Here at Denver Botanic Gardens there are several different gardens whose purpose is one that many don’t associate with the Gardens: producing food. The Gardens grows produce for a variety of purposes, but eventually this food will get donated to great organizations like S.A.M.E. Café or even used here in The Hive Café. The donations are given from:</p> Le Potager garden</li> The Home Harvest Garden in the Mordecai Children’s Garden (which is an amazing educational experience in itself)</li> The Mariposa Urban Farm, located in a newly renovated part of town near Mariposa Street and 11th Avenue</li> </ul> In all the produce gardens, especially the ones located at Denver Botanic Gardens, their purpose is not simply to grow food efficiently to donate it, but to make a public example while doing it. The garden Le Potager is named very specifically and is French for “the kitchen garden.” This has a different meaning than La Potager, meaning “the vegetable garden.” This adds even more to the significance and purpose to the garden itself, making it an example for those who find the idea of growing their own food and giving them ideas for it to do this.</p> As one walks through this garden there are examples for gardening in any home situation, from container gardening in an apartment setting to what you can do in a small backyard if only a self-sustaining harvest is needed. This is exemplified by the sectional star, which can be made of many different types of materials, string and stakes, recycled boards, or even more pleasing to the eye, a wicker-like material similar to what is shown in the gallery below. Some people may even do a flower border, filling the insides with harvestable plants. Other ideas in Le Potager include alternatives to trellising and staking your tomatoes and what you can do to easily protect the plants from animals.</p> The Home Harvest Garden is one that does an excellent job displaying raised beds to help make an easy pros-and-cons list when considering this for a local yard. The ease of access in height for children and the way the vegetables are attention-grabbing and attractively on display are pros when considering them here in the Gardens setting. If a visitor walks through on a future visit, they will notice that the produce sometimes has been rotated out. This is yet another example of a good tip given to the visitors of the Home Harvest Garden, giving them good rotation times for their own vegetable gardens according to the time of the year. For example, what to add when the lettuce season is coming to an end and when peppers may be getting closer to being harvested, even when it is finally safe to start planting tomatoes.</p> Crop production from the Gardens is not something that many people know about, or that they could come here hoping to get some their questions answered or innovative ideas, however it is a program that deserves to be highlighted! Next time you are on the lookout for different garden ideas, take a stroll through the Gardens and it may give you a great new concept to try out on your own!</p> About the author: My name is Amanda Williams and my internship title is Urban Ag and Community Development. This year I am spending my summer working as an intern at Denver Botanic Gardens with four other young women</a>. I am originally from South Dakota and I’m loving my time here in Denver. My internship has been an enabler towards enhancing my knowledge about crop plants and public gardens, while opening a door to future opportunities that I am passionate about in the field of horticulture.</em></p>
Spring is the universal time of rejuvenation. For myself, it represents the time of year where I can get back to my roots. This means returning to California to re-connect with my fungal family (figuratively speaking) in mid-June to enjoy the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.</p> The Sierra Nevada Field Campus (San Francisco State University) is a remote educational field station managed by San Francisco State University. It offers liberal arts courses in science and art throughout the summer months, and the first week’s offerings has nearly always included the Spring Fungi course instructed by my original mentor in mycology, Dr. Dennis Desjardin.</p> June is a unique time to observe fungi in the mountains. In order to produce mushrooms, fungi require the right levels of moisture and temperature. With the rising temperatures of spring, comes the melting of snow and the warming of the ground that has been uncovered. This nexus of conditions brings fourth a variety of familiar fungi such as the very common “orange peel fungus”, Caloscypha fulgens</em>, to the gastronomic delights of the “spring king” porcini, Boletus rex-veris</em>.</p> This year’s Spring Fungi course, held June 11-16, 2017</strong>, was preceded with much optimism. After many years of severe drought in California, the rain and snowfall that accumulated in the Sierra Nevada promised a relative bounty of fungal diversity. However, the weather turned out to be more eccentric than anticipated.</p> The weeks leading up to the field course were warm and dry, which is a good mushroom suppressant. Then, the temperature dropped the night before the course began, resulting in an inch of snow accumulating overnight. (Images 1 and 2 in the photo gallery)</p> The erratic weather caused some concern. The available sites where we would collect without dealing with snow patches ended up being too dry for fungi to produce mushrooms. The recent drop in temperature had the potential to shut down shut down the ‘fruiting’ of many kinds of fungi. Fortunately, these concerns were somewhat alleviated.