We are all navigating a new landscape. This one feels like a desert – dry, rocky, barren, unknown. Without a doubt, deserts are difficult habitats. Plants that survive in the desert have unique and special qualities.</p>As the corporate partnerships manager, I’m privileged to interact with Denver Botanic Gardens’ corporate partners</a> – our event sponsors</a> and our corporate members</a>. Recently, I’ve been reflecting on how companies in this current COVID-19 context are like cacti that survive – even thrive – in the desert through their hardiness, adaptation and symbiotic interdependence.</p>The companies in our corporate community are as diverse as cacti in a desert. Just as cacti range from under 3 inches to over 40 feet tall, the companies connected to the Gardens range from small, locally-owned restaurants to large national companies. No matter their size, cacti respond quickly to any rainfall and use their extensive root system to store up reserves of water and use that water effectively and efficiently in times of drought.</p></p>I am struck by the tremendous generosity of hardy companies that are pouring resources into the community right now. Companies with strong foundations such as UMB Bank, Xcel Energy, Capital One and Bank of America, among many others, are increasing their giving to support their communities and COVID-19 relief efforts.</p>Cacti also teach us about adapting to extreme environments. I’m in awe of organizations (including the Gardens!) that are innovating in response to this new challenging landscape. VF Corporation, the parent company of Dickies brand, responded to the need for PPE by producing millions of medical isolation gowns and scrubs.</p>Another partner, Mythology Distillery, started making hand sanitizer. On a fun side note, we’re looking forward to the June 1 release of Foragers Gin, produced in collaboration with – and a portion of the proceeds benefitting – the Gardens. </p></p>While we celebrate the companies that are adapting and pressing on, we ache with those forced to close — temporarily or permanently — and the millions who have lost their jobs during this economic drought. We need each other now more than ever through symbiotic relationships in a harsh habitat.</p>During this desert season, may we cultivate an abundance of compassion, empathy and love. And may the Gardens be an oasis for rest, healing and restoration, whether digitally or in person. We invite your organization to join our corporate community</a> through event sponsorship</a> or corporate memberships</a>, which provide robust benefit packages that connect employees and clients to plants with therapeutic and rejuvenating resources.</p>Together, we will traverse this parched landscape. May we all learn from the cacti as well as from the generous, determined and adaptable companies in our community. May our roots grow deeper and our branches stronger. May we savor the surprising beauty of the vibrant flowers that bloom, poignantly reminding of us of joy in the midst of a prickly time.</p></a></p>
At Denver Botanic Gardens, we love all things food</a>. Whether working in our community supporting agriculture (CSA</a>) fields, urban farm projects, community garden plots or Le Potager</a> kitchen garden, our staff are committed to growing and distributing the best possible produce. While much of this bounty is destined for CSA shares or direct sales at farm stands, we also have a strong commitment to donating produce to partner organizations who provide vital hunger relief services in our community:</p> If you haven’t had the chance to eat at SAME Café</a>, located at Colfax and Race, then you may not know that some of the best local, healthy food in town is served up on a pay-what-you-can style menu. SAME is a nonprofit restaurant with a mission of creating community by equalizing the dining experience. One facet of achieving this goal is strong partnerships with local farms for food donation. Unless a farm is operating on the tightest of margins, growing in excess of demand is a pretty common practice. Partners like SAME and Metro Caring</a> (which offers a low-to-no cost grocery shopping experience for their clientele) can take that excess produce and transform it into a product that is even more meaningful to the recipient.</p> Fresh Food Connect</a> offers a unique produce donation opportunity in the Denver-metro area that is a great fit for the home gardener. Using their app, you can sign up for home pick-up of your surplus zucchini and tomatoes (speaking from my own experience, of course) and you can rest easy knowing that it will get to a food pantry or donation site near you. If you live outside of Fresh Food Connect’s current service area and you’d like to donate directly to a food pantry or other project, reach out first to make sure that they accept fresh food donation. While you’re at it, tell them about the app and maybe the next time you’re ready to donate, they’ll be ready to provide pick-up.</p> Donating fresh produce to those who need it most is one of the greatest joys I take from a career in farming. If you are an avid vegetable gardener and haven’t yet made the leap to donation, I challenge you to reach out to one of our partners or connect with someone in your own community. Now more than ever, our community could use a helping hand. </p> This blog post was originally posted on May 5, 2020. We are reposting it today since the message is still relevant. </em></p>
