Claytonia perfoliata
Bulbs may be the most obvious plants in bloom right now, but if you look closely there are a few other surprises too. Two of my favorites are Claytonia perfoliata – Miner’s lettuce and Arctostaphylos patula – Green leaf manzanita
Claytonia perfoliata
The Miner’s lettuce is an annual from the western coastal regions of North America.
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Dryland Mesa in bloom
Prickly pear cacti blooming in Dryland Mesa
Early mornings in the gardens are definitely peaceful and cool, however some gardens, like some people, are not at their best until well after lunchtime. The south end of Dryland Mesa is currently one of these gardens and the cacti flowers, which are at their peak right now, are definitely late risers, refusing to open until the sun is at its fullest.
Admittedly an early morning visit does have the reward of the intense chocolate aroma of the Berlandiera lyrata (chocolate flowers). The closed Eschscholzia californica (California poppies) have a certain charm too, it is fascinating to watch them open as the sun falls on them. By mid-afternoon though everyone has stretched and opened
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The Plains Garden
The benefits of growing native plants are many – they are easy to grow, they increase native biodiversity, they reduce the risk of introducing invasives, and they use little water to name a few. In fall though, probably more than any other time of year, the overriding reason is their beauty.
It is easy to be jealous of Panayoti experiencing the South African spring right now however a walk around the gardens makes me see how much he is missing right here.
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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.
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