By Tim Aston, CSU Extension Arapahoe County Director and Judy Kunz, Colorado Master Gardener

And the winner is . . . Arapahoe County’s Master Gardener Coordinator and Native Plant Master Lucinda Greene! Lucinda conceived and spearheaded the planning and installation of the Native Plant Pollinator Garden located at the Arapahoe County Extension Office in Centennial.

The turf was completely removed and the garden was installed to replace it. With the assistance of County Horticulture Agent Lisa Mason, the support of individual contributors, a grant from the Colorado Garden Foundation, corporations and vendors within the community, Master Gardener program revenue and the help of many volunteers, the vision of the garden took shape and became a reality.

The garden serves as a community engagement opportunity for Arapahoe County, focusing on native plants and pollinator education.  Its purpose is twofold–sustainability education and research that mutually benefits county residents, county employees and CSU Extension. This initiative, the first of its kind in the county, will be used as a teaching tool and sounding board enabling community members to be empowered in making landscaping choices that are ecologically conscious.

When the garden is completed it will feature both plant and pollinator identification signage, as well as educational videos and formal tours. The hope is that the garden will continue to inspire corporations and homeowners alike to install water-saving gardens that support native pollinators.

The impact of the garden has been far-reaching, spawning a large turf reduction and garden planning project at Arapahoe County’s main administrative building in Littleton.

Congratulations, Lucinda, on making your vision a reality.