One of springtime’s reminders that all is new are spring-blooming bulbs. Since our visitors cannot stroll through the Annuals Garden and Pavilion during this time when tulips and hyacinths are bursting, I’d like to share this virtual tour.</p> Begin your virtual tour at the main entrance to the Annuals Garden and Pavilion just south of the Oak Grove and Lainie’s Cutting Garden. To your right and left are a mix of Darwin hybrid tulips called Big Ups®. Darwin hybrids are the largest tulips available and are known for their huge blossoms.</li> Walk forward and find yourself under the large pavilion; to your left in the raised bed, notice the deep dark tulip. This Triumph tulip is called ‘Paul Scherer’. Gaze upon this blossom in the afternoon shadows and this darkest of purple tulips appears almost black. Interplanted among the tulips are Papaver nudicaule </em>‘Wonderland White’ (Icelandic poppies). Sorbet® Lilac Ice and Sorbet® XP Blackberry violas (Viola cornuta </em>‘PAS211805’ and ‘PAS867911’ respectively) add another lower carpeted layer of light and dark hues. Hyacinthus</em> orientalis</em> ‘Fondant’ and ‘Dark Dimension’ echoed this light and dark contrast when they peaked in mid-April.</li> Turning 180 degrees, notice the ‘Champagne Bubbles Pink’ Icelandic poppies (P. nudicaule)</em> popping their cheerful blossoms above the yellow pansies. You may be surprised to learn that the Icelandic poppies, pansies and violas planted in this garden were planted in the fall at the same time as the bulbs. These cool-season annuals provide color in the fall, overwinter, and re-emerge in springtime for an early blast of color.</li> Now walk to the south where three promenade beds greet you with a bold mix of orange and purple. Merry Go Round™ is a mix of three different tulip varieties: purple lily-flowered, purple double-flowering and orange double-flowering.</li> On the south side of the promenade beds is a long stretch of pale lilac-colored Triumph tulips called ‘Silver Cloud’. Named after the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud model, this luxurious tulip does not disappoint. The stately tulips are adorned by fragrant hyacinths called ‘Blue Jacket’. Sturdy-stemmed Triumph tulips are a cross of early blooming and late blooming tulips to make a mid-season bloomed variety. About 3,200 bulbs are planted in this stretch surrounding Amelanchier </em>× grandiflora </em>‘Robin Hill’ (Robin Hill serviceberries), Alnus incana </em>ssp. tenuifolia</em> (mountain alders), Hydrangea</em> quercifolia</em> ‘Pee Wee’ (Pee Wee oakleaf hydrangeas) and Laburnum </em>× watereri </em>‘Vossii’ (goldenchain trees).</li> Look to the north of the promenade beds and you will find a sea of large apricot-colored Darwin hybrid tulips called ‘Daydream’. This raised bed boasts butter-colored and coral-colored hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis </em>‘City of Haarlem’ and H. </em>‘Gipsy Queen’) planted in between the tulips.</li> </ul> The garden is beautiful but there is something missing—our visitors. Until we meet in the garden again remember, “Hope springs eternal.” </p>
</p>As COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders spread across our nation and state, many of us have been looking for activities that allow us to participate in social distancing while also being aware of our essential necessities such as exercise and grocery shopping. This week, members and volunteers can shop our online Spring Plant Sale for plants that check all those boxes! The sale offers a wide selection of fruits, berries, vegetables and culinary herbs that can easily be grown at home. However, if you find your living space is a little on the smaller end and don’t have access to yard space, you can still grow some of your own food. We reached out to our horticulture team to offer a few tips and tricks on growing fruits and vegetables in smaller, unconventional spaces.</p>Planting Indoors</strong></p>It might be hard to believe, but you can grow your own citrus tree inside! Just be sure to use a location that receives a lot of sun. Aside from citrus, strawberries can also grow inside from a hanging basket or container. They need a cold spot to go to in the winter when they are dormant to allow proper fruits and flowers.</li>Salad greens such as lettuce, spinach and herbs, such as basil, parsley and cilantro can also be grown in a sunny window—no balcony or patio necessary!