Global Gardens – Family Fun Night

Families are invited to join us on Saturday, May 5 to explore Japanese, Native American and Mexican cultures in Mordecai Children’s Garden from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Families will have the opportunity to plant a garden to take home with them, discover the Japanese art of Gyotaku, and enjoy a snack from chipotle. Special guests Jeff Kagan and Paige Doughty will join us for a special kid’s concert!

Cost: $20 member for a family of four, $3 for each additional person. $25 non-member for a family of four, $4 for each additional person. Children two and under are free of charge. Please register online or call 720-865-3580 to reserve your family’s spot.

Where: Mordecai Children’s Garden. Family Fun Night access is through the Morrison Discovery Center gate at the southeast corner of York Street and 11th Avenue. Park in the garage, exit at Level 2, turn right and walk down the sidewalk to the entrance.

Global Gardens is the second of seven Family Fun Nights, held on the 1st Saturday of every month, April – October. More information about Family Fun Nights and a list of all family-friendly events can be found here.

Gardening Help

Are you trying to plan, plant, or revive your garden this spring?  Need to talk to an expert?

Don’t forget that Gardening Help from Colorado Master Gardeners is available in the Helen Fowler Library at Denver Botanic Gardens from noon-4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Saturdays through the end of April (starting on May 1 they’re here three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, 12-4 p.m).  They come out just to answer your questions–and their wisdom and advice comes free of charge!  You can stop by while visiting the library or give them a call at 720-865-3575.  Email works great for sending pictures of ailing plants or mystery specimens; send them a message at gardeninghelp@botanicgardens.org 
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Up the Ante with a Personal Shopper

 As a dedicated plantaholic, I have always loved the Denver Botanic Gardens Plant Sale — interesting, new introductions, old garden stand-bys, Plant Select marvels, divine little alpine and succulent treasures. And it didn’t take me long to discover a great way to get a jump on the Mother’s Day crowd by going to the Plant Sale Preview Party.

NOW, I have learned I can up the ante by taking advantage of the new Personal Shopper Service Denver Botanic Gardens is offering this year at the May 10 event – a guaranteed cart (old Plant Sale pros will recognize the value of THAT, I’ll reckon) and forty-five minutes with an experienced Gardens horticulturist. 

They can usher me right up to the newest and most exciting annuals for my containers and perennials and shrubs for my mixed garden beds, they can advise me on the right roses to plant in this challenging Colorado gardening environment, I can consult with them about a particularly problematic corner in my native garden, all while everyone else is sipping wine and munching on hors d’oeuvres.
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Haiku for Denver Botanic Gardens

The Perfect Mother’s Day Gift

By:
Tam O’Neill, Plant Sale Preview Party Committee Member

The Plant Sale Preview Party at Denver Botanic Gardens is a favorite annual event in Denver and has turned into a new tradition of mine. The love of plants and nurturing a garden starts at home. I have fond memories of my own mom helping me plant zinnia seeds in a flower bed as a child (and vivid memories of the thrill of seeing them bloom!).

For the last few years I’ve attended the Plant Sale Preview Party with mom where we can spend some time browsing the amazing selection of plants with other plant fanatics. It’s great fun to enjoy a glass of wine while getting to shop in a relaxed, bloom-filled setting.
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Peru Discovery – Chapter 6

Fuchsia boliviana

Blue-necked Tananger

Growing Food in Raised Vegetable Garden Beds

All of us are contending with busy schedules.   At the same time, most of us are desiring a healthier lifestyle  – both mentally and physically – which, of course, takes time.  Of which (aforementioned) we have little of.

One activity that fits the bill for both mental and physical wellbeing is growing one’s own food.  I, actually, am a big fan of the idea of growing my own food…someday.  Like many folks in my professional landscape world, my own landscape suffers from a general lack of time, just when gardens need the most attention.  It’s an ironic curse that my own landscape is what I would
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Peru Discovery – Chapter 5

Sobralia setigera

Sudamerlycaste heynderyexii

For several travelers in our group, today is the day we’ve been looking forward to since we first signed up for this trip.  Today we will receive a guided tour of the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel grounds to see the hundreds of orchid plants and flowers being tended by the staff.

Since 1975, Inkaterra has been using profits from sustainable tourism projects to fund rescue and preservation of Peru’s cultural and natural resources.  The Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel opened in the early 1990’s and was envisioned as a village in a botanical setting.  Located adjacent to the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary, the hotel grounds are home to some 370 plus species of orchids.  The sanctuary covers over 80,000 acres and spans a number of different biological life zones – the largest zone being the cloud forest.
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