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Gardening Resources

General Information
Laramie, Wyoming receives an average of 11″ of precipitation per year. Our growing season is usually no longer than 90 days. The soil ranges from loam to clay. Laramie is in zone 4b, although the weather can vary a lot from one end of town to another. We also have critter issues.

Despite all of these challenges, there are a lot of great plants that do grow well in Laramie. Below are some resources for growing in this high plains environment.
Tips for Gardening in Laramie

  1. Be selective about which plants you choose to grow in your garden. Plants that are waterwise and cold tolerant are more likely to do well in Laramie. The Demo Bed in LaBonte Park is a great example of a Laramie-based waterwise garden.
  2. Help out your soil. Soil in Laramie tends to be low in organic matter. If you are growing plants that are native to our region (or are well-adapted to Laramie's conditions), they will probably do well. If you want to grow vegetables or other plants that need more organic matter, amending your soil with compost is a good place to start.
  3. Use season extenders. Laramie has a very short growing season. For best results in the vegetable garden, choose short-season varieties. You can also use a cold frame, hoop house, greenhouse, Walls o’ Water, milk jugs, or another method to extend the growing season.
Picture
The Demo Bed at LaBonte Park
Online Resources
In general, for gardening information related to our region, start with the Barnyards & Backyards website, which has information on many gardening topics (including UW Extension bulletins). Below are a few additional resources that we find useful.
Gardening Resources
  • Seed Starting Guide: Download here
  • Vegetable Gardening for Beginning Gardeners of Laramie: Download here
  • Water-Wise and Native Plant Demonstration Garden Booklet: Download here
  • Plants with Altitude: Regionally Native Plants for Wyoming Gardens – website
  • Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center (Laramie) green roof – website
Garden Societies and Regional Organizations
  • Cheyenne Botanic Gardens – website
  • Denver Botanic Gardens – website​
  • North American Rock Garden Society – website
  • Wyoming Native Plant Society – website
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