In the Monet pond, the leaves of the Gardens’ favorite lotus Nelumbo nucifera ‘Mrs. Perry D. Slocum’ sporting plate-like water resistant leaves. In the background is an exciting graffiti artist’s mural (Lady Pink) and reflection. The colorful murals are part of the Gardens’ popular “Urban Nature” exhibit.

Nelumbo ‘Rosy Clouds’ lotus continues to flower magnificantly in the Victoria (upper) pool. The flowers open in the morning and close in the afternoon, for three consecutive days. They are delightfully fragrant. N. ‘Rosy Clouds’ is an excellent lotus for Colorado Gardens.

No, not in pole-vault (with sunflowers) or fencing (with pruning sheers) or swimming (among the lilies), but as a part of an international exhibit of botanic gardens called  “Homes for plants, Gardens for humans” located at the Science & Technology Park at the Olympic Village, Beijing. This exhibit highlights what over 70 botanic gardens (including ours) are doing to conserve species and resources around the world. Each botanic garden is represented by a large color panel, describing their contributions.  Kudos to the staff of the Research, Herbaria & Records Department at Denver Botanic Gardens for giving us so much to talk about on our panel for the exhibit!  Check out the Conservation and Research navigation link on our Web site to learn more about what we are doing to protect plants of the Rocky Mountain region.

Here is a link to a PDF of the panel shown below.

Last Sunday, August 10th, Gardens visitors and I enjoyed a special treat - an amphitheater performance by the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance ensemble. Made possible by a grant from the Colorado Council on the Arts, Cleo Parker Robinson’s welcoming spirit and dancers shared a positive message of unity for for everyone in the audience. Young and old alike were compelled to move - even onto the stage! I’ll certainly do everything in my power to see this talent and magical force again. Thanks, Cleo!!

James Hunter, a brilliant guitarist with an outstanding album called “The Hard Way”, was the opening act for Chris Isaak last week here at the Gardens. After his set, James came out into the Gardens to be part of the audience and just generally check things out. He stopped by to talk to our Green Team volunteers and learn more about how the Gardens is delivering on one of their core values - sustainability. James was so impressed with the efforts of the Gardens’ Green Team - by the end of the concert season, the Green Team will have collected over 200 bags of compost and recycled over 12,000 lbs. of recyclable material - that our volunteers M.J. and Kelly made James an honorary Green Team member. It is nice that someone as cool as James thinks the Gardens cool. We think M.J. and Kelly are rock stars too!

Magenta hardy waterlily ‘James Brydon’ is now at its best in Denver Botanic Gardens’
pools . . . The Gardens is famous for its stunning displays of the bowl-shaped classical Nymphaea ‘James Brydon’ (hybridizer: Dreer Nurseries).

Now is the best time to walk around our pools and enjoy a multitude of hardy and tropical waterlilies, expertly groomed and displayed for all of our special visitors.

Rocky Mountain Legacy Collection (RMLC) tropical waterlily ‘William Mclane’ . . . The purple Nymphaea ‘William McLane’ (hybridizer: Florida Aquatic Nurseries) is one of eight unique outstanding waterlilies flourishing in the Romantic Pool.

Bring your camera–you will want to remember this forever!

Though a common occurrence in parts of the southwest, century plants  (Agave sp.),  blooming in Denver are rare. Most years there is one blooming somewhere in Denver and we all take trips to visit it and marvel at the huge flower spike. This year we are lucky enough to have three blooming here at the Gardens. Read more »

There’s never enough blue in the garden, as far as I’m concerned. Others must feel the same way: otherwise, why do we make such a fuss over giant blue delphiniums, gentians and meconopsis? The far flung and varied clan of Campanula Read more »

And I love them all, truly I do. Even the parasitic ones that, left unchecked, would eventually take over our beloved Plains Garden. I am fascinated by all the weird extremes of natural selection- slime molds, corn smuts, flowers that smell like carrion and parasitic plants all find their way to me. My friends in horticulture know that in college I studied plants much like this particular weirdo- the parasitic plant dodder (Cuscuta sp.).

I’m sorry the picture doesn’t convey its incredibly insidious destructive nature… it’s curled around the stem of one of our favorite natives, a Rocky Mountain beeplant. The dodder started its life as Read more »