Shortgrass Prairie with Wildflowers

About

At an altitude of 6,200 feet, this garden is a tiny part (5 acres) of the shortgrass prairie that once characterized the high plains of metro Denver before urban development.

Since 2019, the owner has been working to restore the land by pulling and mowing weeds to make room for native grasses and wildflowers. Grasses include blue grama, buffalo grass, sideoats grama, June prairie grass and purple three-awn.

Among the wildflowers are Indian paintbrush, lupine, gayfeather, fleabane and “cowboy delight” that bloom either late spring (May, June) or late summer (August, September).

Although the annual rainfall here is around 14 inches, our native grasses tolerate drought and sequester carbon, a big plus in our climate. To conserve water, the owner does not irrigate the native grasses and forbs, and does not have a sprinkler or drip system.

This garden’s estimated size is 5 acres.

This Garden Host reports the following Terrain Notes about the garden: Visitors can expect to walk around a Colorado meadow of native grasses and wildflowers. There are no trails (or hills), just a meandering walk on flat land.

2026 Open Day Date: Saturday, May 16

Open Day Hours: 10am–4pm