DURANGO BOTANIC GARDENS Visit and Tour the Gardens

by Kathy Myrick

On any given Saturday morning during the growing season, passersby on the Animas River Trail at 19th Street in Durango are likely to see a group of seasoned gardeners tending to the Durango Botanic Gardens behind the Durango Public Library. The Durango Botanic Gardens is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to create public gardens that demonstrate best practices, advance horticultural education, and celebrate the inspirational power of gardens. In the words of the Roman philosopher Cicero: “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”

Durango Botanic Gardens has partnered with Plant Select® and Denver Botanic Gardens to include plants, shrubs, and trees from the Intermountain West and other geographic areas adapted to the challenging growing conditions in southwest Colorado. Docents bring the gardens to life for 1,000+ botanical enthusiasts each year through hands-on classes, demonstrations, and tours. In addition, conferences like this year’s Envisioning a Changing DurangoScape encourage using drought-tolerant plants through sustainable water management and guide homeowners on climate-appropriate garden choices. The Durango Botanic Gardens have won numerous awards for their inspired vision to convert an urban area into a haven for pollinators. The gardens are open 24 hours a day, and docent-led private tours are available by request.

Funded by donations, grants, and memberships, and maintained entirely by volunteers, the Durango Botanic Gardens have grown since their inception in 2010 to include the original Demonstration Garden, a Crevice Garden, Wind Garden, Elevation Grass Collection, Miniature Tree Garden, and an Arboreta. In 2017 the Mountain Thyme Herb Society established an Herb Garden which features twelve different kinds of thyme in a time-telling sundial sculpture. The Rosie the Riveter rose garden reminds visitors of the contributions and influence of women in World War II.

If visitors to the Durango Public Library look northwest of the front door, they can see the new Durango Botanic Gardens Literary Garden. The garden demonstrates how the natural world and gardens have inspired many of our well-known and lesser-known authors, poets, and storytellers. It was designed in partnership with the library and features pergolas and benches to encourage relaxing reading pursuits and children’s literature classes. It also features a drip irrigation system to retain and move water where needed. The Literary Garden was funded by 250 individual donors and a generous $25,000 matching gift from Seth and Jody Furtney to encourage cultural diversity in reading and emphasize the inclusivity of under-represented communities. It is divided into six smaller themed gardens – Classics, Contemporary, Southwest, Indigenous Peoples, Youth, and a Hispanic-themed section called El Jardín Botánico. Labels explain the connection of the plants to different literary genres, and QR codes enable curious visitors to learn more about the authors representing each group. Adjacent to the library, the Literary Garden benefits from being seen by the nearly 250,000 patrons visiting the library annually. Recently planted, this new garden is expected to reach its full potential in 2-4 years.

In addition to the numerous plantings, various distinctive sculptures and decorative panels enhance the Durango Botanic Gardens. The most recent sculpture is “Infiniti II Wind Harp” by Ross Barrable of Harmony Wind Harps in nearby Pagosa Springs. Made possible by a grant from the 2022 City of Durango Lodgers’ Tax: Arts and Culture Fund, the stunning work in metal features 18 nylon strings and stainless steel tuning pins that capture wind movements in the Animas River corridor and transform them into a variety of natural, pleasing musical tones. The Durango Botanic Gardens now have the largest concentrated collection of outdoor art in the area.

The Great Garden Series, a joint project of the Durango Public Library, the Durango Botanic Gardens, and the La Plata County Extension Office, offers free classes on the second and fourth Wednesdays throughout the summer. The Durango Botanic Gardens also hosts an annual online bulb sale beginning in early August. New in 2022, the Durango Botanic Gardens joined the City of Durango and the business community in celebrating Noel Night in December at the library. With many parts of the new Literary Garden adorned with lights and the pathways lit with luminaria, it was a festive evening attended by many community members, especially children eagerly anticipating meeting Santa and Mrs. Claus.

In 2013, then-Durango Botanic Gardens president Darrin Parmenter and executive director Cindy Smart welcomed gardening enthusiasts to the 1st annual Gardens on Tour on the 4th Saturday in June. This annual event continues to serve as the primary fundraiser for the Durango Botanic Gardens and will be held again on June 24, 2023. It will feature visits to town and country gardens on a self-paced day-long driving tour. Tickets will go on sale on May 1.

For ten years, Gardens on Tour has served as a showcase for area gardeners who enjoy sharing the results of their hard work. Generous homeowners inspire and educate by sharing valuable information on their gardening challenges, including high elevation, high-intensity sunlight, low humidity, extreme weather changes, and poor soil conditions. Vegetable, flower, and water-wise gardens are featured on the tour, along with architectural marvels, eclectic artwork, and unique water features. Live music in various gardens will complement this year’s tour ambiance.

Numerous benefits are available to members of the Durango Botanic Gardens, including discounted pricing for Gardens on Tour and purchases at many local nurseries, special member pricing for programs and conferences, magazine subscriptions, access to the member portal containing videos and downloadable documents with tips on waterefficient gardening, early-bird notification of upcoming events, the members-only e-newsletter, discounts at the Durango Hot Springs, and reciprocity with more than 320 gardens throughout North America through the American Horticultural Society.

Plans for the immediate future include a pollinator garden along the river trail, which will open in spring 2023, and a community venue garden, currently in the design phase, near the botanically themed mural.

There are many reasons why locals and visitors alike frequent the Durango Botanic Gardens. Strolling among the beautiful plants and flowers provides a tranquil respite from daily routines and can delight the senses with pleasing sounds and smells. So come, sit a while, and let your imagination wander.