The Summer Concert Series makes warm Colorado evenings magical.</p> This season, three standout shows still have tickets available: Allen Stone with The Burroughs</strong>, Soccer Mommy</strong> with Jawdropped</strong> and Gregory Porter</strong>. Each brings a completely different sound, but they all share the rare kind of intimacy you only get in the UMB Amphitheater at Denver Botanic Gardens, surrounded by lush gardens and summer twilight. </p> On July 8</strong>, Allen Stone</strong></a> brings his unmistakable blend of soul, funk and raw vocal power. He can turn a summer crowd into a choir—equal parts groove and heart. Expect big energy, big voice and a show that feels both polished and spontaneous under the evening sky.</p> The next night, July 9</strong>, Soccer Mommy</strong></a> </strong>takes the stage with her signature indie-rock sound—introspective, guitar-driven and emotionally precise. Her songs capture a quiet intensity that feels especially right in a close setting like the Gardens. This is a show for anyone who likes their summer nights with a little shimmer and honesty mixed in.</p> Later in the season, on August 10</strong>, Gregory Porter</strong></a> shares his rich, velvet baritone and timeless jazz-soul style. Influenced by Southern Gospel sound and his mother’s Nat King Cole record collection, h</span>is emotional storytelling creates the perfect late-summer music and nature synergy. </p> Part of what makes concert nights special isn’t just the lineup, but the experience itself: picnics on the grass, golden-hour light moving through the trees and feeling like you've been transported somewhere else for a few hours while still tucked in the heart of the city. Tickets for these few remaining shows won’t stay available for long, and if the past is any indication, they’ll disappear quickly once word gets out.</p> Summer always goes too quickly—but these nights at the Gardens are the ones worth catching before they’re gone. Get tickets for the Summer Concert Series</a>. </p>
Have you ever wondered what life would be like without pollinators? Without them, the diversity of fruits, vegetables and flowering plants would decline dramatically. Imagine fewer flowers along sidewalks and trails, fewer home gardens in full bloom, and produce sections at the grocery store looking a little less familiar than they do today.</p> When you create a pollinator-friendly garden you are helping your own garden as well as the global ecosystem.</p> Here are some easy steps to make your garden more vibrant and sustainable – and friendly to bees, beetles, flies, moths, butterflies, hummingbirds and bats:</p> Step 1: Go Natural</h4> Ween your garden off chemicals and pesticides. In addition to the cost, these chemicals can kill more than you bargained for or, even worse, lead to resistance through overuse. Ditch ‘em. We want an inviting environment for critters. </p> Try some of these strategies:</strong></p> Use compost and mulch for soil health to attract beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings and hoverflies.</li> Use natural sprays like a simple soap spray, garlic-mint repellent, hot pepper spray or vegetable oil spray.</li> Get rid of pests by hand. Pull weeds and manually remove caterpillars, beetles and hornworms. </li> </ul> Step 2: Plant Strategically</h4> Feature diverse, native plants. Plant in clusters that grow continuously throughout the seasons. Here are some suggestions, by season:</p> Spring</strong></p> Rocky Mountain columbine (Aquilegia caerulea</em>)</li> Golden currant (Ribes aureum</em>)</li> Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum</em>)</li> Desert beardtongue (Penstemon pseudospectabilis</em>)</li> </ul> Summer</strong></p> Chocolate flower (Berlandiera lyrata</em>)</li> Blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata</em>)</li> Blue mist penstemon (Penstemon virens</em>)</li> Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta</em>)</li> Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium</em>)Fall</strong></li> Rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa</em>)</li> Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium</em>)</li> Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliana</em>) </li> </ul> Step 3: Focus on Habitat</h4> If you want pollinators to be guests in your garden, be a good host. Leave some bare ground patches for ground-nesting bees. Leave a pile of twigs or small branches for beetles. And a bee hotel or a bat box can be a fun DIY project that will give your garden some personality. Visit the Birds and Bees Walk</a> to see some in person.</p> Additionally, think about water supply: shallow water bird baths for hummingbirds and puddlers for butterflies. Check out the Shop at the Gardens</a> to see what’s in stock—no admission is necessary to visit the gift shop.</p> Even small changes in a home landscape can help sustain biodiversity. </p> Celebrate pollinators with us at Big Day of Bugs</a>, Friday, June 26</strong>! Fun activities are planned from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. and included with admission.</p>
