SUGGESTED FRONT SIDE OF GARDEN