Come visit the garden!
- Cheyenne-Arapaho Park is located at 9200 E Iowa Ave, Denver, CO 80247.
- CO Master Gardener hours Tuesdays 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Fridays 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. All other days will be 1 hour shifts to water. Please attend a brief training at the beginning hour of Tuesday or Friday on your first watering shift. This is a hand water only garden.
- Contact us: By Email or phone at 303-730-1920.
The garden is not open to the public; however, the public is welcome to come during these hours to ask questions and chat. This is a demonstration garden that will focus on education, conduct informative growing demonstrations, and focused topic learning presentations open to gardeners and the public. QR codes will be available to inform and follow progress online on this webpage.
This is a collaborative project between Arapahoe County Open Space, Denver Urban Gardens, and CO Master Gardener program. If you are interested in renting a plot, please contact DUG.
2023 Demonstrations
Demonstration A, B, C Seed tape vs. Sowing seed
Do seed tapes save money? Time? Produce more or less crops (yield) than traditional methods? We’ll find out in this demonstration where we will plant 3 different crops; A: Bunching Onions ‘Parade,’ B: Carrot ‘Kaleidoscope Blend’ and, C: Radish ‘Cherry Belle’, One row is planted with a ready-made seed tape and another row with traditional seeding method. Seedlings will be thinned to recommended spacing with the traditional seeding method. Germination, time spent and yield will be measured with each method.
Demonstration D Heirloom vs. Hybrid
We will compare growth, vigor, yield of each tomato variety. We will grow side by side with the same care, fertilization, and planting method. Each harvest will be counted and weighed. We will hold a blind taste test with the gardeners ranking flavor, texture, skin, and juiciness. Ongoing updates, photos, and videos will be posted on the website. We will compare Brandywine Red (Heirloom) and Burpee Supersteak (Hybrid).
Demonstration E Three Sisters
Did you know that corn, beans, and squash are called the “Three Sisters”? A number of Native American tribes interplanted this trio because they thrive together, much like three inseparable sisters. We will plant Three Sisters according to Native American methods. Here’s how to plant your own Three Sisters Garden and learn more about the symbiotic relationship: https://tra.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/05/22.3Sisters.pdf
There are several legends surrounding the Three Sisters. Here is the Cherokee Tribe version: https://www.oneidaindiannation.com/the-legend-of-the-three-sisters/
Demonstration F When to Plant Tomatoes
A traditional planting time for garden transplants is Mother’s Day. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill designating Mother’s Day as the second Sunday in May. Mother’s Day can occur as early as May 8 and as late as May 14th. The nearest climate station to Cheyenne-Arapaho Park is the Cherry Creek Dam at a altitude of 5646’ projecting frost dates from October 2nd – May 12th for 2023, marking a growing season of 142 days. Estimates are based on historical climate data with the probability of frost occurring at 30%. Frost dates have considerable variations and occur when the air temperature reaches 32°, and may also occur when air temperatures are above freezing and exposure factors such as a clear night sky, micro climates, topography, and weather events may occur. Further information can be obtained from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. The following temperature ranges can impact garden plants:
Light freeze 29° – 32° tender plants killed
Moderate freeze 25° – 28° widely destructive
Severe freeze 24° or colder heavy damage
A frost is not the only consideration as soil temperatures also impact garden plants. To learn more: https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/soils-amendments-composting/1626-soil-temperatures-frosts-planting-dates/
Demonstration F will plant the same variety of tomato on Mother’s Day and a second planting of the tomato variety after three consecutive days of night temperatures reaching 55° or more. This generally occurs in late May or early June. This strategy is upon recommendation of researched data from CSU https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/717.pdf. Cool temperatures can stunt the plant’s growth and reduce the yield. We will compare the plant’s growth and track the production and yield of each tomato plant.
Seeds sown April 7, 2023 and April 21, 2023
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