</p> There are a number of plants that are clever enough to bloom during the winter months: none more predictably, nor beautifully, however, than the ill-named Christmas rose (Helleborus niger</em>). There are a few selections of this species that often begin to bloom in October or November most years, and yes, these may happen to be in bloom for Christmas. But invariably by January, I always have a few of these huge, waxy white flowers opening in my home garden. Mike Kintgen reports that they are blooming in the Rock Alpine Garden right now, and likely in one of the many other gardens where these are planted at Denver Botanic Gardens.</p> </dt> Helleborus niger at Denver Botanic Gardens Waring House, March 2011</dd> </dl> So why not call these "New Year Roses"? a more apt and accurate name...oh well. Fat chance. Christmas has a stranglehold on the name. There is a whole industry in Europe cranking out Christmas cards with paintings of these lovely plants. I'm sure there have been tens of thousands of these over the years. I love the thick, leathery leaves, with their lyrate pattern almost as much as their blooms. The foliage makes a wonderful evergreen fountain of color year around, and make a graceful setting for these enormous flowers. I have seen these nearly 3" across in some forms: the petals are thick and waxy and simply gorgeous. Some age a deep rose red. It will bloom through thick or thin (and we are sure to have some very cold weather still) for the next three months: a marathoner if there ever was one! There is an enormous amount written about this plant in books, magazines and the web: worth browsing. It has accumulated great herbal lore (don't try it, though: it's very poisonous!), and a great deal of myth. I finish by saying that it loves Colorado, and should be planted by everyone here. Give it a good loam, enriched with a bit of humus in part shade. Don't let it dry out too much (especially the first year as it establishes). Once established in the right spot, this is quite tough, even somewhat xeric and likely to last in the garden for the rest of your life! (You can't say this about many herbaceous plants)...There are a wealth of hybrids of Christmas rose becoming available, not to mention a veritable revolution occuring with Lenten Roses: these, however, are mere distractions and side shows as far as I'm concerned: this is the Queen flower of winter. Let us bow down in wonder and worship! (I do anyway).</p>
From time to time, the greenhouse team at Denver Botanic Gardens will build hypertufa troughs. These troughs are a great addition to a garden, especially for showcasing some of the rock garden plants, native wildflowers, and cacti that might otherwise be lost in a larger landscape. We sell our planted troughs at the Spring and Fall Plant Sales and occasionally throughout the season at the Shop at the Gardens. However, if you are interested in making your own hypertufa troughs, I would like to share with you our process and recipe for making a simple hypertufa trough.</p> </p> Supplies</strong></p> For this project, you will need the following supplies:</p> Portland cement (either white or gray--if you are using a dye, the color of the cement will effect the dye)</li> Vermiculite</li> Sphagnum peat moss</li> Concrete dye</li> Synthetic concrete reinforcement fibers</li> A plastic mold, such as a large bowl, a cat litter tray or a dish pan</li> 1mm or thicker plastic sheeting (this can be a thick trash bag, a painting drop cloth, etc.)</li> Water</li> </ul> </p> Where to get supplies</strong></p> In the Denver area, most of these supplies are readily available. The peat moss and vermiculite can be found at most garden supply centers or at a large retail horticulture products supplier. The Portland cement, concrete dye and synthetic reinforcement fibers can be found at any specialty concrete supply store.</p> Supplies prep</strong></p> The task that will take you the longest in your trough making endeavor is the materials prep. The cement and vermiculite can be used as is. It is advised that the peat moss be sieved to remove large particulates and to provide a smaller grain material. However, if your goal is a coarser appearance, the sieving is not necessary.</p> The materials that take the most prep time are the synthetic fibers. When they are purchased, the fibers have the appearance of clumps of white strings. The fibers are added for stability and need to be consistent throughout the batch. To obtain this consistency, the fibers need to be ‘fluffed’ before they can be added to the mixture. This can be done by rubbing the fibers between your fingers until they take on the appearance of a pile of cat hair. It can be quite time consuming, but definitely worth the effort.