It’s fascinating to wonder when it happened. For millions of years of human development, consciousness was deeply integrated into daily experiences within what we now call the natural world. Of course, it is and has always been, well, the world. </p> Then, as we learned more about fungi, flora and fauna, and especially about how to cultivate them for our ease of use, many populations began to think of human and nature as two distinct groups of life. We started to think of ourselves as dominant. </p> That’s where science came to play. Trial and error, developing best practices and of course making huge mistakes along the way – all led to procedures and protocols for rudimentary agriculture and more reliable success at tracking and hunting.</p> As the relationships with other life changed, so did our ability to express the feelings we had toward all types of life, especially those who resisted our urge for control. Animals and plants became powerful characters in human cosmology. Our myths included daring tales of encounters and beautiful visions of balance. Throughout the early stages of this changing relationship, humans maintained a powerful sense of respect for the rest of the natural world. We were still a part of it.</p> Then, around 5,000 years ago, some emerging human civilizations, though still not all, began to craft a world view that there was human nature and nature nature. Two different and often opposed constructs of life. In most of our society, the distinction of nature from ourselves is deep in our psyche now and has daily consequences. On the one hand, everything that builds our actual lives comes from the rest of the natural world because we are co-created. On the other hand, much of what we contribute to the rest of earthly life has been less than beneficial.</p> Let’s take horticulture as a germane example. In the arid high steppe of Colorado, we long ago decided that an East Coast or European aesthetic was somehow a good idea. We laid out our yards, gardens and parks with inappropriate trees and shrubs, and massive bluegrass lawns. We overuse scarce water, destroy habitat (except for pariahs like Japanese Beetles), and roll up high costs for chemicals and maintenance. Yet, when we wander the foothills of our mountains, if we came across a broad meadow of bluegrass, we would be appalled. </p> The most amazing things begin to happen, though, when we remember that we are indeed part of the natural world. When we respect that fact and work to restore the land around us, life comes roaring back. Indigenous animals, insects, plants and fungi reappear, seemingly overnight. Health is refreshed.</p> These lessons, it turns out, are not that difficult. They often save time and money. The result is more than appropriate, it is truly joyful. So, let’s do it.</p> The summer issue of Inside the Gardens is out now. Read it today</a>.</p>
Conservation is the careful maintenance and upkeep of natural resources to prevent them from disappearing. A natural resource is the physical supply of something that exists in nature, such as soil, water, air, plants, animals and energy. At the Gardens, we care for all these, especially plants and their environment. </p> How does storytelling relate to conservation and why does it matter? We can harness the power of storytelling to inspire a love for wildlife and the environment. If we read a wildlife story and connect emotionally with characters and their happiness and struggles, we are more likely to empathize with real-life conservation challenges faced by nature and wildlife today. </p> Storytelling provides insights into the past, bridging generations, and empowering communities to be stewards of the land. Storytelling transcends boundaries and makes conservation accessible to everyone.</p> By showcasing the beauty and fragility of nature through narratives, we empower individuals to become guardians of the environment and inspire the next generation of nature enthusiasts. Whether it's planting native wildflowers to support pollinators or advocating for protected habitats, every action inspired by a story contributes to the collective effort of a wilder future.</p> Visit York Street and enjoy stories of all kinds from fiction to non-fiction at the Helen Fowler Library</a>. The Gardens also produces films related to conservation and stewardship, on view in the Sturm Family Auditorium</a> and included with admission. Additionally, you may encounter a Learning Cart while onsite, where you can get a closer look at elements of nature.</p> We also hope to inspire future generations to engage in environmental stewardship and conservation by connecting them to plants and the world around them. In Mordecai Children's Garden</a> at York Street, kids can explore a place just for them. At Chatfield Farms, they can</span> hear more about the lives of butterflies from experts at the Butterfly House</a> or participate in Strolling Stories</a>, which combines story time and nature hikes. And at the Plains Conservation Center in Aurora</a>, visitors of all ages can learn about life on the prairie, from the wildlife living there now to the homesteaders and Cheyenne people who lived there in the 1800s.</p> On your next visit to the Gardens, be sure to dig into some of nature’s stories. </p> This article was contributed by Laboratory Technician Theresa Melhem</strong>. </em></p> </p>
