I'm honored and excited to nuture more Plant Select trail plants in my garden this year. I'm keeping these baby plants under my watchful eye, eager to see how they'll perform this season and ready to provide feedback to Plant Select. I'm not trained as a horticulturist or a botanist, but my keen interest in plants and my many years of writing about gardens inspire me to participate in the trial of potential plants for the Plant Select program. In the end, Plant Select options must prove user-friendly for amateur gardeners such as myself. That's part of the point.
Plant Select, in case you're not familiar, brings together experts from Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University, and the green-growers of Colorado. I'm a huge fan of Plant Select's palette because all plants in the program have met rigorous criteria. Plant Select plants won't require a lot of tender loving care or water. In fact, the Plant Select tagline is "Durable plants for your garden." Plant Select picks won't invade obnoxiously or fall prone to diseases. Many, but not all, Plant Select species are Colorado native plants. If you're picturing desert plants, guess again. Many of Plant Select picks sport delicate foliage, colorful blossoms, and scents.
Plant Select plants will work well in your Denver or Front Range garden because the plants are chosen specifically for our growing conditions. Each Plant Select pick has withstood trials. I got in on the trial of Rosa 'Ruby Voodoo' a couple of seasons ago, and Plant Select officially added the rose to their program this year.
Another point behind Plant Select is water conservation. Plant Select practices good stewardship of natural resources all around, and most of the plants need only minimal to moderate watering.
Here's a link to my feature recently published in The Denver Post, with insightful quotes from an interview with Plant Select executive dirctor Pat Hayward. This article includes three Plant Select species: manzanita, columbine, and yucca. All are drought-tolerant. Click this link to read the article.
Over the last few years, I've grown a number of perennials, annuals, herbs and shrubs from Plant Select. I'm educating myself in these plants, and advocating them for gardeners at any level of experience. Here are some links to a few of my personal favorites from the Plant Select palette:
Red-Leaf Rose Grown as much for the spectacular burgundy foliage and the vibrant orange rose hips as the simple pink flowers, Rosa Glauca ranks as one of my favorite roses.
Daphne 'Carol Mackie' My favorite shrub on my landscape, this plant has it all: interesting foliage, pale pink flowers, and sensational perfume.
Denver Daisy An annual that adds charm to any bed, border or container, the Denver Daisy gets mile high marks.
The Plant Select website will tell you much more, and you can see the plants, too. When you're purchasing plants, look for the Plant Select label and know that plants are appropriate and expert-approved for your Denver or Front Range gardens.
••• "Cultivate your corner of the world. You grow your garden; your garden grows you." •••
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