Civic Center Park

Welcome to the Grow Local Colorado garden! Grow Local Colorado is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to promoting local food, local community, and local economy in the Denver-metro area. We focus on sustainable practices, education, and building a strong community around growing food.
This garden features perennial edible plants! Unlike annuals, which need to be replanted each season, perennial plants come back year after year. Grow Local Colorado incorporates perennials into their gardens for several reasons:

• Less Work: Once established, perennials require less planting and maintenance than annuals.
• Sustainability: Perennials help build healthy soil, prevent erosion, and often attract beneficial insects.
• Unique Crops: Many perennials offer delicious fruits, vegetables, and herbs that are less common in traditional gardens.

Grow Local Colorado gardens are a true community effort! Our dedicated team of volunteers are the heart and soul of the gardens. They help with planting, weeding, harvesting, and sharing the produce.
WHAT’S GROWING IN THE GARDEN
Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum)

• Description: Large, leafy vegetable with thick, tart stalks.
• Bloom Time: Spring, but the flowers are not significant.
• Qualities: Edible (stalks only!), avoid leaves due to toxicity. Rhubarb does well in cooler climates like Colorado.
• Origin: Asia (likely Siberia and China). Cultivated for centuries in Asia for medicinal uses, later introduced to Europe.
• Pests: Aphids, rhubarb curculio (a type of weevil), slugs and snails.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

• Description: Aromatic herb with small leaves and clusters of tiny flowers.
• Bloom Time: Summer
• Qualities: Edible, pollinator-friendly, somewhat drought-tolerant once established.
• Origin: Ancient Greeks and Romans, used in Mediterranean cuisine.
• Pests: Generally pest-resistant, but can be susceptible to spider mites in hot, dry weather

Orach (Atriplex hortensis)

• Description: Leafy green, warm-weather alternative to spinach, comes in green, red, and purple varieties.
• Bloom Time: Summer, but blooms are insignificant.
• Qualities: Edible, can tolerate heat and some drought.
• Origin: Used as a food crop in Europe and Asia, potentially cultivated since prehistoric times.
• Pests: Leaf miners, aphids, flea beetles.

Sunchokes (Helianthus tuberosus)

• Description: Tall, sunflower-like plant with edible tubers.
• Bloom Time: Late summer to fall.
• Qualities: Edible, pollinator-friendly.
• Origin: Native to North America. Cultivated by many Indigenous American tribes as a staple food source.
• Pests: Relatively pest-free, but can occasionally be bothered by slugs, snails, and some caterpillars.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

• Description: Tall, feathery foliage with a licorice/anise flavor. Can be grown as an herb (foliage) or bulb vegetable.
• Bloom Time: Summer
• Qualities: Edible, pollinator-friendly, drought-tolerant.
• Origin: Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Used both as a culinary herb and for potential medicinal properties.
• Pests: Aphids, caterpillars (especially swallowtail butterfly larvae, which enjoy the foliage)

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

• Description: Small, woody perennial herb with aromatic leaves.
• Bloom Time: Summer
• Qualities: Edible, pollinator-friendly, drought-tolerant.
• Origin: Widely used in the Mediterranean for millennia, both in cooking and for potential medicinal benefits.
• Pests: Relatively pest-resistant, but spider mites can be a problem in hot, dry conditions

 
Sea Kale (Crambe maritima)

• Description: Leafy vegetable with a mild cabbage-like flavor. Grown for young shoots and blanched leaves.
• Bloom Time: Spring
• Qualities: Edible, interesting visual addition.
• Origin: Coastlines of Europe. Historically foraged as a wild food. Cultivated and enjoyed in Europe, especially in England.
• Pests: Cabbage butterfly caterpillars, aphids.

Currants (Ribes sp.)

• Description: Shrubs that produce small, tart berries. Come in red, black, and white varieties.
• Bloom Time: Spring
• Qualities: Edible, pollinator-friendly.
• Origin: Various species come from Europe, Asia, and North America.
• Pests: Currant borers, aphids, birds (love the fruit!), imported currant worm.

Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa)

• Description: Low-growing plants producing sweet berries.
• Bloom Time: Spring
• Qualities: Edible. Consider June-bearing or everbearing varieties.
• Origin: Hybrid species originating in the 1700s from wild strawberry varieties found in North and South America. Wild strawberries enjoyed globally, modern cultivated varieties developed over the last few centuries.
• Pests: Slugs, snails, spider mites, thrips, birds.

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

• Description: Vining plant with vibrant edible flowers and peppery leaves.
• Bloom Time: Summer through fall.
• Qualities: Edible, pollinator-friendly, easy to grow.
• Origin: South America. Domesticated in the Andes region, later introduced to Europe.
• Pests: Aphids, cabbage white butterfly caterpillars.

Lovage (Levisticum officinale)

• Description: Tall herb with a strong celery-like flavor
• Bloom Time: Summer
• Qualities: Edible (use sparingly!), pollinator friendly.
• Origin: Southern Europe and Southwest Asia. Used by ancient Romans, spread throughout Europe by monks during the Middle Ages.
• Pests: Generally pest-resistant, some susceptibility to carrot rust fly.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

• Description: Cheerful annual with bright yellow or orange flowers.
• Bloom Time: Summer to fall
• Qualities: Edible (petals), potential medicinal uses (consult a healthcare professional), pollinator-friendly.
• Origin: Uncertain, potentially Mediterranean region. Long history of use in Europe and the Middle East for culinary, medicinal and cosmetic purposes.
• Pests: Aphids, occasional thrips or leafhoppers.

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)

• Description: Perennial with showy, cone-shaped flowers.
• Bloom Time: Summer
• Qualities: Potential medicinal uses (consult a healthcare professional), pollinator-friendly, drought-tolerant.
• Origin: Native to North America. Extensively used by Indigenous American tribes of the Great Plains region.
• Pests: Few significant pests.

Egyptian Walking Onion (Allium × proliferum)

• Description: Unique onion variety that forms bulblets at the top of the stalks.
• Bloom Time: Summer
• Qualities: Edible, unusual, and easy to grow.
• Origin: Despite the name, this onion is not from Egypt. Widely cultivated, origins are difficult to trace.
• Pests: Typical onion pests like onion maggots and thrips.

 
Important Note:  Information on the origins of cultivated plants can be complex. Plants were often domesticated in multiple regions over centuries by various cultures. If you have feedback or information about the origins of one of the above listed plants, please reach out to us at [email protected].
 
 
VOLUNTEER WITH GROW LOCAL
Grow Local Colorado welcomes volunteers of all ages and experience levels. We provide training and support, so everyone can feel comfortable helping out. Visit our website to learn more about our mission and volunteer opportunities: www.growlocalcolorado.org
 

 
 
Get to know the Grow Local Colorado Garden with one of our garden adventures!
 

• Pollinator Parade: Can you find a pollinator visiting one of the plants? Choose a spot with lots of flowers. Sit quietly for a few minutes and count how many different types of pollinators (bees, butterflies, etc.) you see. Can you identify any by name? Make a list of any pollinators you see!
• Tiny Home Search: Look carefully around the base of plants. Can you find any small creatures like ants, beetles, or snails making their home in the garden?
• Plant Portrait: Choose your favorite plant in the Grow Local Garden and try to draw it in as much detail as possible. Look closely at the shape of the leaves, the flower structure, and how it grows. What do you love about it?
• Color Quest: How many colors can you spot in the garden? What are the plants that have those colors?
• Follow the Scent: Find a plant that smells amazing! Maybe it's a flower, an herb, or even a vegetable. Sniff and describe the smell – is it sweet, spicy, or fresh?