Jefferson County Master Gardeners

Jefferson County project list

Master Gardeners in JeffCo participate in a variety of projects.

Community Garden Coaching

Master gardeners are available for in-garden coaching and workshops for community gardeners across Jefferson County, Colorado. These events are commonly paired with a garden-wide work day or other social event. We provide community gardeners with the skills and education necessary to create successful garden plots by teaching research based information. Time for Q + A with individual gardeners after a group workshop can be arranged upon request.

Courage Garden

The Courage Garden, located on the Southwest side of the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden, Colorado, is home to hundreds of diverse plants. The plant diversity in this garden allows for a truly unique experience. This project was developed in partnership with Victims Outreach Incorporated and is dedicated to innocent victims of crime past, present, and future. Dedicated to the courage of those who reclaim their lives and move beyond victimization to hope for a safer future. Please feel comfortable to find a place to relax in solace in the Courage Garden at any time of year.

Farmer’s Markets and Information Booths

Farmer’s market and information booths provide resources and education on select topics to provide gardening education and resources to visitors. Master Gardeners are available to answer questions about topics ranging from growing strategies to pest management to plant selection and more, and bring their enthusiasm for gardening to share with community members.

Fruit Tree Orchard

Our demonstration orchard is located on the north side of the CSU Extension office on the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Our first fruit trees were planted in 2015 and we continue to improve our orchard each year. We have varieties of apples, pears, peaches, and cherries. We encourage community members to stroll through our orchard and occasionally host pruning and planting workshops.

Fruit Tree Team

The Fruit Tree Team is a field team of experienced Master Gardeners who have had specialized training in planting, pruning, diagnosing disease, and other topics related to fruit trees on the Front Range. For a fee, the Fruit Tree Team can come to your location to support the success of your home orchard. Contact mastergardener@jeffco.us to request this service.

Horticulture Garden

The Giving Farm is a demonstration garden full of foods that grow well on the front range. It is located on the Jefferson County Fairgrounds and is open to the public. All foods are grown following best management practices for growing, and are donated in tandem with CSU’s Grow and Give program via the Arvada Veggie Van when they are harvested.

Honey Bee Project

The Honey Bee project supports the practice of beekeeping in our county by demonstrating hive management, honey collection, and answering beekeeping questions in our community. Our apiary is on the Jefferson County Fairgrounds and can be viewed at any time. Reach out to our office if you would like a beekeeping consult.

Low-ignition Garden at Lookout Mountain

The Low-ignition garden was built by master gardeners to increase visibility and education of aesthetically pleasing design of defensible space requirements, especially in alpine areas. The garden prioritizes plants native to Colorado and plants tested by the University of Idaho to have low-ignition properties.

Mountain Native Garden

In partnership with the Hiwan Homestead in Evergreen, the Mountain Native garden demonstrates appropriate and successful plantings of Colorado native species that are to endure a mountain environment.

Native Plains Garden

Our Native Plains demonstration garden is located on the Western side of the CSU Extension office and is a place where you can learn about native plants that tolerate the hard growing conditions of the front range prairies and plains.

Plant Select Garden

Our Plant Select garden is a test site for plants suited for our area and demonstrates the durability of these plants despite our practice of no-water, no-soil-preparation gardening techniques. 

Speaker’s Bureau

Our experienced speakers are able to provide workshops and talks to groups and organizations on Colorado-specific horticultural topics of interest including composting, rain water harvesting, soils, xeriscaping, and more. Please reach out to our office if you would like to request a speaker for your group. 

Youth Gardening

Our youth gardening project hosts hands-on workshops for kids and teens, supports adults who run gardens that are designed for young gardeners, and is open to incoming requests for child friendly gardening activities.