Article The Denver Botanic Gardens will sell only x-rated plants this year at the annual plant sale.

That's "x" as in xeriscape.

"Everything that we're selling will be drought-tolerant or drought- adaptable," said Chad Brunette, assistant director of horticulture at Denver Botanic Gardens.

For example, gardeners seeking ground cover might find pulmonaria or lungwort instead of hostas.

"You don't have to sacrifice color or style, especially with native plants," he said.

"There are new varieties of native plants that bloom through two through three seasons. They're gorgeous, fragrant and come in all different colors and shapes."

The Botanic Gardens also is offering classes to help gardeners pick drought-resistant plants, conserve water and maximize the use of moisture.

"We have classes ranging from design to maintenance (of drought tolerant gardens) and everything in between," Brunette said.

"We want people to think differently about what their yard and garden look like."

The city of Denver also is planning for drought and will use more drought-resistant plants in its parks and plant fewer flower gardens this year.

"We're doing a lot of ornamental grasses, glorioso daisies, salvias and coreopsis that are more heat and drought-tolerant plants, and staying away from geraniums, standard petunias, snapdragons, coleus and impatiens, anything that likes moisture," said Gary Douglas, field superintendent for the greenhouse for Denver Parks and Recreation Department.

Flower beds will be planted in the more visible public areas, such as Civic Center, City Park, Cheeseman Park and Washington Park. But other beds will be covered in plastic or mulched.

Community gardeners are being asked to be more water-wise when they plant.

"We're asking them to pick the (plants) that are the least water-loving and to grow them in their proper season," said Michael Buchenau, co-director of Denver Urban Gardens.

For example, broccoli, radishes, peas and salad greens should be planted in the spring and fall, but not during the summer.

In Boulder, the city will not plant any trees this year. Normally, if a tree is cut down, it is replaced.

"We just want to make sure that when we plant a tree, we have the ability to water it," said Doug Hawthorne, parks superintendent for Boulder Parks and Recreation Department.

Other than the flower beds along Pearl Street Mall, the city probably won't plant blooms in neighborhood parks. Last year, plastic flowers and pinwheels were put in community parks, but not this year.

"It was more of a symbolic gesture," he said. "A lot of the plastic flowers were lifted (stolen)."

Aurora won't be planting any flowers at all this year, with only trees and shrubs being watered in most of the parks. And the new Municipal Center will be xeriscaped.

"We'll be transporting water via tankers to irrigate most of the public property trees and shrubs," said Jack Cooper, director of parks and open space for Aurora.

"We're anticipating not irrigating turf at all."

fongt@RockyMountainNews.com or (303) 892-5489