Parmenter added that the growing season is short, about 100 to 130 days out of the year, and there\u2019s no consistency in how long the season will last year to year. Freezes can hit at any time, precipitation can be erratic at best, and intense sunlight because of the region\u2019s high elevation can scorch plants.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just becomes a challenge on top of a challenge,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But there are ways to make it work.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur master gardener motto is, \u2018Right plant, right place,\u2019\u201d Parmenter said. \u201cYou don\u2019t go off what a tag says for a plant. You need to understand how things happen at your house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every year, the Durango Botanical Society hosts a tour of local gardens that represent the giant swath of climate zones to help people see what plants work where, said Connie Markert, an event organizer. The hope, she said, is people find at least one garden that reflects their own and find out what grows well there.<\/p>\n
One such garden that stands as a shining success story to be featured on the June 22 \u201cGardens on Tour\u201d is the historic Roberta and Robert Barr property in the Animas Valley.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve done an amazing job out there,\u201d Parmenter said. \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roberta Barr, who lived in the Animas Valley for most of her life, moved to the property with her husband, Robert, in 1947 and became renowned as an avid gardener, even being featured in Better Homes and Gardens<\/em> in 1999.<\/p>\n But as Barr aged, her garden fell into disrepair. She died in 2013, at the age of 99, and the flowers and fruit trees had become entangled with the weeds and grasses.<\/p>\n That is until 2015, when Eric and Alice Foultz purchased the property and vowed to restore the historic estate.<\/p>\n \u201cEven though it was way overgrown, her garden was amazing,\u201d Eric Foultz told The Durango Herald<\/em> at the time.<\/p>\n Lisa Bourey, a local designer, was hired to take on the task around 2016.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I got to the property, I just thought about all the history, I thought about Roberta, and I just wanted to bring it all back to life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Bourey found an original map of the property and blended the historic nature with a few of her own twists.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been one of my most fantastic projects,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Aaron Edwards, groundskeeper for the Foultzes, said the property falls in the middle of all those climate zones. Some areas are drier and support more desert-type plants, while others hold the perfect conditions for a burst of flowers, including poppies, goldenrod and, of course, Roberta\u2019s favorite: rose.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve watched it transform from being in a state of disrepair to what it is now,\u201d Edwards said. \u201cIt\u2019s been fun watching it evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n Smart, who retired as executive director of the Botanical Society in January, said the other aim of the tour is to inspire people to get outside and get their hands dirty, especially the next generation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to try to engage our younger audience, so they understand what gardening does for environment and for their soul,\u201d she said. \u201cGardening is a place through the centuries that people have really come in touch with themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n