Depot Prairie Park

Share Depot Prairie Park on Facebook Share Depot Prairie Park on Twitter Share Depot Prairie Park on Linkedin Email Depot Prairie Park link


Depot Prairie Park is a Colorado native plant habitat providing food and nesting sites essential to Colorado’s insects, butterflies, and birds. Starting in 2020, the non-native turfgrass in the park was replaced with Colorado native, low-water plants. This change reduced irrigation by 73% and eliminated weekly lawn mowing — keeping 988 pounds of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere annually and reducing labor.

Come visit Depot Prairie Park and enjoy the resilient native Colorado plants that are supporting biodiversity and our environment.

Depot Prairie Park is located at 601 W. Dartmouth Ave.


Bee feeding on Grand Mesa Penstemona bee drinking nectar from Grand Mesa Penstemon


Before (2020)
August 2022August 2022


Project Timeline:

Spring-Summer 2020: Pilot planting phase.

Spring-Summer 2021: Additional planting and maintenance.

Fall 2021: A shortgrass prairie meadow was sown by seed on the West side of the park in conjunction with CSU Douglas County and Kenton Seth. This meadow will take a few years to mature- please be patient! Once mature, this flowering meadow will need no irrigation.

April 2022: A crevice garden was built on either side of the steps by Kenton Seth of Paintbrush Gardens and Danna Liebert. Crevice Gardens are another model for low water landscaping.

Spring- Summer 2022: TBD

To be notified of Park updates and volunteer opportunities: Sign Up Here.


Park News

May 2022

The plants waking up.


January 2022

Look at the fantastic Bug Hotel that the 5th graders at Bishop Elementary made for the park. This will provide winter nesting sites for native bees and other important critters. Thank you Bishop 5th graders!!!


August, 2021: 3 months since these plants were planted and already a feast for pollinators




Allium cernuum (Nodding Onion)


Verbena stricta (Hoary Vervain)
Host plant to 7 species of butterflies in CO.



Origanum laev. ”herrenhausen” (Herrenhausen Showy Oregano)



Monarch punctata (Spotted Beebalm)
Monarda punctata attracts pollinators in great numbers, including beneficial wasps that control grubs, pest caterpillars, and other harmful insects


May 1, 2021 volunteers planted over 200 plants. Kenton Seth of Paintbrush Gardens, LLC lead volunteers in a workshop on bare root planting…

Planting Day May 1, 2021


Happy Plants, July 15, 2021

photo credits: Danna Liebert


Depot Prairie Park is a Colorado native plant habitat providing food and nesting sites essential to Colorado’s insects, butterflies, and birds. Starting in 2020, the non-native turfgrass in the park was replaced with Colorado native, low-water plants. This change reduced irrigation by 73% and eliminated weekly lawn mowing — keeping 988 pounds of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere annually and reducing labor.

Come visit Depot Prairie Park and enjoy the resilient native Colorado plants that are supporting biodiversity and our environment.

Depot Prairie Park is located at 601 W. Dartmouth Ave.


Bee feeding on Grand Mesa Penstemona bee drinking nectar from Grand Mesa Penstemon


Before (2020)
August 2022August 2022


Project Timeline:

Spring-Summer 2020: Pilot planting phase.

Spring-Summer 2021: Additional planting and maintenance.

Fall 2021: A shortgrass prairie meadow was sown by seed on the West side of the park in conjunction with CSU Douglas County and Kenton Seth. This meadow will take a few years to mature- please be patient! Once mature, this flowering meadow will need no irrigation.

April 2022: A crevice garden was built on either side of the steps by Kenton Seth of Paintbrush Gardens and Danna Liebert. Crevice Gardens are another model for low water landscaping.

Spring- Summer 2022: TBD

To be notified of Park updates and volunteer opportunities: Sign Up Here.


Park News

May 2022

The plants waking up.


January 2022

Look at the fantastic Bug Hotel that the 5th graders at Bishop Elementary made for the park. This will provide winter nesting sites for native bees and other important critters. Thank you Bishop 5th graders!!!


August, 2021: 3 months since these plants were planted and already a feast for pollinators




Allium cernuum (Nodding Onion)


Verbena stricta (Hoary Vervain)
Host plant to 7 species of butterflies in CO.



Origanum laev. ”herrenhausen” (Herrenhausen Showy Oregano)



Monarch punctata (Spotted Beebalm)
Monarda punctata attracts pollinators in great numbers, including beneficial wasps that control grubs, pest caterpillars, and other harmful insects


May 1, 2021 volunteers planted over 200 plants. Kenton Seth of Paintbrush Gardens, LLC lead volunteers in a workshop on bare root planting…

Planting Day May 1, 2021


Happy Plants, July 15, 2021

photo credits: Danna Liebert

  • First Volunteer Day

    Share First Volunteer Day on Facebook Share First Volunteer Day on Twitter Share First Volunteer Day on Linkedin Email First Volunteer Day link

    The first volunteer day of 2021 was a big success! To prepare for planting, volunteers laid down sheets of cardboard and organic mulch to block weeds and turf from growing where shrubs and perennials will be planted.

  • Park News

    Share Park News on Facebook Share Park News on Twitter Share Park News on Linkedin Email Park News link

    Phase 1 is complete. Looking forward to completing Phase 2 and 3 over the next couple of years.


Page last updated: 05 Jan 2023, 02:38 PM