</p> Whether you are hosting a wedding, a baby shower or a holiday party, planning an event is a lot of work! Large or small, lavish or modest, it can be overwhelming to select and coordinate caterers, florists, entertainers, photographers, rental companies and other vendors involved in your event. Fortunately, we have some insider tips for booking these event professionals to help make your event a success!</p> Venue</strong></h3> When to Book</p> 9-12 months in advance, 12-18 months in advance for popular dates.</li> Find out when a venue opens their calendar for the following year and if they have a wait list.</li> </ul> Major Factors to Consider</p> The venue you select will influence the look and feel of your event more than anything else. In fact, we encourage you to find the venue with the right “feel” before you settle on a date.</li> Make sure you have room for the number of people you expect to RSVP, with room to grow or shrink if your guest list changes significantly.</li> Most venues should have staff onsite the day of your event, but they typically do not offer event planning services.</li> </ul> Questions to Ask</p> Are there dressing rooms or green rooms?</li> Where will your guests park?</li> Does the venue have exclusivity contracts with caterers or rental companies?</li> What rules or regulations does the venue have for private events?</li> </ul> Caterer</strong></h3> When to Book</p> 6-9 months in advance.</li> </ul> Major Factors to Consider</p> Formal dinners, passed appetizers, multi-station buffets, and traditional buffets can all work well, but each will create a different mood at cocktail hours and meals.</li> Check out reviews to evaluate reputability. The Knot and Yelp are great places to start, and Preferred Caterer lists at local venues are good indicators of reliability.</li> If you are considering ethnic food, make sure that is something your caterer can accommodate.</li> </ul> Questions to Ask</p> Does the caterer cook onsite?</li> What additional charges should you expect?</li> Will the event designer be on site for the entire event, just setup, or setup and service?</li> Will there be any extra fees added on that are not included in the initial proposal?</li> </ul> Florist</strong></h3> When to Book</p> 3-6 months in advance. Allow more time if you want elaborate floral arrangements.</li> </ul> Major Factors to Consider</p> Know the venue rules regarding cut flowers, potted plants, vase materials, etc.</li> The time of year will affect the availability and cost of your flowers significantly.</li> </ul> Questions to Ask</p> Is the florist familiar with your venue?</li> Does the florist have access to a local greenhouse?</li> </ul> Photographer</strong></h3> When to Book</p> 3-6 months in advance</li> </ul> Major Factors to Consider</p> Know what kind of look you want. Browse photo galleries on the photographer’s website to get a sense of their style and approach.</li> Provide a list of the photos you want to prioritize. If you’re not sure where to start, your photographer should be able to provide you a list of recommended shots.</li> The more comfortable you are with your photographer, the more genuine your finished photos will look.</li> </ul> Questions to Ask</p> How long will the photographer(s) stay at your event under their base fee?</li> Do you get the rights to the photos after the event?</li> Will the photographer bring an assistant? If so, will that person be of the opposite sex to make “getting ready” shots more feasible?</li> How long will it take to get the final, edited photos? (6-9 months is normal.)</li> Will you get a batch of “social media” photos earlier than the rest that you can share?</li> Do they offer videography services?</li> </ul> Entertainment</strong></h3> When to Book</p> 3-6 months in advance</li> </ul> Major Factors to Consider</p> Do you want background music, a show, or someone who can function as an emcee?</li> Make sure you are aware of venue rules regarding amplified sound.</li> If your event is outside, some instruments cannot be safely used if the air is below 50 or 60 degrees.</li> Be honest about songs that you do want to hear AND songs that you don’t want to hear.</li> </ul> Questions to Ask</p> Will they need a green room?</li> Will they bring all their own materials, or will additional rentals be required?</li> Do they plan to tap into the sound system at the venue?</li> Have they worked at your venue before?</li> How much time will they need to set up?</li> </ul> General Tips</strong></h3> Have frank conversations and don’t be afraid to ask questions!</li> Evaluate all your contracts carefully BEFORE you sign them to avoid surprises on event day.