</p> There is, perhaps, no group of plants more in vogue right now than succulents. These stunning arrangements of greens, dusty blues, purples and pinks are found not only in pots but on cakes</a>, cookies</a> and even in hairstyles</a>. The Gardens even has evening workshops on Botanical Jewelry: Wearable Succulents on Tuesday, May 21 and Tuesday, July 23! For many, succulents are a great first step into gardening: they are beautiful, low-maintenance and water-saving plants that will survive for many seasons if cared for properly.</p> At our annual Spring Plant Sale, the horticulturists in the Specialty Succulents division will offer a wide variety of succulents and cacti. But before you load up your cart this weekend, they also want to make sure you are set up for success to keep your plants healthy and thriving.</p> Light</strong> Succulents and cacti need sunlight; a dark house or apartment won’t do. However, a full day of direct sunlight is not necessary – a space with bright but indirect sunlight, or a sunny windowsill or porch, can sustain these plants.</p> Water </strong> These plants do not need a lot of water. For most species, watering once a month or less will suffice. Use your fingers to feel the soil moisture before watering again. If it feels moist, don’t water! The soil should be allowed to fully dry out between waterings.</p> Drainage</strong> Make sure you plant your succulents in a pot with a drainage hole. Water left sitting in the bottom of a pot can create anaerobic or fungal conditions and can “rot out” the roots of the succulents.</p> Temperature</strong> The plants sold at the Specialty Succulents division are frost tender and will be killed by freezing temperatures. They can live outside during the summer, but they must be brought inside before the first autumn frost. After the last spring frost, transition them slowly back to full outdoor sun. Start by putting them in a shaded or partly-shaded spot for a week or two, then slowly move them into their full-sun position.</p> Read Up!</strong> Read about the plants you buy. The general category of “succulents and cacti” is very broad and consists of thousands of species of plants all with different wants and needs. A quick browser search for the varieties you purchase goes a long way in helping you keep your plants healthy.</p> Whether you are looking for a single succulent for a windowsill or a pre-potted arrangement of hand-selected plants, stop by Specialty Succulents in the Orangery during Spring Plant Sale. Not only will you find high quality cacti and succulents, but you can get even more expert advice on how to care for them.</p> New this Year!</strong> Check out our Collector’s Corner, featuring rare and unique cacti and succulents. Here are just a few of the varieties we have waiting for you in the Collector’s Corner:</p> Avonia </em></strong>quinaria </em></strong>ssp. </strong>alstonii</em></strong> </em>– a succulent native to Southern Africa that features a thick caudex with silvery-green finger-like foliage</li> Albuca spiralis</em></strong> – a succulent bulb in the asparagus family from South Africa with corkscrew foliage</li> Aeonium</em></strong> arboretum </em></strong>var.</strong> atropurpureum</em></strong> Crested Form</strong> – a uniquely mutated crested form (rather than rosette) of the common Aeonium</em></li> </ul> </p> Admission to Spring Plant Sale and the Gardens is free on Friday, May 10 from 8 a.m. </em>– 6 p.m. and on Saturday, May 11 from 8 a.m. </em>– 5 p.m. Tickets are required for the Plant Sale Preview Party on Thursday, May 9. Get here early to get the best pick of the plants, and don’t forget to bring a wagon to haul them around! Here is more information about Spring Plant Sale</a>, including a catalog of individual species and cultivars available at the sale.</em></p> </p>
The Shop at the Gardens has great gift ideas for the mother(s) in your life. We feature local artists, sustainable practices and many items have a botanical theme. Gifts range from home decor, bath and body, candles, fashion accessories, garden pots and vases to books and more. There is something for every mother and every budget. </p> The Shop is open daily, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. through May 11. On Sunday, May 12, the Gardens moves to summer hours of 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Gardens admission is not required to visit the Shop.</p>
Sustainability is not only a core value at the Gardens, it is the compelling issue of our time. Simply put, sustainability amounts to survival, thinking long-term and doing work today that will benefit generations not yet born.</p> That is why we devote substantial resources to critical research and conservation. Our teams stretch out across the southern Rockies to preserve and protect rare and endangered plant species. Others span the globe, studying steppe regions and leading the effort to protect the diversity of crop genetics. Of all the problems facing the planet today, we are particularly suited to lead on issues related to plants, water and soil.