Things are a little different this summer at Chatfield Farms with construction underway for our Master Development Plan. With that comes a new, temporary entrance to our Lavender Garden, located on the east side of the garden.</p> As you approach the lavender, lift your nose and smell the sweet, herbal and even citrusy scents. Linalyl acetate, limonene and camphor </strong>are three aromatic compounds in lavender responsible for its smell. Each variety of lavender holds a different combination of these compounds. Chatfield Farms hosts 25 different varieties across the garden fields and borders, and each one has a slightly different scent.</li> Sweet smelling Lavandula angustifolia</em> (English lavender) will lead you up the pathway to your right and through rows of aromatic mounds. Walk between the rows and be sure to smell plants from neighboring rows as well. Which variety smells sweetest?</li> Approach the end of this field and take another long sniff. You may notice a subtle change of scent. The perpendicular rows of Lavandula</em> × intermedia </em>(lavandin) to your left have a stronger and more herbal smell. Look for ‘Riverina Thomas’, ‘Super’ and ‘Edelweiss’ varieties. Here the smell is reminiscent of a lavender-scented cleaning product. Lavandin is a hybrid species of lavender that has higher traces of camphor</strong>, giving it a medicinal scent rather than a sweet one.</li> Finish your stroll through the eastern fields and approach the Butterfly House. Around this seasonal covered hoop house, you will find an array of companion plants and shrubs. All the perennials in this garden complement lavender's color and growth habits. Hidden among these xeric companion plants are several Lavandula angustifolia</em> ‘Maillette’ plants. Find a Maillette lavender near the pathway and breathe in the aroma. This variety contains higher amounts of linalyl acetate</strong> and therefore smells even sweeter.</li> Continue moving toward the fields on the western side of the garden. One of the varieties here was cultivated with higher traces of limonene</strong>. Because of this, it will smell more citrus-like than any other variety in the collection. Can you find the citrus-scented lavender?</li> </ul> Be sure to catch the plants in full bloom nearing mid-July. Better yet, come back for the annual Lavender Festival on Saturday and Sunday, July 20 and 21</strong></a>.</strong></p> The lavender will be harvested during the last two weeks of July, so don’t wait too long to bring your nose for a visit this summer.</p> Gallery photos by Scott Dressel-Martin and Shealyn Elstein (Lavandula angustifolia</em> ‘Maillette’)</em></p>
During this year’s City Nature Challenge</a>, researchers and citizen scientists alike in the Denver-Boulder metro area</a> documented different lifeforms, capturing the biodiversity of the places we recreate at and call home. On April 26, several graduate students including myself, staff and volunteers from Denver Botanic Gardens visited Chatfield Farms’ Deer Creek Natural Area.</p> Underneath the eastern cottonwoods, western chokecherries and snowberries, I noticed a small, peach-colored plant emerging next to a log. Upon closer inspection, we realized this was a striped coralroot orchid (Corallorhiza striata</em>). Striped coralroot orchids can’t photosynthesize, instead gathering all their nutrients and energy by parasitizing fungi. Plants like these are called mycoheterotrophs and are recognizable as they don’t have any green parts. Striped coralroot orchids can live for several decades. </p> This orchid species hadn’t been recorded at Chatfield Farms despite thorough plant surveys and is rarely documented in Jefferson County</a>. Across different herbaria collections, there is only one striped coralroot voucher</a> that was made in Jefferson County and that was in 1905—119 years ago.