Denver Botanic Gardens strives to be ever more sustainable and conserve our precious water resources in the state of Colorado. With the recent passing and approval of House Bill 22-1151</a>, the Turf Replacement Program</a>, new incentives will be available starting this year for Colorado businesses, nonprofits and HOAs to remove unused turf areas and replace them with more drought tolerant landscapes that are appropriate for our semi-arid climate. In response to this, the Horticulture Department combined forces with the Gardens’ Green Team to reimagine the turf areas along York Street and create a modern and innovative demonstration garden. In March, we started removal of turf along the east side of York Street, which was then replaced with a stunning and drought-tolerant garden that will showcase the use of native and xeric perennials, ground covers and bulbs. The area will fill in quickly and prevent the unwanted heat island effect. A squeegee gravel mulch was used to allow for ideal drainage while also retaining soil moisture. This new feature will not only look incredible as it formally greets visitors but will also reduce water consumption in the area by up to 100,000 gallons per year once it is fully established. </p> In addition to conserving water, this project aims to inspire visitors and the public to take on similar projects in their home and business landscapes to conserve valuable water resources while simultaneously enhancing aesthetics without the use of artificial turf or excessive rock, which can be ecologically and environmentally counterproductive. </p> The entire project will be documented using time-lapse cameras recording each step. Signage will educate the public on the steps involved and the plants selected to create this new roadside display. </p> This exciting endeavor is one of many that Denver Botanic Gardens is currently spearheading to make Colorado greener and protect our natural resources. Stay tuned to see this amazing transformation and visit the Gardens to learn more about these drought tolerant and tough plants for your home garden! </p> </p> Explore more water conservation resources</a>. </p>
Penstemons, also called beardtongues, are an incredibly gorgeous and diverse genus of flowering plants. They are only native to North America, making them a wide-reaching yet still unique treasure. These wildflowers find homes across many ecosystem types, from the prairie and steppe to foothills and alpine to moist meadows and rocky crevices. Structurally, they range in height from a few inches to several feet. They bloom in a colorful array as well: pink, red, orange, violet, white and sometimes yellow. There truly is a penstemon for every niche. </p> With their diversity in size, color and range – one will find that penstemons enhance numerous garden styles: native, pollinator, prairie, rock and alpine, crevice, romantic, cottage and naturalistic to name a few. In the garden, penstemons will thrive in full to partial sun and they prefer well drained soil. Many species like P. pinifolius</em> and P. pseudospectabilis</em> thrive in xeric conditions, and most can handle medium watering schedules. With some sun, water and a little love penstemons are sure to enhance your garden.</p> Humans are not the only species that enjoy these lovely perennials. Hummingbirds have a haven in the tubular penstemon flowers, especially orange and red species like P. cardinalis</em> and P. eatonii</em>. Native bees also love blooming penstemon as a nectar and pollen waystation, and songbirds delight in the forb once it goes to seed. Their foliage can provide cover for small mammals and birds, as well as diversifying the plant communities and habitats overall.</p> At Chatfield Farms</a>, visitors can find penstemons in almost every garden</a> – a testament to their versatility and lovability. Some beardtongue hotspots to enjoy are the Prairie Garden, Carol Gossard Colorado Native Plant Garden near the Green Farm Barn and the garden around the yurt. Penstemon’s peak bloom time is right around the corner, so come on down for a show!</p> Learn more about penstemon by perusing the American Penstemon Society website</a>. </p> This blog post was contributed by Horticulturist Abigail McLennan</strong>.</em></p>
If you’re going to be planting plants, you are going to need seeds. Do you know where your seeds come from? When land managers consider putting native plants into natural landscapes to restore degraded areas, deciding where to get seeds is an important step in this process. </p> Seeds can be acquired in different ways, and scientists increasingly agree that wild-collected seed (seeds collected directly from plants in their natural habitat) from native plants is best. When native, wild-collected seed is used, there is a higher chance that those plants will already be well adapted to the environment they will be grown in. This makes it important to collect seed as close as possible to the area being restored. </p> Ensuring large amounts of wild-collected native seed is available to land managers is critical as events like wildfires become more destructive. After a wildfire, it can take thousands of pounds of seeds to restore native plants to the landscape. Acquiring this much seed is challenging as it requires a lot of time and people to collect. Experts in the field are addressing this need by creating programs such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s Seeds of Success and implementing plans like the National Seed Strategy</a>. </p> At the Gardens, members of our research staff – including myself – are contributing to research on this topic so restoration efforts in Colorado are improved using native seed. As part of obtaining my master’s degree through the University of Colorado Denver, I worked with researchers at the Gardens to study local adaptation and the importance of seed sourcing for restoration in two common native grassland species: Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama) and Ericameria nauseosa (rubber rabbitbrush). Conducting a large common garden experiment at Chatfield Farms, I researched whether plants did better depending on their seed collection source site. </p>
