</p> The holiday season is in full bloom at York Street as Blossoms of Light™</a> delights thousands of guests each night with mesmerizing displays of light and color. Though it is a tradition for many Front Range families, the new designs and features provide a new adventure every year for even the most seasoned visitors. In fact, CNN has ranked</a> Blossoms of Light as one of the top places to see lights in the entire country! </p> As you wander the lights, keep in mind that it takes a lot to get to this point! Here are some fun facts about Blossoms of Light that, if they don’t make you enjoy the lights even more, may at least shed some light (ha) on the scope and scale of this massive public event.</p> Blossoms of Light opened its first season of illumination over 30 years ago, in 1988.</li> Blossoms of Light is the Gardens’ largest single event of the year, drawing in more guests and revenue than any other.</li> It takes 13 months to design, plan, and execute the event. </li> Installation of lights begins on the Tuesday after Labor Day, and every light is removed by the end of February. Lights are installed with poles, lifts, climbing harnesses, waders and cherry-picker buckets.</li> Custom-strung lights are built by hand starting in early summer. Unusual light colors, such as teal or purple, must be ordered 6-8 months in advance because manufacturers only produce limited quantities each year.</li> We estimate there are more than half a million individual lights in the entire display. The exact number is very difficult to calculate!</li> 100 percent of the decorative lights used are LED.</li> Squirrels and wind are the biggest enemies to the lighting equipment.</li> The eagle-eyed visitor may notice that we double-dip in a few areas – we turn on some of the spookiest lights for Glow at the Gardens in October.</li> This is the first year in over a decade that we have extended Blossoms of Light more than a week past New Year's.</li> </ol> Tickets are selling quickly, so get yours before they are gone. We look forward to celebrating the season of light with you!</p> Blossoms of Light is open nightly (closed December 25) through January 16, 2021. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Get your tickets today!</a></strong></p> </p>
In part two of this series, we talked about carnivorous plants that use passive traps to catch insects and other small prey. Next, we cover the third and final trapping mechanism used by predatory plants — adhesive traps.</p> These traps can be divided further into the following categories: flypaper, fixed tentacles and mobile tentacles.</p> Flypaper Traps</strong></h3> Carnivorous plants with flypaper traps ensnare their victims with a sticky mucus that also acts as an attractant. Butterworts (Pinguicula</em> spp.) fall into this category. This genus currently contains over 80 species with new discoveries still being made in recent years. They can be found growing in native habitats throughout the northern hemisphere and southward into Central and South America. The richest species diversity can be found in Mexico.</p> Butterworts catch smaller insects such as gnats and fruit flies. These insects are drawn in by the sweet scent of the sticky nectar produced by the plant on short stalks attached to the leaf surface. Once the insect lands, it is unable to free itself and is digested on the leaf surface by a mix of digestive enzymes and acids secreted by the plant, with only their exoskeleton remaining as evidence of their demise.</p> These beautiful but deadly plants are beloved for their general ease of cultivation as well as their brightly colored flowers which range in color from white to yellow to scarlet red.</p> Fixed Tentacles</strong></h3> A second form of adhesive trapping mechanisms can be found in Portuguese sundew (Drosophyllum lusitanicum</em>) and rainbow plants (Byblis</em> spp.). These plants use a technique similar to butterworts to capture their prey, but the sticky mucus they produce is held further out from the leaf surface on fixed tentacles. This allows the plants to capture prey that is a bit further from their leaves and also larger in size than those caught by butterworts.</p> Portuguese sundew is unique from other carnivorous plants in that it is native to the relatively dry western Mediterranean regions of Spain, Portugal and Morocco. It can be a bit trickier to grow since it requires a faster draining soil media and more infrequent watering than its bog loving kin. The sticky mucus produced by this plant has a thicker, more resinous consistency than that of species found growing in boggy areas. This allows it to function better in the more arid conditions of its native habitats.</p> Rainbow plants are native to Australia and New Guinea, with seven species currently known to exist. Some are annuals and others are perennials. All live up to their common name, giving off a rainbow effect from their glistening leaves when struck by rays of sunlight.