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2 Lazy2P Alpine Research Gardens

revised 5/2007
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2 Lazy2P Alpine Research Gardens


Basic Climate
          Thankfully the gardens aren't in Fraser, Colorado, where official records show an average frost-free growing season of four days! When asked how his summer was, one Fraser old timer replied, "I don't know, I was in Denver that weekend. Colorado natives know the seasons as elk, football, skiing and road construction!

          At 2 Lazy2P, summer growing season begins in early May and lasts 150 to 170 days. Average temperatures during the growing season are

MAY (Canon 70F and 41F, Mesa 76F and 45F),
JUNE (Canon 79F and 53F, Mesa 85F and 55F),
JULY (Canon 86F and 59F, Mesa 91F and 62F),
AUG (Canon 82F and 54F, Mesa 89F and 58F),
SEPT (Canon 71F and 43F, Mesa 77F and 46F),
OCT (Canon 54F and 35F, Mesa 60F and 39F).

          The average season high temperature is 97F (Fountain Mesa) and 90F (Cheyenne Canon. All time record high temperature is 97F (Cheyenne Canon) and 103F (Fountain Mesa), both July events.

Temperature averages during winter are,

NOV (Canon 53F and 28F, Mesa 56F and 32F ),
DEC (Canon 40F and 17F, Mesa 43F and 19F),
JAN (Canon 36F and 16F, Mesa 42F and 17F),
FEB (Canon 42F and 22F, Mesa 47F and 26F),
MAR (Canon 45F and 28F, Mesa 52F and 33F),
APR (Canon 52F and 35F, Mesa 58F and 40F).

          The average winter low temperature is -11F (Cheyenne Canon) and -7F (Fountain Mesa). All time record low temperature at Cheyenne Canon is -21F (December) and for Fountain Mesa, the record low is  -16F (January). Variation of records from NWS data collected at Peterson Field (on the treeless prairie) indicate significant urban modification of annual low temperature. School-Net data collection and reporting system (sponsored by KKTV) likewise supports this observation.
          Subzero cold is expected once or twice each winter. Temperature usually remains below zero for only a few hours at a time, and high temperatures rebound above freezing, usually within 48 hours. An exception was in December 1983, a once in a century event when record low subzero temperatures occurred every day for eight consecutive days. To view NOAA weather data for Colorado, click here.

          Spring runs like a clock... with missing gear teeth. Warm sun, rain, sleet, snow, gropnel (a snow-hail), calm and wind can all occur on the same day. Spring is full of bonafide spring days, near summer days, and near winter days. Spring is fickle.
          Fall here, is known by a poetic name; Indian Summer. After the first frosts or hard freezes, a period of warm, dry, balmy, beautiful weather usually follows, which may last from mid October to early December, with gradual, gentle decline of temperatures and day length. Once or twice a score, a great snow will occur, where thirty to sixty inches of snow fall during one giant storm.

          Growing degree day figures during the growing season are 2915 degree days (Fountain Mesa) and 2520 degree days (Cheyenne Canon). Degree days are figured as the number of degrees above 50F achieved for the daytime high and low during actual frost to frost growing season.

           Chinook winds produced wild temperature swings during winter. Chinook temperatures, most frequent in February, can rise from -5F to 65F within 48 hours. Chinooks can cause severe plant and structural damage in exposed locations.  At Cheyenne Canon, the rim deflects wind from the the canyon floor. Gusts on the rim can surpass 100mph, but winds on the floor are rarely above 50mph. Chinook wind atop 7,200 foot Mt. Cutler, one mile west of Cheyenne Canon, can reach 150mph. At Fountain Mesa, effects of chinook are dissipated, but 70mph wind can still damage structures. The dessicating effects of warm wind to plants in frozen soil are a chief cause of winterkill. Operation of a fog nozzle in the gardens during a chinook reduces loss of moisture from plant tissues.

           Precipitation at Fountain Mesa averages 15 inches per annum, and 25 inches per annum at Cheyenne Canon. Rainiest months are June, May, July and April. Snowiest months are March, February, April and January. Fountain Mesa garden records an average of 60 inches of snow per season, and Cheyenne Canon garden receives 120 inches of snow per annum.
          Summer heating and collision of cool, moist mountain air with hot, dry plains air produces a significant threat from hail. Several times during the growing season, hail threatens the gardens. Usually hail is pea sized, but marble to golfball size chunks can cause anxiety. Woody plants usually recover without ill effects, but heavy or prolonged hail can end a growing season for perennials and kill annuals. Operation of square-spray sprinklers during hail is effective in reducing hail velocity and softening ice chunks so plant damage is minimized. The drawback is that sprinklers cover a minimal area, so a 'triage' of plants to be protected must occur. Severe hail storms have no remedy other than prayer.

Basic Exotic Plant Problems and Solutions

          Soil, sun exposure and available moisture are key needs, and for exotic plants, these
factors vary and are discussed on the specific garden site pages. Soils usually must be
improved with organic matter and other factors to improve drainage and combat alkalinity.

