With the “pollen pants” on her hind legs already covered , a honey bee heads for a flowering Ferrnbush at the the Water Wise Demonstration Garden at the Conservation & Environmental Center of Colorado Springs Utilities on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. The local demonstration garden was recently awarded the American Public Gardens Association’s 2026 Excellence Award, the highest national recognition for public gardens. The community is invited to join a celebration at Coffee & Conservation on Saturday, Aug. 1 from 8 a.m.-noon at 2855 Mesa Road. (The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)
The sunset hyssop is drought-tolerant “hummingbird magnet” (The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)Prairie zinnia is a compact, mounded perennial flower with thin, needle-like leaves. This native plant is especially valuable for its heat and drought tolerance.
Even more, it blooms from mid summer through fall, constantly producing bright yellow flowers which turn into papery seeds. It grows best in hot sunny areas with well-drained soil. (The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)Moon carrot is an interesting flowering plant. Since it is a biennial, the first growing season it grows only a small mound of finely cut, blue leaves. The second growing season, it produces umbels of white or pinkish flowers across the whole plant, giving it an unusual appearance. (The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)Apache plume is a southwestern USA, low water, full sun plant in the rose family. (The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)This plant is known as Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens), a native North American deciduous shrub. (The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)Yellow coneflowerEastern blue star is a reliable, carefree plant. A dense bush with vibrant yellow-green leaves in a sunlit garden setting. (The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)