</p> There is yet another, more important step: regeneration. When an ecosystem is restored, change can happen quickly. Take, for example, the work we have done along a section of Deer Creek at Chatfield Farms. Decades ago, the Army Corps of Engineers channelized countless creeks and rivers across the country as a method for controlling water flows and reducing flooding. While effective for some purposes, it fundamentally altered ecosystems, usually for the worse. A few years ago, our team staked out a section of Deer Creek, removed invasive species and planted native ones. They added sod plugs in the creek itself to mimic the impact of beaver dams and to restore the old oxbow, a section of the creek that overflows an area when water levels are high.</p> The impacts have already evidenced themselves. Plants have roared to life, native birds and insects are returning—even the sounds have changed. What’s more, in late August 2018, after only two years, Deer Creek was dry throughout much of the Chatfield Farms property but in the restoration area, water still percolated throughout. That is a perfect example of not only sustainability, but of regeneration. Imagine a world where we repeat that transformation over and over.</p> Imagine the vitality and health we can pass along. We intend to help in every way we can to transform general horticultural expressions in public spaces, to bring back a more appropriate aesthetic that showcases native and adaptive plants. We are already working with numerous cities and counties with the goal of taking this effort statewide.</p> Don’t be surprised if Denver Botanic Gardens shows up in a neighborhood near you. And when we do, I hope you’ll join us.</p>
What makes a plant “water smart”? There are plenty of plants that tolerate periodic drought, and many of them are old favorites that your grandmother probably grew: shrub roses, lilacs, oriental poppies, bearded iris and even hostas. These were classic mainstays of the traditional garden for a reason. While they may get a little stressed during dry stretches of weather, it doesn’t take much to get them through until the next good rain comes along, and they usually multiply enough to pass along to friends and neighbors as well.</p> But some plants just like</em> it dry, thriving in that spot that you thought was hopeless precisely because</em> it has lean soil and never stays wet for long. These are plants that would actually resent the frequent watering that most gardens rely on. The Roads Water-Smart Garden can go for weeks or months without any supplemental water, and this is in a hot, south-facing location against a building! It is never watered more than once a week during hot, dry weather and never more than a dozen times a year—often less.</p> There are dozens of real gems in this garden from arid regions around the world. Here are some of the stars:</p> Salvias</strong>: S. microphylla</em>, S. coahuilensis</em> and S. greggii</em> (hybrids and cultivars include ‘Wild Thing’, ‘Mes Azur’, ‘Furman’s Red’). These are loosely referred to as “autumn sage” and many other species and cultivars exist. Hailing from central Texas and throughout the Southwest and Mexico, these like plenty of sun and good drainage. Trim down to about 4 inches each spring and they will do the rest. Their vibrant colors will attract hummingbirds for months!</p> Wild buckwheats: </strong>The genus Eriogonum</em> is especially abundant in the western U.S., often favoring dry slopes and poor soils that other species find less appealing. Eriogonum umbellatum</em> is a variable native species. Its vast range (Alaska to Mexico!) results in many regional forms, and one of the best is from right here in western Colorado. The Plant Select®-honored ‘Psdowns’ KANNAH CREEK® grows as a short, wiry shrub with glowing lemon-yellow clusters of flowers in late spring into summer. Its dried rusty-hued flowers persist into fall and winter.</p> Penstemon</em>: </strong>This could be a long list, as this genus is at its best in the Southwest. A short “you must grow” list would include P. barbatus, P. pinifolius, P. grandiflorus, P. eatonii, P. pseudospectabilis, P. palmeri </em>– okay, there is no such thing as a “short” list of good penstemons! Using multiple species from the high, dry Southwest can extend your flowering season from May to October, in heights from 6 inches to 6 feet, and all these tubular flowers are irresistible to hummingbirds!</p> Delosperma</em>: </strong>Commonly known as ice plants, the hardy Delosperma</em> were unknown in cultivation until our own Panayoti Kelaidis began to experiment in the 1990s with an obscure purple species (D. cooperi</em>) from South Africa’s Drakensberg Mountains. Superbly adapted to Colorado conditions, they now come in a rainbow of colors and are a mainstay of xeric gardens across the nation. Several are scattered through the Roads Water-Smart Garden, but be sure to see the dazzling carpets of them in the Steppe Garden, Plant Select Garden and elsewhere. Standouts include Lavender Ice, GRANITA® Raspberry, and MESA VERDE®, all with shimmering flowers that nearly obscure the plants when in bloom.</p> Bulbs: </strong>This is a broad category, but so many are perfectly adapted to Colorado conditions that a few have to be highlighted. Those that thrive have a few things in common: They take advantage of abundant seasonal moisture, producing their leaves and flowers during our wettest season (April-early June). Their foliage dries out and disappears as our season gets warmer and drier. They all tolerate long periods of cold, dry conditions. Bold and colorful choices include foxtail lilies (Eremurus</em>), ornamental onions (Allium</em>) and the smaller “species tulips” and crocus—these are the original forms that most hybrids were developed from, and they are especially durable and resilient for many years in the right conditions.