Windsor -- Lauren Springer's Windsor, Colorado Garden
Object Details
- General
- From 1988 to 1995 a corner lot in a semi-arid climate with two median strips inspired the term "hellstrip" for the narrow and challenging gardens between the sidewalk and the street. Inspired by the need for an aesthetic overhaul, the owner tore out all the lawns on the property, approximately one-quarter acre, and replaced the grass with perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses, succulents, spruce and cactus that would thrive without watering once the plants were established. The patchwork design was inspired by other gardens in wetter climates, particularly Ireland where the owner had worked, achieving the effect without plentiful moisture. Plants that did not thrive were pulled out. The hellstrips were seven feet wide and approximately 70 feet long, nearly 500 square feet in total. There was a town ordinance limiting the height of anything on the strips - organic or otherwise. Several applications of weed killer were followed by digging out debris and grubbing out juniper and tree stumps.
- Plant selection for the hellstrips included seed-grown plants and bulbs that were drought-tolerant, non-invasive and not too tall. Although originally from many different parts of the world, these plants shared similar growth habits: mounding rather than spreading. Self-sowing poppies and larkspur thrived in the pea gravel mulch that was used to prevent erosion and to shade the roots from the intense summer heat that reflected off the surrounding concrete sidewalks and street. Darker and hotter hues, including scarlet penstemon, bright yellow linum, orange California poppies and burgundy and yellow gaillardias glowed in the afternoon sun at the west end while pastel-toned dianthus, salvias and mauve penstemon were planted at the east end. Plants with evergreen foliage including iceplant extended the growing season. Some other favorite plants for the median strips included those with silver leaves such as dusty miller, catmint and herbs as well as many varieties of cactus and flat-leafed succulents that contributed different textures.
- Persons associated with the garden include Lauren Springer Ogden (garden designer, 1988-1995).
- Garden designer
- Ogden, Lauren Springer
- Collection Photographer
- Druse, Kenneth
- Place
- Lauren Springer's Windsor, Colorado Garden (Windsor, Colorado)
- United States of America -- Colorado -- Larimer and Weld -- Windsor
- Topic
- Gardens -- Colorado -- Windsor
- Garden designer
- Ogden, Lauren Springer
- See more items in
- Ken Druse garden photography collection
- Ken Druse garden photography collection / Series 1: Garden Images by Site / United States of America / Colorado
- Sponsor
- Cataloging of this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.DRU, File CO042
- Type
- Archival materials
- Collection Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, Ken Druse garden photography collection
- Collection Rights
- Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Bibliography
- Garden has been featured in an article in Horticulture (December 1996) by Lauren Springer.
- Scope and Contents
- The folder includes worksheets and photocopies of articles.
- Collection Restrictions
- Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Related Materials
- Lauren Springer's Windsor, Colorado Garden related holdings consist of 1 folder (147 transparencies)
- Record ID
- ebl-1562717430039-1562717430067-3
- Metadata Usage
- CC0
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