Broomfield's Beautiful Summer Blooms

By Megan Mayes

There are crews working year round to make Broomfield a beautiful place to live and visit. The summer is their time to shine, and you’ve definitely seen their work in our local parks and neighborhoods, and around city buildings. Flower pots are bursting and flower beds are blooming. The abundance of color and texture in the local environment gives our beloved city an incomparable charm. Brittany Jensen is a Park Operations Foreman and Horticulturalist for the City and County of Broomfield, and she was able to provide some insight into the city-wide planting process as well as some tips for home gardeners.

Preparations begin earlier than you might expect, with the majority of annual flowers being ordered in January and some special request flowers being ordered the October well before they will be planted! Greenhouse growing begins for facility planters in March so the beautiful displays will be ready by May. Local preparations, such as tilling soil and topdressing annual beds, begin in April to make the ground ready for another year of planting. “In addition to the 50 planters that we send out to be grown for us, the city crews do a large amount of planting. The horticulture crews plant and maintain 76 annual beds, 21 street reservoir planters, 37 facility reservoir planters, and another 35 permanent planters at our city buildings,” said Brittany.

Photo by Pat Eichner

In order to achieve the brightly colored and abundant displays you see around the city, 16 large racks are filled nearly to a level of bursting with a variety of flower species. These include Marigolds, Petunias, Geraniums, Snap Dragons, Cannas, Dahlias, and other annual blooms. This assortment can stand up to the heat and retain vibrancy all summer long with the proper care.

The city deploys two water trucks that quench the beds and pots throughout the week. There is also usually a truck running through the weekends to keep the displays in top shape. To help maintain moisture in the beds, crews apply pre-emergent about two weeks after planting and then use mulch as a topper. Just like home gardens and yards, the beds are routinely weeded to maintain the health of the beautiful flowers. Fertilizing and pest-control further help the plants survive through the summer so locals can appreciate them as long as possible. All this to say, our city requires a lot of work to maintain and we are lucky to have skilled horticulturalists dedicated to this craft!

Photo by Pat Eichner

Brittany has some words of advice for home gardeners looking to maximize their growing experience: don’t underestimate the value of quality soil, good drainage, and proper nutrients. Although it is tempting to give your garden a little extra spritz while the sun is beating down, be careful not to overwater. Too much water can cause rot and fungus to spread quickly. Good airflow and soil mixes can assist in drainage to prevent overwatering. All of the flowers used in local displays are great for home gardens but you can also experiment with exotic annuals and perennials. Brittany likes Dianthus, Rudbeckia, and Osteospermum. Let the beautiful flowers of Broomfield and your own backyard brighten your days!