Demonstration Garden

Plains Conservation Center Demonstration Garden

The Plains Conservation Center is an 1100-acre nature preserve on ancestral tribal lands of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe (1500-1860). It is free to the public and there are many educational programs.

Plains Conservation Center Demonstration Garden
21901 E Hampden Ave
Aurora, CO, 80013

Arapahoe Master Gardeners

Tall corn plants grow alongside squash vines in a garden bed labeled “Three Sisters,” with irrigation tubing along the soil.

Garden information

The demonstration garden is part of a unique partnership between The Denver Botanic Gardens, the City of Aurora, and CSU Arapahoe County Master Gardeners with all three playing roles in planning, maintenance, and food distribution. The no-till garden is period appropriate with 1800s heirloom cultivars for use for culinary and medicinal purposes. No spraying of herbicides or pesticides is allowed. All unwanted vegetation must be pulled out.

Produce is used and given away during educational programing. The remaining produce is donated to local food bank locations in southeast Aurora. 560 pounds were donated to local food banks in 2025.

Visit the Plains Conservation Center website for public hours and more information.

Rows of leafy vegetables grow in a garden bed enclosed by a wooden fence, with a small barn and open fields under a clear blue sky.
A variety of squash and pumpkins in different shapes and colors are arranged on a wooden surface outdoors near a fence.
A wooden compost bin with a metal lid sits outdoors in a snowy field, with a plaque reading “Luke R. Olson – Eagle Project 2022, Boy Scout Troop 494” mounted on the side.