</li> Book professionals who are familiar with your venue. They will already know the rules and regulations and will already know the best spots for photos, challenges with setting up and tearing down, and more.</li> Build a Pinterest page or “vision board” and provide it to all your event professionals to help ensure a cohesive look.</li> Know which rentals are included and which ones you need to book on your own.</li> Factor break times into your schedule for those folks working several hours at your event.</li> Most importantly, ENJOY YOUR EVENT. Too often, you may spend weeks or months planning an event that is over in an instant. Take as many moments as you can to relish in the celebration you’ve put together for your friends, family, loved ones or colleagues.</li> </ul> Contact Us</h3> Interested in booking a private event at the Gardens? Contact us for more information and rate details. York Street: private.events@botanicgardens.org</a> | 720-865-3551 Chatfield Farms: chatfieldrentals@botanicgardens.org</a> | 720-865-4339</p>
The Gardens is more than just a pretty place. Behind the paths and petals, there is research going on both inside the gates and beyond. Due to more international communication through Botanic Gardens Conservation International’s (BGCI) PlantSearch and the ability of researchers to find out about our collections from our online collections database, Gardens Navigator, we have fielded a much higher number of requests in recent years including sharing of leaf or seed samples for genetic research, and live plant or seed sharing to enhance collections of other botanical institutions. In some cases, we can host a researcher for more than just a one-day visit as they do their work on site.</p> That is the case this week. An odd-looking, but fascinating research project is currently happening throughout many of the native gardens at York Street. Joe Anderson, a British research associate from Uppsala Universitet in Sweden, is collecting the scent of our Penstemon</em> flowers</strong>. This research is part of a project lead by Dr. Amy Parachnowitsch to determine how the species has evolved in regards to pollination. Their four aims in conducting this research is to:</p> “Assess floral scent diversity across transitions between insect and hummingbird pollination to elucidate the role of scent in speciation."</li> "Compare transitions of scent loss in selfing species with hummingbird pollination to assess whether shifts in floral scent are generalizable."</li> "Determine geographic variation and co-variation of floral scent and other floral characters a single species in the context of specific plant-animal interactions and local adaptation."</li> "Quantify the underlying genetic architecture of floral scent and how it relates to shifts between pollinator groups.”</li> </ul> Modified plastic oven bags with attached tubing and a battery-operated pump are placed over a few Penstemon</em> flower spikes for about 4 hours. Scent is then captured in the bag and data is recorded. Joe is also photographing the flowers and will view them from under a spectrophotometer to analyze fine details of the flower color in hopes to determine a correlation between color and fragrance, in addition to collecting nectar from individual flowers.</p> So far, Joe has looked at P</em>. degeneri</em>, P</em>. pseudospectabilis</em>, and P</em>. pinifolius</em> and he has plans to continue sampling two or more species per day until he departs. This research is largely non-destructive, meaning that the plants and their flowers are not harmed and remain for our visitors to enjoy after the plastic bags are removed, other than the collection of a few flowers for the spectrophotometer work.</p> Why did they decide to do research at the Gardens? One of the species they are tracking, Penstemon</em> digitalis</em>, is found in the eastern US and is common in cultivation, but we have a large collection of many other species native to the western U.S. Joe also plans to conduct research in the Rocky and Sierra Nevada Mountains.</p> We are currently the only botanic garden participating in the project, though collections in Europe may be tapped for follow-up research. Having multiple documented species in one location also makes this sort of research more cost-effective and easier for the researchers. The value of our plant collections continues to grow through our participation in projects.</p> If you visit in the next few days, you may come upon this research in action!</p>
