The Power of Community Partnerships
On April 1, the Gardens on Spring Creek opened five new acres of gardens to the public. Located at 2145 Centre Avenue in Fort Collins, the Gardens on are a community-based botanic garden run by a public/private partnership between the City of Fort Collins and the Friends of the Gardens on Spring Creek. For over a decade, the Gardens have served as a place for the public to engage with the local environment through horticulture and educational programs.
The five new acres of gardens feature theme gardens, a Great Lawn, Undaunted Garden, Prairie, Foothills, and Wetlands. Construction on the new additions began in November 2017, and tens of thousands of new plants will be added this spring and summer. The expansion will enable the Gardens at Spring Creek to host a Garden of Lights display three times larger than in previous years and to feature an on-site music and events venue, both of which are expected to draw large community support. The new spaces effectively double the size of the previous gardens.
The new theme gardens feature Rose, Hummingbird, Butterfly, Plant Select, Fragrance, and Moon motifs. The Great Lawn serves as a multi-use space, hosting concerts, performances, weddings, and large events with a capacity of 1500 people. The Undaunted Garden showcases one of the largest collections of winter-hardy cacti in the United States, and the Prairie and Foothills Gardens cover almost two and a half acres and feature native plants. The Wetlands Garden highlights native wetland and riparian plants and also provides a significant utilitarian function in stormwater management.
Updates to the Gardens’ facilities are ongoing and include renovation of the Visitor’s Center, construction of the Conservatory Butterfly House, and creation of a new lobby entry, gift shop, café, and meeting room.
This significant addition to our community gardens was made possible, in part, by Randy Morgan, owner of Outpost Sunsport. Over the course of six years, he donated an average of twenty hours per week working to raise funds for the expansion. Also instrumental was the work of Michelle Provaznik, Executive Director of the Gardens. Working through a partnership between the Friends of the Gardens on Spring Creek and the Capital Campaign Committee, $6.2 million dollars was raised to fund the new gardens and facility improvements.
A true example of the power of community partnerships and the generosity of our local friends and neighbors, the Gardens at Spring Creek expansion will be complete in late 2019. Mark your calendars for the grand re-opening to commemorate this considerable achievement and to celebrate the continuing legacy of our treasured community gardens.
