My love and familiarity in tropical and subtropical climates drew me to the tropical plant-mapping internship at Denver Botanic Gardens. I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and moved to Colorado after Hurricane Katrina. Despite growing up around the Denver metro area, New Orleans was still somewhere I considered home, and the climate was something I’ve remained fascinated by. I was overjoyed to get this internship because it would provide a chance to expand on my knowledge of something already near and dear to my heart.</p> This summer I had the pleasure of working on the tropical team in both the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory</a> and the greenhouses. My project was to map the Tropical Conservatory, but I also helped maintain the plants in greenhouses one and five, created the treehouse display in the Tropical Conservatory and propagated for the plant sales and gift shop. Throughout the summer I propagated a number of plants, including Tradescantia </em>(baby bunny belly and zebrina) and Fittonia </em>(red nerve plant). </p> The Tropical Conservatory was built in the 1960s, and a lot of the plants had not been entered into the Gardens’ database, BG Base, since the 1990s. However, when entering the updated locations and statuses of the plants, I was amazed at the records behind each plant. The notes that came along with each plant created an entire history of its time before the Gardens. Each plant is a relic, and our plant records team is uniquely amazing at upholding those legacies. </p> By mapping each bed, I was also contributing to upholding the history of the plants and of the Tropical Conservatory as a whole. Each Wednesday I, along with my mentor Nick, went go into the Tropical Conservatory and recorded which plants were where they were supposed to be in the beds, which plants were supposed to be in the beds and were either dead or removed, and then which plants needed to be added to the map and then later to BG Base. I am proud to say that during this internship we mapped the entire Tropical Conservatory, save for the treehouse. Not all the beds have been entered, but the fact that there are up-to-date paper maps is huge.</p> I also worked with three other interns throughout the summer, working in different gardens each week and going on field trips on Fridays. Each activity was an amazing opportunity and I’m so thankful for my fellow interns and Denver Botanic Gardens’ employees for their generosity and patience in teaching us about their ecosystems.</p> This article was contributed by Moira Newman</strong>, tropical plant mapping and curatorship intern. </em> </p>
It’s time to celebrate plants in the allium family! This spicy plant family includes garlic, onions, chives, leeks and more. Edible alliums bring fragrance and depth to almost any savory dish and are a joy to grow and harvest yourself. </p> Unlike many edible plants, growing (and eating) plants in this family is a year-round endeavor and fall is a time for new beginnings. At Chatfield Farms, our favorites include several varieties of garlic and onions. In Colorado, these crops are generally harvested in July and August and then dried, or cured, for several weeks indoors. By September the stems should be completely dried and can be trimmed off leaving the bulbs ready for storage or consumption.</p> Just as soon as everything is trimmed and stored, it’s time to start preparing to plant for the following year. At Chatfield Farms, we have had success planting onion seeds outside as late as September, and we plant garlic in late October to enjoy the following spring. Once overwintering garlic and onions are planted and tucked in under a layer of straw, we wait a few short months for February when it’s time to start onion seedlings indoors to plant outside next spring. </p> If you plan to plant garlic or onions in your own garden remember to pay attention to the qualities of different seed varieties you can choose from for best results. Here are a few tips for choosing your seed: </p> There are two main types of garlic, “hardneck” and “softneck.”</li> Hardneck garlic varieties produce woody flower stalks. The stalks emerge as soft shoots also known as “scapes,” which should be pulled off the plant when they curl to allow bulbs to fully form. Scapes are edible and delicious. </li> Softneck garlic varieties do not produce stalks or scapes, these are better for braiding and can store for longer periods of time. </li> Onion bulb formation depends heavily on sunlight hours available to the plant, which differ from region to region. Check out this resource</a> on long-day, intermediate-day and short-day onion varieties. </li> </ul>
Have you ever thought of how beautiful decay can be? If not, an autumn garden is the perfect time and place to consider this perspective. Gardens may be less vibrant and loud than in their spring and summer symphonies, but the muted colors and waning tunes of fall hold their own precious place in a garden's lifespan. With critters settling down and forbs fading into dormancy, it is the perfect time to consider the quieter aspects of a garden’s essence. Both ecologically and aesthetically, an autumn garden has a lot going on.</p> Consider all the brown. Boring? How about not? All this decomposing biomass is the nutrient gold that endows next year’s profusion of flowers, and precious shelter for insects. With all this brown, autumn’s color palette still offers intrigue. Are those perennials a chocolatey hazelnut, reddish russet, golden yellow or another hue that you can pick out? Muffled and sleepy, plants are not asking for attention right now. Yet, they still offer soft beauty for those willing to look beyond blooms.</p> Textures take the show. Can you find oddly shaped seed heads like spiky Echinacea lollipops, bursts of Solidago and dotty Penstemon stalks? One can admire the interesting details of these skeletal remains on a chilly visit to the garden. Additionally, these perennial remnants provide valuable forage and shelter for wildlife during the cold months to come. Overall, these dried-out perennials give a haunting enchantment to viewers and a necessary habitat in the ecosystem.</p> Since foliage is dropping, one can better view the bones of a garden. Do shrubs cascade, mound or reach upward in vase-like elegance? Do grasses stand tall and stately, splay out freely or droop like a ruddy mop of hair? Do tree forms seem tightly columnar, funky and irregular or spread in an epic reach? Where green once held space, now shape and structure reveal themselves. For the ecologically minded, now is a chance to see hiding spots like old nests and squirrel highways as they run and jump across branches. These are also the places where creatures hunker down for the winter. Both in visual design and in habitat function, structures like trees, grasses and shrubs hold a garden together. </p> Every season has something to offer, including the withering and wilting of an autumn garden. Hopefully, you will have a chance to bundle up and visit Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms</a> or York Street</a> to see fall’s glory. </p> This article was contributed by Horticulturist Abigail McLennan</strong>. </em></p>