</p> Mobile Tentacles</strong></h3> Finally, the last example of adhesive traps can be found in sundews (Drosera</em> spp.), which have tentacles that move slowly to encompass their prey, smothering them in digestive enzyme-rich mucus. I love this quote from Peter D’Amato in his book, The Savage Garden: "If an insect ever evolved the brains to write a horror novel, the monster in that novel would probably be a sundew."</p> Sundews can be found growing on every continent but Antarctica, with the richest species diversity occurring in Australia. Over 125 species have been named in a wide range of forms, with many pygmy sundews staying the size of a small coin and other species like the South African king sundew (D. regia</em>) growing to over 2 feet tall.</p> If you are looking for a great carnivorous plant for beginners, the Cape sundew (D. capensis</em>) will be your best bet. Simply plant it in a mix of half peat and half sand, place it in a shallow saucer of distilled water in a sunny windowsill, and watch it catch any fly or fruit fly that dares to come near it. This plant seeds easily, and we often have seedlings available at our spring plant sale each year.</p> Butterworts and sundews can be found in the terrariums located at the east end of the Orangery. They can also be viewed during Free Days at the Gardens at the Carnivorous Plant Education table. Our Portuguese sundew lives in our aquatics greenhouse, where it has a steady supply of insects to keep it well fed. It can be viewed in some of our behind the scenes tours at the Gardens.</p> </p> For additional information about Carnivorous Plants, be sure to check out the International Carnivorous Plant Society’s website</a>. "The Savage Garden," by Peter D’Amato and "Growing Carnivorous Plants," by Barry A. Rice are both great books on the subject that offer more in-depth information about these amazing plants.</p>
From the moment your lungs take in that first breath of warm, comforting and humid air you know you have entered the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory. The Tropical Conservatory is home to over 550 species of plants spanning 306 genera from 87 plant families from all over the world. You have probably seen many epiphytes on previous visits but maybe didn’t know what they were. Read on and I shall cast some light on these wonderful oddities!</p> Epiphytes are organisms that grow on the surface of host plants, often attaching themselves with strong roots. They obtain moisture from the air and nutrients from debris around them. A common example of this would be Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides</em>) growing off of a tree branch. Epiphytes differ from parasites in that they attach only for physical support, not for food or water. They are found in every major group of the plant kingdom, including some species of algae growing under water. The Tropical Conservatory is host to many epiphytes, and they come in many different forms.</p> As you enter the Tropical Conservatory from the east end, take a few steps in and look up to the right. In a planter pocket of the rock ledge grows an exciting epiphytic orchid, Grammatophyllum speciosum</em>. Native to Indonesia, it is also known as the sugar cane orchid, because of the appearance of the pseudobulbs. The largest plant was recorded as weighing more than a ton and each raceme can bear up to 80 scented flowers. It can remain in bloom for up to 2 months.</p> Continue down the path, past the duck pond and up the stairs to the main level. From the top of the stairs turn right and look at the wall. Here you will see Platycerium bifurcatum</em>, or staghorn fern, mounted here. It is native to Java, New Guinea and southeastern Australia. They require consistent moisture and shady locations. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant. Its common name comes from the appearance of the dissected fronds.</p> The final plant on our epiphytic journey is an amazing silvery plant called Tillandsia tectorum</em>. It is found at the top of the treehouse, the highest point you can get to in the Tropical Conservatory. It has many thin, very silvery leaves and loves high light and heat. This plant is native to Peru and Ecuador. In late summer it gets a lovely light purple/pink bloom that can last for several months. This species is well suited to Colorado because of its love of low humidity and intense sunlight and makes a great plant for you to try at home.</p>