</li></ul>Balcony Planting</strong></p>A lot of plants can easily adapt to balcony living if they receive enough sunlight and are in an adequately sized container. For example, hardy figs, blackberries and raspberries can all be grown on a balcony in a container 5 gallons or larger. Keep in mind these plants may need some extra care during the winter. Try to mulch the base of the plant generously to avoid roots freezing when the temperatures drop.</li>Be sure to consider size when planting fruiting vegetables. Determinant tomatoes and peppers are great for balconies because of their smaller size.</li>When planting herbs take into consideration the type of container you’re placing on your balcony. Containers such as plastic are great for the summer but tend to restrict air movement in the soil. Wood and clay containers allow more air movement but may need to be watered more frequently.</li>Perennial herbs, such as mint, sage, thyme, savory and chives can all grow in a pot on a balcony. Pots 5 gallons or larger will provide ample root space and protect the plant during the winter.</li></ul>Sunlight</strong></p> A key component to any successful garden will be sunlight. Be sure to take note of the amount of sun a plant will need. Full sun plants will need a minimum of 8 hours of direct sunlight.</li></ul>Watering</strong></p>When planting in a container, the general rule is to water when the top inch or two of the soil is dry, but the soil below is still damp. The container should never be completely dry.</li>Be sure to use a well-draining soil for your plant! Soils with organic compost added will provide nutrients and be beneficial for plants as it will help them grow faster.</li></ul>Starting from Seed</strong></p>Many fruits and veggies and herbs can be started from seed. Watermelon, cantaloupes, corn, beans, squash can all be planted after our last frost around May 20.</li></ul>Keep Space in Mind</strong></p>Wherever you’re planting, try to keep space in mind whether you’re indoors or outdoors. Plants such as strawberries, eggplants and peppers do well in smaller container while lettuce, arugula and spinach may need a larger, shallower container. When in doubt, look for creative ways to optimize your space either with hanging baskets or trellis.</p>Want to Grow More? Join a Community Garden!</strong></p>Community gardens are a great way for small-space dwellers to grow fruits and vegetables that require more traditional growing environments. With many of them offering shared tools and hoses for free or at low cost, community gardens provide an excellent support system for novice vegetables gardeners. Plus, other members can help care for your plants when you are unable to do so. For more information about Urban Gardening and community gardens in the Denver area, check out Denver Urban Gardens.</p>Spring Plant Sale member and volunteer online shopping is open through May 1 at 4 p.m.</strong> or as long as supplies last.</p>
April is Earth Month and a great time to start a compost bin in your own backyard! It is an easy and rewarding way of becoming more sustainable and reducing your carbon footprint. Not only will you help save the planet, but you will also be helping your garden by having fresh, nutrient-rich compost that you can add back into your garden and vegetable beds to help your plants grow. Read on to see how easy it is to start a compost bin.</p> Step 1: Select a location for your compost bin</strong></p> Selecting the best area in your garden for your new compost bin is the first and most important step. A compost bin needs good air flow and sunlight in order work its magic. Choose a site that receives at least three to four hours of full sun each day and allows at least two sides of your bin to have unrestricted air flow. If placing the bin near a fence line or in a corner of the yard, keep the bin at least 2 feet away from the fence/corner so that air can circulate properly. This will also be helpful if you ever need to access behind the bin.</p> </p> Step 2: Collect your materials and assemble your compost bin</strong></p> There are many options when it comes to choosing your compost bin. There are a variety of bins that can be purchased for composting from local retailers and online. The design you choose will depend on the area you have selected in your garden and the amount of space you have available. The most important factor is that your bin has adequate air flow, so you want to be sure that the bin has slots or openings that allow oxygen into the bin from all sides. You can also make your own compost bin with repurposed wood or pallets. A bin size of 1 cubic yard (3’x3’x3’) is adequate to allow the compost to reach the proper temperature to initiate the decomposition process by activating microbial activity. When building your own bin, remember to include easy access points on all sides so that you can open it up periodically to maintain, mix and harvest your compost.