Every year Denver Botanic Garden's Horticulture Department welcomes a handful of exceptional horticulture students from across the country to study with us in a project-based, 10-week internship.</p> Each intern brings a wealth of passion and experience to our team and we’re very excited to introduce you to our 2017 horticulture interns:</p> </p> Left to right: Chloe Reeves, Amanda Williams, Kristina Gehrer, Olivia Fiala and Nurani Illahi</em></p> Chloe Reeves - University of Tennessee, Knoxville</strong> Plant Records Curation and Mapping</em> A plant science major, Chloe is led by her passion for the outdoors and will be starting the UT landscape architecture program in the fall. During the school year, she works as an intern for the UT Gardens.</p> Amanda Williams - South Dakota State University</strong> Urban Agriculture and Community Engagement</em> Amanda is studying horticulture with an emphasis in food production and Spanish at South Dakota State University. She loves to travel and has studied food production methods in Honduras. Other than plants, her passions include language, coffee and being outdoors.</p> Kristina Gehrer - Kansas State University</strong> Therapeutic Horticulture</em> Kristina was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. She graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in horticulture, landscape design and is currently pursuing her horticulture therapy certificate. Her passion is being outdoors and finding health and rejuvenation while being immersed in nature. She wants to use her talents to help everyone through horticulture.</p> Olivia Fiala - University of Nebraska, Lincoln</strong> Propagation, Production and Seed Herbarium Maintenance</em> Olivia is currently a junior at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, majoring in horticulture with a plant science option. In her free time, she is a member of UNL's horticulture club and enjoys staying active in slow pitch softball and flag football. Her past experience includes work as a farm hand and as a research technician at Bayer Crop-Science.</p> Nurani Illahi - University of Maryland</strong> Japanese Garden Character Pine Project</em> Nurani is a rising junior at the University of Maryland pursuing a horticulture degree and a potential creative writing minor. Since 2015, Nurani has worked as a databasing and collections employee for the University of Maryland herbarium. She is most excited about plant conservation and educating the public on environmental issues. Aside from garden work, she loves dogs, poetry, painting and napping.</p> Check back throughout the summer for updates from the interns.</p>
</p> Think you need lots of water for a diverse, vibrant, and beautiful garden? Think again!</p> On the Front Range, water is always a concern. It rarely falls from the sky, and it’s hard to justify soaking flower beds and gardens at home when your water bill ticks higher every year. And while you may think that you’d have to convert your yard to a cactus grove to create a garden that doesn’t need a lot to drink, the truth is that you can still have flowers, grasses, succulents, trees, and a wide variety of other plants that do well in dry soils.</p> In fact, at Spring Plant Sale, three entire divisions are dedicated to plants that are specifically selected to thrive with very little water. Shoppers focused on sustainable gardening practices should make these divisions a priority. Whether you have a single container on a balcony or acres of property to landscape, our expert horticulturists and horticultural volunteers can help you select just the right plants to fit your needs.</p> Plant Select®</strong> Plant Select® is the country’s leading brand of plants designed to thrive in high plains and intermountain regions, offering plants that provide more beauty with less work so gardeners of all levels can achieve smart, stunning, and successful gardens using fewer resources and with a more positive environmental impact.</p> Rock Alpine</strong> The Rock Alpine Garden is proof that dry, rocky soils can sustain a vibrant and colorful array of plants, and there’s no reason you can’t have one of your own. Shop thousands of individual plants uniquely suited to high and dry climates, or create a container full of them at the Trough Shop. In addition, stop by this division for unique yard art and bonsai.</p> Water-Smart</strong> Water-smart plants are not just drought-tolerant: they thrive in dry soils and, in many cases, only need to be watered 6-12 times per year. And don’t assume that less water yields duller gardens: water-smart plants offer a huge variety of bright, colorful plants that also happen to keep your water bill low.</p> In addition to these three divisions, keep an eye out for “I Save Water” stickers on plant info signs in other divisions to help you plan a water-smart garden of your own.</p> Admission to Spring Plant Sale is free on Friday, May 12 from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. and on Saturday, May 13 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tickets are required for the Plant Sale Preview Party on May 11. Get here early to get the best pick of the plants, and don’t forget to bring a wagon to haul them around! Click here</a> for more information.</em></p>