          Exposure to winter sun is the greatest threat to exotic conifers and broadleaf evergreens.
 These plants are grown successfully in the shadow of large conifers, houses, fences or other
buildings. Filtered shade near large conifers is the best microclimate. Snow is deeper, remains
on the ground longer and insulates soil from freeze depth. During seasons of significant
snowfall, the insulating ability of snow may prevent soil from freezing. A snow sprinkler, like
that used for snow-making at ski areas, was invented to provide snow insulation when
"Ma Nature" doesn't. The snow sprinkler is not for watering, and is successfully
operated only when temperatures are below 15F.

          It is essential that conifers and broadleaf evergreens have available moisture during
winter, especially when snowfall is minimal and temperatures are unseasonably warm. These
plants are deep watered once a month during winter, when daytime high temperatures are
above 50F.

          Too much winter moisture in soil is the greatest threat to cacti, yuccas, agaves, palms
and succulents. These plants are grown in full sun, and are planted on a raised berm or on a
slope. These plants benefit from a hot summer, or location where summer and winter radiant
warmth is stored in rocks, walls and soil. There is evidence that carbohydrate production and
storage during summer is directly relative to low temperature tolerance during winter. Summer
warmth, heat retention location and dry winter soil may increase cold resistance by these
plants by 10F or more.

USDA and Western Garden Book Zones

          The gardens are officially located in USDA Zone 5b. Many Zone 6a, 6b and some Zone
7a plants grow here. The Western Garden Book locale is Zone 2b. Many WGB Zone 3, 4, 5 and 10 plants thrive here.

          Growth rates for many exotic trees and shrubs is slow, and because of this management,
many more species are able to be fitted into the landscapes than are possible in more
favorable climates. Many perennial flowering plants are tucked between shrubs, dwarf
conifers and others. The reduction of lawn to accomodate these plants reduces supplemental
irrigation by at least 50%; a desirable practise in any arid climate.

Plant Resources

          Exotic plants are hard to find in local nurseries, which must do a large volume of
business with fool-proof plants. Locally, we recommend,

A Secret Garden, (formerly Front Range Nursery) (Colorado Springs)
Brady's Nursery (Canon City)
Red Rock Gardens (W. Colorado Ave, for cacti and succulents)

          Mail order nurseries can be risky, but some are outstanding. We've had, and know of
others who have had great success with the following mail order companies, all with websites.
 More reliable businesses are listed on specific 2 Lazy2P garden site pages.

Gerry's Jungle (http://www.neotropic.com/) (McDonough, Georgia), Greer Gardens
(http://www.greergardens.com) (Eugene, Oregon), Plant Delights (http://plantdelights.com)
(Raleigh, North Carolina), Porterhowse Nursery (http://www.porterhowse.com/index.htm
(Sandy, Oregon), Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery (http://www.wave.net/upg/srpn/) (Medford,
Oregon), High Country Gardens (http://www.highcountrygardens.com) (Santa Fe, N.M.)
American Desert Plants Inc. (http://desertplants.com/) (Tuscon, Arizona), Jackson & Perkins
(http://www.jackson-perkins.com) (Medford, Oregon), Wayside Gardens, Forestfarm http://www.forestfarm.com/search/plant.asp, Worldwide Plants.

Experimental Gardeners' Responsibility

          To grow any exotic plant in an extreme location means a gardener must accept some risk
and responsibility. If the plant fails because of climate, acquired disease or mistakes in care, a
nursery should not be requested to offer a replacement at free or reduced cost. The plantsman
 who is a pioneer must accept full risk and responsibility for a failure in order to  receive full
reward and recognition for a success. One goes not without the other.

          There is no guarantee on life. Any plant may succumb to a disease or climate event.
Such a loss does not mean the species is unfit for trial and use in this zone or location. Only
that the individual plant did not succeed in this attempt. In most cases, we have to kill a plant
several times, in different locations and methods, before declaring it unworthy for future trials.

          Be sure to visit these great regional botanical gardens and use their vast resources and
information base: Denver Botanic Gardens, Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, Horticultural Arts
Society Demonstration Gardens.

          Successful gardening with exotic plants does not mean ignorance of basic gardening
knowledge and techniques. Quite the contrary! A gardener must be acutely aware of basic
problems and techniques in order to successfully grow many exotic plants. Great basic
gardening resources are CSU Master Gardeners and Colorado Gardening , for on-line
information to a wide array of gardening topics, problems and solutions.

The following link to the United States Geological Survey describes distribution and degree day cold tolerance and heating requirements for many American shrub and tree species:

http://greenwood.cr.usgs.gov/pub/ppapers/p1650-a/index.html
2Lazy2P Gardens Mission and Vision
(Photos- Chamaecyparis and Cedrus conifer forest; Fokienia hodginsii and dwarf Japanese maple; Magnolia campbelli; Trachycarpus fortunei 'greensboro;' Tundra and fjell plants; Calypso bulbosa; Aquilegia caerulea; Cypripedium calceolus; Yucca faxoniana; snow covered Himalayan Windmill palms, Fitzroya cupressoides; 2 Lazy2P brandpost)

2 Lazy2P Gardens VISION
          To expand gardening potential along the Front Range of Colorado, through data collection and culture development on exotic trial plants. The gardens combine art and science, with plants as features of landscapes and subjects of scientific measurements and tests. Development and understanding of techniques that improve marginal plant hardiness through study of how plants adapt to cold and drought stress are important objectives. 2 Lazy2P sells no plants. Once in a while, plant exchanges are made with other serious collectors or students. Sources for plants are listed at the end of each web page.

