By Kristine Johnson
This year, Boulder County members will have the privilege of visiting the garden of Jean Morgan in Louisville not once, but twice, in April and again in September. We are so fortunate that she is being so generous with her time and her space so that more of us will be able to learn from her years of wisdom and experience. The theme of our visits has entirely to do with what we can learn from Jean: season extension. Jean has something blooming ten months of the year. If you think about it, most of our garden crawls happen in June, July, or August. It takes someone special to take on a spring or a fall tour, let alone both.
Jean started her garden in the 1970s, and she has been at it ever since. In gardening circles in Boulder County and far beyond, she is well known. When I visited her last summer, every square inch of her yard was filled with plants and garden personality, and I was pretty blown away. During what was an absolutely brutally hot and dry summer, she had plants well-adapted to heat and xeric conditions blooming to beat the band. (Who has the best Rocky Mountain Zinnia grandiflora? Jean does!) She also has an incredible sense of humor and her garden is packed with whimsy. (Who else has a hippo sculpture filled with wild petunia–Ruellia humilis? Jean does!) I was personally quite inspired, because so many of us are afraid of embracing xeric plants so boldly, and so often we tone down personal touches in our gardens. Jean is a big fan of pollinators and birds, which show up both in her yard (birdbaths, plant choice) and attire (themed jewelry). She is patient with visitors and generous with her knowledge, having accrued so much insight over so many decades of dedicated gardening.
She has been recognized by multiple conservation groups for her knowledge and support of native plants. She is on a first name basis with Panayoti Kelaidis, Senior Curator and Director of Outreach at the Denver Botanic Gardens, but so kind and gregarious that visitors can’t help but soak up her gardening advice and enthusiasm.
If you missed our visit in April, watch for an invitation to our second visit to Jean’s garden early this fall. As with the first visit, we will spend an hour with Jean, chatting and learning, and then gather in Community Park for a brown bag social.