</p> Why hadn’t the plant been documented at Chatfield Farms before? Perhaps it was the timing of surveys — plant surveys were completed in late spring and early summer. While the striped coralroot orchid native range spans parts of Canada, the United States and Mexico, these plants usually grow in small numbers. </p> We returned to Deer Creek Natural Area two weeks later to collect a specimen as a voucher for the Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium. Having physical specimens is important as a resource for research that cannot occur through written or photographic records. </p> First, we confirmed that there were several other striped coralroot orchids in the area. Without the high contrast of the fallen log, the other dozen individuals nearby were well-camouflaged. We wrote notes about the habitat the plants were found, and carefully extracted two flowering stems and roots. </p> The specimen will be mounted on an herbarium sheet, accessioned and integrated into the Kathyrn Kalmbach Herbarium. This means the specimen will be digitized and searchable through public databases like SEINET</a>. We also made observations on iNaturalist, a database where striped coralroot orchids have been documented from four different areas in Jefferson County</a>, including at Chatfield State Park 8 years ago. As of May 18, an iNaturalist user documented a striped coralroot orchid in almost the same spot</a>. I encourage anyone to give citizen science projects a try — you never know what you may discover. </p> This article was contributed by Botany Assistant, Research, My-Lan Le.</strong></em></p>
Denver Botanic Gardens houses more than 100,000 preserved plant, fungal and insect specimens that are used for a multitude of purposes including scientific study. As part of my job as the collection's assistant, I see almost every single specimen incorporated into our collections. One of my favorite things to do is learn about who collected these specimens. I thought it would be fun to share the stories of some of the collectors whose specimens are housed here at the Gardens.</p> The oldest specimen in our collection was collected by Dr. Johann Wilhelm Helfer (1810 – 1840) in Calcutta, India in 1837. Johann was born in Prague and ended up in Calcutta after parting from an expedition down the Euphrates River. Most of the collections he made were deposited at Kew Botanical Gardens in London, UK, but we ended up with one of his specimens through a series of exchanges. Unfortunately, Johann’s career was cut short after he was hit with an arrow on an expedition to the Andaman Islands. </p>
In June of 2022, an extensive collection of Opuntia and Cylindropuntia hybrids were donated to Chatfield Farms</a>. The hybrids came from local cactus man Kelly Grummons, owner of Cold Hardy Cactus</a>. </p> A sloped, south-facing hillside was selected as the location for the cactus collection’s new home. The hillside is an extension of the Plant Select® Demonstration Garden situated across from the Lavender Garden. Due to its slope and aspect, this hillside would allow for good drainage, warmth and full sun, which are crucial for many types of cacti. It was decided that the garden would be completely unirrigated.</p> Dan Johnson, associate director & curator of native plant collections at York Street, assisted Grace Johnson, assistant manager of horticulture Chatfield Farms, with the foundation and layout of the garden. Large boulders, many of which were long and narrow, were placed to mimic the slope of the hillside and to create microclimates for some of the Opuntia varieties. A pea gravel mulch was used to top dress the garden.</p> A number of companion plants were chosen to withstand zero supplemental irrigation. Most of the plants chosen are in the Plant Select® Program, as they have been known to withstand harsh conditions and drought. Once plants were installed, only the companion plants were watered in. Opuntia and Cylindropuntia do not like root disturbance or being watered in during planting. The companion plants were watered three times a week for three weeks. Since then, the entire garden has received only the precipitation that comes from the sky.</p> In its second growing season, the cacti have begun to flower profusely, and the companion plants are filling out and thriving. The Opuntia flowers are constantly visited by numerous native bee species once they open in the morning sun. Weed pressure is nearly non-existent due to the site preparations taken while building the garden, and the lack of irrigation. It is truly a low-maintenance, beautiful display garden of what is possible to grow in Colorado without irrigation.</p> Some of the companion plants: Lavandula angustifolia</em> ‘Wee One’ (dwarf English lavender), Achillea ageratifolia</em> (Greek yarrow), Delosperma </em>‘Lavender Ice’ (ice plant), Delosperma </em>Red Mountain Flame (ice plant), Gazania krebsiana </em>TANAGER® gazania, Hesperaloe parviflora</em> (red yucca), Kniphofia caulescens</em> (regal torch lily), Osteospermum </em>‘Avalanche’ (white sun daisy), Psephellus simplicicaulis </em>‘Bellina’ pink cornflower, Agastache rupestris</em> SUNSET hyssop, Amorpha nana</em> (dwarf leadplant), Nolina greenei </em>(beargrass), Campanula incurve </em>(bellflower), Festuca glauca </em>'Elijah Blue' (blue fescue)</p> Some of the featured Opuntia: Opuntia macrorhiza</em> ‘Loveliness’, Opuntia phaeacantha</em> ‘Orang-I-Tang’, Opuntia x</em> ‘Nambe Winter Glow’, Opunta rhodanta</em> ‘Snowball’, Opuntia macrocentra x polyacantha </em>‘Peach Pie’, Opuntia x</em> ‘Prolific Rose’, Opuntia polyacantha</em> ‘Nebraska Orange’, Opuntia basilaris</em>, Opuntia polyacantha</em> ‘Idaho Falls Pink’, Opuntia polyacantha</em> ‘Gold Mine’, Opuntia fragilis x humifusa </em>‘East Meets West’</p>