As a resident of the Denver area for most of my life, it was a true gift to experience my internship in Horticultural Therapy (HT) at Denver Botanic Gardens, a place that has always inspired magic in me. Working in the garden has always been a healing experience for me, and sharing that with others is my purpose.</p> Denver Botanic Gardens created an internship in HT that meets the requirements of the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) for professional Registered Horticultural Therapists (HTR). Denver Botanic Gardens focuses on Therapeutic Horticulture, which is defined by AHTA as:</p> “The participation in horticultural activities facilitated by a registered horticultural therapist as a therapeutic modality to support program goals. Therapeutic horticulture is the process through which participants enhance their well-being through active or passive involvement in plant and plant-related activities.”</p> Summer Sensory is a program where groups of different populations visit the Gardens for a tour of the Sensory Garden and to participate in a Therapeutic Horticulture activity such as planting a sensory plant container or arranging flowers. We invite participants to engage with the plants regardless of differing abilities, and each participant interacts in their own unique way. The SPARK program for Alzheimer’s meets once a month, alternating between the York Street and Chatfield Farms locations.</p> I personally enjoyed working with SPARK, as I was able to get to know the same people who came each month, and to observe how working with the plants was affecting them positively. Horticultural Therapy is especially effective for people living with dementia and Alzheimer’s, as invoking some senses, like the sense of smell, can trigger memories. I think its safe to say we may have all experienced this, as a certain scent of a flower can take us back to a special person, place or time!</p> Other Therapeutic Horticulture Programs at the Gardens I experienced were with the Rocky Mountain Cancer Society, which included Seasonal Meditative Walks facilitated by Angie Andrade, HTR and horticulturist at the Gardens, and “The Cancer Journey as Reflected through the Art of Bonsai,” a workshop led by the Gardens' Bonsai Specialist Larry Jackel and Horticultural Therapist Angie Andrade, both aided by social workers from the Rocky Mountain Cancer Society. This experience of therapeutic horticulture touched my heart, as metaphors of nature were employed to relate to the journey of not just cancer, but life.</p> I am also very excited to have been able to contribute a program to Denver Botanic Gardens and Craig Hospital inspired by another passion of mine: herbal medicine. I created a seasonal Horticultural Therapy curriculum that focuses on growing, preserving, and experiencing herbs.</p> We began in the spring, learning how to plant and care for herbs. As we shifted into summer, the herbs offered their abundance and participants harvested and made tea with fresh herbs. As summer waned, we began to think of ways to preserve the herbs. In late summer, participants preserved herbs in vinegar. In the fall, participants learned techniques for drying herbs for winter use. In winter, when little is green outside, participants are able to create their own unique winter tea blend with herbs they harvested in the fall. This program is designed to guide participants to relate to the seasons in the context of how herbs can be beneficial in their own lives. Along with this curriculum, I have also created an herb chart with information on herbs that are easy to grow on the Front Range, as well as ways that they can be used in culinary or medicine.</p> My internship at Denver Botanic Gardens has been a life-changing experience. This internship has expanded my knowledge and appreciation of the plant world, both cultivated and native plants. I am grateful that the Gardens created this internship to offer to students of Horticultural Therapy. I am thankful for the knowledgeable and passionate staff at the Gardens, especially my mentors, Angie Andrade and Lee McCoy. This internship has inspired and challenged me to step into my role as a guide for people to connect with nature.</p> This blog post was written by Gina Sferrazza. Gina first discovered her love of gardening by sowing seeds in a tiny backyard patio. She went on to develop her horticultural skills through working on vegetable and medicinal herb farms. She has volunteered with horticultural therapy programs at The Mental Health Center of Denver and Jeffco Transition Services before starting as the Horticultural Therapy Intern at Denver Botanic Gardens. Gina's personal mission is to use her knowledge to teach others how to cultivate plants, in order to create a world in harmony with nature. </em></p>
</p> My name is Jocelyn Schilling, and I have been a groundskeeper here at Denver Botanic Gardens for six months now. My main duties are using the leaf blower to clear the pathways as well as sweeping, raking and other things to keep the Gardens clean. I have Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of high-functioning autism, which makes social interaction harder for me than the typical person.</p> Before I worked here at the Gardens I was a shy individual who had dreams to live on my own, travel the world, and have career researching plants and animals. However, in my current situation I was starting to doubt that it was even going to happen. Just thinking about taking the steps to reach these goals was terrifying, and I did not want to deal with it. Thus I would hide in my room and play video games. This frustrated me because I was getting nowhere in life. I longed to have a purpose and be successful, but I didn’t know how.