Powderhorn Condos in Boulder (Lafayette, Gunbarrel: apartment complexes, townhouse, neighborhood)

[GARDENGAL60]

Hi,
Can anyone tell me what the Powderhorn condos are like? Are they quiet and if they allow pets is there a weight limitation? Also, do they all have garages? I also noticed that Boulder has several community gardens. If you are a gardener at one of the sites how has this worked out for you?
Thanks,

[suzco]

Originally Posted by GARDENGAL60

Hi,
Can anyone tell me what the Powderhorn condos are like? Are they quiet and if they allow pets is there a weight limitation? Also, do they all have garages? I also noticed that Boulder has several community gardens. If you are a gardener at one of the sites how has this worked out for you?
Thanks,

Powderhorn Condos are in Gunbarrel, about 6 miles northeast from the Pearl Street Mall, to give you an idea of the exact location. It's a quiet area, with not much there other than residential, though there is a shopping center with grocery store etc. nearby. It's on a bus line, it's an easy bike ride or drive into Boulder; it's convenient to Boulder, but not really *in* Boulder. I know there are garages available, but don't know if all units have garages.

Sorry, can't help with your other questions.

[nelumbo]

Many of the community gardens are run by Growing Gardens, http://growinggardens.org/english/programs/communitygardens/map.html, (http://growinggardens.org/english/programs/communitygardens/map.html - broken link)
but they don't have any in Gunbarrel. There are some other gardens run by churches, local management of apartment complexes, etc. I have had a plot at one of the gardens for three years, what exactly do you want to know? Each garden has a different character and issues.

[GARDENGAL60]

Hi nelumbo,
I am considering moving to a condo/townhouse for retirement. I currently have a couple acres and have always gardened. I was looking for options to continue gardening. I have a few aerogardens for inside but would still like to have an outside vegetable garden. I wanted to see what my options would be if in a condo and how the community gardens function.
Thanks,

[nelumbo]

The basic rules and costs are outlined here for the gardens run by Growing Gardens: Growing Gardens of Boulder County, Colorado (http://growinggardens.org/english/programs/communitygardens/index.html - broken link)
Sign up is in February for new plots - some of the gardens have waitlists (I think these are relativley short), others do not. Once you have a plot, you have priority to renew that plot for the following year, unless you abandon your plot or some grievous rule violation. The largest garden is Hawthorne in north Boulder, with more than 100 plots, the other gardens are smaller. Each garden is sponsored/controlled by a second agency - the city of Boulder, a local community or church, etc. There is a requirement of 4 hours of service (helping around the garden) per year for each plot, plus a fee for the year.

For most of the Boulder gardens, water is provided seasonally as part of the plot fee, but there is an additional water fee at the Lafayette garden, and it is possible that water could become a separate fee for Boulder gardens as well in the future. Water is turned on at the discretion of the controlling agency - for some gardens, it is on from March-Nov, in others (like mine), it is turned on sometime in April and shut off October 1. Only one section of Hawthorne allows non-organic gardening, all other gardens and the majority of Hawthorne plots are organic-only. Depending on the neighborhood, some gardens are fenced to control vandalism. Most annuals and perennials are permitted, but you can't plant trees or cane fruits.

I'm not sure where you are moving from, but the climate here can be difficult for some types of vegetables that struggle with the cold nights, low humidity, and short season. This year, it did not rain from the second week of June to the second week of August; last year there was a freeze in the middle of June (my garden is in a particularly cold area of Boulder); the previous year there was a big hailstorm in late June or early July that caused mass destruction in the garden. The soil is also poor unless it has been amended. There are some seed companies here that sell seeds bred for this location, which other gardeners have said do very well. I mostly grow asian vegetables, and choose slow-bolt varieties that are tolerant of large temperature swings when possible (and grow some of them under a canopy to increase humidity and moderate temperatures). The CSU extension page Colorado State University Extension has lots of info on gardening in Colorado.

[osman]

I was a gardener at Hawthorne for several years. A great experience. Highly recommended!