Author Sherry Anderson has a quote that sums up the value of volunteers quite well: “Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” </p> We in the Research & Conservation Department are consistently humbled</a> by all the support we receive from our volunteers. We will always express our appreciation because of how much they have contributed to our department over the years.</p> For more than 50 years the development of the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi</a> has largely been driven by volunteer contributions. This collection is unique among North American fungaria (e.g. fungal herbaria) in that it is the most comprehensive representations of Rocky Mountain macrofungi in the world. The fungarium’s founder, Dr. Duane H. (“Sam”) Mitchel, originally started the collection as a hobby. It was because his patients were important Denver Botanic Gardens benefactors that his interests found a home at the Gardens.</p> Whether we consider Sam a volunteer is subtext to all the people that he inspired, educated and mentored at the Gardens. These were the people that developed the Herbarium of Fungi into what it is today. From Shirley Chapman to Rosa-Lee and Bob Brace, a significant portion of the specimens in the fungal collections are there because of mycology volunteers. Emeritus Curator Vera Evenson was originally a volunteer for Sam, and later became the collections curator. Vera would go on to write the seminal guide to Colorado’s mushrooms, “Mushrooms of the Rocky Mountain Region.” Today, there are over 5,000 specimens in the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi collected by Vera, more than any other person’s contribution.</p> The Gardens’ volunteers have had an important influence on the history and culture of Colorado mycology. The Colorado Mycological Society started through the work of Sam and his volunteers. Many of these same volunteers were important participants in the original Aspen Mushroom Conferences of the 1970s where medical doctors were educated on mushroom identification and how to diagnose mushroom poisonings. These series of conferences are often credited for inspiring the Telluride Mushroom Festival.</p> Today, the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi receives a lot of interest from prospective volunteers, and we try hard to support this interest. This is because we understand the massive potential volunteers can have toward our department’s core motivation to “Investigate and explain biodiversity patterns and processes.” Colorado’s fascination with mycology has grown significantly over the years, and it’s humbling to think that this interest started with a small group of the Gardens’ volunteers, all inspired by their common love of mushrooms. </p>
Bugs—they're creepy, crawly, fuzzy, funny creatures that play an incredibly important role in keeping ecosystems healthy. Pollinators do the heavy lifting of carrying pollen so plants can reproduce, and many pollinators call Colorado home. We're all familiar with the chaotic creatures known as miller moths, but did you know we have over 1,000 species of moths in our state? Colorado also boasts over 900 species of native bees, as well as hundreds of species of butterflies, wasps, beetles and flies. Denver Botanic Gardens celebrates pollinators with Big Day of Bugs</a>, Friday, June 21, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. </strong>Join activities for all ages to learn more about pollinators and what you can do to keep them happy and healthy.</p> Stop by a Science Chat to learn about bugs and play a pollinator matching game.Learn how to use the iNaturalist app</a> to document bugs (and other living things!) for scientific research.</li> Take a tour with an experienced guide, see pollinators at work and learn what plants pollinators love.</li> Chat with community partners like Butterfly Pavilion, Xerces Society and the Pollinator Network to learn about their work supporting bugs in our state.</li> Watch special films about pollinators in the Sturm Family Auditorium.</li> Join a bug-inspired art activity with the School of Botanical Art and Illustration. </li> </ul> Pollinators are small but mighty. Join us in celebrating these incredible insects at Big Day of Bugs! </p>