</p> When I graduated from Front Range Community College I wanted to get a Job. My job coach had told me about a position at Denver Botanic Gardens, and I thought that would be amazing, but would they really want to hire ME? All I had was an associates degree and a two-year Greenhouse Management Certificate.</p> From the moment I started here, everyone was so welcoming and happy to have me here and willing to show me how to do things. As time went on I got more used to the job and became familiar with the routine. I frequently got overwhelmed with praise from everyone on my work. I couldn’t believe it! I had never been given any feedback in my past work experiences let alone this much praise. This made me feel that I had an important role here and I was needed to make this an even more beautiful place.</p> There are so many amazing things I learned from working at the Gardens this season. One of my favorites was trimming Tamamono shrubs in the Japanese Garden, helping to manage the water gardens, and more recently learning how to properly plant bulbs.</p> I would like to thank my job coach and friend Natalie Wetzel for supporting me throughout this entire season and connecting me with the Gardens. I would also like to thank my supervisor Angie Andrade for taking a chance on hiring someone with Asperger’s when others would not have done so. Finally, I want to thank everyone who let me help in their garden, show me new things and make this a remarkable experience I won’t soon forget.</p> I am sad that my time at these beautiful gardens is coming to an end. This has been the best experience of my life thus far, and I am so blessed to have been able to work here. I leave here with valuable experiences, new relations and a newfound confidence that I can accomplish my dreams. Thanks again to all of the wonderful staff for everything. Hope to see you next year.</p>
In the 1860s, pioneers settled on the land next to Deer Creek in what is now Littleton. The stream provided the settlers with the only water around for miles. Frank Hildebrand bought a log cabin and a large piece of land where he and his family constructed barns and other structures for their ranching business. Being in the arid grasslands up against the foothills, the Hildebrands understood that they needed to find a working relationship between the environment and their family farm. Their house, garden and summer kitchen were built near the creek to take advantage of the steady flow of water.</p> But building their structures near Deer Creek was a double-edged sword for the Hildebrands. The convenience of having close access to a vital resource was offset by the possibility of flooding caused by high-flow events. Our experts speculate that to mitigate the risk of flooding, the Hildebrands worked to channelize Deer Creek. Deepening the ravine and steepening the banks would increase the capacity for flow volume so floods could move through the system efficiently, causing less damage to the upper terrace and the Hildebrands’ livelihoods.</p> Today, the property is split between an open space park in Jefferson County and Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms. Hildebrand Ranch is on the National Register of Historic Places and many of the original buildings are still standing. Deer Creek is also an important wildlife corridor for bears, beavers, deer, coyotes, raccoons and many species of birds; however, channelized streams are not very productive for native species. Our conservation ecology team is developing a stream restoration plan that will find a balance between restoring the natural meanders of Deer Creek while also protecting the historical buildings on site.</p> This blog post was written by Margo Paces, M.S. student at University of Colorado Denver. Margo studies stream restoration along Deer Creek at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms. She quantifies plant communities along the riparian corridor to gauge the effectiveness of restoration efforts.</em></p>
In part one of this series, we talked about carnivorous plants that use active traps to capture their prey. Next, we cover another trapping mechanism used by multiple species of predatory plants: passive traps.</p>While the active traps of Venus flytraps, waterwheel and bladderworts capture insects by either snapping shut on them or quickly sucking them in, passive traps do not use any motion to catch their prey.</p>These inactive traps can be further broken down into “pitfall,” “lobster pot,” and “pigeon” traps.</p>Pitfall Traps</strong></h3>Modified leaves are used as individual pitfall traps by many types of pitcher plants, including hardy, tropical, Australian and sun pitchers. Hardy pitcher plants (Sarracenia</em> spp.) can be found growing in nutrient poor bogs throughout the United States and into portions of Canada, while tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes</em> spp.) are natives of Madagascar, Australia and Southeast Asia. Sun pitchers (Heliamphora </em>spp.) are native to swampy areas on high plateaus in South America, specifically Venezuela, Guayana and northern Brazil. Australian pitcher plants (Cephalotus follicularis</em>) consist of a single species which can be found growing in swamps or alongside streams and creeks in southwestern Australia.