Last week was such an exciting week in the Children’s Garden! It was so nice to see so many friends come to visit the new garden.</p> I have been watching the final phases of the Children's Garden construction very closely. Pipsqueak Pond is starting to take shape. I can’t wait to explore this new environment! </p> I took a sneak peak of Sagebrush Stage this weekend and was delighted to see that the mini-amphitheater will be ready for stories and dress-up fun in the coming month. You can get a preview of some of the stories you might hear on Sagebrush Stage next time you visit the Children’s Garden. A variety of garden storybooks are available by the picnic tables in the Children's Garden. There is nothing better than enjoying a picnic lunch, resting and listening to a good story after exploring the Children’s Garden.</p> Volunteers have been busy the last few weeks in the Children’s Garden planting new things for me to explore and providing hands-on activities for visitors to enjoy. I watched visitors this week make planting pots out of newspaper, create bird nests, and even learn more about marmots just like me! </p> The Children’s Garden volunteers always look like they are having so much fun with the garden’s visitors. If you are interested in volunteering in the Children’s Garden, go here to learn more!</p> As cooler weather approaches, the Children's Garden is becoming a great place to visit all day long. I invite you to stop by after school to explore the natural wonders of the Children's Garden. Hope to see you soon!</p> Your Friend, Digger</p> </p>
</p> Last Monday, after several years of planning, the Mordecai Children’s Garden had its grand opening. Over the past week, the new Children’s Garden has been filled with the joyful sounds of imagination and discovery as children and grownups alike are reconnecting with nature. I am one happy marmot, enjoying the company of my many new friends. Melissa Gula, our Children’s Garden Program Coordinator, convinced me that I need to blog to let you know about all of the fun things that are going on at this new Children's Garden. Come and join me on a journey through this amazing new garden.</p> The Children’s Garden provides a place for our youngest visitors to put their curiosity to work as they observe plant patterns, pick up and take a close look at pinecones and seed pods, and weave natural materials to create a nest for a bald eagle. A favorite among visitors has been the Mist-ery Forest, where children have been using their muscles to dig through our giant digging pit. Also a favorite in the Mist-ery Forest is Springmelt Stream, which provides an ideal place to cool off on a hot summer day. Children of all ages have enjoyed taking off their shoes and getting their toes wet as they splash about in the cool stream water. The stream provides endless opportunities to experiment with sinking and floating objects and redirecting the flow of water.</p> </p> Along with these everyday adventures you find in the Children’s Garden, daily drop-in programs are available for you to investigate natural processes even further. Last week, visitors had the opportunity to learn why different birds have different beaks, how a tree grows, and what the insides of a plant look like. More fun is scheduled to open late in September when Pipsqueak Pond and Sagebrush Stage will be open for exploration!</p> Location: </strong>York Street On top of the parking structure Hours: </strong>9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily Admission:</strong> Free for Members Included in regular admission for non-members</p>
</dt> Orostachys iwarenge</dd> </dl> This time of year there is no end of vibrant, glorious color at Denver Botanic Gardens. May I remind you that green is also a color? Few plants exemplify the paradox that gardens are not just about showy flowers than these modest succulents from East Asia: Orostachys</em> are closely allied to Sedum</em> (and have been classified as such) although they suggest hens and chicks (Sempervivum</em>) more to my eyes. The flowers are actually miniscule...but everyone loves and appreciates these accommodating succulents. I find they grow best on shallow soils or in pots: quite a number of species and hybrids will be coming into bloom over the next month or so. At DBG check for them in the Rock Alpine Garden (although finding them in that treasure trove of gems could be a challenge!)</p> </dt> Orostachys spinosa in a trough</dd> </dl> You know you have succeeded when you are copied: this picture (or something like it) has shown up in books, in nursery catalogues, on advertising flyers and in other people's talks: people just love the way the gray trough seems to morph into these gnarly, symmetrical globules of succulence. So they steal my image and use it without permission...