Three Google searches. That is all it took. Next thing I know, I am driving three days to get to Denver to spend my summer working as the Bonsai and Shofu-en Japanese Garden Intern. My internship at Denver Botanic Gardens was a busy one – two mentors, three projects and four other interns to embark on other activities with – but it taught me a lot, and this knowledge will stay with me for the entirety of my horticultural career. </p> Half of my summer was spent in the Bonsai Pavilion</a>, working with bonsai legend of the West (according to my second Google search), Larry Jackel. He taught me the know-how of all things bonsai, such as pruning, wiring, styling and more. With Larry, I had two projects: photograph and document all the bonsai in the collection and upload them into the Gardens’ database for record-keeping, and to somehow style my first bonsai tree. I also helped “reset” the pavilion (moving trees around, putting new ones on show). I created an Excel spreadsheet to document the pots in the collection. My bonsai tree project included unwiring, rewiring, and restyling a much bigger tree that has been in development for the past few years.</p> The other half of my summer was spent in the Shofu-en Japanese Garden</a>, this time working with former Gardens bonsai intern-turned-curator (that was found in my third Google search), Henry Basile. With Henry, I had one simple project: to photograph and document all of the Ponderosa pines in the Japanese Garden. Instead of recording these in the official database, I created what will be used as a tree worksheet, a logbook of any maintenance, tie-downs and any other grower notes on the tree. On days when I was not doing project work, I was in the Japanese Garden with Henry helping needle, prune or give haircuts to whichever tree was our chosen subject for the day.</p> This internship has provided invaluable hands-on experience to supplement my college education. Over the summer I had the opportunity to attend plant family classes and workshops and explore on field trips around Colorful Colorado with my fellow interns. I ignited a new bonsai passion, joining the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society and racking the brains of experienced artists. Most importantly, I gained a new perspective from my mentors: “You may not stay in bonsai, but you will always look at trees differently.” I have already seen this to be true. This has reassured me that I am on the right path with a career in public horticulture. </p> This article was contributed by Hunter Fosko</strong>, a senior at Auburn University majoring in horticulture with an emphasis in landscaping, while working to acquire a certificate in public horticulture. After graduating in May, she hopes to continue exploring the world of horticulture through a career path in botanic gardens or in state or national parks.</em> </p>
As we move from October to November, we see the end of many of our visitors’ favorite time of year at the Gardens. With fall color fading and Halloween displays ending, we see gardens and gardeners take a rest during this quieter season. I urge you to take some time to appreciate the change in the weather and season.</p> Within the Japanese language, the phrase “mono no aware” directly translates to “the feeling of things,” but has a deeper cultural meaning that my volunteers and I attempt to illustrate within 松風園 Shofu-en Japanese Garden. As opposed to the literal translation, the cultural translation that I have found used most often is “a sensitivity to ephemera.” To illustrate this idea, one might think of an individual crafting an ikebana arrangement, and the tendency of those in the art form to prefer the slightly opened bud to the twig in peak flower. </p> Traditions like momijigari (literally “red leaf hunting”) and the viewing of the short-lived cherry blossom flowers in spring are also based on this principle, and these plants are seen as more valuable for how short-lived their showy season is. Perhaps the most well-known example of this appreciation of transience is the traditional system of 72 kō</em> (候) or “micro seasons.” These seasons last an average of five days, and have distinct poetic descriptions such as “chrysanthemums bloom,” “crickets chirp by the door” or “maple leaves and ivy turn yellow.” This appreciation of change, though slightly melancholy, is something all plant-lovers can apply to any garden.</p> Starting from the Bill Hosokawa Bonsai Pavilion and Tea Garden, walk past the dry garden and through the main gate until you reach the connecting path. Looking southwest on a sunny day, the Cheesman Park pavilion and Mount Blue Sky can be seen.</li> Turning to the right and moving west, one can peek up under the canopy of two Amur maples (Acer tataricum</em>) and one Russian hawthorn (Crataegus ambigua</em>). Take a moment to look up from directly under these trees, appreciating the calligraphic structure of the maples and any remaining fruit on the hawthorn.</li> From here, move forward to our moon-viewing deck. Notice the stillness and reflection of the water and the tops of the needles of the ponderosa pines as they move in the wind, or perhaps look to the right to notice the remaining stems and seed heads of the lotus (Nelumbo</em>).</li> Directly behind this, there stands a large Ginkgo biloba</em>. Notice the characteristic golden leaves of this tree scattered about, and the way the veins of these leaves never intersect.</li> Moving to the west, take the stepping-stone path to the right. This space holds a large crabapple variety, Malus</em> × gloriosa</em> ‘Oekonomierat Echtermeyer’ with fruit that should be falling any day now. Notice the coarseness and sharp turns of the branches in this weeping tree.</li> Exiting the stepping-stone path, take a moment to appreciate the lines raked in the stone. Notice how they emulate ripples in water, and how they disappear as the wind blows and little feet explore the garden.</li> Moving west, walk through the gate and stop for a moment on the bridge to the east. Notice the brilliant white texture of these birch trees, and the water moving below.</li> Finally, enter the garden from the entrance across from the Laura Smith Porter Plains Garden. Listen to the sound of the water as it crashes down from the waterfall. Take a left and take a seat at the azumaya (gazebo). Notice the remaining petals on the chrysanthemums surrounding your seat and enjoy the rest of your autumn day in the Gardens.</li> </ul> </p> This article and photos were contributed by Henry Basile</strong>, assistant curator of the Japanese Garden. </em></p>