</p> </p> Tools</strong></p> Dust mask</li> Rubber gloves</li> Wire brush</li> Propane torch</li> A bucket or container for measuring your dry ingredients</li> Wheelbarrow or suitable container for mixing the hypertufa</li> </ul> Mixing the hypertufa</strong></p> Once you have obtained and prepped your materials, it is time to mix the dry ingredients. It is advisable to always wear a dust mask and rubber gloves when working with Portland cement. We have experimented with several recipes; the following recipe is our favorite for strength and appearance:</p> 2 parts Portland cement</li> 3 parts vermiculite</li> 3 parts peat moss</li> 1-2 cups of dye (depending on the color you are hoping to achieve)</li> 3-4 cups of ‘fluffed’ synthetic fibers (this will translate to about a 1/4 cup unfluffed fibers). These fibers will not be added to the dry mixture; rather, they will be mixed in as you are adding water.</li> </ul> The size of the trough (or troughs) you are hoping to obtain will determine the amount of hypertufa you mix. If your goal is to make one small trough, the bucket you are using to measure out your ‘parts’ should reflect this size.</p> </p> Once you have mixed up your dry ingredients in the wheelbarrow/mixing container, it is time to add water. It is important to only add a little bit of water at a time; if your mixture becomes too wet, the end result will not resemble hypertufa. If you have a partner to aid in this process, the extra set of hands will be very helpful. While one person is using a shovel to turn the mixture, the other person can be incrementally adding water and synthetic fibers. This is also a good time to make any adjustments to the color of the mixture by adding more dye, if necessary. The desired result is a mixture that when squeezed in your hand both holds its shape and releases just a few drops of water. If you squeeze the mixture and it feels squishy or you can visibly see a lot of water forcing out, you have added too much water.</p> </p> Filling the forms</strong></p> Now that your mixture is ready to go, it is time to start making the trough by adding the mixture to the form (the plastic container) that you have chosen. As you will have to cover the finished project later with the plastic sheeting, it is a good idea to lay the sheeting down before you begin the molding process. As this is also a bit of a messy project, the sheeting will protect whatever surface you are working on.</p> In general, regardless of the size of your trough, you want the walls and bottom to be between 1-1/2 - 2 inches thick. Begin by adding shovelfuls of mixture to your form. This mixture needs to be compacted (to form the base) either by pushing with your hands or using a block of wood to push it down. If you do not compact the hypertufa, as it dries it will form holes in the trough and will generally lose stability.</p> As you are forming the base, start working your way of the side walls of the form. If the walls of your form are somewhat steep, it may be difficult to compact the mixture against the form. If this is the case, you can try compacting the mixture in your hands and then apply it to the inside of the form.</p> As you continue to build the walls of the trough, remember to keep the thickness consistent. It is very important that you make a drain hole in the bottom of your trough. If the trough is larger, you may want to make two or three holes. This is the best time to make the hole; if you forget, it will be necessary to drill it out once the trough has dried.</p> Curing</strong></p> Once you have molded the hypertufa in to the form and you are happy with the way it looks, it is time to begin the curing process. This is a two stage process; the first part lasts between 24-48 hours and the longer curing should take about four weeks.</p> Immediately after finishing the molding process, you will cover the trough with the plastic sheeting. Between 24 and 48 hours you will remove the trough from the form and leave it under the plastic sheeting. When to remove the trough is determined by the hardness of the mixture. If you can scratch it with your fingernail, it probably needs about 12-20 more hours. If you need a screwdriver to scratch the surface, this is about the right hardness. In general, smaller troughs take longer to cure than larger ones.</p> To get the desired appearance for your trough, this is the time when you would use the wire brush to rough up the outer surfaces of your trough. Most likely the plastic form will have left the trough looking shiny and smooth. Typically, hypertufa troughs have a rough and more weathered appearance. The wire brush will help you alter the texture to your liking. To make the trough as strong as possible, the longer curing method is recommended.</p> Once you have removed the trough from its form and altered the texture, place the trough back under the plastic and keep it at room temperature for four weeks. You will want to occasionally check the trough to make sure it is not drying out. If it feels dry, moisten it with water. After the curing process, if all goes well, you are ready to plant your trough! Remember to use well-draining soils and chose plants that are suitable for troughs.</p> </p>