(I admit I am flattered...). Where is the flashy red or yellow? You do not need garish color to delight. When you have seen this wondeful little plant growing literally by the millions across the mountains and steppes of Kazakhstan and Mongolia, a trough like this is hopelessly evocative. Who needs petunias? OK, OK, before you get all huffy, I confess I like petunias too, and grow quite a few (albeit mostly in containers as well...)</p> Perhaps the most widespread Orostachys</em> in cultivation is this munchkin from Japan (I believe) which has been sold over the years under a plethora of names. It seems to be settling down to this epithet, although one still encounters O. furusei</em> in some nurseries. If you can make it happy (which is not hard: part shade or sun on shallow soil in a rock garden or container) it will form wide masses of tiny pagodas that are irresistibly cute this time of year...Here it is growing on top of a rock in the Snyder's awesome Littleton garden, proving (irrefutably), once and for all, that less is more!</p>
Coinciding with the 20th anniversary celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Denver Botanic Gardens broke ground for the new Sensory Garden today, a garden created specifically for people with disabilities. Accessible to all populations, the development of the design for this garden was truly a collaborative community effort, with involvement from organizations such as the City of Denver’s Office of Disability Rights, the Mayor appointed Commission for people with Disabilities, and University of Colorado Denver’s Landscape Architecture Department. The new Sensory Garden located just north of the Bonfils Stanton Visitor Center, replaces the old Picnic Garden. Integral in the design and development of the landscape plan for this garden were graduate students from the University of Colorado’s Department of Landscape Architecture. During the design phase, students were on site getting a feel for the topography of the site and experiencing first hand how someone with a specific disability would navigate through the garden by blind-folding themselves or by being wheelchair bound. The Sensory Garden will combine architectural features and plants selected to stimulate all the human senses: smell, taste, touch, sight and sound. Adaptive gardening techniques will be demonstrated throughout the garden utilizing structures that minimize barriers and maximize people’s abilities. Many of the garden’s design elements will also aid in Sensory Tours and Horticultural Therapy activities. Some of the design features include:</p> Activity area – This shaded area will provide a comfortable space to facilitate Horticultural Therapy activities. </li> Vertical growing wall – Will allow visitors to interact with the plants at eye level while sitting or standing.</li> Roll under raised beds – Will enable front wheelchair access to gardens with leg clearance. </li> </ul> Garden installation is tentatively scheduled to begin in August.</p>
</p> Denver Botanic Gardens and University of Denver (DU) are currently collaborating to conduct research that documents climate change effects on native flora in Colorado. We have been using preserved specimens from the Gardens Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium and other regional herbaria to determine if flowering time has changed over the last 100 years. A preserved plant with reliable label data is proof positive that it existed in a specific place at a specific time in the state it is shown. Such specimens show that some Colorado species were blooming on average as much as three weeks later 100 years ago than today-- a reflection of warming temperatures that are causing earlier springs. Amelia Bowman, '09 University of Denver (DU) graduate, first discovered this trend investigating a set of six early blooming species that were collected in Colorado since the late 1800's as a part of her Biology Honors thesis. These were species suggested by Gardens curator Dina Clark, as those that were likely to have flowering cued by temperature and or moisture. Climate records show that both have increased in Colorado over the last 100 years. Although there is much year-to-year variability, there is a significant change overall, and it appears more dramatic here in Colorado than has been reported in places like Massachusetts.</p> This summer, Francesca Aguirre-Wong ('10) with DU undergraduates Ryan Whittney and Rob Robinson are working on an expansion of this project, doing the painstaking work of verifying each record and finding geographic coordinates for each specimen collected. They are also joined by volunteer Eliot Jackson, a Denver native and granddaughter of Lainie Jackson, longtime and celebrated volunteer at the Gardens. Their focus is currently on rare and endangered plants.