The first time I saw the sagebrush shrub steppe of North America, my mind melted. I grew up in a lush part of the country where tall shade trees blocked out the sky, we regularly lamented rain and the color green was taken for granted. The intense silver glow of the arid West was alien and exotic to my eyes and I instantly fell in love.</p> Plants have developed silver appearances as a reaction to the desiccating effects of sunlight and drought. Silver, grey, white and blue colorings of plants are the results of growing trichomes (plant hair), increased wax exudations on their surfaces or genetic mutations of cell colors called variegation. All of these adaptations help plants retain moisture and keep their cells cooler by increasing their surface albedo, their ability to reflect sunlight.</p> The American West is not alone in its glory of argent shrubbery. The world’s desert, Mediterranean, alpine and other steppe regions (Middle Asia, Patagonia, Argentina and Southern Africa) also hold their own wealth of silvers, and we’ve been zealously collecting these incredible beings in the Steppe Garden.</p> Begin exploring our collection by walking beneath the cottonwood trees on the eastern edge of the Steppe Garden.</strong> Look for the long white stems and yellow flowers of rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa</em>) emerging from the shortgrass prairie.</li> Head north on the curving gravel pathway.</strong> To your left you’ll see the Southern African Helichrysum trilineatum</em>, a small silver mound, full of yellow flowers.</li> Then, just beyond, exploding around the edges of the garden’s spinal stones, the fine-leaved Gomphostigma virgatum</em>.</li> Walk a bit further </strong>and you’ll see a collection of steppe shrubs—the shimmering and columnar Shepherdia argentea </em>‘Totem’; the three-lobed, almost-white Artemisia cana</em>; and the soft and sprawling Artemisia ludoviciana</em>—all extremely important plants in our local shrub steppe ecosystem.</li> At the end of this path</strong>, under the boughs of Austrian pine, you’ll see a small plant with thick, pearly leaves. This is Shepherdia rotundifolia</em>, usually a resident of areas further southwest than Denver, but surviving in our colder climate, none-the-less.</li> Continue following the westerly curve of the pathway</strong> to the Middle Asian section of the Steppe Garden to the tall and graceful Caragana microphylla </em>‘Mongolian Silver Spires’. Look, but don’t get too close, as tiny thorns protect this shrub from grazing animals.</li> Cut southeast on the gravel path </strong>that runs between the two Middle Asian garden beds to see the ultra-white and very fragrant Helichrysum maracandicum</em>, </em>which, when gently touched, gives off the scent of curry spices!</li> Journey across the canal to the Patagonian sections of the Steppe Garden </strong>to glimpse our last three shrubs, all from the important steppe genus of asters, Senecio</em>, including S. patagonicus</em>, S. filaginoides</em> and S. bracteolatus</em>.</li> </ul> Now, with your eyes attuned to the beauty of silver, continue exploring the gleaming shrubs of the Gardens.</p>
My internship did not happen the way I expected: masks, social distancing, cancelled events and field trips. As the Therapeutic Horticulture Intern, I dreamed of working with a variety of people in therapeutic programs to figure out if I want to become a certified horticultural therapist. 2020 had other plans. Typically, the therapeutic horticulture intern observes, leads and creates new programs that connect people with themselves and plants. However, I had to overcome the challenge of distance (and distancing) and come up with a project that would be safe, sanitary and possibly done from home. Luckily, I was able to learn from and bounce ideas off my mentor, Manager of Therapeutic Horticulture Programs Angie Andrade. </p> I was inspired by the idea of the language of flowers, which connects the inherent beauty of flowers with associated meanings, to create a reflection sheet—a list of thought-provoking questions accompanied by a photo of the flower being discussed—that could be used in future therapeutic programs. These reflection sheets will help get participants socially engaged and connected with themselves and others. </p> While the language of flowers seems like a light subject on its own, the meanings I chose to dive into get heavy quickly. I chose five flowers to discuss: yellow rose (friendship), yarrow (healing inspiration), black-eyed Susan (justice), chamomile (energy in adversity) and red & white rose together (unity). Each flower choice is meant to address COVID-19 and racial tension/injustice. </p> Below is an example of the content I have created for