</p> While the relative abundance of any individual mushroom species could not be described as ‘plentiful,’ the number of different species to find was still there for those that were willing to look hard enough.</p> There were several puffballs out, including the iconic Calbovista subsculpta</em> (Image 3), with its football-sized fruit bodies covered in pyramidal warts. On the more diminutive and elegant end of the spectrum there were the 1-3 mm orange cups of Dasyscyphus bicolor</em> (Image 4). The outer surface of these cups is covered in white hairs giving it a cute and fuzzy quality. On the other hand, the funnel shaped Arrhenia obscurata</em> (Image 5) lives up to its “obscure” name due to its small stature and coloration. This makes it blend into the ground so well that by the time you notice your first patch you’ve already trampled on several others.</p> When the weather is warm and dry, it can be hard to locate mushrooms. One strategy when hunting them is to tear open decaying logs. Fungi are one of the most efficient recyclers in nature.</p> Better than any other organism, fungi break down and decay woody debris, returning the carbon locked up in this material back into nature. Rotting logs are rotten because fungi make their way into the crevasses in the wood and secrete extracellular enzymes to digest it externally. This increases the wood’s porosity and softens it to the point where other organisms can begin to work at it too.</p> Acting as one of these organisms, I will tear into these soft logs, looking for the wood that has become sponge-like and moist. It is in these hidden places that I enhance my chances of finding a mushroom buried deep and protected in the damp and humid confines of the rotting wood.</p> This is how I stumbled upon Resupinatus applicatus</em> (Image 6), lining a cavity with its tiny gray-brown fruit bodies. Imagine if you will, a mushroom that grows no larger than 1.5 millimeters across. It will produce hundreds of little structures growing wood that are literally the size of a sesame seed. Producing structures of this size makes sense when considering the space limited environment that you find it in. It is the “little” discoveries like this that bring into sharp relief the wondrous diversity contained within the kingdom Fungi.</p> Fortunately, following the early snow, warmer weather and sunnier days graced the course as the week progressed. (Images 7 and 8) Students in the Spring Fungi course learn how to observe a mushroom’s features from the macroscopic perspective of the naked eye, as well as the ornate cellular characteristics of different mushroom parts through the benefit of a microscope. This part of the course usually happens midday and is preceded by a lecture and field collecting in the morning and followed by a seminar in the evening. The evening seminar is held after dinner and is usually a time to talk about fungal diversity and tell stories about fungi.</p> I gave a lecture on Tuesday. It was based on my previous research on the ecology and evolution of the mushroom genus Laccaria</em> and discussed how I intend to expand this research in my position at Denver Botanic Gardens and the southern Rockies.</p> The next evening, my friend and colleague Dr. Brian Perry (California State University East Bay), gave a fascinating talk about the diversity of soil and endophytic (plant inhabiting) fungi of the Hawaiian Islands. (Image 9)</p> Despite the progress in the weather, and the success of our discoveries, we were still concerned that this was going to be one of the lower diversity years. For 21 years the course has kept a species list that accounts for the diversity of fungi collected and identified.</p> Due to the slow start we had gotten off to earlier in the week, we were currently trending behind the curve in the species count. In fact, we had yet to encounter the orange peel fungus Caloscypha fulgens,</em> which was so abundant last year that you couldn’t avoid stepping on it. And last year the course only recorded 112 species; the lowest biodiversity since the course began keeping records.</p> So we had reason to be concerned for our species count. But we doubled our efforts in searching for fungi and found many interesting things, some of which have never been recorded in the class before. In the end we collected a total of 128 species over the week of the class.</p> While we don’t expect a parade for this achievement, we were happy to have found the diversity we did, and to take success wherever it may present itself – especially if success is measured in terms of selling Sam Mitchel Herbarium’s 50th Anniversary t-shirts. (Image 10)</p> Which I do.</p>