</p> This latter phase of the project is supported by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, and by a DU Helen Pustmueller fellowship. The findings will assist efforts to develop management plans for imperiled Colorado species in the context of climate change. Whether a change in flowering time is "good" or "bad" depends on various factors, including behavior of pollinators. That some species can adapt to a changing environment can be good, however, if pollinators for a specific species are cued by day length (which hasn't changed) while the flower is cued by temperature and moisture, there could be a disconnect that will harm both. For more information about the Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium, please see our website. For those interested in climate change and phenology, please check out the National Phenological Network and their citizen scientist program.</p> </p> This blog post was written by Anna Sher, Ph.D.</em>, adjunct researcher and former director of the Research & Conservation Department at Denver Botanic Gardens.</em></p>
It is no secret in horticulture and gardening that plants need water and who knows this better than Joe Tomocik, curator of water gardens, whose waterlilies hardly spend a day out of it.</p> Once the threat of frost subsided, the empty water beds throughout the garden beg for some flair, and Joe knows just the trick. Calling upon the intern staff to help him out early one morning, he layed in front of us a large bag of waterlilies, some containers of varying sizes (from which we must choose wisely), a pile of clay soil, and told us to have at it.</p> </p> The interns, ready to go.</em> </p> </p> In intimate detail, we learned the proper way to pot these plants: newspaper in the bottom to prevent soil leakage, slow-release fertilizer for an added kick, and just the right amount of compaction to keep the plant from floating away but not so much as to inhibit root growth. A carefully placed brick on top sealed the deal.</p> Potting them was half the battle; the rest was sinking the plants into the displays. A certain level of care was needed as to not knock loose any of the work we just did. Joe once again taught us the best way to do it:</p> </p> "Tilt it but don't </em>tilt it"</em></p> Many of the species we planted were of tropical origin, so they should love the warm climate that we introduced them to for the summer. And just like these plants will enjoy their watery bed, so too did we have fun in the process:</p> </p> Waders never looked so good</em></p> Check back soon for updates on the beautiful blooms we hope (expect!) to get!</p>
</p> Q: What do you get when you set loose over three dozen passionate biologists who study animals, plants, and fungi in a nearly pristine ranch in Southeast Colorado for a 24 hour period?</p> A: A BIOBLITZ! Last week was the first ever comprehensive biological survey of JE Canyon Ranch, an area east of Trinidad, Colorado. The primary organizers were Dina Clark, Curator with Denver Botanic Gardens, and Renée Rondeau of the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. Jerry Wenger, the owner of the ranch, hosted the event, opening his amazing property to the 50+ individuals who participated, representing (in no particular order): Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP), the Division of Wildlife (DOW), Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (RMBO), Colorado State University (CSU), Nature Serve, University of Colorado (CU), Colorado College (CC), University of Denver (DU), and the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT). Individuals from these organizations, who included academic scientists, students, museum curators, ranchers, and other volunteers, documented 920 species, including bats, other mammals, fish, insects, plants, fungi, amphibians, and reptiles. The "moth folks" alone documented 181 spp, some expected to be quite rare and likely to be the first time they have been documented in the state. Mr. Wenger was an important sponsor of the event, including providing catered meals and an ENT (I don't think he was needed, thankfully). Participants were also grateful to Fat Tire Brewery, which donated six cases of beer.