</p> Step 3: Add organic matter to your bin</strong></p> Once your bin is set up it’s time to add organic matter to start the decomposition process. As you conduct your seasonal garden maintenance, collect your debris: branches, dried leaves, lawn and leaf clippings. These materials can all be added directly to the compost bin and will break down over time. You can also add kitchen scraps like vegetables, fruits and eggshells (cleaned to remove egg white residue). Avoid adding meat and dairy products and perishable items that will spoil quickly or attract unwanted wildlife. The general rule for a healthy compost pile is to add a 2:1 ratio of brown carbon-rich material (dried and chopped branches/leaves cut or shredded finely) to green nitrogen-rich material (kitchen scraps, fresh lawn and leaf clippings). You can layer these materials to allow for proper air flow and oxygenation within your bin.</p> </p> </p> Step 4: Water your compost bin</strong></p> A compost bin requires moisture to begin and maintain a healthy microbial presence, which in turn allows for the decomposition process to take place. Your new compost bin should be watered at least once a week and monitored to ensure that it is staying moist, especially during the hottest times of the year.</p> </p> Step 5: Turn your compost once a month</strong></p> Turning or mixing your compost once a month will also help ensure proper oxygenation of your compost bin and will help speed up the decomposition process.</p> Step 6: Let nature take its course</strong></p> Creating a healthy compost bin system that produces high yields of nutritious compost throughout the year takes time to become established. Expect it to take approximately four to six months for your initial compost starter material to begin decomposing and building the natural microbial life needed. Within eight to 12 months you will be able to harvest compost to add back into your garden beds. This is another great reason to start your new compost bin NOW!</p> Step 7: Harvest your fresh, homemade compost from your bin</strong></p> You have made it this far in the backyard composting journey and you should be very proud of your achievement! You have become a more sustainable individual/household, reduced your carbon footprint drastically by not adding as much to the landfill and now have fresh, nutrient-rich and FREE compost to add back into your vegetable and garden beds. When you’re ready to add your new compost into the garden, simply open one of your access points on the bin and rake or shovel out the bottom layer of the compost bin. You will see where the organic matter has decomposed into a dark, rich soil that you can extract and then reapply to your gardens. Once you have removed this material, give your remaining compost bin a quick mix and water well. Let the compost bin do the rest.</p> </p> Step 8: Apply your fresh compost to your garden beds</strong></p> This is truly the most rewarding part of the entire composting experience. As you tend to your vegetables and gardens, apply a layer of compost around the base of each plant and gently till into the top 1-2 inches of existing soil. Add compost into your container gardens and mix in with new plantings around the roots. Within a matter of weeks, you will see how this amendment of the soil will invigorate you plants to grow and produce astoundingly.</p> </p> Denver Botanic Gardens’ Green Team is thrilled that you are considering taking our composting challenge! We hope that you find it as fun and rewarding as we do, and we would love to hear about your experiences on this incredible composting journey to becoming more sustainable.</p>
</p> </p> Although the coronavirus is on the forefront of everyone’s mind, now is not the time to forget about climate change--especially since we're seeing improvements with our carbon footprint due to the limited number of vehicles on the road. We can remain vigilant in our sustainability efforts and still practice environmentally conscious behaviors.</p> If you’re working from home, now is a good time to “green-proof” it. Not only will this contribute to a healthier environment, it will also put money back into your pocket. The following are some easy guidelines to help you make your home more environmentally friendly.</p> 1). Unplug your electronics when not using. Many appliances consume energy even when we are not using them. So, unplug that coffee pot as soon as you’re finished drinking your morning cup o’joe.</p> 2). Green clean your clothes simply by using cold water for each load and drying on a rack. If you must use a dryer, consider looking at an Energy Star certified dryer that has sensor drying and options for low heat settings.</p> 3). Clean the coils on your refrigerator. Many people do not even think of doing this, and it is especially important if you have dogs that shed. Dirty coils force a fridge to work harder, resulting in higher energy costs.</p> 4). Invest in a low flow shower head to cut down on water consumption. Showers are typically the third largest water use after toilets and the average household could save more than 2,300 gallons per year by installing a low flow shower head.