On select Fridays, 1-1:30 p.m., Gardens docents will be leading a drop-in tour, “Behind the Science: Explore the Natural History Collections.” Tours are included with Gardens admission and no reservations are needed. All ages welcome but tours are most appropriate for ages 8+. Group size is limited to 15.</p> To find out when the next “Behind the Science” tour is in 2018, go to the Gardens calendar</a>. Under the “More Filters” section, select “Tours” and "Included with Admission," and then click on the orange SEARCH button.</p> In the basement of Boettcher Memorial Center, you will discover the thousands of preserved plant and fungal specimens that reside in the Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium of Vascular Plants and the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi and view a small selection of insects that are housed in the Arthropod Collection.</p> Why are Natural History Collections important, and why does Denver Botanic Gardens have them?</li> What is a herbarium?</li> What is the difference between “herbarium” and “herbaria”?</li> Or, maybe you have heard about our recent renovation and are wondering what it entailed!</li> </ul> These are just some of the many questions we hope to address during the tour. There is much to discover within our Natural History Collections, from the artistry of pinned insects to the informative labels which will allow anyone from anywhere in the world to use the collections for decades to come.</p> On the tour, docents can also show you the process for how we collect our plant specimens and how to view our collections from home.</p> For questions, email info@botanicgardens.org</a> or call 720-865-3500.</p>
</p> The Gardens are beginning to bloom, and they will only become more stunning as the days get warmer and sunnier. What better backdrop for your next gathering?</p> Though we began booking events for this summer over a year ago, we’ve had a few excellent dates open up on our summer calendar. We’d love to help you celebrate with your friends and loved ones while they Gardens are truly showing their finest colors! </p> On select dates from June-August, you can save up to 25% off your facility rental fee when you book.</strong> With indoor and outdoor rental sites at both York Street and Chatfield Farms, our venues can host intimate gatherings for small groups or large parties of up to 1,000 people.</p> Whether you are interested in the formal, linear symmetry of our York Street venues or the rustic, pastoral settings available at Chatfield Farms, Denver Botanic Gardens provides a beautiful environment for events of every size. </p> Contact us for more information and rate details.</p> York Street: private.events@botanicgardens.org</a> | 720-865-3551 Chatfield Farms: chatfieldrentals@botanicgardens.org</a> | 720-865-4339</p> Offer applies to new bookings only. Some exclusions apply. Cannot be combined with any other discounts. </em></p>
Spring has arrived in the water gardens at Denver Botanic Gardens. Hardy waterlilies are breaking dormancy, developing submerged leaves and their first few floating leaves of the season. Aquatic iris, cattails, pickerel plant and lizard’s tail are also showing a flush of new spring growth.</p> Beyond these changes which can be seen when visiting the Gardens, there are many behind-the-scenes preparations taking place. From propagating plants from seeds, tubers, cuttings and divisions to creating planting designs for each water garden, the horticulture staff and volunteers are busy laying the groundwork for the upcoming summer months.</p> Seeds</strong></h3> The giant water platters (Victoria</em> ‘Longwood Hybrid’) that will grace the pools this summer got their start as seeds in our greenhouse in late March. These were provided to us by Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, where this hybrid was originally developed by Patrick Nutt in 1960.</p> The pea-sized seeds were placed in a heated tub of water in our aquatics greenhouse with the temperature maintained at 86-88 degrees F. The average germination time is 7-10 days. Once the seeds develop their first leaves and roots, we plant them in 2” containers of sand with a tablespoon of peat moss in the bottom to bring the pH down a bit. The heat can then be turned down to 75 degrees. As the plants grow, they are repotted into larger containers, with a final container size of 8-10” diameter.</p> In early June, the heat will be turned off in the greenhouse tubs to allow the platters to adjust to the cooler water temperatures they will grow in outdoors. They will then be transplanted into 20-24” solid tubs filled with clay loam and placed in the Monet and Science Pyramid ponds in late June.