</p> </p> An overview of the findings: · Plants: 322 · Mammals 20 · Birds: 62 · Amphibians and Reptiles: 18 · Fish: 3 · Moths: 181 · Butterflies: 29 · Other Insects: 280 The following was written by Renée Rondeau of CNHP about the event highlights:</p> PLANTS: Located Allionia incarnata </em>a plant that has only been collected in Colorado 4 other times, this plant is in the Four O'Clock family and the species is common in the Sonoran and Chiuhuahan Deserts. Located Soapberry, Sapindus drummondii</em>, a rare tree in Colorado, known from fewer than 10 locations in Colorado, another plant that is common further south. VERTEBRATES: 20% of all of Colorado's vertebrates were found on this ranch! Colorado has roughly 500 native vertebrates, so the fact that we found 20% (100) of these on one ranch speaks highly to the diversity and function of the ranch. BIRDS: 24 percent of Colorado's breeding birds were documented on the ranch. Hepatic Tanager, a rare bird in Colorado, was located in the pines. This species is another species that reaches its northern range in southern Colorado. Gray Vireo, an unusual bird for the eastern plains of Colorado was also located in the pines. AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES: 25 percent of all of Colorado's amphibians and reptiles were found in spite of the hot and dry nature of the bioblitz. The triploid checkered whiptail is endemic to this area and was abundant throughout the ranch; the plains leopard frog was observed in many locations, a species that has been declining in other areas. Most notable was the lack of the introduced bullfrogs, one of the Plains Leopard frogs enemies on the Purgatoire tributaries, however, someone did note that they heard bullfrogs calling on the Purgatorie River-reason to be diligent about future monitoring. INVERTEBRATES: Nearly 500 insects were documented, but Boris Kondratieff, one of Colorado's invertebrate experts, believes the ranch could hold as many as 2,000 invertebrates! FUNGI: Although only 9 fungi species were documented, the leading expert, Vera, believes they would have found many more species if it had not been so hot and dry. She documented some very old micorbiotic crusts that will be identified later; one of these she believes could be hundreds of years old! MAMMALS: Two large herds of big horn sheep were observed in the canyons, a very fast swift fox was observed running across the prairie, and a juvenile mountain lion skull that was apparently killed by the jaws of another large male lion and left above Johnson Canyon where a biologist stumbled across it. This opportunity brought many diverse folks together to study a diverse landscape for a mere 24 hours. That we found as many species as we did documents the ecological importance of the area. We are positive that if we get the opportunity to conduct a fall bioblitz we will increase the number of species significantly. We (Jerry Wenger, Renée Rondeau of CNHP, and Dina Clark of Denver Botanic Gardens) thank all of the folks that participated in this event. Special thanks to Jerry and Sonja Wenger for their generous nature and inherent interest. Ranch managers Ralph and Curtis Tichnor sweated the details, figured out how to get the biologists around as well as keep them comfortable when they weren't looking for species (they also made sure Dina and Renée had all the help they needed in preparing for this event); the Denver Botanic Gardens assisted with travel resources for scientist, and Jim Davis, Cam, Shane, Kari Wenger, and Chris West (CCALT) shared ranch knowledge and assisted in driving biologists to the nooks and crannies of JE Canyon. And where would we have been without Chef Ralph! We are sure that this event is the beginning rather than the end of more good things to come.</blockquote> This blog post was written by Anna Sher, Ph.D., adjunct researcher and former director of the Research & Conservation Department at Denver Botanic Gardens.</em></p>
Like several other bloggers here, I have really enjoyed the irises in bloom in the Lilac Garden. They're stunning! While we all rhapsodize about how colorful the blooms are, and how marvelous the experience is, I keep going back and finding another gem in the display. (Of course, that is what we all do: whether it's Lisa's post or Joe's or Ellen's, you see the gems we've just uncovered and can't wait to share, whether its programs or people or plants.) For me, its a treat to wander and compare the blooms and colors and impressions they leave on you. Iris</em> isn't even my favorite plant (I refuse to choose!) but they were exactly the right display for me when I was out with my camera. On that day, the lilac were still in bloom, and their sweet scent reached me even before I turned into the garden. But once inside it was clear that the irises were stepping onto the stage. It is true the most of the lilacs are on the sloping sides of the garden, while a mix of Iris</em>, Hemerocallis,</em> Paeonia</em> and other plants stride across center stage. This is actually great horticulture because the plants bloom in succession so there is always something happening. Plus, an endless succession of Iris</em>, Hemerocallis,</em> Paeonia, </em>or Syringa</em> planted in scientific rows becomes just that: a long walk. But by creating slopes to the East and West and mixing plants in a conscious