Have you heard about the Rocky Mountain Gardening Certificate Core Series? This is a comprehensive study of specific gardening practices for our unique Front Range region offered by the Gardens. Classes include soil preparation techniques, horticulture and basic plant science. It can be completed as a cohort in five months or by taking classes individually over a two-year period.</p> I was curious about what inspires people to take the Rocky Mountain Gardening certificate program, so I asked the latest cohort. Each had distinct reasons but similar passions and goals for investing the time and energy in completing the certificate in five months. The program is deeply rooted in fulfilling our mission to connect people with plants and promote the Gardens’ values. Recipients had this to say:</p> Diversity:</strong> “Weeding is a waste of time! I wanted to create a model low-maintenance urban garden with native trees and xeriscape and share the possibilities with neighbors and friends.”</li> Relevance:</strong> “I’ve always been amazed by the beautiful power of trees and never realized it could become a career path to nurture trees. Even though I’m a busy mom of four and help with the family business, the certificate course helped me realize a career goal. The instructors were great at answering questions.”</li> Sustainability:</strong> “The certificate course gave me a great toolbelt for working with native plants. It stimulated my interest in regenerative gardening practices.</li> Transformation:</strong> “I learned so much about the importance of soil and organic composting. I have a kitchen garden because cooking is my passion. I gained knowledge and confidence to figure out what has gone wrong and not give up with skills learned in the diagnosing problems classes.”</li> Stewardship:</strong> “I wanted to change my ‘do nothing but create water bills’ lawn and create a home space that showed stewardship of Earth values. I felt empowered to have discussions with my HOA and with yard experts after earning my certificate.”</li> And, with a vision for professional development:</strong> “I work with city residents who want to find cost-effective methods to improve their land. Now I feel confident that I can address their questions with reliable information and resources. People want to build ecosystems through smart gardening and now I know how to help them.”</li> </ul> The Rocky Mountain Gardening Certificate’s importance goes beyond knowledge and skills. Even though participants have individual goals, they are connected by a passion for the environment by wanting to support sustainable ecosystems and create healthy habitats. Find out more about the certificate</a>. </p>
Local legends abound surrounding the history of Cheesman Park as an unkept and crumbling cemetery that was later transformed into the recreational area it is today. Before its green fields were dotted with volleyball nets and slacklines, this park was City Cemetery, Denver’s first large cemetery, established in 1859. Originally intended to be a scenic Victorian cemetery like those seen in Boston, New York and parts of Europe, this vision was never realized. Pressure to use the area in a way that would better appease its burgeoning affluent neighbors in Capitol Hill ultimately led to its transformation into a park. </p> Easier said than done. Thousands of occupants already resided underground in City Cemetery. Undertaker E. P. McGovern was contracted to relocate remains to Riverside Cemetery several miles away in early 1893. Paid by the coffin, McGovern soon saw a way to exploit the wording of his contract and unearthed remains were split between multiple child-sized coffins which were then hauled across town. The city discovered what was going on, halted McGovern’s work entirely and required that all remains either be relocated at their survivors’ expense within 90 days or remain onsite. </p> Imperfect maps identifying locations of remains, fear of diseases that could be spread by unearthing remains, and the inability of individuals to pay relocation costs for loved ones prevented work from being completed in time for the park’s opening.</p> It is estimated that 2,000 to 3,000 human remains still reside under Cheesman Park. </p> Adjacent to City Cemetery was Mount Calvary Cemetery—where Denver Botanic Gardens now exists. Owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver, this cemetery was better maintained than neighboring City Cemetery but fell into disuse after Mount Olivet Cemetery was established in Wheat Ridge and became the only consecrated Catholic cemetery in the area. The abandoned Mount Calvary was used primarily as a playground for adventurous children until it was finally deeded to the City of Denver in 1950. </p> The relocation of remains from Mount Calvary to Mount Olivet was more organized and expedient than the transition from City Cemetery to Cheesman Park had been, but not without issues. Occasionally remains would be missing from where they were marked on the cemetery’s records, while others would be found during construction and maintenance where no burial had been recorded. </p> Denver Botanic Gardens was first partially and then completely relocated from its original home in City Park to the former site of Mount Calvary in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory being formally dedicated in January of 1966. </p> Although considered by some to be less haunted than our larger neighbor, the Gardens still has its share of ghost stories and reported hauntings. </p> To learn more about the hauntings and history of Denver Botanic Gardens and Cheesman Park, browse these books at Helen Fowler Library: </p> The Ghosts of Denver: Capitol Hill by Phil Goodstein </a>Written by local historian and walking tour guide Phil Goodstein, this volume covers much of the history of Capitol Hill and Cheesman Park neighborhoods, including the haunted history of the park and its surroundings. </li> Cemetery to Conservatory by Louisa Ward Arps </a>A publication of Denver Botanic Gardens, this work covers the transition from the cemetery to its current use in detail, spanning the period from 1859 to 1980. </li> The Dead Below by Richard Estep </a>Follow Colorado author Richard Estep and his ghost hunting crew as they explore Waring House at Denver Botanic Gardens in search of evidence of the supernatural. </li> </ul> This post was contributed by On Call Librarian Sean Grimes</strong>. </em></p>