</p> Keep in mind that the Roads Water-Smart Garden alone has hundreds</em> of other species that create a year-round progression of color and texture, drawing on plants from similar climates around the world. The extended list would be very long indeed: Yucca</em>, Agastache</em>, Dianthus</em>, Acantholimon</em>, Ericameria</em>, Opuntia</em>, Hesperaloe</em>, Iris</em>, Arctostaphylos</em>, Sedum</em>, Lavandula</em>, Thymus, Papaver, Crambe</em> . . . you get the idea. This theme is echoed in the Steppe Garden, Dryland Mesa, Sacred Earth, the Laura Smith Porter Plains Garden, Plant Select Garden and parts of the Rock Alpine Garden. Visit us often to see what each changing season brings!</p> </p> Note: </em></strong>Not everything featured in this blog post or gallery is in bloom now, but should be throughout the month.</em></p> </p>
Bulbs are one of my very favorite flowering plants. Maybe my favorite. It’s hard to commit to only one favorite. But if a plant has an underground storage organ holding the entire life cycle of the plant inside it, I’m probably going to like it.</p> In the Central Asian section of the Steppe Garden in April the primary blooms you will find include fritillaries, corydalis and tulips.</p> Fritillaries are in the lily family and have muted or earthy colored flowers that usually nod and emit a skunky odor. Some are small and delicate, like Fritillaria ruthenica</em>, while others are larger and more vigorous like Fritillaria sewerzowii</em> ‘Black Bear’. Other fritillaries you will find here include F. pallidiflora, F. bucharica</em> ‘Nurek Giant’, F. eduardii, F. raddeana and F. sewerzowii.</em></p> Corydalis are in the poppy family, found throughout the northern hemisphere, and some have tubers or rhizomes. These delicate looking plants are quite tough and natively grow in somewhat challenging conditions. For example, Corydalis ruksansii</em>, named after bulb expert Janis Ruksans, originates from the steppe of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan where it grows up to 8,000 feet, Corydalis schanginii </em>ssp. ainii</em> is native to the Kara Tau Mountains of Kazakhstan and Corydalis angustifolia</em> is native to the Caucasus, Turkey and parts of Iran.</p> Up to fifteen different types of tulips could be blooming here at any one time in April. Most of these are like species or wild tulips and less like the more hybridized tulips you find in a bouquet at the florist. Some are quite small with very thin leaves and might not even look to you like a tulip. These include the yellow Tulipa sylvestris</em>, T. dubia </em>Beldersai, T. tarda</em> and the white T. turkestanica</em>, T. biflora</em>, and T. bifloriformis</em>. Greigii tulips have the larger flowers and wider leaves that seem more typical of tulips. They grow wild in the Tien Shan mountains of Kazakhstan at higher altitudes on hot dry slopes. They are especially known for the purple mottling on their leaves and their large vibrantly colored flowers, most notably red! Tulipa</em> ‘Toronto’ and Tulipa</em> 'Casa Grande' are examples here. In the wild, Tulipa praestans</em> grows in the Pamir-Alay mountains of Central Asia on rocky slopes and the yellow Tulipa praestans</em> ‘Shogun’ is planted here.</p> As you continue to stroll around the gardens look for the many more spring bulbs that you can find blooming.</p>
</p> Passover is this month and I, like millions of Jews worldwide, will clear my house of every last bread crumb and gather with friends and family to retell the ancient story of the Hebrew’s liberation from slavery in Egypt. Pesach, as it is also known, is one of my favorite celebrations. I love the abundance of quirky symbols and traditions that have been picked up over thousands of years, not to mention it is mandated that everyone drink four glasses of wine.</p> On the first night it’s tradition to share a feast of mostly edible food, called a Seder. Most often, a Seder table consists of six or seven separate items, each a representation of part of the Passover story. While it’s not uncommon for there to be lively debate over the true symbolic meaning of each component, a few years ago I grew curious about one in particular: the matzah.</p> If you ask why we eat matzah—a large, crunchy, and mostly flavorless type of flatbread—it is likely you will get a response along the lines of, “The Israelites fled Egypt in such a hurry they didn’t have time to let their bread rise.”</p> This is a perfectly valid explanation, brimming with imagery of a people rushing for their chance to escape oppression. But, as I learned, it turns out there are also practical explanations, that much to my delight have to do with the biology of fungi.</p> Passover is the first of three annual harvest festivals, during which the ancient Israelites would all travel to Jerusalem (Shavuot and Sukkot being the second and third). Pesach celebrates the first harvest of barley, and prior to their first haul, farmers and shop keepers would sweep out the previous year’s remaining grain. But along with all that old grain went something else: yeast.