people to reflect on their experiences in 2020: </p> Yellow Rose—Friendship </h4> Friend – a person attached to another by feelings of affection; a supporter Rosa </em>‘Wekvossutono’ —Julia Child Rose </p> Reflection questions: </p> What first comes to mind / feelings you have when you notice a yellow rose? </li> How has COVID-19 affected your friendships and close relationships? How did you have to adjust? Are you still adjusting? </li> Reflect on your gratitude for friendship. Reach out to a friend and share what their friendship has meant to you. </li> </ol> Nature has a unifying power in times of intense division. Mental health is always important, but especially during this global pandemic and the anti-racism movement. </p> I invite you to take the time to slow down, contemplate and appreciate the beauty that persists even in difficult times. Tend the garden of your heart. Take a moment to reflect. How can you lift others up? I believe that asking yourself good questions and processing your feelings will give your heart the rest and perspective needed to keep going in this fight. This post was written by Rudi Wimberley, therapeutic horticulture intern. Rudi is a senior at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, majoring in Plant Sciences with a concentration in Sustainable Landscape Design. She grew up in a small rural town called Paris in Tennessee. She hopes to continue pursuing her passion for people, plants, and art through a career in landscape design after graduation. </em> </p>
Sweet: Her happy-go-lucky disposition, endearing awkwardness, and ability to make you feel like the most special person in the room. </p> Bitter: The gaping, empty space she has left behind.</p> 2020 has been a collective experience in massive loss. There is the loss of “normal” life: getting together with friends, going to restaurants and movie theaters and sporting events, handshakes, hugs. The loss, for some, of businesses beloved or businesses owned. Of jobs and a sense of security. The loss of acres and acres of land, trees, homes, wildlife and humans to raging fires. There is the incomprehensible loss of life due to COVID-19—around the world, in the U.S., within Colorado and for some, in families. And there is the loss of loved ones whose time has come naturally. </p> It is said that on November 1 and 2 the veil between this world and the spirit world is thinnest. This is when the souls of our loved ones traverse the distance between worlds to visit us. The Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead—takes place on these days to observe loss by celebrating life. Bright colors, armloads of orange flowers, butterflies, rich foods and big festivals full of music, dance and unique, skeleton-based iconography mark this holiday. </p> At the heart of it all is the altar: the sacred space of honor dedicated to departed loved ones.</p> And while the big celebration and joyful coming together is important, so, too, is quiet remembrance and the placing of ofrendas </em>(offerings) on the altar.</p> Particularly this year, observing Día by creating an altar may be a healing experience. You may even want to honor a place or a part of life prior to COVID-19 that you’re mourning.</p> To begin, find a flat surface and drape a cloth over it (Día is a joyful celebration, so it’s okay use something colorful). Place photos of your departed loved ones (or something that represents a place or experience) on it. Fill the altar with things they enjoyed in life—toys, jewelry, their favorite album, sports memorabilia. Whatever makes you think of them. </p> Next, add traditional elements to the altar. Papel picado</em></a> are multi-colored tissue paper garlands that represent the fragility of life. Marigolds</a> attract spirits back with their scent. Elaborately decorated sugar skulls</a> and calaveras </em>(skeletons) remind us that death is part of life, and to feel joy and happiness for the lives our loved ones lived, rather than dwell on the grief of their passing. </p> Finally, light candles to illuminate the spirits’ path and burn incense to help guide them. Place their favorite drink on the altar to quench their thirst after their journey. They’ll be hungry, too, so don’t forget their favorite food (traditional foods include pan de muerto</em>, mole and tamales, but you can use whatever your loved ones enjoyed in life). </p> Whether you safely gather with others, join friends and family over Zoom, or are spending Día de los Muertos by yourself, take time to reflect on your love and loss. Share special memories, listen to their favorite music, sit in silent contemplation. Cry if it helps—but don’t be afraid to laugh. This is the balance between the bitter and the sweet. </p> </p>
