September Walking Tour - Autumn Blooms

A new school year has arrived, the light is changing, and the final days of summer are coming to an end, which means autumn is around the corner. When people think about autumn in Colorado they think of the hillsides covered in brushstrokes of gold, but there is so much more to the changing of the seasons here if you take a closer look. There is no better place to see these colors in a landscape than at Denver Botanic Gardens. 

Luminescent Perennials

Begin on the path in the O’Fallon Perennial Walk and notice the luminescent color of the Salvia azurea var. grandiflora (pitcher sage) which shines amidst a backdrop of our native Juniperus scopulorum (Rocky Mountain juniper). Within this garden, you will see many other perennials and grasses donning their yellows and oranges of the season.

Follow the path to the Fragrance Garden and search for the Buddleja alternifolia (fountain butterfly bush). This shrub begins stunning our visitors in the spring with fragrant, lilac-purple flowers, but the weeping, fountain-like shape and the soft green and grey leaves are just lovely. A cool fall day is the perfect setting for a mindful stroll through this garden.   

Unexpected Color

Keep walking west and you won’t have to go far to see the unexpected colors of the late-blooming dahlias in the bed on the south border of the Four Towers Pool. This garden has many blooms that may offer you a warm feeling, but nothing says “pumpkin spice latte” like Dahlia ‘Brown Sugar’. This garden is another perfect spot to enjoy some solitude, listen to the sound of the fountain and reflect on the goodness gardens have to offer. 

Gorgeous Grasses

Right next door you will come across the Ornamental Grasses Garden, which offers a pleasing palette year-round. During the autumn months the colors and seedheads of the grasses are works of art that shine the brightest. A few that will catch your eye first are Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Saphirsprudel’ (blue oat grass), Deschampsia flexuosa (wavy hair grass) and Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Avalanche’ (feather reed grass). Mixed among the grasses is another masterpiece called Sedum ‘Dark Magic’ (dwarf stonecrop). This stonecrop is a lovely contrast to the grasses and is easy to find with its purple-black foliage and deep pink flowers. Not only do all of these plants provide seasonal interest, but they also offer food for wildlife. 

Living Art

Make sure to look through the oversized gold frame on the corner and you can imagine this landscape as an Impressionist painting. This frame is one of several at the Gardens and is part of our Blue Grass, Green Skies: American Impressionism and Realism exhibition. If you want the perfect social media photo op, this is the spot! To everything there is a season and just like the disappearing blooms and falling leaves of autumn, the exhibit ends on September 14 and the frames will be removed over the following weeks. 

International Inspiration

One garden that inspires you to slow down and enjoy autumn is June’s PlantAsia just down the sidewalk. This garden is full of trees and shrubs that offer up an endless display of colors and textures; from the beautiful evergreens like Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir) and Pinus nigra (Austrian pine) to the colorful maples. Wander past the ting, a Chinese pavilion, and find the Acer japonicum ‘Vitifolium’ (full moon maple) as it begins to turn yellow and red throughout the coming months. 

Maybe you need inspiration for your own home landscape, or you would like an invitation to be more mindful. Whatever it is, the Gardens has a lot to offer this autumn – cozy, colorful and comforting.