Demonstration Gardens at The Ranch

Should I switch to buffalograss? Is a clover lawn my best choice? How can I maintain my grass without wasting water?

Sustainable water use is at the top of homeowners' minds. Starting in spring/summer 2023, you can visit The Demonstration Gardens at The Ranch to:

See your turf options
Discover Plant Select® plants
Learn about the water required to maintain the landscapes

At the Demonstration Gardens at The Ranch, you can find 6 different "front yard" landscapes. Stroll through the pathways to see various:

Turf types
Landscape plant species
Irrigation technology

Click through the tabs below to learn more about what you can expect to find.

The Demonstration Garden at The Ranch is accepting donations for plant and landscape materials (mulch, gravel, paving stone) or sponsorships. Contact Alison O'Connor for details.

Builder-grade vs. Efficient Irrigation

Gardens 1 & 2 compare two different irrigation systems for Kentucky bluegrass. Kentucky bluegrass is very common in Northern Colorado. The amount of water needed to keep Kentucky bluegrass green and healthy depends on what type of irrigation system you have.

Picture of bluegrass section of Demonstration Garden

Garden 1: Builder-grade Irrigation

In the Builder Grade Irrigation garden, you will find spray sprinklers. Sprinklers that spray water in a broad broadcast are very common throughout northern Colorado and are available for purchase at hardware and home improvement stores. They work well at distributing water, but there are more efficient options out there.

Garden 2: Efficient Irrigation

You may be able to complete a simple switch of your sprinkler heads to significantly lower your water usage. The Efficient Irrigation garden has the same plants, but uses less water by utilizing drip irrigation around the landscape and rotor sprinklers heads for the lawn. Parts are available for purchase at hardware and home improvement stores.

How much water is each garden using?

Water monitors track the total water usage and soil moisture of the garden, allowing Extension Specialists to report back how much water was required to keep each garden healthy and thriving. Check back soon for a comparison between the two landscapes.

What plants are in Gardens 1 & 2?

Alpine Currant

Burning Bush

Potentilla (Cinquefoil)

Skunkbush Sumac

Chanticleer™ Pear

Rock Elm

Siberian Iris

Snowberry

Speedwell

Stella D'Oro Daylily

Karl Foerster Feather Reedgrass

Kentucky bluegrass

Learn More

Tall fescue turf

Tall fescue turf is another popular variety in Northern Colorado. The appearance is similar to Kentucky bluegrass, and many homeowners won't be able to visually tell the difference. However, tall fescue reacts differently to drought:

Tall fescue rebounds faster than Kentucky bluegrass
Tall fescue takes longer to turn green in the spring
Tall fescue takes longer to die during a drought

How much water is each garden using?

What plants are in Garden 3?

Alpine Currant

Apache Plume

Blanket Flower

Little Blue Stem

Pawnee Buttes Sandcherry

Rock Elm

Tall Fescue

Learn More:

Buffalograss turf

Buffalograss turf has received a lot of attention lately. It's a native species to Northern Colorado and does well in cold weather. Additionally, buffalo grass needs to be mowed less and needs less water than Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue. However, buffalo grass turns green late in the season, turns brown quickly when the weather cools down, and doesn't hold up to foot traffic as well.

Buffalograss throughout the season

Buffalograss is a warm-season grass. That means it turns green significantly later in the year than tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass. Buffalograss also turns brown earlier in the year. We have some photos from the Demonstration Garden below.

Bermudagrass Through the Year
	Buffalograss	Kentucky bluegrass
May
October
December

What plants are in Garden 4?

Alpine Currant

Apache Plume

Blanket Flower

Little Blue Stem

Pawnee Buttes Sandcherry

Rock Elm

How much water is each garden using?

Learn More:

Bermudagrass

Bermudagrass is known for being tough. In fact, many sports stadiums use bermudagrass because of how well it holds up to foot traffic. However, it's not known how well bermudagrass handles cold winters in Northern Colorado. In late 2022 to early 2023, we will be testing to see how well the bermudagrass 'Tahoma 31' cultivar holds up in the cold weather.

Bermudagrass throughout the season

Bermudagrass turns green significantly later in the year than tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass. Bermudagrass also turns brown earlier in the year. We have some photos from the Demonstration Garden below.

Bermudagrass Through the Year
	Bermuda Grass	Kentucky bluegrass
May
October
December

What plants are in Garden 5?

Check back soon!

How much water is each garden using?

Learn More:

Clover Lawn COMING SOON

Clover lawns are frequently shared as an alternative to grass. While not planted yet, you can soon stop by to see what a clover lawn looks like and learn more about maintenance.

Potential benefits of a clover lawn:

Less fertilizer is needed (compared to a tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass lawn)
More attractive to honey bees and pollinators
Cold hardy
Tolerant of foot traffic
May not need mowing (depending on type of clover seeded)

Potential downsides of a clover lawn:

Difficult to convert
Not drought resistant
Damaged by herbicides (difficult weed control)
May not need less water than tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass

Learn More:

You can find the Demonstration Gardens 5280 Arena Circle, just south of the First National Bank Building.

Larimer County Colorado State University Extension

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ADDRESS
1525 Blue Spruce Dr.
Fort Collins, CO 80524-2004

Phone: (970) 498-6000

HOURS
7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Monday - Friday

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