The Gardens on Spring Creek

What’s Blooming: Hops  by Selena Kunze, Horticulturist, Gardens on Spring Creek and City of Fort Collins of Parks Department  Whether you are a home brewer, are drawn to the ornamental beauty of the plant or just enjoy the fragrance, hops continue to be popular in home and public gardens alike. Hop plants are a great ornamental climber along fences and pergolas, for shade in a sitting area, or as a privacy screen, and the hops cones add a distinctive flavor and aroma to beer and food. As a horticulturist with the City of Fort Collins, I have the privilege of caring for the hops at The Gardens on Spring Creek and at Twin Silo Park.   Hops (Humulus lupulus) are perennial plants that die back to the ground in the fall and come up from the crown of the plant each spring. If you’re looking to add these to your own landscape, you can purchase hop varieties as rhizomes (an underground stem that sends out roots and shoots) or as potted plants from local nurseries or home brew stores. Plant yo