Posted May 31, 2008 by Celia Curtis, Public Programs Manager
Well, it seems that our recent guest blog by Elizabeth Bublitz on ‘Paw-friendly gardening’ was a popular topic, judging by the busy comment queue! Luckily for us, Elizabeth is turning out to be an enthusiastic blogger. In addition to taking the time to respond to comments (thank you!), she has plenty more to teach us about making our gardens as safe and friendly as possible for our cherished pets. With all the rains we’ve had recently, she’s just contributed a new post that you might find very informative. Read on…
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Posted May 24, 2008 by Matt Cole, Director of Education
It’s true landscape architects speak about a concept called “borrowed views.” You don’t own the bucolic pasture, the fabulous waterfront, or the mountain range to your west, but you can see it from your window. You’re “borrowing” that view to add to your own space. But when I say “seen-again” plant, I mean taking a fresh look at what seemed to be known.
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Posted May 22, 2008 by Anna Sher, Director of Research & Conservation
Please join me in congratulating my University of Denver graduate student, Maggie Gaddis, on the successful defense of her masters thesis, “Environmental impact of restoration of riparian ecosystems: fitting Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) into the picture.” This research was funded by a grant to Denver Botanic Gardens by the Center for Invasive Plant Management to assess the success of restoration projects across the Rocky Mountain region where invasive Russian olive has been removed. In lay-speak: Maggie tromped around Montana, Wyoming and Colorado measuring plants and soil in places
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Posted May 13, 2008 by Rachel Murray, Interpretation Coordinator
To protect the innocent, I must omit the name of the involved party, in this case, a plant. A beautiful temptress of a plant. I was compelled to pull it close to my face to take a deep sniff of a gorgeous bloom. Alas, like so many beauties, there was no scent. But getting that close allowed me to see a glistening drop of nectar at the flower’s center, I just knew it was nectar – not as well as a butterfly, a bee, or a bird knows instinctively, but the temptation of the droplet was suddenly meant for me and my inner pollinator.
I turned to my companion and said “I really want to lick that flower, and
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Posted May 9, 2008 by Matt Cole, Director of Education
Flowers don’t wave to gardeners. They grow, they bloom, they wave gently in the breeze, but they don’t wave to gardeners, even if gardeners wave first. They reserve their flirtatious side for pollinators. They only wave to catch the roving eye of insects.
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Posted May 7, 2008 by Matt Cole, Director of Education
I want to express my appreciation for the neighborhoods all around Denver for making the effort to grow plants well and to grow great plants. Some credit undoubtedly goes to the city, but a lot should be generously poured over all the home owners and residents who take the time to make their block and their neighborhood a little bit better. What sparked this little epiphany of mine was that I spent more time downtown than usual lately.
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Posted May 6, 2008 by Celia Curtis, Public Programs Manager
“Our new puppy ate our yard.”
“Help! Our terrier cut himself on the edging.”
“My cat wants ‘outside.’ How do I keep her safe?”
If you find yourself empathizing with these comments, or have even uttered one or two of them yourself, you might be interested in a new book called “Paw-Friendly Landscapes: How to Share the Turf When Your Backyard Belongs to Barney,” by Elizabeth Bublitz. Bublitz, who is teaching a class next week at the Gardens on pet-friendly landscaping, is the owner of a unique landscape design company called “Paw-Friendly Landscapes” – reputedly the only company in Colorado that specializes in designing child- and pet-friendly yards. The quotes above are from her book; her excerpt continues, “Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you? Have you found yourself wondering
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Posted May 5, 2008 by Matt Cole, Director of Education
Just an update: I thought it was finishing (first photo above), this green-blossomed liana of a legume shows that it has the long haul in mind. I’ve discovered that there are several more inflorescences on the jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) and that you might
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