2 Lazy2P Gardens MISSION:
          To demonstrate exotic plant performance and potential to Colorado gardeners.

          In 1900, most of Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo was treeless prairie. By 2000, urban islands with eastern deciduous and coniferous forest of thousands of square miles covered metropolitan areas of those cities, and combination of trees, houses, buildings and roads significantly modified local climate. Many urban gardeners grow items listed as hardy in USDA Zone 6 or 7 because of urban modification to general climate. However, new developments encroaching on treeless prairie or mountains remain USDA Zone 5 and 4. In fact, combinations of soil, precipitation, fall chilling preparation render USDA hardiness guidelines, based solely on annual minimum temperature, inadequate. Sometimes USDA Zone 5 and some Zone 4 plants fail to survive, and low temperature is not cause of their death. On the other hand, the frequency that Zone 6 and Zone 7 plants survive low temperatures well below estimated tolerance indicates hardiness based on low temperature, in this region, is not reliable.

          Success of trial plants at 2 Lazy2P Gardens is evidence of insufficient knowledge about plant hardiness performance. University studies are conducted for mainstream horticulture where significant economic impact is expected. Trial plants that 2 Lazy2P monitors are unlikely to attract attention of such large scale studies. This knowledge is presented for those who desire ideas other than mainstream horticulture for use in Front Range Colorado gardens. 2 Lazy2P (JIH) is a consultant to the Western Garden Book, a Sunset publication.

ABOUT 2 Lazy2P GARDENS

          The experimental gardens, named for the "brand mark" on the split rail fences, are private lots located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and were established in 1975. The experimental garden began with a giant sequoia seedling, purchased at a Merced, California nursery during a climbing trip to Yosemite. The sequoia thrived, though "experts" insisted sequoias can't grow in Colorado.
          The gardens feature thousands of other plants "that just aren't supposed to grow here." Data is collected on trial plants, and techniques for expanding the zonal plant palette for this climate are developed and submitted for peer review.  Questions? 2 Lazy2P Gardens can be contacted via email; Fitzroya@aol.com

          The Cheyenne Canon Garden is located on Cheyenne Creek, at 6160 feet altitude. The riparian location microclimate favors moisture loving plants. A southerly grove of 120' Pinus ponderosa shields the garden from effects of dessicating winter sun. The growing season is slightly longer than regional average, because frosts do not settle on the canyon floor, but drain east. Neutral to slightly acidic soil is deep, rich organic loam of Pikes Peak granite. The headwaters of Cheyenne Creek are on 12,367' Almagre Mountain, six miles west of the garden.

          Because mountains block the horizontal horizon, sunset at Cheyenne Canon occurs 30 minutes before sunset at Fountain Mesa.

          The Fountain Mesa Garden is located on a high plains mesa at 5730 feet altitude, two miles east of Fountain Creek. This garden sits atop two different soils. Pierre Shale clay is slightly alkaline and poor in drainage. This soil is improved with organic material before serious gardening. Dawson arkose sand, blown and eroded from higher elevation sandstone outcrops several miles north, are alkaline and fast draining.

          The gardens feature many special landscapes, with native and exotic plants. Overall layout is an informal British garden, with lawn and scree paths that wind and wander, with easy access for viewing and maintenance. In the greater gardens are magnolias, rhododendrons, azaleas, manzanitas, rare dwarf conifers of blue, green, orange, yellow and bronze, iris, lilies, composites, columbines, penstemons, orchids, cacti, yucca, agaves, succulents and more in an ever changing palette of color and texture, from Arctic Alpine to Tropics, and Desert to Rainforest.

GARDENING ALONG THE FRONT RANGE OF COLORADO

          Many newcomers to the Colorado Front Range discover gardening techniques from lower altitudes and wetter climates are unsuccessful. Disadvantages of a capriccious climate overshadow advantages that make this region exciting for plants choices and landscapes.

          Garden of the Gods, northwest of Colorado Springs, is the North American meeting place of Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, northwest forest and southwest desert. Animals and plants from the four regions are native to this park. Climate conditions allow cacti and Douglasfir trees to thrive side by side.

          The correlation is with a little supplemental help, a Front Range gardener can grow cacti, agave, yucca and succulents on one side of a driveway, and rhododendrons, ferns and hollies on the other. A homeowner can plant a successful eastern deciduous woodland in a back yard, a Pacific northwest conifer forest in a front, and a Great Plains grass prairie along the side. The variable climate allows a gardener to grow a diverse selection of plants that require less water and maintenance than a lawn.

 

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