June 02, 2026
I’ve been exploring different parks in Denver on my daily walks. The city’s park system is fantastic, with several large and beloved parks — Sloan’s Lake, City Park, Washington Park, Cheesman — within easy reach of central Denver neighborhoods. On top of that, smaller parks appear seemingly every few blocks. These public green spaces make up for the shrimpy residential yards of many homes here, at least compared with typical Texas lots. For me, at this stage of life (empty nest, ready to downsize, looking for walkability and access to nature), it’s a happy tradeoff.
My favorite park for the beauty of its gardens, lakes, and winding pathways, plus play fields, a boathouse, and rec center, is Washington Park, commonly shortened to Wash Park. Spoiler alert: Wash Park will soon be my neighborhood park! We’ve purchased a small bungalow a few blocks away, which we’ll move into in July. I can’t wait to make the park a part of my daily life.
Big Garden
I took these pics in Wash Park a few weeks ago, between rounds of house hunting, when the gardens were still waking up. In the Big Garden on the west side of the park, blue flax was flowering, adding blue-sky sweetness to a prairie restoration.
I’ll be eager to watch the new prairie garden fill out this summer and fall.
Washington Park is participating in the growth of a pollinator corridor across the city of Denver. I look forward to adding pollinator plants to my own future garden, connecting my little plot to a greater habitat for pollinators.
Near the Big Garden, I spotted a rambly shrub rose in vivid bloom — an ‘Austrian Copper’ rose, I believe.
The flowers are two-toned, orange-red on top with yellow on the back.
Ember-like coloring
Sometimes ‘Austrian Copper’ reverts to all yellow, sources say, which seems to have happened here. It’s a beautiful and tough-as-a-boot old rose.
Mount Vernon Garden
Overlooking Grasmere Lake on the southern end of the park, Mount Vernon Garden was just waking up too.
Black Lace elderberry caught my eye, its red-black leaves a perfect foil for dusty pink flowers.
I simply must grow this plant. Is there any reason I shouldn’t, Denver gardeners? I need details!
Sea kale is another new fave of mine, so pretty with blue-green leaves and puffs of white flowers.
This and that
Elsewhere in the park, I saw a statue of a miner, pickaxe in hand, the snowcapped Rocky Mountains rising behind him. Only in Colorado!
And in Grasmere Lake I spotted a swimming rodent and wondered, “Beaver? Nutria?” Another park visitor enlightened me — it’s a muskrat.
Whoa. I’d never seen a muskrat before, and my only association is the goofy Captain & Tennille song “Muskrat Love,” which I adored as a child. I watched several of the whiskered critters swimming and noshing on marsh plants — just living their best muskrat lives in Grasmere. Something to look out for next time.
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