</p> 5). One of the easiest and quickest ways to save energy and money is to caulk, seal and weather-strip all drafts coming into your home. When the seals to your windows/doors wear down over time, this makes your HVAC system run harder to heat and cool your home.</p> 6). Switch to LED lighting in your home. A 10-watt LED bulb does the same work as a 60-watt incandescent bulb. LEDs emit very little heat. In comparison, incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat and compact fluorescent lamps release about 80% of their energy as heat.</p> 7). Plant trees around your home strategically to save on energy--especially around your AC unit for shade. This will help keep money in your pocket!</p> 8). Reduce/Reuse/Recycle. Did you know that the average American throws away 4.4 pounds of trash in a single day? Buy items with less packaging and make every effort to not purchase single use plastics. Have a garage sale. (Your trash is someone else’s treasure!) Use less and recycle more to save our planet. Recycling is one of the easiest ways you can make your home green. The key is to remember to recycle while you are throwing things away. A good tip is to place recycling stations in a couple areas of your home for ease.</p> Sustainability can be easy and inexpensive. Granted, at times it does require a bigger investment, but in the end, you will have more money in your pocket. Know that ANY effort you make helps keep our planet healthy.</p> </p>
</p> It’s safe to say that spring this year has been a bit of a shakeup in terms of our normal routines and day-to-day activities, and Spring Plant Sale is no different. This year, the sale will be operated online with a drive-thru pick-up. While this new technique brings a lot of “new” with it, there will be things that are still familiar, and one of those is our Grown at the Gardens division.</p> </p> What is “Grown at the Gardens” and what makes it so unique to Spring Plant Sale?</strong></p> Grown at the Gardens is just that! They’re plants our greenhouse production team has grown for public sales. The production team grows plants to be planted in the gardens at York Street and Chatfield Farms as well as sold during plant sales. A lot of the plants you’ll find in the Grown at the Gardens division often can’t be found at your local garden center.</p> </p> How are Grown at the Gardens plants selected?</strong></p> There are a few factors that go into choosing plants for the Grown at the Gardens Division. Our horticulture team will often pick staff favorites throughout the Gardens they want to share with the public. What makes the Grown at the Gardens division special is that a plant a visitor may see blooming in the Gardens may also be available for sale at Spring Plant Sale. The greenhouse production team also looks for “oddballs” you may not be able to find anywhere else. They also focus on providing a good selection of plants native to Colorado and plants that are water-smart.</p> </p> What is some advice you’d share with someone shopping Grown at the Gardens for the first time?</strong></p> There are many plants that will thrive almost anywhere in a garden. However, keep in mind some have specific needs such as location and type of water. Each plant listing in the online store includes planting notes to help them grow to their fullest potential. Don’t be afraid to try something new, though. One of the benefits of Grown of the Gardens is the learning experience. It’s a fun way to learn something new and expand your garden.</p> We want to thank our greenhouse production team and those dedicated to creating a grand selection of plants for our Grown at the Gardens division during Spring Plant Sale. We hope you’ll enjoy expanding your garden too with our new selections from Grown at the Gardens and the many other divisions available during this year’s Spring Plant Sale.</p> Online orders will be available for purchase April 28 - May 1. Find out more about Spring Plant Sale</a>.</p>
While most humans have slowed down and are staying at home, the plants in our invaluable living collections at Denver Botanic Gardens are continuing life as normal, including the cactus and succulent collection. In the greenhouse, many of the tropical cactus are forming buds and blooming, the aloes are waking up and blooming, and just about every plant is plumping up in anticipation of longer, warmer days. </p> To stay on the same page with my prickly friends, I have been repotting specimen plants, just started the fertilizing cycle for the active growing season and am snapping lots of photos of these beauties. In the coming weeks, I will also be giving a face-lift to the Cactus and Succulent House, located in the Rock Alpine Garden, including adding many more of the popular and beautiful Echinopsis </em>hybrids that are typically blooming away behind the scenes. So, things are staying busy with the cactus and succulent collection, and that’s a great thing. </p> Luckily, for our reimagined online Spring Plant Sale this year, we will have a nice variety of tender succulents, many of which I grow in the collection. These plants were all grown by Crump Greenhouse in Buena Vista, CO. Be on the lookout for our virtual Spring Plant Sale and do some succulent retail therapy—there’s some awesome plants to choose from! </p> Like all my horticulture colleagues, I am absolutely chomping at the bit waiting for our visitors to return to enjoy our hard work and the calming sense of beauty Denver Botanic Gardens provides. We hope to see you soon, and hopefully in time for the mid-May to Mid-June hardy cactus flower explosion! </p>