theme, the garden takes on far more interesting characters. Meandering paths, benches, and changing displays make real the promise of an earthly paradise. Even if the lilacs aren't in bloom, walk up the grassy paths between them. You might just see a few hidden blooms. You definitely get a totally different view of the same space. See how it becomes a forest when you look across to the other slope? That is one measure of garden design: can a visitor get a wide range of experiences and sensations from the space. It is also a sign of really good gardening, good horticulture. If the plants can't hold up the design, than the design loses meaning and beauty. Another reason I really appreciate this Garden is that the profusion of color comes from a garden that is in place year round. Sooner or later, everyone walks past a really beautiful display of blooming flowers that were all grown in a greenhouse and installed overnight. You see it at many Garden and Home shows, certain special events, and even in some public gardens. While I admire the perservereance and exactitude that such displays require, I also feel mildly put off by them: as soon as those plants look "off," another batch will replace them as they head for trash or compost. What a waste! No, far better to have a garden that mere mortals can aspire to. Sure, the Lilac Garden gets better attention than any yard of mine will ever get, but I can still aspire to get closer and closer. In this picture, I can see the lilac blooms, but also the leaves of earlier bulbs, and the stems of plants yet to bloom. I'm learning the elements that make this part of the Lilac Garden successful, and I can decide if I like the idea of a lilac forest. Or I can find more plants to go under a lilac in a small urban lot. Or I can appreciate that I will be back the same time next year, seeing the lilacs blooming again, even if they are done for now. Finally, there is a benefit to gardens organized around a genus or collection of similar plants. Just look at them all! The diversity that humans found, cultivated or created through breeding is all laid out for you. The same group of plants blossoming all at once allows you to really appreciate the with such striking differences in color and pattern. You can readily see why the goddess of the rainbow in greek mythology was "Iris". Here is Iris</em> 'Batik'. I was completely arrested by the deep purple with the bright white streaks. On the other hand, look at Iris </em>'Bumblee DEElite'. Much shorter in stature, its clearly an iris but will play a much different roll in a garden than 'Batik'. Even so, the plant habit is approximately the same. Irises are pretty much upright plants with flowers at the top and sword-shaped leaves. Even while I'm being enchanted by the blooms, the many plants in leaf create visual quiet, resting places that soften the insisitent message of multicolored blooms. So if you can't tell, I like the Lilac Garden this year. I like the way it combines many favorite garden plants I like the way it displays the diversity within Syringa</em> and Iris</em> (and others). I like the range of different experiences it gave me. And I like the way it breaks new ground, at least new to me. While there are iris collections and lilac collections at other arboreta and gardens, this combination has something novel to offer. I think I will remember the lessons it has shown me for a long time.</p>
</dt> Himalayan foxtail lilies in the Perennial Walk</dd> </dl> </dt> Foxtail lily hybrids in the Ornamental Grasses garden</dd> </dl> If you've been to Denver Botanic Gardens in the last month you can hardly have missed them: no, not the Henry Moore sculptures (albeit they stand out!), I'm talking about foxtail lilies: Eremurus. </em>These stand out (and stand up!) in a dozen gardens: bristling exclamation points that are impossible to miss. </em>The literal translation of this Greek-derived scientific name is "Desert tail", which isn't quite accurate. Foxtail lilies are sentinels of the true steppe of Eurasia, growing from Anatolia in the west all the way to Mongolia in the east. They are not found on true desert so much as grassy prairie and montane meadows. Mike Bone and I saw them in the Tian Shan mountains above Almaty last summer and on the foothills of the Altai mountains of Kazakhstan (high points of our trip last year). The climate of Central Asian steppe is the exact equivalent of ours (we are "homeoclimatic") so it's hardly surprising that Eremurus</em> do so well in Colorado. I would be hard put to decide if I like the towering white Himalayan eremurus (Eremurus himalaicus</em>) in the Perennial Walk more than the even taller Eremurus robustus</em> blooming there now....or the yellow spires of Eremurus stenophyllus</em> filling PlantAsia's steppe garden as we speak...or maybe the many burnished and brassy hybrids in gold, nearly brown and brilliant orange that make the Ornamental Grasses garden riveting this time of year, or encircle the annual test gardens...</p> These inspiring spires and towering turrets of bloom practically brand Denver Botanic Gardens, making it seem like foxtail lily botanic gardens for a month or so in early summer. I would be envious if I hadn't gone out and counted nearly a seventy foxtail lily stalks in my very own garden that have bloomed so far this year. One can never have enough of a good thing, right?</p>