</p> Whether you are hosting a wedding, a baby shower or a holiday party, planning an event is a lot of work! Large or small, lavish or modest, it can be overwhelming to select and coordinate caterers, florists, entertainers, photographers, rental companies and other vendors involved in your event. Fortunately, we have some insider tips for booking these event professionals to help make your event a success!</p> Venue</strong></h3> When to Book</p> 9-12 months in advance, 12-18 months in advance for popular dates.</li> Find out when a venue opens their calendar for the following year and if they have a wait list.</li> </ul> Major Factors to Consider</p> The venue you select will influence the look and feel of your event more than anything else. In fact, we encourage you to find the venue with the right “feel” before you settle on a date.</li> Make sure you have room for the number of people you expect to RSVP, with room to grow or shrink if your guest list changes significantly.</li> Most venues should have staff onsite the day of your event, but they typically do not offer event planning services.</li> </ul> Questions to Ask</p> Are there dressing rooms or green rooms?</li> Where will your guests park?</li> Does the venue have exclusivity contracts with caterers or rental companies?</li> What rules or regulations does the venue have for private events?</li> </ul> Caterer</strong></h3> When to Book</p> 6-9 months in advance.</li> </ul> Major Factors to Consider</p> Formal dinners, passed appetizers, multi-station buffets, and traditional buffets can all work well, but each will create a different mood at cocktail hours and meals.</li> Check out reviews to evaluate reputability. The Knot and Yelp are great places to start, and Preferred Caterer lists at local venues are good indicators of reliability.</li> If you are considering ethnic food, make sure that is something your caterer can accommodate.</li> </ul> Questions to Ask</p> Does the caterer cook onsite?</li> What additional charges should you expect?</li> Will the event designer be on site for the entire event, just setup, or setup and service?</li> Will there be any extra fees added on that are not included in the initial proposal?</li> </ul> Florist</strong></h3> When to Book</p> 3-6 months in advance. Allow more time if you want elaborate floral arrangements.</li> </ul> Major Factors to Consider</p> Know the venue rules regarding cut flowers, potted plants, vase materials, etc.</li> The time of year will affect the availability and cost of your flowers significantly.</li> </ul> Questions to Ask</p> Is the florist familiar with your venue?</li> Does the florist have access to a local greenhouse?</li> </ul> Photographer</strong></h3> When to Book</p> 3-6 months in advance</li> </ul> Major Factors to Consider</p> Know what kind of look you want. Browse photo galleries on the photographer’s website to get a sense of their style and approach.</li> Provide a list of the photos you want to prioritize. If you’re not sure where to start, your photographer should be able to provide you a list of recommended shots.</li> The more comfortable you are with your photographer, the more genuine your finished photos will look.</li> </ul> Questions to Ask</p> How long will the photographer(s) stay at your event under their base fee?</li> Do you get the rights to the photos after the event?</li> Will the photographer bring an assistant? If so, will that person be of the opposite sex to make “getting ready” shots more feasible?</li> How long will it take to get the final, edited photos? (6-9 months is normal.)</li> Will you get a batch of “social media” photos earlier than the rest that you can share?</li> Do they offer videography services?</li> </ul> Entertainment</strong></h3> When to Book</p> 3-6 months in advance</li> </ul> Major Factors to Consider</p> Do you want background music, a show, or someone who can function as an emcee?</li> Make sure you are aware of venue rules regarding amplified sound.</li> If your event is outside, some instruments cannot be safely used if the air is below 50 or 60 degrees.</li> Be honest about songs that you do want to hear AND songs that you don’t want to hear.</li> </ul> Questions to Ask</p> Will they need a green room?</li> Will they bring all their own materials, or will additional rentals be required?</li> Do they plan to tap into the sound system at the venue?</li> Have they worked at your venue before?</li> How much time will they need to set up?</li> </ul> General Tips</strong></h3> Have frank conversations and don’t be afraid to ask questions!</li> Evaluate all your contracts carefully BEFORE you sign them to avoid surprises on event day.</li> Book professionals who are familiar with your venue. They will already know the rules and regulations and will already know the best spots for photos, challenges with setting up and tearing down, and more.</li> Build a Pinterest page or “vision board” and provide it to all your event professionals to help ensure a cohesive look.</li> Know which rentals are included and which ones you need to book on your own.</li> Factor break times into your schedule for those folks working several hours at your event.</li> Most importantly, ENJOY YOUR EVENT. Too often, you may spend weeks or months planning an event that is over in an instant. Take as many moments as you can to relish in the celebration you’ve put together for your friends, family, loved ones or colleagues.</li> </ul> Contact Us</h3> Interested in booking a private event at the Gardens? Contact us for more information and rate details. York Street: private.events@botanicgardens.org</a> | 720-865-3551 Chatfield Farms: chatfieldrentals@botanicgardens.org</a> | 720-865-4339</p>
