walking tour

This tour was designed by Panayoti Kelaidis, Denver Botanic Gardens’ Senior Curator and Director of Outreach. Dan Johnson, the Gardens' Curator of Native Plants, added some comments about plants in bloom. To experience this tour, please print this page and follow the experts' advice on the best way to stroll the Gardens in the month of July. 

The last glimmerings of springtime have faded and autumn is still far away. This is July, high summer, the very summit of the gardening year. There is a wealth of perennials blooming everywhere, and annuals are at the freshest glory. Waterlilies, summer bulbs and vegetables are all producing abundantly, and Denver Botanic Gardens at York Street is a veritable cornucopia of color and beauty.

Schedule lots of time for a visit in July. There are so many things to see in every garden and so many exciting things to do. Even in the heat of summer, the Water-Smart Garden is rich with textures and colors, as so many of the plants here thrive in the sun and heat. The nearby Ponderosa and Cottonwood borders with their native grasses and wildflowers provide a welcome respite from the heat. Even a hot summer breeze feels cooler as it rustles through the canopy of cottonwood leaves.

I would suggest a stroll down Shady Lane and a quick detour to the left to see the All-America Selections annuals, which are at their gaudy peak. You will see many outstanding varieties from past years that perform especially well in Colorado’s changeable climate. Bring along a notebook to take notes on which ones you need to try in your garden next year. As part of our "Urban Nature" exhibition, take note of the many container gardens along the waterway here, providing varied samples of the textures and colors one can achieve on balconies and small patios in an urban setting.

Next, wind your way to the Monet Deck, where you can catch glimpses of almost a dozen gardens. I like to sit under the shady hackberry trees (Celtis occidentalis) on the terrace here, look at the crowds milling by and enjoy the colorful gardens glimmering around me from this cool vantage point. This is the best view of the hardy waterlilies in their midsummer glory in the giant Monet Horseshoe Pool. 

The Dryland Mesa is sure to have some late flowers on the prickly pears, especially on the cane cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricata), a hot magenta contrasting vividly with last year’s yellow fruits.

There are sure to be some imposing torch lilies blooming in South African Plaza, and the many ice plants continue to carpet the upper level in hi-lighter colors. There is always something in flower in the adjacent Birds and Bees Walk, especially the lustrous jewels like butterfly weeds blooming at the far west side.

July ought to be a quiet month in the Rock Alpine Garden, but there are so many diverse plants here that you are sure to find some of interest, even in the height of summer. There is a brilliant blue relative of the bluebells that produces hundreds of spherical flower heads in July on the back wall of the Cactus and Succulent House. This spectacular alpine—Trachelium jacquinii ssp. rumelianum—is so rare it has never earned a common name. It comes from Mount Olympus, in Greece, and a few other mountains in the Balkans. Don’t miss the imposing spike of flowers on the New Mexican agave in the south central section of the garden. Expect to see all manner of insects and hummingbirds feasting on the nectar-rich blossoms.

There are giant Asiatic lilies blooming in this garden and throughout the grounds; hybrids of Lilium superbum and Lilium auratum represent a number of cultivars donated to the Gardens by a breeder in Washington state for testing. Many are planted near paths; give them a sniff--the smell is heavenly.

Don’t forget to visit the Cloud Forest Tree and Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory. On summer afternoons, they can be warm and humid. A quick trip here will remind you why you schedule your tropical vacation in the winter time. Many of the loveliest trees and shrubs only bloom in the warm season. After a minute or two, the steam clears from your glasses and you can examine the flowers up close.