June 19, 2026
Drive two hours south of Denver to Pueblo, and you’re in a hotter, drier climate where cactus and yucca feel right at home. On June 6th, I toured three Pueblo gardens open to the public as part of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program. At the Conrad Family Garden, I admired a terraced xeriscape bristling with yucca, cholla, prickly pear, and other dry-loving plants.
Surprisingly, there’s also a spring-fed pond and wetland garden on the 2-acre site.
Sitting high on the lot, the handsome adobe-style house (it’s for sale, by the way) enjoys views of the pond and distant mountains, as well as a woodland garden and sunny gardens.
I was most drawn to a terraced dry garden on a rocky slope. Backed by a dark screen of pines and cypress, several trunking yuccas with showy flower spikes stood out.
Benches are charmingly built into the stone terracing along the path.
Chocolate daisy adds color and fragrance — yes, the smell of chocolate.
One more
A big Yucca rostrata reminded me of Austin gardens. The cholla is nice too.
A little cactus flowering among the rocks
A yucca with multiple bloom spikes reaches for the sun.
Thank you to the owners for opening their garden in the midst of selling their home. I hope the next owners appreciate the gardens too!
Up next: The Sage Queen Garden, a “celebration of pollinators.”
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