Disaster! Los Angeles Botanic Gardens rise to the Challenge!

The dictionary definition of a botanic garden is “a garden for
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Home Harvest Garden

Growing vegetables can be one of the most gratifying gardening experiences.  It is amazing to watch seeds, bulbs, and small plants grow to become a productive food harvest. For children, this can be the first exposure to horticulture and a very educational experience in nutrition, health and science.

The space outside of the Morrison Center, previously the Sensory Garden, was left undeveloped during construction of the Mordecai Children’s Garden during fall 2010. The original plan for this space was to add six simple vegetable beds.  With 1,000 square feet of space, it became a challenge to create something that would be impactful.
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Grand Court Holiday Display at Cherry Creek Shopping Center

Santa's chair in the Grand Court

Time to visit Santa!

Today we are featuring the display that is currently in place at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center (CCSC) in the Grand Court. Denver Botanic Gardens’ horticulturist Blake Burger designs and installs these displays, and provides daily care to all of the beautiful plantings.

This year the CCSC Grand Court has a North Pole theme, complete with Santa and an ice castle. Blake says, “Instead of using red poinsettias, I wanted to change up the color a bit to match the blue and white palate of the holiday display. This display will be set up until the day after Christmas.”
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Saving Gorillas Through the Power of Plants

The following posts were created by dedicated and passionate volunteers and staff of Denver Botanic Gardens.  Please enjoy reading their stories and experiences about why the Gardens holds a special place in their hearts.

MIRACLE PLANT HOLDS A RICH HISTORY
By Nick Snakenberg

Tucked away in the southwest corner of the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory, Aframomum melegueta is a rather unassuming plant. Most visitors are distracted by the showier bananas and papayas growing nearby, but this member of the ginger family has a story that may outshine its subtle appearance.

Aframomum melegueta, also known as Grains of Paradise, is a native of lowland areas of tropical West Africa. Before the spice roads from the Mid-East introduced a broader range of cooking spices, Aframomum was a staple for cooking, often being used as we now use black pepper. While its popularity as a spice has faded, there has been a recent resurgence in its use, not only in cooking, but as a flavoring in beer. In addition to its culinary uses, Aframomum is also locally known for its medicinal properties, being used to treat inflammations and infections. It also just happens to be a major component in the diet of the Western Lowland Gorilla.

When horticulturists at the Denver Zoo learned that we were growing Aframomum at Denver Botanic Gardens, they were anxious to get their hands on some. It seems that captive gorillas often suffer from an unexplained heart condition and by adding more plants from their native habitats, especially Aframomum melegueta, the condition seems to go away. We gladly shared plants with the Denver Zoo, but our sharing didn’t stop there.
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Good Vibrations – Tibetan Singing Bowl Concerts

Wondering what a Tibetan Singing Bowls “Sound Healing Concert” is all about?  It is an opportunity to lay down (if you wish) and receive some seriously good vibrations….literally!!!   Sound healers Jason and Chris Anne Coviello will begin the concert with Jason playing his Hang Drum which is a very rare steel drum that is made by only two people in the world.  Some say it sounds like a stringed instrument.  Jason’s Hang Drum is tuned to the note that vibrationally corresponds to the heart chakra and when he plays the drum, he takes you on a heart-opening journey. If you would like
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How to make a simple hypertufa trough

From time to time, the greenhouse team at Denver Botanic Gardens will build hypertufa troughs. These troughs are a great addition to a garden, especially for showcasing some of the rock garden plants, native wildflowers, and cacti that might otherwise be lost in a larger landscape. We sell our planted troughs at the Spring and Fall Plant Sales and occasionally throughout the season at the Shop at the Gardens. However, if you are interested in making your own hypertufa troughs, I would like to share with you our process and recipe for making a simple hypertufa trough.

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Part Two: A Green Roof in the City

It is amazing to look back over the past year and see the amazing transformation that Mordecai Children’s Garden Green Roof has gone through.

Fall 2010: The garden began to establish, welcoming families to experience the alpine ecosystem.

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This Week in the Gardens: December 1st

Up on the (Green) Roof

If I were a painter, this is the time of year that might be my favorite here at the Gardens. Of course, the snow creates gorgeous patterns and forms throughout the Gardens, made even more magical by the holiday lights shining out from under. But on those dry, cool-but-not-cold days that we get plenty of in winter, I would set up my easel and revel in the subtle palette of the darker seasons.

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