The Gardens’ mission is to connect people with plants. The actions we take in pursuit of that mission are guided by our core values, one of which remains especially relevant today: diversity. We have an incredible and obvious diversity among our plant collections, but we also strive for a diversity in the people we are connecting with those plants. </p> Many items in the Helen Fowler Library sit at the intersection of people and plants, as a lot of our books can give us more than just the botanical information found within their pages; they retain cultural and historical associations with their authors, printers and publishers. We have books from all over the world – representing almost 30 different languages – in both our circulating and historical collections, and some of the stories we uncover when we look more closely at them are fascinating. </p> </picture> </div> </div> </article> Take, for instance, our late 19th century copy of “Flora de Filipinas” – the work as a whole is made up of four text installments composed in Manila and two volumes of plates printed in Barcelona, all completed less than 20 years before the Philippines declared its independence from Spain. All the text is in both Latin and Spanish.</p> The chief illustrator of “Flora de Filipinas”, Regino García y Baza (1840-1916), was a Spanish mestizo artist and botanist. García headed a team of 12 Filipino and five Spanish artists, all of whom were born in the Philippines or had been living and working there for a while prior to the start of the project. They were all trained in the styles of Don Agustín Sáez y Glanadell and Don Lorenzo Rocha é Icaza, a very precise and academic training that ensured accurate depictions of the plants. </p> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </p> </picture> </div> </div> </article> Those working on “Flora de Filipinas” did so during an interesting time in Spanish and Filipino history. The work was published in fascicles</a> between 1877 and 1883. In 1872, there had been a small Filipino revolt against Spanish rule. In 1880 one of the artists, Lorenzo Guerrero y Leogardo (1835-1904), received an award from Spain for his art but refused to wear Western clothes and instead sported the Filipino barong tagalog as a show of nationalism for the pinning ceremony. </p> The chief illustrator, García, was one of two artists working on “Flora de Filipinas” later appointed to the Malolos Congress that ratified the Proclamation of Philippine Independence in 1898. Much of García’s work was lost when the United States bombed Manila during World War II but around 100 plates of his work can still be found in this book. </p> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </h3> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </h3> Explore more!</h3> A copy of this work in the Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid has been digitized and is available online for anyone to view. While the Helen Fowler Library’s copy has black and white line drawings (with some hand-coloring added later), Madrid’s digitized version is one of the 500 copies that was issued in full color. Visit links in the library’s online catalog</a> to decide which volume you’ll be exploring first! </p>
The amazingly diverse kingdom of Fungi has recently gained increased attention from the world of bioscience, nature lovers and citizen scientists. Because of brilliant new technologies developed in the last decades to differentiate, understand genetically and clarify the roles fungi play within the habitats in which they are found, we are becoming so much more aware of the absolutely essential role of fungi. </p> There is a mantra circulating among the citizen science world that helps us remember the importance of fungi: </p> No fungi? No plants. No plants? No animals. No animals? No us.</p> Yes, the entire planet as we know it is absolutely dependent upon fungi! Some fungi live in a mutually beneficial relationship with trees and other plants, sharing nutrients and protection. Forever adaptable, some fungi, on the other hand, are pathogens in our forests and other natural areas. Some are recyclers, breaking down woody debris, dead grasses and natural waste to be used as food for other organisms again and again. </p> And to think, a few decades ago, fungi were not even given their own kingdom – they were just included with plants. We have certainly learned a lot since then, most importantly that fungi are more closely related to us than they are to plants!