Since 2019, the Diversity in the Arts (DITA) has been an internship program focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion, bringing these values within the arts and humanities industries. For 10 weeks during the summer, interns are placed at their host sites where they engage in various work tasks and learn the importance of how art connects with people. As a double major in art practices and ethnic studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, I knew this internship program would be a great fit to gain real experiences doing what I love.</p> Throughout the summer, I worked closely with the volunteer services and learning engagement teams, completing various tasks, activities, and events. With volunteer services, I co-managed the Summer Teen Volunteer Program with Maureen Igoe, assistant manager of volunteer services. With 76 teen participants, my role on this team included engaging and setting up volunteers for Evenings al Fresco, Summer Concert Series, Lavender Festival, and daily horticulture and guest engagement shifts.</p> With volunteer services, I facilitated painting classes for the teen volunteers, where they learned about Mexican magical realism and participated in a painting activity focused on storytelling through the inspiration of plants. I had the opportunity to curate the annual Art on the Prairie Show at Plains Conservation Center</a> in Aurora, utilizing my artistic knowledge to identify and organize common themes, colors, and mediums in the artworks submitted. In addition, I was scheduled as a visitor experience associate where I welcomed guests entering the Contemporary Fiber: Botanicals</a> exhibit.</p> With the learning engagement team, I focused on bridging art and science at Denver Botanic Gardens. My projects included conducting research on the most commonly asked plants' peak bloom and designing flashcards using the principles of art on display. I appreciated connecting with staff whose roles incorporate diverse groups of people and plants. They shared their career paths, successes, and challenges, providing me valuable guidance as I continue to navigate my future career in the art industry.</p> My experience interning at Denver Botanic Gardens has taught me the importance of connecting people with plants, collaborating with others, independent projects, leadership, and community engagement. I plan to utilize and expand these skills as I wrap up my undergraduate studies at CU Boulder. The Gardens inspired me to showcase my diversity and apply my creative skills to projects that celebrate the experiences of everyone.</p> This article was contributed by volunteer services and learning engagement intern Juni Balderas</strong>. </em></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>
One of my favorite places during spring at Denver Botanic Gardens is Oak Grove. It represents everything I love about spring: the color green, rebirth and colorful flowers, just to name a few. When I was assigned this garden many years back, it was a mix of hybrid oaks and ground covers surrounding a circular concrete pad. I thought about all the potential this garden had, and my head started filling with ideas. One of those ideas was how beautiful Oak Grove could be in spring. So, I made this a reality over the next decade by installing a mulched path that would lead visitors on a walk through the woods, where they would be greeted by beautiful understory perennials, shrubs and trees along their journey.</p> I’m happy to announce that this spring, we will begin a new Oak Grove renovation. The purpose of this renovation is to focus on diversity. Most of the renovation will be happening in the north section of Oak Grove. We will be removing some of the current ground cover and adding several different new ground covers. Throughout April, May and June we will be focusing on prep work and then adding approximately 200 new perennials, shrubs and trees to enhance our visitors’ experience. Oak Grove will remain open during most of this transition, so our visitors can still enjoy the garden and watch our renovation in progress.</p> The blooms in Oak Grove will start looking their best starting in mid-April. In the meantime, be sure to see ‘Blue Giant’ and ‘Pink Giant’ Scilla forbesii </em>(also called glory-of-the-snow and formerly known as Chionodoxa</em>), all along the southwest edges of Oak Grove, in addition to a few of the primroses that are just coming up.</p> Starting in mid-April:</h4> One of the first things you will notice when you enter Oak Grove during spring is sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum</em>), a lush, green groundcover that is topped with tiny white flowers. The flowers are fragrant and edible and have a sweet, nutty flavor. The leaves smell like freshly mowed hay when dried.</p> Next, you will probably see the sprays of small, intense blue flowers atop the green, velvety leaves of Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla</em>). As you wander around the inner circle you will encounter brightly colored primroses (Primula vulgaris</em>) and the dainty, fairy-like flowers of barrenwort (Epimedium </em>× rubrum </em>and E. × versicolor </em>‘Sulphureum’) along with the pink heart-shaped flowers and golden leaves of bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis</em> ‘Gold Heart’, formerly known as Dicentra</em>) amongst the fresh, new fronds of various ferns.