MTHS Sundial

The Mountain Thyme Herb Society, a non-profit 501(c)(3), was started in 2016 as a way for people who grow and like herbs to connect with each other and learn. In 2017 DBG gave MTHS a piece of land in the Botanic Gardens to establish an herb garden.

The Sundial garden was finished in 2019 and has 12 different kinds of Thyme, representing the hours of the day. The sundial sculpture is the work of Bryan Saren, who has also sculpted art panels around the Arboreta.

Included are Rose Petal Thyme, English Thyme, Lavender Thyme, and Lemon Thyme among others. A ring of Chamomile surrounds the sundial. In 2021 planting of areas surrounding the sundial will include a culinary herb garden, medicinal herb garden, pollinator garden and sensory herb garden.

Rosie the Riveter

On Saturday, September 14, 2019 the Durango arm of the Spirit of ’45 officially dedicated a new rose garden in a section of the Durango Botanic Gardens near the new Mountain Thyme Herb Society Sundial. The rose garden, comprised of five Knockout rose plants, was planted by and maintained by a team of Spirit of ’45 volunteers, including four Master Gardeners certified by Darrin Parmenter, director, CSU Extension Office.

The garden will remind and reflect upon the contributions and influence of women in the WWII war effort; it will also act as a reminder to current and future generations of young women that they have more social and cultural power than they might imagine. The goal of the Rosie the Riveter project is to have a “Rosie” garden located in every congressional district in the United States. Durango is the second city in Colorado to establish a garden, the other located in Fort Collins. A third garden at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs was recently completed.

DBG believes strongly in the transformational power of gardens. That is why, when Judy and Jim Winzell approached DBG with their idea for a Rosie rose garden, the board of directors was delighted to make the space available.