Five acres of new gardens not yet experienced by the public opens today at the Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Avenue, Fort Collins. April visitation hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no admission cost at this time.
Construction on the new gardens began in November 2017 with over 10,000 plants, shrubs, and trees installed in fall 2018. Over 10,000 additional plants will continue to be incorporated this spring and summer in the new spaces.
New gardens include Theme Gardens, Great Lawn, Undaunted Garden, Prairie, Foothills, and Wetlands. The Rock Garden will also be back open for visitation.
All tours are self-guided. Visitors should enter and exit the new gardens through the fence gate on the west side of The Gardens’ parking lot. Please, no dogs or bicycles inside The Gardens. Due to continued planting, all visitors are asked to respectfully stay on the main pathways and are encouraged to bring their own water bottle.
There is no access to restrooms, due to construction at the Visitor’s Center. The Visitor’s Center, Greenhouse, and its surrounding original gardens remain closed. Visitors are advised to plan their trip accordingly.
A grand re-opening of the facility is being planned for fall 2019. For more info, please visit www.fcgov.com/gardens.
New Gardens
The Great Lawn and Theme Gardens are two acres total featuring a one-half acre lawn with a stage surrounded by theme gardens. These themes are Rose, Hummingbird and Butterfly, Plant Select, Fragrance, and Moon. The Great Lawn, a multi-use venue, can seat up to 1,500 people for performances. Variety of uses include concerts, plays, fundraisers, rentals and weddings, and special events, such as Garden of Lights.
Featuring one of the largest collections of winter-hearty cacti in the western United States, the Undaunted Garden was designed by internationally recognized landscape designer and Fort Collins resident, Lauren Springer. The three-quarter acre garden is a showpiece of plants native to western North America and adapted non-natives. The primary purpose of this xeriscape garden is to demonstrate how to garden appropriately in a drought-prone region.
The Foothills and Prairie Gardens comprise almost 2.5 acres and showcases the beauty, form, and function of native plants, thereby inspiring visitors to add natives to their home gardens and helping visitors, both residents and tourists, make a connection to the local landscape.
The Wetlands is a naturalistic demonstration area that features native wetland, riparian, and upland plants. This area is critical to stormwater management on site. It offers a network of connected dry creek channels and a viewing bridge.
The Gardens on Spring Creek is the community botanic garden of Fort Collins, Colorado. The 18-acre site opened in May 2004 as part of a vital public/private partnership between the city of Fort Collins and the Friends of the Gardens on Spring Creek. The Gardens are currently closed due to major construction, which includes a five-acre garden expansion, a renovated Visitor’s Center, and a new Butterfly House. Grand re-opening is planned for late 2019. In 2018, The Gardens hosted 82,000 visitors. Learn more about the botanical gardens at fcgov.com/gardens
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