Earth Day is a day to celebrate the environment. This year is particularly special as it marks the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day. Today, just as in 1970, Earth Day participants promote awareness of environmental issues such as climate change, air and water pollution, and the preservation of biodiversity. However, Earth Day 2020 is unique because of the global pandemic that we are currently living through. The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has rapidly spread and we are called to distance from our friend, families and places of work. So, how do you celebrate Earth Day and the environment while also staying home?</p> Luckily, there are several ways to engage with Earth Day from the safety of your own home!</p> Tune in to Earth Day Network</strong> activities. </strong>Earth Day Network is organizing 24 hours of global digital mobilization called EARTHRISE. To participate, share environmental issues that are important to you on social media using the hashtags #EarthDay2020 and #EARTHRISE. Earth Day Network will also be providing a new, powerful way for you to drive change in your own community at the top of each hour for the entire 24 hours of Earth Day. Lastly, Earth Day Network is also organizing 22 daily challenges for the month of April that you can take on to fight climate change from your home. Each challenge is engaging, fun and worthwhile to implement in your home even after the month of April is over!</p> Discover citizen science.</strong> Through citizen science, anyone can participate in research by collecting and sharing environmental data. Research initiatives across the globe aim to answer several environmental questions and citizen scientists are needed to accelerate data collection for these studies. Use the apps Earth Challenge 2020 and iNaturalist</a> </a>to participate in citizen science initiatives.</p> Earth Challenge 2020</strong> empowers people around the world to monitor and mitigate threats to environmental and human health in their communities. The challenge’s mission is to collect billions of observations on air quality, plastic pollution and insect populations. These observations will provide invaluable insight into the environmental conditions in your own community!</li> iNaturalist</strong> is used by billions of citizen scientists around the globe to document biodiversity observations. In addition, iNaturalist helps you identify your observation so that you can learn about local biodiversity while you are observing it. Your iNaturalist observations can be of any organism – plant, animal, bird, mushroom, insect, fish and more! Each observation is an invaluable point of data that can be used to empower research and inform policies to drive meaningful change.</li> </ul> Participate in the City Nature Challenge. </strong>Denver Botanic Gardens is co-organizing the City Nature Challenge, a three-day-long bioblitz focused on the healing power of nature. Become a citizen scientist and document local biodiversity through the iNaturalist app between April 24-27. Observations will be identified and verified between April 28 – May 3.</p> You don’t have to travel to participate; you can document the biodiversity you see on your neighborhood walk, in your local park or in your own backyard.</li> Adding observations is easy. As long as your observations are taken within the Denver-Boulder metro boundary between April 24-27 and uploaded to iNaturalist by May 3, they will automatically be added to the City Nature Challenge. You can check research-grade identifications given to your observations later by visiting the City Nature Challenge page on iNaturalist</a>.</li> If you participate, please do only what feels safe for you and your family. Make sure you are in accordance with local regulations. Your observations will contribute to science all while you are embracing the healing power of nature in these unprecedented times.</li> To continue serving as a citizen scientists after the City Nature Challenge ends, consider joining the Denver EcoFlora Project</a>. As an EcoFlora participant, you can sign up to receive monthly EcoQuests</a>, which challenge you to observe and document biodiversity in new and different ways. </li> </ul> This Earth Day, remember that the world outside is still there and still in need of our attention. Engage with Earth Day 2020 by documenting local biodiversity and promoting environmental awareness to ultimately provide a platform for policy change. Here’s to celebrating Earth Day 2020, social-distancing style!</p>