Now Ellen! I don't decry your lovely shots of snow, but flowers are still blazing out there! Let's not rush into this winter thing quite yet (although I don't deny we've had two good blasts of snow the last few weeks). I counted dozens of plants with flowers lingering, and there are (in fact) a few that are actually at the very peak of bloom, despite some very frosty nights of late...the most glorious of these are several kinds of (true) autumn crocuses, such as...</p> </p> </p> Crocus medius</em> brings a vibrant blast of Mediterranean color and always seems to pick mid-November to strut its stuff. We have clumps that are 30 years old, although this wonderful planting (this is just a corner...there are hundreds) was just put in a few years ago. Worth making a pilgrimage to the far west end of the Gardens to worship at its feet on a sunny November day, believe me! Those anthers are something!</p> </p> You shall just have to take my word for it, but there are hundreds of these blooming just east of the Cactus and Succulent house, and they are glorious. This wonderful crocus was only discovered a half century ago on the Mani Peninsula by its namesake botanist (Dr. Constantine Goulimis, a remarkable Greek polymath lawyer). Each year it blooms, I imagine Constantine's amazement when he stumbled upon the vast colonies of this that stretch along this rugged, remote peninsula.</p> </p> I have been marvelling at Crocus speciosus</em> in my own garden for nearly two months, and here it is still blaring its brilliant lavender trumpets in mid-November. Some day I must go to the pinewoods near Constantinople where this grows by the million I am told...(I mean Istanbul..or to be precise, "Rum").</p> </p> And finally, there are still some ""Autumn Crocus"" in bloom (the multiple quotes are meant to alert you to the fallacious nature of the name. People still insist on calling Colchicums crocuses, although they are more closely allied to lilies (albeit botanists have recently put them in their own family: Colchicaceae!). Lilies have six stamens, but Iridaceae like Crocus</em> only have three. End of botany lesson! But it is not the end of our flowering season by any means. I suspect that the grove of Witch Hazels at Regis Arboretum are coming into bloom any day now (Hamamaelis vernalis</em>) and my Daphne </em>x transatlantica </em>has hundreds of fresh flowers. There are several species of cyclamen still blooming, and pansies around town are just kicking in. Let's not forget unseasonable blooms on lots of ice plants, phlox and geraniums! And of course, the Ussurian pears, the rowans and most oaks around town are ablaze with spectacular autumn color. The calendar and I proclaim that winter is still not here. Ellen--let's not rush things!</p>
Colorado has always been a great source of pride for me. I am a native of this beautiful state and find its natural environment therapeutic. Despite moving out of state for school or work, I often found myself returning to my home state. I knew I would eventually settle here as I envisioned my future. I had dreams of having a family; taking my children hiking on Mount Evans, exploring the banks of the great Grand Lake and camping in Rocky Mountain National Park. However, five years ago my dreams suffered a set-back when my daughter Marley was born with Down syndrome and developed pulmonary hypertension. As a result, her medical condition prevents us from traveling into the mountains and taking advantage of all Colorado has to offer.</p> It wasn't until last year when I discovered the Mordecai Children's Garden that I realized my dream wasn’t completely gone. In fact, my daughter is now able to discover and learn about Colorado's native plants and landscape in an innovative way. In a three acre urban setting, Marley can experience the feeling of being in the middle of large pine trees in Mist'ery Forest and explore life along Pipsqueak Pond. She can even hike the Fourteener Range all the way to Marmot Mountain! Although, we haven’t braved it yet, we are excited to participate in next year’s Cottonwood Campout, giving her the full experience of sleeping under the stars. In addition to her being able to safely explore the Children’s Garden, staff and volunteers frequently provide activities that allow her to learn at her own pace, while being challenged by the other children playing in the garden.