Posted October 20, 2009 by Josie Hart Genter, Children's Program Coordinator
This is a time where kids from ages 3-5 can get together, have fun and explore the wonders of nature. Their parents also have fun with one another and find camaraderie in the fact that their children are learning not only to appreciate nature, but also how to interact with nature and preserve its beauty.
I have been teaching this class for over a year and still am amazed that, despite different ages or developmental phases, children always have something in common: they are fascinated by what we find during our explorations of nature!
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Posted October 16, 2009 by Ellen Hertzman, Manager of Visitor Experience
Ahh, Colorado! You gotta love it: 17 degrees last weekend, 70 degrees this weekend. This year, we did not go gently into winter cold—we were thrown in head first—and many of our plants are reflecting that. Still, there is plenty to enjoy on a crisp autumn day.
• You can still find flowers
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Posted October 16, 2009 by Panayoti Kelaidis, Senior Curator & Director of Outreach
Vine Maple (Acer circinatum) in Colorado Springs
Aha! Got your attention!…Of course, that’s not flames but fiery fall
color you’re looking at. If someone had told me there was a mature vine maple blazing like that in Colorado Springs, I’d tell them “Phooey!
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Posted October 15, 2009 by Anna Sher, Adjunct Research & Conservation Researcher
It is with utmost pleasure that I report that the official dedication of the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi was a smashing success. Click Here for a video of the event. Approximately 45 colleagues, friends, and admirers of the late Dr. Mitchel met for a formal luncheon today with presentations by Vera Evenson, Curator of the Herbarium; Dr. Barry Rumack, Colleague who worked with Sam on mushroom poisoning research; Dr. Hope Miller, mycologist; and Rosa Lee Brace, long time friend, patient and colleague of Sam’s.
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Posted October 14, 2009 by Dominique Bayne, Former Senior Horticulturist
Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra) leaves and fruit
Fruit and fruit shells of Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra) - the shells (two split pieces behind the fruit) are not spiny like Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum).
Every time someone asks me “what are the shiny brown things?” that they got from the ground underneath the Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra), I wonder what they did as kids in the fall. I grew up in England where we had horse chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum), very similar trees but bigger and with spiny fruit casings instead of the smoother ones in the picture. The fruit inside look the same though.
We would collect hundreds of the fruit, stomping on the spiny shells to get to the fruit inside.
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Posted October 14, 2009 by Heather Boor, Volunteer Coordinator
That’s the prediction for this weekend’s Pumpkin Festival. It looks like we will have perfect weather, but we can’t do it without you! We really need your help this weekend.
We especially need Entrance Cashiers from 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. or noon – 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. If you have some prior cashier experience please consider this position! There are many other positions available also such as attendance counters, beverage booth assistants, membership assistants, and more….
You can access registration here to see what’s available. If you have any questions please call 720-865-3537 or e-mail to volcoord@botanicgardens.org. Many thanks to all of you who have already signed up for October 17th or 18th!
Posted October 14, 2009 by Panayoti Kelaidis, Senior Curator & Director of Outreach
Yucca harrimanniae and Salvia daghestanica
There was a time when Denver Botanic Gardens was the only public garden in our region where you were apt to see unusual native plants grown artistically. I’d like to think we’ve inspired some other amazing
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Posted October 13, 2009 by Dominique Bayne, Former Senior Horticulturist
Squirrel eating a buffalo gourd (Curcurbita foetidissima)
Everywhere you look in the gardens is a squirrel eating something, burying something to eat later, or fighting another squirrel over food. Much as they can be annoying to gardeners I have to admit they are kind of photogenic…
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