Park Hill Garden Walk 2014: Walking Through The Gardens
By Barbara Armendariz
Co-Chair, Garden Walk Committee
June 14 is the day – 12 stunning gardens will be showcased from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m.
Rain or shine, walking through these lovely gardens will be a wonderful event to welcome summer. Park Hill is fortunate to have many generous gardeners every year who willingly invite us into their beautiful and creative spaces.
And what exciting spaces you will see this year! Less grass for sure. A goal of many gardeners on this year’s tour is conservation; less water, more multi space use for edibles, drought tolerant planting, outdoor rooms, more time outside with less strenuous work – like mowing.
This year you can visit gardens that were created more than 35 years ago and are still maintained by their original owners, as well as new residents who are redeveloping old yards that have been less cared for and young couples establishing themselves and their gardens in Park Hill.
Visit an old carriage lot transformed into an urban farm inspired by the writings of Barbara Kingsolver. Stand under a pergola gate covered with Wisteria, enjoy the beauty of a 40-year old Peace Rose and take notes at several front slopes whose owners have solved the problem of mowing on a hill.
There are raised vegetable beds with everything from arugula to zucchini, Heritage raspberry bushes, tomatoes and colorful flowerbeds sprouting lettuce and garlic. One back yard has a magnificent Jacobs Walking Stick and a trumpet vine planted in 1918. Visit and linger in serene gardens with flowing brooks and Koi ponds, hand crafted pottery, wind sculptures in beds of colorful perennial and the beginnings of a curbside permaculture design. One very imaginative garden will delight your sense for the creative and funky.
One of our highlights this year is the Park Hill Elementary School Garden – which was one of the first community gardens to be established in the Denver Urban Garden Network. Come by to see what goes on here – friends and neighbors who come together to form a community around growing healthy food for their families.
While you wander through these gardens you can also speak with experts who can answer questions on a variety of gardening topics. From 11 a.m. through 3 p.m. Master Gardeners from Denver Urban Gardens and the CSU Denver Extension Program, the DUG Master Gardener Composting Program and members from the Chicken Coop Cooperative will be available to meet with you.
This year we have a wonderful addition: in every garden there will be an accomplished Denver artist displaying their work throughout the day.
The Bike Depot at 2825 Fairfax St. will have bikes available to rent on the day of the tour from 11 a.m. through 4 p.m. You can pick up a bike the day of the tour, or to guarantee availability call ahead to reserve one at 303-393-1963 or go online to www.thebikedepot.org. Locks will be provided. A small membership donation will be required to rent a bike from this wonderful nonprofit organization.
Ticket prices are $15 if purchased on the day of the tour at the Art Garage, 6100 E. 23rd Ave. Early tickets prices are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and can be purchased on line from May 31 through June 13 at www.greaterparkhill.org and at King Soopers. Early tickets can also be purchased at Moss Pink Flower Shop, 4615 E. 23rd Avenue and the Park Hill Public Library, 4705 Montview Blvd. Please bring the correct amount to pay for tickets at Moss Pink and the library.
Your ticket will list the addresses for all 12 participating gardens.
For more, find us on Facebook and take a look at our blog: http://parkhillgardenwalk.blogspot.com/