Colorado State University is preparing to open a brand new herb garden near the University Center for the Arts by the end of the year.
This living classroom — which was officially announced as the Julie and Barney Feinblum Herb Garden earlier this year — will serve as a place for CSU students to study herbs in their natural setting rather than just in textbooks.
Designed to honor Colorado’s role in the natural and organic products industry, the garden is set to include a variety of herbs with many different uses, such as medicinal, culinary — including tea leaves — and more. Each of these connects back to Colorado’s history and supports the legacy of the land grant that founded CSU.
The Annual Flower Trial Gardens is one of Northern Colorado’s most visited destinations, and according to Karrie Butler, associate director of development at the College of Agricultural Sciences, visitors have demonstrated excitement for the herb garden addition.
“There will be numerous opportunities for community engagement,” Butler said. “From tours and workshops to collaborations with different plant groups and community organizations.”
The idea for the garden came from Barney Feinblum, the former president of Boulder tea company Celestial Seasonings, who had reached out to the College of Agricultural Sciences to inquire about if one already existed.
“Although herbs were incorporated into various campus landscapes, there was no dedicated space devoted to them,” Butler said. “With his rich history at Celestial Seasonings and a lifelong appreciation for herbs, Barney was passionate about creating such a garden. Inspired by his vision, we began exploring opportunities to establish a dedicated herb garden at CSU.”
Barney and Julie Feinblum, his wife, are leaders in Colorado’s natural and organic product industry. In addition to his time at Celestial Seasonings, Barney also acted as CEO of the nation’s first organic milk company, Horizon Organic. The couple endowed the garden in perpetuity, ensuring the learning space is given the support it needs for as long as possible.
“Their gift not only funded the creation of the garden but also provides ongoing support for student employees who maintain it,” Butler said.
Though the garden was announced in April, the planting of the garden has been delayed to an unspecified time this fall, according to reporting by the Coloradoan. Chad Miller, associate professor at CSU and director of CSU’s Annual Flower Trial Gardens, explained the project required student engagement and timing was the “major factor” in the project’s delay.
Miller said the construction of the garden was completed at the end of the 2026 spring semester, but planting for the Trial Gardens took precedent and forced a delay due to lack of resources amid an already dry summer.
“By the time we could shift our resources back to the Feinblum Herb Garden, the heat of the summer had set in,” Miller explained. “And it was definitely hot and dry this summer.”
By this time, the herb garden did not have a full irrigation system in place to lessen the risk of plant death and would have “required significant time for frequent hand watering,” which contributed to the decision to postpone the project until fall.
This decision, Miller said, brought more opportunities for student engagement in the project and saved water during the summer months.
“We were able to integrate the planting design activity into one of our landscape design courses,” Miller said. “So we (now) have additional student engagement.”
Students can expect the garden to be utilized for courses and labs, and it will offer a new spot to relax and study, as benches and educational signs are planned to be added to the garden.
Reach Caroline Wickes at life@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