</p> Denver Botanic Gardens has been involved in restoration of damaged ecosystems around the state of Colorado through its Research and Conservation programs for at least a decade, but none have been quite as satisfying as the one at Bluff Lake Nature Center. "Over the past four years Bluff Lake Nature Center staff and volunteers have removed hundreds of Russian Olives and numerous tamarisk from around the site and along Sand Creek. We estimate that within the next two years Bluff Lake will be completely free of these invasive tree species," says Bluff Lake Site Manager (and former Denver Botanic Gardens horticulturalist) Chris Story. THE HISTORY: The partnership between the two organizations began in 2003 when the Research Department at Denver Botanic Gardens was looking to put volunteers on meaningful conservation projects. Steve Norris at Bluff Lake Nature Center had a great opportunity and a great need to do restoration work there. Denver Botanic Gardens volunteers Susie Crane and Barry Levene took on the leadership role of researching the goals of the site and how to match restoration practices to meet these goals. In 2003, Susie and Barry began assembling an official weed plan for Bluff Lake. Denver Botanic Gardens staff assisted in gathering information and linking the volunteers to professionals who could give advice.</p> </p> Since then, Susie and Barry have led a group of volunteers to tackle everything from bindweed to Russian olive. Susie says, "Early efforts were hit or miss. We didn’t know anything, had no tools, no chemicals. The first time we planted forbs out at the site the rabbits ate them all. A donor paid for Rick Brune to do a plant survey in 2004. That was the turning point. He mapped plant communities on the entire site. We found weeds we didn't know we had as well as natives not known to be there." The program has continued to expand over the years. Chis Story explains, "We have also begun to expand our garden area with donations form local nurseries and with plants propagated at DBG from seed collected at Bluff Lake. We have interns from Metro State, and the Denver School of Science and Technology creating an herbarium for Bluff Lake with duplicate specimens mounted for DBG. We have collected and mounted over 120 species so far." Yesterday, Denver Botanic Gardens Associates toured these projects in a formal program. Bluff Lake Nature Center is open to the public and organized tours are welcome. For more information about restoration projects by Denver Botanic Gardens, see our website, under 'Conservation and Research'.</p> </p> This blog post was written by Anna Sher, Ph.D.</em>, adjunct researcher and former director of the Research & Conservation Department at Denver Botanic Gardens.</em></p>
They may be tiny mustard plants but they have a huge impact in a region believed to contain one of the nation’s largest reservoirs of natural gas. Physaria congesta</em> (Lesquerella congesta</em>) and P. obcordata</em>, both federally listed as Threatened under the National Endangered Species Act, are found right in the heart of all the activity associated with drilling for this oil and gas.</p> Denver Botanic Gardens is conducting a study on the genetic diversity of these two species. Both have very limited ranges and both are highly threatened by oil and gas development. Regulations are in place to protect these species from direct disturbance from oil and gas development. Indirect threats are harder to control. Pollinators essential for the survival of the plants could be affected by the roads, dust and chemicals used in drilling. Transporting the oil and gas back to a collection center creates large disturbances which become corridors for weeds and other threats to natural habitat.</p> Our study will examine how genetic diversity is distributed among the populations of each species. Greater genetic diversity allows a plant to cope with environmental variability. The results of this study will tell us the level of genetic diversity within each population and help guide conservation of this species by determining which populations have the best chance of future success and focusing seed collection and conservation efforts on those.</p>