The Gardens is more than just a pretty place. Behind the paths and petals, there is research going on both inside the gates and beyond. Due to more international communication through Botanic Gardens Conservation International’s (BGCI) PlantSearch and the ability of researchers to find out about our collections from our online collections database, Gardens Navigator, we have fielded a much higher number of requests in recent years including sharing of leaf or seed samples for genetic research, and live plant or seed sharing to enhance collections of other botanical institutions. In some cases, we can host a researcher for more than just a one-day visit as they do their work on site.</p> That is the case this week. An odd-looking, but fascinating research project is currently happening throughout many of the native gardens at York Street. Joe Anderson, a British research associate from Uppsala Universitet in Sweden, is collecting the scent of our Penstemon</em> flowers</strong>. This research is part of a project lead by Dr. Amy Parachnowitsch to determine how the species has evolved in regards to pollination. Their four aims in conducting this research is to:</p> “Assess floral scent diversity across transitions between insect and hummingbird pollination to elucidate the role of scent in speciation."</li> "Compare transitions of scent loss in selfing species with hummingbird pollination to assess whether shifts in floral scent are generalizable."</li> "Determine geographic variation and co-variation of floral scent and other floral characters a single species in the context of specific plant-animal interactions and local adaptation."</li> "Quantify the underlying genetic architecture of floral scent and how it relates to shifts between pollinator groups.”</li> </ul> Modified plastic oven bags with attached tubing and a battery-operated pump are placed over a few Penstemon</em> flower spikes for about 4 hours. Scent is then captured in the bag and data is recorded. Joe is also photographing the flowers and will view them from under a spectrophotometer to analyze fine details of the flower color in hopes to determine a correlation between color and fragrance, in addition to collecting nectar from individual flowers.</p> So far, Joe has looked at P</em>. degeneri</em>, P</em>. pseudospectabilis</em>, and P</em>. pinifolius</em> and he has plans to continue sampling two or more species per day until he departs. This research is largely non-destructive, meaning that the plants and their flowers are not harmed and remain for our visitors to enjoy after the plastic bags are removed, other than the collection of a few flowers for the spectrophotometer work.</p> Why did they decide to do research at the Gardens? One of the species they are tracking, Penstemon</em> digitalis</em>, is found in the eastern US and is common in cultivation, but we have a large collection of many other species native to the western U.S. Joe also plans to conduct research in the Rocky and Sierra Nevada Mountains.</p> We are currently the only botanic garden participating in the project, though collections in Europe may be tapped for follow-up research. Having multiple documented species in one location also makes this sort of research more cost-effective and easier for the researchers. The value of our plant collections continues to grow through our participation in projects.</p> If you visit in the next few days, you may come upon this research in action!</p>
Every year Denver Botanic Garden's Horticulture Department welcomes a handful of exceptional horticulture students from across the country to study with us in a project-based, 10-week internship.</p> Each intern brings a wealth of passion and experience to our team and we’re very excited to introduce you to our 2017 horticulture interns:</p> </p> Left to right: Chloe Reeves, Amanda Williams, Kristina Gehrer, Olivia Fiala and Nurani Illahi</em></p> Chloe Reeves - University of Tennessee, Knoxville</strong> Plant Records Curation and Mapping</em> A plant science major, Chloe is led by her passion for the outdoors and will be starting the UT landscape architecture program in the fall. During the school year, she works as an intern for the UT Gardens.</p> Amanda Williams - South Dakota State University</strong> Urban Agriculture and Community Engagement</em> Amanda is studying horticulture with an emphasis in food production and Spanish at South Dakota State University. She loves to travel and has studied food production methods in Honduras. Other than plants, her passions include language, coffee and being outdoors.</p> Kristina Gehrer - Kansas State University</strong> Therapeutic Horticulture</em> Kristina was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. She graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in horticulture, landscape design and is currently pursuing her horticulture therapy certificate. Her passion is being outdoors and finding health and rejuvenation while being immersed in nature. She wants to use her talents to help everyone through horticulture.</p> Olivia Fiala - University of Nebraska, Lincoln</strong> Propagation, Production and Seed Herbarium Maintenance</em> Olivia is currently a junior at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, majoring in horticulture with a plant science option. In her free time, she is a member of UNL's horticulture club and enjoys staying active in slow pitch softball and flag football. Her past experience includes work as a farm hand and as a research technician at Bayer Crop-Science.</p> Nurani Illahi - University of Maryland</strong> Japanese Garden Character Pine Project</em> Nurani is a rising junior at the University of Maryland pursuing a horticulture degree and a potential creative writing minor. Since 2015, Nurani has worked as a databasing and collections employee for the University of Maryland herbarium. She is most excited about plant conservation and educating the public on environmental issues. Aside from garden work, she loves dogs, poetry, painting and napping.</p> Check back throughout the summer for updates from the interns.</p>
