Your Guide to Spring Gardening in Boulder

1. To pick the right locations for your garden, check the amount of sun that your plants require to ensure they get enough sun.
   
   
2. Resist the urge to do too much tidying! Cavity nesting insects make their home inside the hollow stems of plants and wait for consistent warm temperatures to emerge. Additionally, many ground-nesting insects need leaf litter and a bit of bare ground! So: wait to prune and try not to rake up all the leaves any time of year!
   
   
3. Prep your soil by adding compost or use raised bed kits from garden centers to avoid any soil challenges.
   
   
4. Wait to cut down dandelions. They are another great way to help out native pollinators as it is one of their earliest food sources.
   
   
5. Plant your cool-season plants (such as sweet peas, lettuce, radishes, and parsley) from April 15 to May 15.
   
   
6. Plant your warm-season plants (such as tomatoes, basil, peppers, and squash) from May 15 to June 15. Colorado rule of thumb, after Mother’s Day!
   
   
7. Instead of grass lawns, improve the biodiversity of your space and save water by planting with native flowers which benefit the environment and pollinators.
   
   
8. Water your plants at the stem with one inch of water each week.
   
   

   

9. Include native flowers in your vegetable garden to draw in beneficial insects to pollinate them and to save on water.
   
   
10. Visit the City’s webpage on Gardening with Native Plants and go plant shopping with the Colorado Native Plant Society’s list of recommended plants for horticulture.

Boulder Apple Tree Project: Apple Grafting Workshop

Are you interested in learning how to graft apple trees? Do you have a tree you would like to preserve or propagate? Join Boulder Apple Tree Project to learn the cleft grafting method. You can either bring your own scion material or use scion we provide.

When: Saturday, April 5, 2025, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Location: 30th Street Greenhouse

Event Information: Boulder Apple Tree Project: Apple Grafting Workshop — Cool Boulder

Learn to Grow Your Own Fruit Trees

Spring is the perfect time to nurture young trees and plan for their long-term health. Join Community Fruit Rescue for a fruit tree workshop!

When: Saturday, April 12, 2025, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: Benevolence Orchard and Gardens

More details: Learn to Grow Your Own Fruit Trees — Cool Boulder

Tree Sapling Giveaway - Play Boulder Foundation

When: Saturday, April 26, 2025, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (while supplies last)

Location: Boulder's Farmers Market

Check the PLAY Boulder Foundation website for event details