</p> As you head up the mulched path passing the new leaves of emerging hostas and various wood ferns, you will immediately notice the blue and pink blooms of hundreds of Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica</em> ‘Excelsior’ and ‘Queen of the Pinks’). These colorful bulbs have naturalized and hybridized throughout the garden creating different shades of pink, blue and white. Continuing along the path, you are sure to see the bright yellow flowers of Oregon grape (Berberis repens</em>) and the brilliant, scarlet-purple flower buds of the forest pansy redbud (Cercis canadensis</em> ‘Forest Pansy’). These shrubs and trees are perfect understory plants because they grow well in shade and dappled sunlight.</p> As you head up the path and through the woods you will reach a clearing with wooden benches where you can enjoy sitting under the trees and listening to the rushing waterway behind the benches. If you look closely ahead, near the split rail fencing, you may notice an unusual dark, rose-colored blossom hanging like a pendulum from a medium sized tree. You have found our pawpaw tree (Asimina triloba</em>). These unusual flowers will eventually develop into a large, delicious fruit that tastes like a cross between a banana and a mango.</p> I hope that you have enjoyed your walk through the woods. Whenever you need to relax and de-stress, come back and visit us anytime. </p>
Gardens are especially exciting in the early spring. While much of the landscape remains dormant, bulbs erupt in vibrant displays of life that fill us with anticipation of the transition of seasons. Spring in Colorado is erratic, often filled with wintry weather and deceivingly warm days. Months before it is safe to plant tender annual flowers, there are bulbs that flourish in the chaos of our spring. </p> Rock gardens provide a perfect sanctuary for these determined little flowers, and there are bulbs that thrive in every habitat, from dry and exposed gritty spaces to shaded woodland environments. </p> Lenten rose, snowdrops, dwarf iris, cyclamen and crocus all begin to bloom late in winter. These are followed in the early spring by daffodils, hyacinths, anemones and pasqueflowers. Eventually we see ornamental onions, grape hyacinths and tulips. While this list is by no means exhaustive, it does include a few of my favorite varieties blooming this time of the year:</p> Helleborus angustifolius</em>. The dark, evergreen leaves are a foundation plant in the rock garden. Its pale green flowers bloom throughout the late winter and cool spring. It reseeds sporadically throughout the garden, which is a welcome gift for an ever-changing garden. Typically, 1 to 1.5 feet tall and wide, it is large for a rock garden plant, but smaller than most woody foundation plants, and offers a different color and texture than other evergreens in the rock garden. It performs best in shade to part-shade areas that hold a bit more moisture. </li> Iris reticulata</em>. Most of the dwarf cultivars come from the reticulate species of Iris</em>, but there are many similarly early flowering and dwarfed species. These bulbs perform exceptionally in well-drained, sunny locations. They’ll bloom for several weeks in February or March depending on the weather. Beloved by bees, these flowers also hold up in snowstorms. </li> Tulipa humulis</em>. The best tulips for rock gardens are called species tulips. Tulipa humulis</em> is just one of many ‘species tulips’ that are perfect in a rock garden. They are later blooming, in April and May, when the threat of snow and frost still looms. </li> </ul> Bulbs inspire the feeling that spring has come, offering a new and fresh start. Hold on to that inspirational feeling; the bulbs you see in the early spring are best planted in fall. Not much else in gardening is as satisfying as experiencing the bulbs you planted last year emerge and signal the transition of seasons. </p> </p> This article was contributed by Erik Howshar</strong></em>, </strong>horticulturist at Chatfield Farms.</em> </p>
When designing your own garden, the practical considerations are the most important decisions. The creative aspects of your design are more nuanced and may be where you need the most help. Here are some design principles to keep in mind. You certainly do not need to use all these concepts, but they’ll give you some food for thought.</p> Primary Design Principles </h4> Style, atmosphere, surroundings</strong>: What style/feeling are you aiming for? A low-stimulus and relaxing retreat, an inspiring entertaining area or a diverse habitat for pollinators? Are you in the city or the mountains? What style harmonizes with your surroundings?</p> Lines: </strong>Do you want straight lines or curves for your garden beds? A combination? If you are going to do curves, make sure they are strong, purposeful curves, not arbitrary wiggly edges. Sight lines are important in a garden—you don’t want your eye drawn straight to a utility box!</p>