</p> Think you need lots of water for a diverse, vibrant, and beautiful garden? Think again!</p> On the Front Range, water is always a concern. It rarely falls from the sky, and it’s hard to justify soaking flower beds and gardens at home when your water bill ticks higher every year. And while you may think that you’d have to convert your yard to a cactus grove to create a garden that doesn’t need a lot to drink, the truth is that you can still have flowers, grasses, succulents, trees, and a wide variety of other plants that do well in dry soils.</p> In fact, at Spring Plant Sale, three entire divisions are dedicated to plants that are specifically selected to thrive with very little water. Shoppers focused on sustainable gardening practices should make these divisions a priority. Whether you have a single container on a balcony or acres of property to landscape, our expert horticulturists and horticultural volunteers can help you select just the right plants to fit your needs.</p> Plant Select®</strong> Plant Select® is the country’s leading brand of plants designed to thrive in high plains and intermountain regions, offering plants that provide more beauty with less work so gardeners of all levels can achieve smart, stunning, and successful gardens using fewer resources and with a more positive environmental impact.</p> Rock Alpine</strong> The Rock Alpine Garden is proof that dry, rocky soils can sustain a vibrant and colorful array of plants, and there’s no reason you can’t have one of your own. Shop thousands of individual plants uniquely suited to high and dry climates, or create a container full of them at the Trough Shop. In addition, stop by this division for unique yard art and bonsai.</p> Water-Smart</strong> Water-smart plants are not just drought-tolerant: they thrive in dry soils and, in many cases, only need to be watered 6-12 times per year. And don’t assume that less water yields duller gardens: water-smart plants offer a huge variety of bright, colorful plants that also happen to keep your water bill low.</p> In addition to these three divisions, keep an eye out for “I Save Water” stickers on plant info signs in other divisions to help you plan a water-smart garden of your own.</p> Admission to Spring Plant Sale is free on Friday, May 12 from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. and on Saturday, May 13 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tickets are required for the Plant Sale Preview Party on May 11. Get here early to get the best pick of the plants, and don’t forget to bring a wagon to haul them around! Click here</a> for more information.</em></p>
On select Fridays, 1-1:30 p.m., Gardens docents will be leading a drop-in tour, “Behind the Science: Explore the Natural History Collections.” Tours are included with Gardens admission and no reservations are needed. All ages welcome but tours are most appropriate for ages 8+. Group size is limited to 15.</p> To find out when the next “Behind the Science” tour is in 2018, go to the Gardens calendar</a>. Under the “More Filters” section, select “Tours” and "Included with Admission," and then click on the orange SEARCH button.</p> In the basement of Boettcher Memorial Center, you will discover the thousands of preserved plant and fungal specimens that reside in the Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium of Vascular Plants and the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi and view a small selection of insects that are housed in the Arthropod Collection.</p> Why are Natural History Collections important, and why does Denver Botanic Gardens have them?</li> What is a herbarium?</li> What is the difference between “herbarium” and “herbaria”?</li> Or, maybe you have heard about our recent renovation and are wondering what it entailed!</li> </ul> These are just some of the many questions we hope to address during the tour. There is much to discover within our Natural History Collections, from the artistry of pinned insects to the informative labels which will allow anyone from anywhere in the world to use the collections for decades to come.</p> On the tour, docents can also show you the process for how we collect our plant specimens and how to view our collections from home.</p> For questions, email info@botanicgardens.org</a> or call 720-865-3500.</p>