</p> I want this enriching environment to continue not only for my daughter, but for all</em> children, regardless of their abilities. My new vision is that this important resource continues well into the future. This garden has its own therapeutic element for both my daughter and</em> me as I watch her roam and explore, just like I dreamed she would. </p> Now my family has the chance to be a part of its permanence thanks to a limited-time opportunity by the Mordecai Children’s Garden Leadership Circle and the Daniel and Janet Mordecai Foundation. My gift to its endowment will now be matched 3:1, ensuring this garden’s longevity and my daughter’s legacy will live on in the garden on the new donor trellis. Won’t you consider a gift to the Mordecai Children’s Garden Endowment challenge before it ends on November 30th and witness for yourself why we all should continue to take pride in this wonderful community and its natural resources, while leaving your own family legacy!</p> This blog post was written by Tonya Yada Kelly, former employee of Denver Botanic Gardens.</em></p>
</p> I start off with high summer: if I showed the "after" picture you would not be impressed...late winter can be very bleak, and the picture below seems to reinforce all our prejudices. But wait! Winter isn' perhaps as dismal as these pictures would let you believe!</p> </p> I know</strong> it looks stark! Just wait.. over the next few months I will try to persuade you to see with fresh eyes and realize that winter has a profound and sometimes even flashy beauty that does not depend necessarily on lights and extraordinary marketing. It is the quiet season and contemplation is somehow enhanced by this.</p> </p> But do not forget the truly wondrous display in Marnie's Pavilion. The Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory is always dazzling, however this space was designed to show orchids up close and to let you experience the smaller plants more intimately. Winter is not welcome herein!</p> </p> Best of all, you can walk from the main entrance (the Education Building) practically to the Japanese garden under glass! The doors leading into the Orangery open and close according to temperatures, but I find it especially fetching in winter.... Winter at Denver Botanic Gardens is emphatically NOT just branches, berries and bark! There is something blooming outdoors even in the longest, darkest days of winter...and the greenhouses, Orangery, Boettcher Memorial Conservatory and Marnie's Pavilion are the perfect escape from the doldrums. Do come by and visit often in this quietest and most contemplative of seasons!</p>
</p> Colorado is reputed to have such a harsh climate that many trees could never grow here, like flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida) or Sweetgums (Liquidambar stracuiflua</em>). Once again, conventional wisdom is proved WRONG </em></strong> by Denver Botanic Gardens! We boast a fabulous specimen not far west of York St. in the Sensory Garden: I have admired this the last ten or fifteen years it has been growing rapidly, but only last year and this year has it finally fulfilled my expectations for fall color: right next to our only Sassafras</em>, it rivals that magnificent tree in its fiery foliage. Yes, yes...I know we had 8" of wet snow yesterday. Both Sassafras</em> and Liquidambar</em> (and most every other tree at the Gardens) came through very well. Everyone panics with our untimely snows (and we do get them every year!), but plants are resilient, and the better plants are almost immune! So keep planting better plants!</p> </p> "Boston ivy" (Parthenocissus cuspidata</em>) is not seen nearly as much as English ivy in Colorado. This Japanese cousin to Virginia Creeper is rather neater in growth form--rather resembling a deciduous English Ivy--and the fall color is often quite good. This year it has been exceptional. The Waring house positively glows!</p> </dt> Closeup of Parthenocissus cuspidata ("Boston" ivy)</dd> </dl> Every keen lover of fall color I speak to says the same thing: this has been a magnificent year for fall color. When Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica</em>), American elm (Ulmus americana</em>) and all the Lindens turn brilliant yellow and positively glow you know it is a really good fall color year. Combined with the ubiquitous scarlets of Freeman Maples (Acer freemanii</em>) and the glowing deep purple and gold of White Ash--which is also very popular--the street scene around Denver was very New England. I have a hunch that the show will continue well into November. Colorado does Indian summer with a vengeance, don't forget! With our Allan Houser sculpture exhibit, it is all the more appropriate it do so.</p>
