Mountain Horticulture and High Altitude Gardening
Current COVID-19 Program changes – Due to COVID-19 in-person Horticultural/Master Gardener programming has been reconfigured. Some of our in-person programming has switched to a virtual format. We have a weekly eNewsletter with a “Garden Corner” topic, announcements for virtual events, and other gardening, lifestyle, and family activities. Sign up for the eNewsletter list, and view the email archive.
Maintaining a garden in our Clear Creek communities presents its own unique challenges. Our growing season is shorter than many other areas in Colorado, wildlife is abundant and elk, deer, and moose are known to wander through our garden and vegetable beds. Many plants simply can’t survive the high elevation conditions. As your local office of CSU Extension, we have numerous resources to answer your questions so you get the most out of your high altitude garden!
Extension Thursdays
Clear Creek CSU Extension’s Extension Thursdays series features a variety of activities and presentations, some of which include horticulture topics. Due to the pandemic, we have moved to a virtual format. Find these and other events on our calendar.
Ask a Master Gardener
Have a gardening question? Ask a Master Gardener! Take a picture and detail your question in an email to christine.crouse@colostate.edu. It will be answered by as soon as possible by a Master Gardener or Christine, our local CSU Extension agent.
Clear Creek Master Gardeners
Master Gardeners are a valuable resource to their Clear Creek community, answering gardening questions and maintaining our demonstration gardens.
Clear Creek County will not be recruiting any Master Gardeners in 2021. However, you may still register for the Colorado Gardener Certificate program and Green School Class (all of which are online) through the State Master Gardener Program. Contact Christine Crouse, christine.crouse@colostate.edu, for any additional information.
Native Plant Demo Garden
Clear Creek CSU Extension and the Clear Creek Master Gardeners maintain a demo garden at the Georgetown Heritage Center – (809 Taos St, Georgetown, CO 80444). Expansion plans are in progress. Visit our mountain garden demonstration garden to learn about plants that grow in our community.
Native Plant Demo Garden Brochure
Low-Water Native Plants for Colorado Gardens in Mountain Elevations 7,500’+
Vegetable Gardening in the Mountains
Colorado Wildflowers Fact Sheet
Download a list of nurseries and seed companies in Colorado that source Colorado Native Plants
Native Herbaceous Perennials for Colorado Landscapes
Native Grasses for Colorado Landscapes
Native Shrubs for Colorado Landscapes
Native Trees for Colorado Landscapes
Tour Ken Nelson’s 2019 private high altitude garden located at 8,519′ in Clear Creek County
Noxious Weeds of Clear Creek County
You can’t properly control a weed until you know what kind it is… When you are trying to identify a weed and are unsure of what you have, try to identify what time of year it grows, the flower size, structure, and color, and other factors so you are better able to research it, or present your problem weed to another person to try to get an ID.
Please download the PDF presentation and brochure for resources about noxious weeds that are found in Clear Creek County.
Seed Exchange
Clear Creek County Seed Exchange program brochure
Helpful Horticulture Resources
- Our neighbors in Gilpin county share many of the same horticulture concerns as a mountain community as we do in Clear Creek County. Their CSU Extension office has comprehensive Mountain Horticulture and Natural Resources references on their website which we think you will also find helpful.
- Colorado Mountain Gardener blog
- Colorado Master Gardener website
- Colorado Vegetable Guide: A guide for the backyard vegetable garden, covering all regions of Colorado
- CSU Horticulture blog
- PlantTalk
- Drought-stressed turf? – Here’s a handy fact sheet to help you do your own sprinkler audit to check heads, collect output, and make adjustments.
- Colorado Small Acreage Management – Improving land stewardship by helping landowners understand and manage their property resources (soil, water, animals, plants, and air). Have questions about managing your land, or want to learn more about topics such as pasture, fencing, weeds, composting, and much more? Visit the CSU Extension Small Acreage Management site and search frequently asked questions, ask us a question through AnswerLink, and browse small acreage-related events.
View upcoming Clear Creek CSU Extension happenings.