</p>Pitfall traps often have a nectar producing portion near the entry of the trap and may also be brightly colored. Both features aid in luring insects. Downward-pointing hairs can often be found inside these traps, which make it easy for insects to crawl in but much more difficult for them to get out. Some of these pitfall traps have liquid in the base which contains digestive fluids produced by the plant. Others do not have a pool of water but exude digestive enzymes once the insects starve in the trap. Some large species of tropical pitcher plants have even been known to draw rodents into their traps!</p>Lobster Pot Traps</strong></h3>One hardy pitcher plant that uses a slightly different passive trapping mechanism is the parrot pitcher plant (Sarracenia psittacina</em>). The method of trapping used by this species is referred to as a “lobster pot” trap and encourages insects to crawl deep into a trap with the lure of nectar. Once inside, the bug is confused by the presence of glassy windows, known as areoles, which allow light into the trap. It cannot find its way out through the darker trap opening and is slowly digested by the plant.</p>California pitcher plants (Darlingtonia californica</em>), which are native to a small range in northern California and southern Oregon, also use these types of traps in combination with a pitfall trap. Insects are drawn to the mouth of the trap by the sweet scent of nectar. The pitcher is lined with areoles, which allow light into the trap, confusing the insects. It becomes easier for the bugs to find their way further into the trap then to find a way out through the darker opening, and they eventually reach a portion with slick, downward-pointing hairs—the pitfall portion of the trap. Unfortunately, it is all downhill from there for the insect—both figuratively and literally.</p>Pigeon Traps</strong></h3>The final type of passive trap used by carnivorous plants can be found in the multiple species belonging to the genus Genlisea</em>, commonly referred to as corkscrew plants. Native to Central and South America as well as Africa, these plants grow in aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats and feed mostly on protozoans. Researchers are still studying how prey are drawn into the plants’ traps, but once there, the trap uses a technique also used in pigeon traps. Prey push past inward-pointing hairs as they enter the trap, which prevent them from backing out.</p>At the Gardens, you can see examples of carnivorous plants with passive traps in the terrariums located at the east end of the Orangery. Sun pitchers live in two of these terrariums and hardy pitcher plants are often rotated into the displays during the summer months. A tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes alata</em>) can be found in the largest terrarium, while other Nepenthes</em> species can be viewed through the glass panels which divide the Orangery from the easternmost greenhouse.</p>In the third and final part of this series</a>, we will examine carnivorous plants that use sticky “flypaper” type traps to capture their prey.</p>
</p> The trees are trimmed, the halls are decked: on Friday night, we open Blossoms of Light™</a>, and we couldn’t be more excited about this year’s display. With new features and more lights than ever before, we think even the most seasoned holiday visitor will walk away in amazement. As the event gains more and more popularity, we want to share some tips and tricks for getting the most out of your Blossoms of Light experience.</p> Buy Your Tickets in Advance – For Real!</strong></p> Tickets went on sale on October 1, and we’ve already sold quite a few! While this may have once been an event you could make a last decision about, it’s no longer that kind of event. Tickets are limited each night and are spread across four timed entry windows and we expect to sell out most nights. Plus, tickets increase in price by $5 at the door, so you really can’t go wrong by booking in advance.</p> Visit on Week Nights Early in the Season</strong></p> Last year, we sold out every single night of Blossoms of Light during the last two weeks of December, and we sold out almost every weekend night during the entire run. The slowest nights to attend are weeknights during the week after Thanksgiving and the first week of December.</p> Want Great Photography? Come Late!</strong></p> If you want pictures that feature the lights and not hundreds of strangers, buy tickets for the 8 p.m. time slot on your chosen date. The crowds definitely thin out after 8:30, and though entry stops at 9 p.m., visitors can remain in the Gardens until 9:30 p.m. </p> Want Really </em>Great Photography? Brave the Snow!</strong></p> Yes, it will be cold. But Blossoms of Light really comes to life under a blanket of fresh snow! Don’t let a little Colorado weather scare you away… your Instagram followers will thank you!