</p> Around the same time that science began to differentiate fungi from plants, Dr. Sam Mitchel, a medical internist in Denver, became fascinated with the mushrooms that he and his family found in the mountains of Eagle County. Sam began a collection of mushrooms in order to understand what was growing in our natural regions. He eventually brought his pioneering fungal herbarium to Denver Botanic Gardens in the early 1960s. The rest is history! Today, we collect fungi throughout the seasons – recording, studying and preserving fungal specimens from the Rocky Mountain Region in the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi</a>, now housed in the Freyer – Newman Center for Science, Art and Education</a>. </p> Each mushroom collecting season is a different one, as anyone would attest watching the various kinds of weather, storms and spells of drought-like conditions we have experienced this year. Whatever the weather, we collect the fungal fruitings, generally known as mushrooms, in various habitats among their plant partners from high mountain areas down to the prairies in our beautiful diverse regions. Because of our dry season this year in Colorado, we found relatively few fungi, but in a few cases some unusual ones. A diverse sampling of those common or quite unusual fungi are pictured here. Each is currently being processed into the herbarium. </p>
There is something about breathing in the cool, crisp air of late September mornings, wearing light sweaters, sipping on warm, seasonal drinks and enjoying the gentle, warm colors of reds, yellows and oranges that make autumn my favorite time of year. Among the many wonderful perks of the season, it is also the perfect opportunity to make perennial additions to your garden.</p> If adding to your gardens in the fall before the first frost intimidates you, don’t let it – there are a surprising number of benefits to planting perennials this time of year.</p> </picture> </div> </article> Cooler Air Temperatures of Autumn Are Easy-Going for Both Gardener and Garden</strong></p> By the time autumn comes, the temperatures have dipped down from the oftentimes scalding heat of late spring/summer. This can be pleasant for you, the gardener, and the plants, as these mild temperatures will allow them adequate time to establish without high temperature stress. Not to mention you will likely bypass the nasty hailstorms of spring that can damage your young plants…and your determination. </p> Soil Temperatures Still Warm for Healthy Roots</strong></p> As we know in Colorado, the weather can be rather sporadic; we can be enjoying a pleasant 75-degrees one day, then get blasted with a snowstorm the next. It happens every year, but again, don’t let Colorado’s intense weather fluxes intimidate you. Despite our intermittent weather, often enough the soil is still warm from summer to allow roots to establish. Also, there is no need to worry too much about above-ground frost. Although the frost will stop the growth of the plant above ground, it will not necessarily kill the plant…roots will continue to grow and should be able to establish properly before the soil freezes solid, no matter what is happening with the air temperature. </p> </picture> </div> </div> </article> Planting in Fall Helps the Gardener Plan for the Next Growing Season</strong></p> At this point in the year, observations of the past season are still visible. Were there empty patches in your garden that can be filled next year? Is there a place that could use seasonal interest, or want to add a specific texture? You may be able to better visualize these types of considerable changes before you cut plants back and forget by the time spring comes.</p> These are only a few of numerous benefits to fall plantings. I like to plant woody plants (though they may need winter watering if we don't have consistent snow cover, especially evergreens, to keep needles/leaves from desiccating during establishment*) and good-sized herbaceous perennials in the fall, usually in bare root form (i.e. cleaning off all the soil from the roots before planting). Ornamental grasses, native perennials and bulbs</span></span> – pretty much anything you can currently find at your local garden center should be good for planting, and you might get a great deal as they don’t want to overwinter the plants in pots!* </span></span></p> Don’t forget that these plants have just finished a growing cycle, and although they may look a little bushed as you plant, they should come back looking great come spring. Giving them this extra time to establish will ensure larger, healthier plants next spring and summer. Whatever you decide to add this fall, I guarantee you will see sweet luscious success in the next growing season!</p> This blog post and photos first appeared as an article by Denver Botanic Gardens Horticulturist, Greenhouse Production, Brooke Palmer in Life on Capitol Hill, September 2020.</em></p> *Additional information provided by Associate Director of Horticulture Cindy Newlander.</em></p>