Even though the Haitian constitution mandates the establishment of a national botanical and zoological garden, Haiti is one of few countries in the world without a national botanical garden. Following the January 12, 2010 earthquake, the need to establish a national botanical garden has become all the more important in order to develop a platform to conserve plants and habitats, provide horticultural training and environmental education, create a place of retreat and solitude for the local population, develop tourism opportunities leading to economic development, and play a role in poverty alleviation by providing rural outreach in sustainable horticultural practices. The vision of Mr. William Cinea, a passionate champion for the establishment of national botanical garden in Haiti, is being brought to fruition this week though the International Symposium on the Creation of a Haitian National Botanical Garden (October 24 and 25, 2011). With 12 international delegates representing botanic gardens in five countries, the symposium today focused on the role of a botanic garden in rebuilding Haiti. Over 100 local Haitian professionals from various civic, development, ecological, and botanical fields are attending this symposium to learn about the role of botanic gardens and their impact on the community. Denver Botanic Gardens is one of six botanic gardens in the United States to be part of this initiative. The creation of this garden will have long-lasting impacts on the Haitian economy, culture, natural heritage, and youth. </p>
Did you know that Denver Botanic Gardens horticulturists have created and maintained the interior flora and fauna displays at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center (CCSC) year round since August 2005? Gardens’ horticulturist Blake Burger goes to CCSC five days a week. He designs and installs the displays, and provides daily care for all of the interior plantings. His days there start at 5:30 a.m., hours before the first visitor starts to shop. He creates stunning presentations including several colorful and seasonal displays--one for spring, fall and a special holiday display. Blake’s goal is to increase awareness of the beautiful Denver Botanic Gardens just one mile north of the CCSC. He does that by creating displays to coincide with events going on at the Gardens—also by incorporating signs and brochures that include interpretation of the displays and of the events. “I have been creating and maintaining the displays at the shopping center since 2008,” says Blake. These pictures show the Grand Court at the CCSC in September. "Every September, I like to add a bit of fall color to the interiorscape to get people in the spirit for the upcoming season. Mums and other indoor blooming plants are placed throughout the Grand Court. My goal is to bring awareness to Denver Botanic Gardens by creating a pleasant indoor environment for people to shop, relax, and work throughout the Cherry Creek Shopping Center," says Blake. "Seasonal displays are set up in April, September and November. They typically last 4-5 weeks. In 2012, I will be creating a Japanese display in the Starbucks court to create awareness for next year’s Japanese theme at the Gardens." Next time you are at CCSC, stop by to admire these displays. Be sure to come back and visit after the second week of November when the holiday displays will be installed (and do your holiday shopping at the same time!). And if you see Blake installing the next creation, be sure to stop by and say hi!</p>
</dt> </dl> </p> </p> </p> </dd> It isn't every day a star is born! Trot on down to the Rock Alpine Garden (preferably early in the morning or late afternoon in the slanted light) and you will behold a spectacle! Mike Kintgen has planted what seems like dozens of a dazzling new grass which is undoubtedly staging its Colorado (and possibly international debut) in public horticulture. Wouldn't you like to have been there the first time 'Karl Foerster' did its thing in Germany half a century ago?</dd> </dd> Well...some day you will be able to tell your progeny that you were there, that you SAW Muhlenbergia reverchonii</em></strong> produce its gauzy halo of glowing rose/mauve sparks in the dying embers of the day, in the dying embers of our growing season! If you are not able to visit us at the Gardens, you can see a spectacular planting at the Gardens at Kendrick Lake in Lakewood (the gardens are on the NW corner of Jewel and Hoyt...the plant is on the SE-most bed of the gardens.) You'd be a fool not to come to Denver botanic Gardens, however--it's too gorgeous for words right now. Come before hard frost, although the horticulturists are busily (rapidly, and very tactfully) disassembling the summer displays in anticipation. But let's not talk about that</strong></em>!