</p> Yeast is a fungus, just not the type that forms mushrooms, like those housed in the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi</a>. Strains of the microscopic organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em> hang out on fruits and grains, feeding on their sugars, a process known as fermentation. Without plentiful yeast floating around, the first batches of bread made from freshly harvested barley wouldn’t rise, thus resulting in a flat unleavened loaf.</p> Over time practices have changed, new traditions and rules have taken hold. Matzah is mostly mass produced and made from wheat, rather than barley. The first harvest festival eventually became the time to reflect on freedom and how the Jewish people have overcome so much. But whenever I crunch into a piece of matzah, I am humbled and reminded by how much of impact an invisible fungus can have on our culture and customs.</p>
As staff and volunteers at the Helen Fowler Library begin to sort through and pack the library collections in preparation for the move to the Freyer – Newman Center, we are uncovering some remarkable things from Denver Botanic Gardens’ past.</p> The archival collections need to be sorted and packed with extra care, and during this process some hidden gems have been unearthed, among them a visitors register book and a ledger for the library from 1947—the earliest days of the Helen Fowler Library. At this point in its history, Denver Botanic Gardens still existed under the precursor organization, the Colorado Forestry and Horticulture Association, located at the Horticulture House on 1355 Bannock Street.</p> The visitors log tracked guests of the library, and the ledger tracked expenses and revenue of the library, including donations from multiple figures with historically significant relationships to the Gardens. Among them were Kathryn Kalmbach, for whom the herbarium was named; Ed White, the architect of the Boettcher Memorial Conservatory; S.R. DeBoer, the designer of the original plan of the Gardens; and many more.</p> It is wonderful to see the evidence of support that the library has been given in the past. Through it, the Helen Fowler Library has been able to provide research materials and information to staff and guests for more than 70 years. Today, with the ongoing support of members and individuals, and funding through grants from organizations like the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the library and our other non-living collections continue to grow and have the resources necessary to make the move to the new facility.</p> If the history of Denver Botanic Gardens and its founding figures is of interest to you, schedule an appointment to do research with the archival materials when the Helen Fowler Library reopens in the Freyer – Newman Center in 2020.</p>
When their gardens are blanketed in snow, what do the horticulturists at Denver Botanic Gardens do? Well, for starters, they still garden! When the temperature is above freezing, our dedicated horticulturists are still pruning, removing plant debris and impeccably maintaining gardens for the coming spring. During the winter, horticulturists also expand their job descriptions immensely. Allow me to share just a few examples.</p> First and foremost, horticulture at the level we strive for requires meticulous planning and preparation. This consumes a large portion of a horticulturist’s time during the winter. They synthesize observations and data recorded throughout the growing season. Understanding how plants, design schemes and watering regimen affected their garden, they can continuously improve from each year to the next.</p> The horticulturists create comprehensive designs for every garden and order and propagate plants during this time to be ready for the first sign of spring. Horticulturists really tap into their creativity to try new plants, new designs or new planting techniques to keep Denver Botanic Gardens one of the best botanic gardens in the country.</p> The Gardens’ horticulturists here aren’t satisfied with only expanding their own knowledge. They take their expertise and share it with the Colorado community. This information is provided through symposia, conferences, classes, presentations and career fairs.</p> One of the best parts of this time of year is the ability for our staff to really work with other departments at the Gardens, such as education, research or marketing, to develop workshops, tours and interpretation to make a patron’s visit more educational and interesting.</p> Beyond all this, winter provides time for some very interesting work – plant exploration. Botanic gardens are first and foremost living museums of plants. We are constantly striving to expand collections, both for horticultural interest and conservation. Winter here in the northern hemisphere means the growing season in the southern hemisphere. It provides a great opportunity to observe plants in their prime and collect seed around the globe. During these winter months, while our plants lie dormant, we can collect and add more unique and interesting plants for you to see on your next visit! A few past trips we have undertaken in the southern hemisphere include plant exploration and collecting in South Africa, Lesotho and Argentina (Patagonia).</p> Now when the gardens are covered in snow and the horticulturists hard to find, I hope you have an idea of the work they are engaged in.</p>