Mushrooms can be poisonous. That is one of the first things we are taught as kids. Even though plants produce more detrimental toxins than mushrooms, society, rightly or wrongly, tends to teach the latter as being more dangerous. While attitudes toward mushrooms have been changing, the history around mushroom poisoning shows growth in understanding all the ways eating them can make people sick. </p> At Denver Botanic Gardens, Dr. Sam Mitchel</a> was perhaps the most central figure to expand mycology and knowledge of mushrooms of the Southern Rockies. He is not as well known for his role as a medical doctor and as a trained diagnostician. However, this dual perspective gave Dr. Mitchel the ability to merge his passion for mushrooms and medicine to produce an understanding of how they might poison people. </p> Along with other Denver-based doctors Drs. Barry Rumack and Manny Salzman, Dr. Mitchel coordinated efforts to understand and educate medical professionals about mushroom poisons in the 1970s. These efforts primarily took place in Colorado around the mid-70s when the Aspen Mushroom Conference became one of the first to train doctors from across the country. This conference gave doctors skills to ID mushrooms and diagnose mushroom poisonings, and included training on the variety of toxins that mushrooms can produce, how they affect the people who consumed them, and how doctors can treat their patients. </p> In general, there are seven poisoning “groups” that mushroom toxins can fall into: Cyclopeptide poisoning, Monomethyldrazine poisoning, Coprine poisoning, Muscarine poisoning, Ibotenic acid – Muscimol poisoning, Psiocybin-Psilocin poisoning and Gastrointestinal irritants. In 1977, Dr. Mitchel teamed up with the late celebrated mycologist Gary Lincoff to write “Toxic and Hallucinogenic Mushroom Poisoning: A Handbook for Physicians and Mushroom Hunters,” which details each of these poisonings and how to treat them.</p> Today these efforts to understand mushroom toxicology continue in Colorado. Dr. Rumack, with the assistance of Gardens volunteers Ed and Ikuko Lubow, continues to train doctors on identifying mushrooms and the poisons they produce. Nationally, the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) has an active Toxicology Committee that continues to offer aid and assistance in identifying toxic mushrooms and advising doctors and poison centers on how to diagnose poisonings.</p> Internationally, Dr. Mitchel’s work has reached across the Pacific to Borneo where medical professionals in Malaysia came together for a Mushroom Toxicology workshop in 2019. There the doctors learned about the mushroom poisonings above, as documented through the work done here in Colorado. </p>
Everyone’s life is marked with memories that stay with us forever. Some of my most cherished plant memories come from discovering the stunning world of cacti and succulent plants that are housed in the Cactus and Succulent House located in the Rock Alpine Garden. </p> I had the privilege of taking over this collection and replanting the display house during the summer of 2021. Now, after three years of care, the plants have really filled in and grown fantastically. I invite you to see what’s growing and blooming inside the Cactus and Succulent House during the height and blight of winter. One reason these plants are so popular and sought after is because the leaf forms are often so pretty that the flowers simply become a bonus or means to produce seed. In their natural habitat most of the succulents from the Southern Hemisphere do their growing and blooming during the winter months. Some of my favorites this year are: </p> Ceropegia cimiciodora </em>– A creeping, leafless stem succulent with super-cool flowers that blooms almost all year-round. You would be hard pressed to find a cooler flower.</li> Stapelia schinzii </em>var. angolensis </em>– Fuzzy maroon flowers that smell like rotting flesh! What could be better?</li> Haworthia emelyae</em> var. comptoniana</em> – A solitary species with a very small natural range in the Cape Province of South Africa. It is prized and known for its beautiful white markings on the leaf surfaces, slow growth and difficult propagation.</li> Haworthia arachnoidea</em> var. setata </em>– In its native South Africa, it is known as papierrosie</em> (paper-rose) or spinnekopnes</em> (spider’s nest). Sign me up!</li> Haworthia </em>hybrid – </em>A special blend of species created by me, formulated for your enjoyment!</li> Albuca spiralis –</em> A bulbous curly leaf plant. Give your curly leaf bulbs as much light as you can during the growing season.</li> Albuca hallii</em> – Another curly-leaf plant, the spring leaf plant has a pair of cork-screwed shaped leaves.</li> Trichodiadema </em>sp. – A beautiful plant that gets covered in purple blooms, reminiscent of summer-blooming iceplant (Delosperma</em>), during the winter months. </li> </ol> I have been collecting these plants for 21 years and I am still finding the next amazing thing I have to have. If you need some plant inspiration while your own garden is sleeping this winter, come visit our collection of unique cacti and succulents in their full glory. </p> Gallery photos by Scott Preusser </em></p>