</p> The platters are heavy feeders and require weekly fertilization throughout the season. Be sure to visit often to observe their rapid growth during the summer months. You may also find baby ducklings taking an afternoon nap on the strong and buoyant leaves.</p> Gorgon plants (Euryale ferox</em>) are also grown from seed in the greenhouse during this time. These seeds will germinate in cooler water than the Victoria</em> waterlilies, and have even been known to pop up in our outdoor ponds from seeds that overwintered in the muck at the bottom. Those grown from seed in the greenhouse will be planted outside in May.</p> Tubers</strong></h3> Many of the tropical waterlilies you will see during the summer in the water gardens are started from tubers that were harvested from lilies the previous fall. These are stored in our tuber fridge at 55 degrees and are then pulled out in April and placed in tubs of water heated to 75 degrees in the greenhouse. They will be placed outside in late June along with the Victorias.</p> Leaf Cuttings</strong></h3> Umbrella palm and dwarf papyrus, two tropical marginal aquatic plants used in our display ponds, are easy to propagate by taking leaf cuttings. These cuttings are taken in mid-March from larger “mother” plants that are stored in the greenhouse for the winter months. The cuttings are placed in 4” containers of clay loam which are then placed in a tray of water on top of a heat mat maintained at 85 degrees. The bottom heat provided by the mats is necessary to get the cuttings to root in quickly. Within 7-10 days, the viviparous leaves will put up new growth. These small plants will then be sold in the aquatics division of our Spring Plant Sale over Mother’s Day weekend.</p> Divisions</strong></h3> Another spring chore that provides us with additional plants for both our Spring Plant Sale and our water garden displays is dividing. On Sundays during the spring, Colorado Water Garden Society members gather for morning work sessions at the Gardens to help divide and repot hardy waterlilies outside along with tropical marginal plants including cannas, taro and papyrus in the greenhouse.</p> Design Work</strong></h3> The designs for each water garden are created in January and February. An effort is made each year to add new plant varieties to the collection, and these are ordered from wholesale nurseries in early March. New plants are ordered for the spring plant sale and all are potted on Sunday work days with the Colorado Water Garden Society members’ help. Interpretive signage is also created during this time of year to help educate visitors about any new additions to the aquatic plant collection.</p> We hope you will join us throughout the spring, summer and fall to enjoy the water gardens at Denver Botanic Gardens. Stay tuned for another blog post this summer with more details about the work that goes into maintaining aquatic plants during the height of the season.</p>
Geophytes are an important part of the steppe climate. Some of the most recognizable geophytes are bulbs. Bulbs offer not only spring beauty but interest throughout the season. Bulbs can also be an important source of food. #steppesuns</p> This first spring in the Denver Botanic Gardens' Steppe Garden </strong>is an exciting time. Right now the part of the garden dedicated to Central Asia is bursting to life with hundreds of spring bulbs. Bulbs are a crucial part of the grassland biome we call steppe. Many of these bulbs arise very early in the season to capitalize on the slightly warming soils and the lack of competition from taller grasses that will block out light and gobble up all the water. These bulbs use their specialty water and carbohydrate storage system to give them the resources needed to put on their spring spectacle.</p> Once the blooms have ended, they capture as much light as they can before the competition wakes up and bullies them out of the scarce resources. Many of my favorite plants are bulbs and now is the time I get to revel in their glory and crawl along the ground to get up close and smell their sweet fragrance and peer inside their oft pendulous faces.</p> Bulbs are also a critical source of food for early pollinators, being some of the first plants to bloom. Hungry bees that are just waking up from a winter respite have these brightly colored and sweet-scented flowers to welcome them to a new year. I imagine that spring bulbs are to bees as coffee is to me; that one joy in the morning that gets you motivated and gives you the wherewithal to conquer all that comes your way. Many bulbs have poisonous parts making them unpalatable to pesky herbivores and giving us and the pollinators a source of beauty and inspiration, especially after a long drab winter.</p> Many of the Gardens' staff are passionate about bulbs. Sonya Anderson has worked hard scouring the globe to find the bulbs to bring us this intricate display that starts in February and will, in one form or another, carry us through until November. The pinnacle is still, however, spring with Tulipa, Fritillaria, Crocus, </em>and Corydalis</em>. This year is just the beginning. As many of these bulbs naturalize and fill in, the displays will only get better and more beautiful as we welcome in spring, sunshine, and the promise of better weather and the chance to get our hands dirty again with the task of gardening.</p>