</p> The Gardens are beginning to bloom, and they will only become more stunning as the days get warmer and sunnier. What better backdrop for your next gathering?</p> Though we began booking events for this summer over a year ago, we’ve had a few excellent dates open up on our summer calendar. We’d love to help you celebrate with your friends and loved ones while they Gardens are truly showing their finest colors! </p> On select dates from June-August, you can save up to 25% off your facility rental fee when you book.</strong> With indoor and outdoor rental sites at both York Street and Chatfield Farms, our venues can host intimate gatherings for small groups or large parties of up to 1,000 people.</p> Whether you are interested in the formal, linear symmetry of our York Street venues or the rustic, pastoral settings available at Chatfield Farms, Denver Botanic Gardens provides a beautiful environment for events of every size. </p> Contact us for more information and rate details.</p> York Street: private.events@botanicgardens.org</a> | 720-865-3551 Chatfield Farms: chatfieldrentals@botanicgardens.org</a> | 720-865-4339</p> Offer applies to new bookings only. Some exclusions apply. Cannot be combined with any other discounts. </em></p>
Spring has arrived in the water gardens at Denver Botanic Gardens. Hardy waterlilies are breaking dormancy, developing submerged leaves and their first few floating leaves of the season. Aquatic iris, cattails, pickerel plant and lizard’s tail are also showing a flush of new spring growth.</p> Beyond these changes which can be seen when visiting the Gardens, there are many behind-the-scenes preparations taking place. From propagating plants from seeds, tubers, cuttings and divisions to creating planting designs for each water garden, the horticulture staff and volunteers are busy laying the groundwork for the upcoming summer months.</p> Seeds</strong></h3> The giant water platters (Victoria</em> ‘Longwood Hybrid’) that will grace the pools this summer got their start as seeds in our greenhouse in late March. These were provided to us by Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, where this hybrid was originally developed by Patrick Nutt in 1960.</p> The pea-sized seeds were placed in a heated tub of water in our aquatics greenhouse with the temperature maintained at 86-88 degrees F. The average germination time is 7-10 days. Once the seeds develop their first leaves and roots, we plant them in 2” containers of sand with a tablespoon of peat moss in the bottom to bring the pH down a bit. The heat can then be turned down to 75 degrees. As the plants grow, they are repotted into larger containers, with a final container size of 8-10” diameter.</p> In early June, the heat will be turned off in the greenhouse tubs to allow the platters to adjust to the cooler water temperatures they will grow in outdoors. They will then be transplanted into 20-24” solid tubs filled with clay loam and placed in the Monet and Science Pyramid ponds in late June.</p> The platters are heavy feeders and require weekly fertilization throughout the season. Be sure to visit often to observe their rapid growth during the summer months. You may also find baby ducklings taking an afternoon nap on the strong and buoyant leaves.</p> Gorgon plants (Euryale ferox</em>) are also grown from seed in the greenhouse during this time. These seeds will germinate in cooler water than the Victoria</em> waterlilies, and have even been known to pop up in our outdoor ponds from seeds that overwintered in the muck at the bottom. Those grown from seed in the greenhouse will be planted outside in May.</p> Tubers</strong></h3> Many of the tropical waterlilies you will see during the summer in the water gardens are started from tubers that were harvested from lilies the previous fall. These are stored in our tuber fridge at 55 degrees and are then pulled out in April and placed in tubs of water heated to 75 degrees in the greenhouse. They will be placed outside in late June along with the Victorias.</p> Leaf Cuttings</strong></h3> Umbrella palm and dwarf papyrus, two tropical marginal aquatic plants used in our display ponds, are easy to propagate by taking leaf cuttings. These cuttings are taken in mid-March from larger “mother” plants that are stored in the greenhouse for the winter months. The cuttings are placed in 4” containers of clay loam which are then placed in a tray of water on top of a heat mat maintained at 85 degrees. The bottom heat provided by the mats is necessary to get the cuttings to root in quickly. Within 7-10 days, the viviparous leaves will put up new growth. These small plants will then be sold in the aquatics division of our Spring Plant Sale over Mother’s Day weekend.</p> Divisions</strong></h3> Another spring chore that provides us with additional plants for both our Spring Plant Sale and our water garden displays is dividing. On Sundays during the spring, Colorado Water Garden Society members gather for morning work sessions at the Gardens to help divide and repot hardy waterlilies outside along with tropical marginal plants including cannas, taro and papyrus in the greenhouse.</p> Design Work</strong></h3> The designs for each water garden are created in January and February. An effort is made each year to add new plant varieties to the collection, and these are ordered from wholesale nurseries in early March. New plants are ordered for the spring plant sale and all are potted on Sunday work days with the Colorado Water Garden Society members’ help. Interpretive signage is also created during this time of year to help educate visitors about any new additions to the aquatic plant collection.</p> We hope you will join us throughout the spring, summer and fall to enjoy the water gardens at Denver Botanic Gardens. Stay tuned for another blog post this summer with more details about the work that goes into maintaining aquatic plants during the height of the season.</p>