Ahoy there, me hearties! Gather 'round as we set sail on a swashbucklin' adventure like no other at Denver Botanic Gardens. On the 19th of September, we be celebratin' Talk Like a Pirate Day in style. But this ain't just any ordinary celebration – it's a treasure hunt of the botanic kind.</p> Arr, ye can start yer quest by layin' eyes on a map at the information desk in Boettcher Memorial Center or the Science Pyramid—or ye can download one</a>. If ye fancy usin' a virtual map, ye'll find a QR code on the physical map and on signs scattered 'round the Gardens. When ye scan it with yer trusty device, it'll whisk ye away to a virtual StoryMap, unveilin' secrets and tales 'bout the very treasures ye be seekin'. </p>
I am incredibly grateful to have been selected for the Rock Alpine Garden curation and mapping internship position at Denver Botanic Gardens. I looked forward to coming to work every day and getting to work and learn in such a beautiful place, surrounded by such amazing scientific scholars.</p> During my internship I assisted with the general upkeep and maintenance of the Rock Alpine Garden</a>. I learned what weeds to look out for and spent many hours weeding among the flowers. I find weeding to be relaxing and meditative, making this one of my favorite parts of the job. I also watered plants growing in the nursery and watered the 33 troughs scattered throughout the garden beds.</p> I also replaced plant labels, which identify the scientific name of the plant, the common name, the plant family it is a part of and what part of the world the plant is found in. There were an enormous number of labels that were waiting to be placed. I first organized the labels into piles based on the garden beds they were located in, then my mentor Mike Kintgen and I went out and placed the labels. Sometimes we could not locate the plant or found it had died, which is also very valuable information that we recorded on a log sheet to be updated to the Gardens’ database.</p> The final part of my internship was plant mapping. Mike and I located plants from a list of unmapped plants in the Rock Alpine Garden. We then drew their locations on a paper printout of the garden bed in colored pencil and later entered them into BG base so that we had an online record of these plants.</p> I have learned so much about alpine ecosystems and gained appreciation for them. Alpine ecosystems are greatly threatened by climate change and working with endangered alpine plants is of deep interest to me. I also learned that the Gardens has multiple locations and many collaborations, and discovered the impressive amount of research, educational programming and outreach that is done at the Gardens. Visiting the other locations (such as Chatfield Farms and Mount Goliath) as well as other botanical gardens on weekly field trips was extremely valuable and showed me how many different paths horticulture offers. I am so impressed and amazed by all this and feel incredibly lucky to have had this opportunity.</p> This article was contributed by Rock Alpine Garden curation and mapping intern Laurel Trout</strong>. </em></p>
This is less of a walking tour and more of a destination exploration. The striking installation on the eastern end of the boardwalk in Denver Botanic Gardens' Birds and Bees Walk was designed to showcase the intricate relationships between natural materials and wildlife. This sculptural and organic installation combines artistry with ecological functionality, emphasizing the essential role of natural elements in fostering biodiversity. Let’s dive into the intricacies together:</p> 1. Dead Wood and Bark</h3> The primary layer is built from reclaimed dead wood and large expanses of bark, reflecting the vital role decaying trees play in ecosystems. These natural materials create a lattice of crevices and cavities that mimic the shelter provided by tree trunks. Birds, insects and other small animals find refuge here.</p> 2. Insect Hotels</h3> Nestled within are clusters of small sticks and hollow plant stems. These provide solitary bees, such as mason and leafcutter bees, with safe nesting sites. The carefully arranged hotels demonstrate how simple interventions can support pollinators, whose activities are crucial for plant reproduction and ecosystem health.</p> 3. Material Pockets</h3> This installation was designed as an extensive material library; a place where any creature can take or borrow what it might need. Often overlooked as mere waste or mulch, these materials are carefully arranged in woolen pockets that hang throughout the structure, holding leaves, pine needles, duff and fibers for nest-building and shelter.</p> 4. The Tapestry of Fibers</h3> Woven into the design are strands of natural fibers like grass, cotton, wool, silk and flax. These fibers provide birds with vital nesting materials and insects with safe hiding spots. Can you spot fibers from this structure repurposed in nearby trees or bushes to form intricate nests? </p> 5. Bird Houses</h3> Each birdhouse varies in size and shape, accommodating different species like chickadees, wrens or bluebirds, with tailored entryways and internal dimensions. Beyond their practical function, these havens demonstrate the importance of intentional design in supporting wildlife through offering safe spaces for birds to nest, rest and raise their young.</p> More than an installation, this is a living example of how human creativity and natural processes can merge to foster biodiversity. How can you create more space for other creatures in your own life?</p> To explore the structures of the Birds and Bees Walk further, read Bring Out Your Dead! Complex Spaces in the Habitat Gardens</a>. </p> </p>