</p> The Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary last year, is a favorite destination for Gardens visitors year-round, but it’s particularly popular in the winter. Warm, humid, and filled to the ceiling with tropical plants, the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory offers the perfect respite from the gray, chilly days outside the dome.</p> Most days, the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory closes to visitors each evening. But attendees of Off the Clock</em>, our series of theme-night-style events, have the special opportunity to experience this vibrant space after dark. Walking along a pathway lined with lights, guests can get a taste of what happens in a tropical forest after the sun sets.</p> Docents wearing glowing lanyards are stationed along the path to chat with guests and answer questions about the plants that thrive in the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory. Without too much waiting, guests can spot insect and amphibian residents of the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory that don’t typically come out during the day. Plus, the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory offers guests a warm and beautiful thoroughfare for guests to access activities scheduled in Marnie’s Pavilion and the Orangery during the event. </p>
Everyone says they love trees. Practically every one of the millions of trees in the Front Range was planted by someone. Dutch Elm disease removed most American elms fifty years ago, and Thousand Cankers is busy wiping out the Black Walnuts right now. And Emerald Ash Borer is not likely to be contained in Boulder County much longer. If, and when, the insect appears in Denver Metro, it is possible that a million trees could die in a few years: the cost for removing these is likely to cost over a billion dollars in Colorado alone.</p> The other costs: the loss of cooling by trees (these are the lungs of the city, and the air conditioners) will result in greater fuel costs for air conditioning. And the greatest loss is that of beauty. Trees are the living sculptures that line our lives as much as they line streets. The study of Biophilia has shown that trees and nature have an enormous impact on psychological well-being. The loss of either is a subtle blow to our psyches.</p> If Ash trees, a major component of our street tree palette, do disappear will we just replace them with a new monoculture? More and more nurseries are selling trees propagated asexually, greatly diminishing the genetic diversity of our Urban Tree Flora. Compare the leaves on these Burr Oaks selected from a row at Chatfield Farms grown from the same seed lot—this is genetic diversity in action!</p> Why does diversity matter? Not only does a wider palette of trees provide a richer paint box with which to color the canvas of our cities—diversity provides buffers for potential pests and diseases. Monocultures are far more prone to rapid spread of both of these threats. Be sure to attend the tree conference to learn more.</p> 2017 4th Annual Tree Diversity Conference</strong> Friday, March 10 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., York Street Registration includes lunch</em></p> Learn More and Register Today</a></p> This Tree Diversity Conference brings five of the leading authorities on Street Trees to Denver.</p> The Director of America’s National Arboretum in Washington, whose focus professionally has been on Street Trees.</li> A nurseryman from Oregon who’s explored the world for plants, and who has a home in the desert which rarely gets more than 10” rainfall.</li> A nurseryman from Littleton, CO who went on to convene the biggest short course on trees in the hemisphere.</li> The director of a statewide network of Arboreta in our neighboring state, unique in the world for its outreach to their community.</li> And the Top Gun Arborist of Denver who’s led the charge to identify and monitor every street tree in Denver City and County.</li> </ul> These seasoned Arborists will be as enthralling and entertaining as they are knowledgeable. Be there (or stick to astroturf)!</p>