Although it feels like the whole world has changed in the last month—and in a lot of ways it has—nature remains the same. The progression of nature carries on, plants keep growing and seasons are still changing. Spring is here and nature is beginning to wake up to show off its beautiful new growth. While everything else is unpredictable, this is one constant we can count on. When we begin to slow down and take the time to observe the beauty of the coming spring, we can begin to feel grounded in the chaos. As you prepare to go on your daily (socially distanced) walks try some of these techniques to practice walking mindfully and taking in the beauty of change.</p> As you walk, your body should reflect your inner sense of dignity. Elongate your back and allow your shoulders to relax, your arms by your side and swinging naturally. Keep your head comfortably held high to encourage deep breathing from the diaphragm. Gaze forward rather than looking at the ground. Go at a comfortable pace and simply bring awareness to your feet. Pay attention to the rocking motion of each foot and how each foot keeps us balanced, grounded, rooted to the earth.</p> While you walk, stop occasionally to take in the new growth all around you. Breathe in the newly formed green leaves, the blue sky and the birds chirping. Breathe out and give gratitude to all the beauty that nature sends us.</p> On your route pick a plant you would like to observe. Each day spend a few minutes with that plant and notice how it is slowly changing and waking up with the warmer weather. The buds on the trees start to swell and explode into fresh new leaves and the spring bulbs begin to unfurl their brilliantly colored flowers. Consider journaling or taking pictures of your daily observations of change.</p> When we stop to witness and appreciate the cycles of nature, we can begin to see change in a new light, as the start of something new and possibly beautiful.</p> Enjoy your walk.</p>
While the world outside has changed in so many ways, life in the Gardens’ greenhouses have followed a more predictable pattern. Spring remains a busy time indoors here, with many plants getting their start to the season as cuttings, seeds or divisions. Others, such as our carnivorous plant collection, enjoy life under the glass year-round. Here are a few highlights of the plants that are being cared for behind the scenes in our aquatic collections' greenhouse this spring:</p> Butterworts </strong>- Pinguicula</em> species - These colorful beauties are often called the African violets of the carnivorous plant world. The genus has a distribution throughout the northern hemisphere and down into Central and South America, with Mexico being home to the highest number of species. The Latin name Pinguicula </em>means "little greasy one" and is descriptive of the feel of the leaves, which are covered in tiny, sticky hairs that capture small insects such as gnats and fruit flies.</p> Victoria</em></strong> 'Longwood Hybrid' </strong>- Our popular Victoria</em> waterlilies (also known as water platters) are sent to us as seeds the size of peas from Longwood Gardens each fall. In the spring, they are placed in heated tubs of water (88-90 degrees F) to germinate. This year, our seeds got a quick start, taking less than a week to germinate. They will remain in the aquatic’s greenhouse until mid to late June, when they will be planted outdoors in the display ponds. Tiny thorns are already visible on each seedling.</p> Mosaic Plant </strong>- Ludwigia sedioides</em> - This floating-leaved aquatic plant is native to warm, still waters in South America. It is happiest in a water bowl or small water feature in full sun. Cuttings will be taken from our plants in the greenhouse and planted in containers of heavy clay loam in mid to late June. These will then be submerged in water 6-12 inches over the top of each container in our Ellipse garden pool for the summer months.</p> Gorgon Plant </strong>- Euryale ferox</em> - Also known as prickly waterlily, this floating-leaved plant is covered in thorns which line the top and bottom of each leaf as well as the stems and even the flower sepals. Native to Eastern Asia, it can grow almost as large as a Victoria</em> waterlily, but the flowers are much smaller and often open under water. The seeds, known as fox nuts or makhana, have been used as a food source for centuries as well as for religious offerings and medicinal purposes.</p> Spring Plant Sale</strong></a> – A selection of more than 60 types of aquatic plants were ordered as bareroot starts in early March. These were potted up and are now growing happily in the greenhouse. Take a look at the list of available varieties</a>.</p> While you’re staying home, you can learn more about our water gardens</a> and see them in full bloom with this short video.</p>
