Cheyenne Botanic Gardens

Story

The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens are located in Lions Park in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with an associated High Plains Arboretum located five miles northwest of Cheyenne at an elevation of 6200ft. The gardens began as a vision in 1977 to build a non-profit, solar heated greenhouse. Today, the 6,800 square foot conservatory consists of three greenhouses. The first is filled with tropical plants, herb and cacti gardens, and a waterfall pond filled with Koi fish. The second is used primarily for growing vegetables, with beds of lettuce, onions, cabbages, broccoli, carrots, etc. The third is focused on propagation of bedding plants and flowers for the botanic garden grounds and all flowers for the Cheyenne park system. Outside are many gardens featuring perennials, annuals, wildflowers, roses, herbs, and cacti.The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens in Cheyenne must deal with one of the more harsh climates in the lower 48 states. Cheyenne ranks #1 in average hail storms, 4th in daily average wind speed, has the least amount of days with winter snow cover compared with other cities on the central front range of the Rocky Mountains, sits at 6,000 ft. elevation which causes cooler nights making it more difficult to get plants to mature. Cheyenne also has unpredictable late spring and early fall frosts.The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens has one of the highest volunteer-to-staff ratios of any botanical garden: Over 90% of the physical labor is provided by senior, youth and handicapped volunteers. Applied horticultural therapy is a part of everyday activity at the botanic garden.The conservatory is 100% solar heated and 50 percent of the conservatory's electricity is also powered by the sun. They are the United States Intermountain West's oldest and one of the largest public demonstration sites for renewable energy.