</p> Ditch Your Car, Take a Lyft</strong></p> We’ve partnered with Lyft to help encourage our visitors to skip the hassle of city parking and arrive in style right at our front gate. New users can save $5 off their first three rides with code GARDENS18, and new or existing users can save 20% off one ride to or from the Gardens with code BOL2018. And don’t forget: the event is easily accessible by two RTD bus lines, has several Car2Go spots and has a B-Cycle station just outside the main entrance.</p> Bring Your Appetite</strong></p> This year, all food locations will be open until 9 p.m. every night of Blossoms of Light (including Christmas). Stop by the hot beverage bar, Offshoots Café, the roasted nut tent or The Hive garden bistro for treats, beverages or dinner.</p> Shop On Your Way Out</strong></p> Kill two birds with one stone and knock out some holiday shopping as you exit Blossoms of Light; The Shop at the Gardens will be open until 9 p.m. each night. Or, stop at our ticket counter in the Bonfils-Stanton Visitor Center to give the gift of a Gardens membership.</p> Blossoms of Light is open 5-9 p.m. every night from November 23 - January 1. Advance purchases are highly recommended to get the best price and to ensure admittance on your desired date. </strong>Get your tickets today!</strong></a></p>
</p> Each November, the Gardens turns into a festive holiday shopping extravaganza at Winter Gift Market</a>. One of the longest-running events at the Gardens, Winter Gift Market attracts dozens of artisans selling their wares and thousands of visitors looking to buy them. Though the vendors and products change every year, one of the most popular offerings at the Market remains the same: herb-infused vinegars produced by Denver Botanic Gardens Guild. To learn a little more about how these jewel-tone vinegars are created, the special events team talked to two Guild members, Marilyn Anderson and Kris Persun, for some behind-the-scenes insights on their process.</p> Q: How long has the Guild been making and selling vinegar?</strong></p> A: The Guild has been making herbal vinegars since the 1960s. Our first vinegar was the Herbal Blend, which we still make and sell today. </p> Q: What makes the Guild vinegars special or unique, compared to other specialty vinegars at high-end grocery stores?</strong></p> A: Guild vinegars are unique because they are created almost entirely at Denver Botanic Gardens. The herbs we use are grown in the Gardens and are hand-picked by Guild members. The peppers for the Spicy Chili Pepper vinegar are grown at Chatfield Farms. We hold workshops at the Gardens where Guild members infuse and bottle the product. Then, the vinegars are sold exclusively at Winter Gift Market and in the Shop at the Gardens.</p> Q: How long does it take to make the vinegar?</strong></p> A: The process is pretty lengthy! First, Guild members harvest fresh herbs from the herb gardens at York Street and Chatfield Farms. Next, herbs are washed and placed in gallon jars filled with white wine vinegar. These jars will sit for 4-6 weeks to infuse the vinegar with the herbs. Finally, when the infusing is complete, the vinegar is strained, bottled and sold to Gardens shoppers. </p> Q: What are the most popular flavors of vinegar? </strong></p> A: It really varies year to year. Last year, we made 22 different varieties, and nearly all of them sold out. The most popular at last year’s Market were Basil Blend, Herbal Blend, Mango Ginger, Colorado Peach and Spicy Chili Pepper.</p> Q: Are there any new flavors debuting at Winter Gift Market this year? </strong></p> A: This year, the Gloria Falkenberg Herb Garden had an abundance of many varieties of fragrant basils, so we’ve created several new basil vinegars: Genovese Basil, Crimson King Basil, Spicy Globe Basil, Green Pepper Basil, Lemon/Lime Basil and a Lettuce Leaf Basil. We’ll also feature a Thai Basil Ginger vinegar. Last year’s popular Basil Blend will also return, but it will be made from a blend of this year’s crops.</p> Q: So, what is the Guild?</strong></p> A: The Guild is a service group within Denver Botanic Gardens volunteer program. Our activities include educational lectures, volunteering in the herb gardens at York Street and Chatfield Farms and making herbal products in workshops throughout the year. We also manage the herbs division at the annual Spring Plant Sale each May, and of course, we sell our herbal products and donated antiques at Winter Gift Market. We meet almost every month of the year for a combination of business, education and social activities.</p> Q: What does it take to join the Guild or the vinegar committee?</strong></p> A: To join the Guild, there are annual dues and a 40-hour annual volunteer service requirement. Any Guild member can be on the vinegar committee, and there are many other committees to choose from as well. To learn more about joining the Guild, email vol@botanicgardens.org</a> or call 720-865-3609.</p> Stop by Winter Gift Market this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15-17, to find unique gifts for your loved ones this holiday season. Members receive 10 percent off all purchases! </strong>Learn more about Winter Gift Market</a>.</p>