It is time! The cacti have finally erupted into bloom despite our cool spring. Denver Botanic Gardens is home to one of the most impressive cold-hardy cacti collections in our region with colors ranging from sunny yellow to deep fuchsia and everything in between. We trial new varieties each year in various locations with the best micro-climates, continually pushing our Zone 5 boundaries. Often, we’re asked “Do these stay out all winter?” Yes! They are the cold-hardy collection and have evolved with cold winters in their native arid habitats.</p> The cactus family, or Cactaceae, (kak-tay-see-ay) is primarily endemic to the Americas, ranging from southern Canada to southern South America in distribution. One(!) of the 1800 species in the family is native to Africa, Sri Lanka and Madagascar. Most people intuitively know when they see a cactus but be careful – all cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti. Plants like agaves, aloes and succulent euphorbias are often confused for cacti. Plants in the cactus family are defined by their unique flower structure. Look for similarities in the cactus flowers you see today – many overlapping petals, hundreds</em> of pollen-producing stamens, and a goofy-looking stigma with many lobes. Can you spot the difference between a cactus and a succulent?</p> As you enter the Gardens, you will pass through Crossroads Garden and take a right into the meandering path of Roads Water-Smart Garden</strong>. As you pass through, notice several varieties of prickly pear, or Opuntia</em>, blending seamlessly with the drought-tolerant flowering perennials. Opuntia</em> is one of the most widespread members of the cactus family. Pads range from green to blue gray to dark purple depending on the species or hybrid selection. Prickly pear pads are often used as a culinary ingredient called nopal. The fruits are known for their amazing fuchsia color and sweet flavor.</li> As you head west toward Nexus Garden, be sure to stop and marvel at some of our non-hardy collection staged in container plantings around the entrance to Marnie’s Pavilion</strong>. Can you find any Aloe </em>or Euphorbia </em>in flower? Notice the differences! </li> Nexus Garden</strong> is a sunny, west-facing berm that flanks the greenhouse complex before you reach Monet Pool. Here, we highlight the amazing WALK IN BEAUTY™ series of Opuntia</em> developed by local plantsman Kelly Grummons. Through hybridizing and selecting from thousands of seedlings over 10 years, Kelly was able to develop a strain of uniquely hardy, almost spineless, and incredibly floriferous plants. Also in Nexus Garden, there is a robust collection of claret cups, or Echinocereus</em>. The species Echinocereus triglochidiatus</em> is the state cactus of Colorado – occurring on dry slopes throughout the Southwest down into Mexico. They are also called hedgehog, haystack or strawberry cactus. You’ll notice some hybrids in this garden where the flowers range from orange to yellow to salmon to red. Flowering a few weeks after the claret cups is a hot pink species from New Mexico, Echinocereus fendleri</em>, with dark-colored flesh and spines and a deep fuchsia flower.</li> Another favorite cold-hardy cactus in this garden is the Cylindropuntia whipplei </em>‘Snow Leopard’ cholla. This variety is known for its heavy, dense growth that is covered in snow white spines all year round. The sun rises behind these creating an otherworldly glow in the mornings.</li> </ul> </li> As you pull yourself away from the raucous display in Nexus Garden, head around Monet Pool to Dryland Mesa</strong>. Here, you’ll want to meander through the path on top of the “mesa” past many interesting varieties of prickly pear, cholla and claret cup down to the southwest facing crevice section. You’ll notice some unique species of cactus tucked in along the way, like Echinocactus texensis</em>, which is almost flat with fishhook spines – lovingly called the horse crippler cactus. At the southeast end look for the tiny, hot pink flowered Escobaria vivipara</em>, which occurs across much of the foothills and plains of Colorado. Another favorite is the giant cylindrical cactus, Echinocereus triglochidiatus</em> “White Sands Strain”.</li> From here, loop back around the western slope of Dryland Mesa where you’ll find a wide variety of cold hardy species growing along the super sunny edge. Head left into the Laura Smith Porter Plains Garden </strong>to see naturalistic plantings of Opuntia</em> rambling through the grassland, just like you’d find in much of eastern Colorado. </li> From the Plains Garden, make your way toward the Rock Alpine Garden</strong> where you can see green pitaya, or Echinocereus viridiflorus</em>, in troughs. Be sure to peek into the Cactus and Succulent House to see some amazing varieties of cacti that are not quite as cold hardy.</li> </ul> Though they are not for touching, our cold hardy cacti are an incredibly charismatic group of plants that can add year-round interest and provide vital habitat to any garden – not to mention show-stopping flowers. Be sure to plant this group in a super sunny location, with very well-drained soil. </p> This article and photos are contributed by Horticulturist Laura Swain</strong>.</em></p>