</dd> </dl> </p> </p> The second and third pictures were taken in the Rock Alpine Garden last week. The lower the light the more vivid the color--alas, these were taken an hour or two before prime color.</p> Scott and Lauren Ogden introduced this stunning grass, which is native to Eastern and Central Texas. It was first offered for sale by High Country Gardens, in New Mexico, where I suggest you order this winter to plant it next spring. They offer the similar Muhlenbergia capillaris</em>, which is not a reliable performer in Colorado. At least not the forms we have thus far. But who needs it, with our stunning Texas halo grass!</p> </p> </p> While speaking of Lauren...she has completely redone the Undaunted Garden</em>, possibly the finest book ever written about gardening in our region. If you do not have the current update (with all new pictures, tons of new text featuring a hundred new plants), do not pass go, get it immediately! That's an order</em></strong>....(I'm feeling a tad bossy today, sorry.)</p> P.S. Lauren and Scott featured our new grass on the cover of their wonderful book a few years ago: you can see they got it in the perfect late light....aaaaaah!</p> </p>
</p> Certain plants have a certain "cachet" and Acer grandidentatum</strong></em> or bigtooth maple (with a host of other common names, usually alluding to some aspect of Utah where it is perhaps most abundant) is one of those plants. Imagine a petite Eastern sugar maple, only it tolerates alkaline soil and considerable heat and drought! That is a plant for all of us, I daresay! I heard it grew in Colorado near Mesa Verde, but several years ago a much larger colony was found by David and Pati Temple, who live south of Cortez.</p> This year I was extraordinarly lucky to be invited by David and Jeff Wagner (more about him anon!) to join them on a trek to find this new population in a place (I kid you not) called "Disappointment Valley." I hasten to tell you that this typically piquant Western place name is undoubtedly a ruse to keep the likes of you and me away. It is a splendid spot not far from the Utah line surrounded by magnificent wilderness and full of plant and animal treasure.</p> </p> </p> Here you can see one of the many picturesque buttes that form the backdrop to the valley. As far as I can tell, the substrate everywhere hereabouts is Mancos shale, a remarkably deep remnant of the Sea of Tethys from Mesozoic times. Mancos shale posses many properties: it is one of the slickest substances on earth when wet, and most remarkably it will turn people of middling height into towering giants (want to or not: I shall not tell you how long it took to clean our shoes off!). It grows plants well, as you can see.</p> Some of the maples we found were almost 40' or more tall, with trunks nearly a foot in diameter. The color was the most uniform crimson-pink I have ever seen on the species: I think this is definitely an area to explore further, and a place to get the hardiest, reddest of maples. In addition to bigtooth, there were gorgeous lemon yellow mountain maples thereabouts (Acer glabrum</em>) and even some pretty massive box elders (Acer negundo</em>). I kept looking to see if there might not be some intermediates around, but here I was truly disappointed!</p> </p> </p> A closeup of the man</em></strong>! David Temple and his wife Pati are two of Colorado's state treasures. They own an exquisite 3,000 acre ranch, much of it with conservation easements, boasting the highest, largest waterfall in the four-corner area. They have restored various ranches they own or have owned to a remarkable pristine look by their careful land management and sensitive farming practices. David grows hundreds of remarkable and often unusual trees for sale. I have some pictures of these I can share if you clamor loud enough...much of what he grows is available nowhere else. And don't get me going about their house and guest house--they are beyond lovely!</p> </p> </p> Jeff is a nurseryman who owns Four Corners Natives, a specialty wholesale nursery featuring a terrfic assortment of unusual and otherwise unobtainable native plants. He and his wife, Lisa Hollenbeck, hosted me this past weekend for an extravaganza weekend with the Durango Botanical Society. I am planning a blog about this hospitable and wonderful group that is creating an extensive Plant Select garden, a small botanical garden really, alongside the impressive Durango Library. I would be sure to put this on your bucket list of regional gardens to visit. I know you will not be disappointed!</p>
