When we think about late-season garden interest, fall asters and tawny grass textures might come to mind, or perhaps the smoldering reds and oranges of autumn foliage. But plants can also offer ornamental value through their fruit whether they are berries, drupes or pommes (yes, they are all unique!).</p> Here are five plants that have distinct fruits that add to their ornamental value, especially in the autumn and winter:</p> Berberis haematocarpa</strong></em> (Red Barberry)</strong></h2> One of the toughest broadleaf evergreen shrubs available for Colorado’s Front Range, red barberry opens the year with yellow nectar-rich flowers that give way to large red berries</strong> that ripen in late summer. Haematocarpa</em> literally means “red fruit,” and like others in the family, this barberry’s fruits are true berries. Berries are distinct from other fruits because they are produced from a single flower that contains one ovary and the seeds are usually embedded in the fleshy part of the fruit rather than contained within a hard pit or papery core. The best examples of Berberis haematocarpa</em> are located on the western edge of Dryland Mesa</strong> just across from the Laura Smith Porter Plains Garden.</p> Crataegus ambigua </strong></em>(Russian Hawthorn)</strong></h2> Introduced through the Plant Select® program in 2011, Russian hawthorn is an adaptable small tree that flowers profusely in the spring and develops clusters of bright red pommes</strong> that persist even after its leaves have fallen for the winter. Pommes are unlike berries and drupes in that they have a distinct core that contains multiple seeds. Found only among members of the rose family (in the apple subtribe of Rosaceae to be exact), pears and apples are some of the most common edible examples of pommes. You can find three excellent specimens of Crataegus ambigua </em>just east of Monet Pool </strong>on the northernmost edge of the Darlene Radichel Plant Select Garden. Check out the crabapple trees lining either side of Shady Lane </strong>for more examples of ornamental pommes.</p> Berberis repens</strong></em> (Creeping Oregon Grape)</strong></h2> If you have dry shade in your garden, this is the plant for you. A sprawling, low-growing native shrub that is xeric, evergreen and produces large clusters of dark blue berries </strong>in the autumn. The berries are edible, though they are quite bitter and best with added sugar in a jam. Even if you don’t use the berries, songbirds will appreciate the food during the winter months. You can find large stands of Berberis repens</em> forming a ground cover around the Ella Mullen Weckbaugh Tea House in the Japanese Garden</strong> and sprinkled throughout the understory of the Gates Montane Garden</strong>.</p> Prunus</strong></em> × </strong>virginiana </strong></em>SUCKER PUNCH® (Choke Cherry)</strong></h2> Choke cherries are some of the very best plants you can grow to support wildlife across the entire food chain. They are a larval host plant to a least 300 species of butterflies and moths and their dark purple drupes </strong>are a favorite food of songbirds. Drupes are distinguished from other fleshy fruits by the hard stone, or pit, at their center. Plums, peaches and apricots are classic examples of edible drupes. SUCKER PUNCH is a non-suckering hybrid form of Prunus virginiana</em> with the upright growth habit of a small tree. You can find two examples on the east side of the Darlene Radichel Plant Select Garden</strong>.</p> Symphoricarpos albus</strong></em> (Snowberry)</strong></h2> Featuring clustered white berries</strong> that remain on the stems all winter long, snowberries provide a unique form of winter interest in the garden. During the growing season, the arching stems of this rounded shrub hold small oval-shaped leaves. Snowberries are not edible by humans, but birds and small mammals utilize the fruit throughout the winter months, which adds to this plant’s considerable wildlife value. You can find a large colony of Symphoricarpos albus</em> across from the Nexus Garden</strong> and several other specimens scattered along the south edge of the Bill Hosokawa Bonsai Pavilion</strong>. </p>
It’s time to celebrate plants in the allium family! This spicy plant family includes garlic, onions, chives, leeks and more. Edible alliums bring fragrance and depth to almost any savory dish and are a joy to grow and harvest yourself. </p> Unlike many edible plants, growing (and eating) plants in this family is a year-round endeavor and fall is a time for new beginnings. At Chatfield Farms, our favorites include several varieties of garlic and onions. In Colorado, these crops are generally harvested in July and August and then dried, or cured, for several weeks indoors. By September the stems should be completely dried and can be trimmed off leaving the bulbs ready for storage or consumption.</p> Just as soon as everything is trimmed and stored, it’s time to start preparing to plant for the following year. At Chatfield Farms, we have had success planting onion seeds outside as late as September, and we plant garlic in late October to enjoy the following spring. Once overwintering garlic and onions are planted and tucked in under a layer of straw, we wait a few short months for February when it’s time to start onion seedlings indoors to plant outside next spring. </p> If you plan to plant garlic or onions in your own garden remember to pay attention to the qualities of different seed varieties you can choose from for best results. Here are a few tips for choosing your seed: </p> There are two main types of garlic, “hardneck” and “softneck.”</li> Hardneck garlic varieties produce woody flower stalks. The stalks emerge as soft shoots also known as “scapes,” which should be pulled off the plant when they curl to allow bulbs to fully form. Scapes are edible and delicious. </li> Softneck garlic varieties do not produce stalks or scapes, these are better for braiding and can store for longer periods of time. </li> Onion bulb formation depends heavily on sunlight hours available to the plant, which differ from region to region. Check out this resource</a> on long-day, intermediate-day and short-day onion varieties. </li> </ul>
Ahoy there, me hearties! Gather 'round as we set sail on a swashbucklin' adventure like no other at Denver Botanic Gardens. On the 19th of September, we be celebratin' Talk Like a Pirate Day in style. But this ain't just any ordinary celebration – it's a treasure hunt of the botanic kind.</p> Arr, ye can start yer quest by layin' eyes on a map at the information desk in Boettcher Memorial Center or the Science Pyramid—or ye can download one</a>. If ye fancy usin' a virtual map, ye'll find a QR code on the physical map and on signs scattered 'round the Gardens. When ye scan it with yer trusty device, it'll whisk ye away to a virtual StoryMap, unveilin' secrets and tales 'bout the very treasures ye be seekin'. </p>
This is less of a walking tour and more of a destination exploration. The striking installation on the eastern end of the boardwalk in Denver Botanic Gardens' Birds and Bees Walk was designed to showcase the intricate relationships between natural materials and wildlife. This sculptural and organic installation combines artistry with ecological functionality, emphasizing the essential role of natural elements in fostering biodiversity. Let’s dive into the intricacies together:</p> 1. Dead Wood and Bark</h3> The primary layer is built from reclaimed dead wood and large expanses of bark, reflecting the vital role decaying trees play in ecosystems. These natural materials create a lattice of crevices and cavities that mimic the shelter provided by tree trunks. Birds, insects and other small animals find refuge here.</p> 2. Insect Hotels</h3> Nestled within are clusters of small sticks and hollow plant stems. These provide solitary bees, such as mason and leafcutter bees, with safe nesting sites. The carefully arranged hotels demonstrate how simple interventions can support pollinators, whose activities are crucial for plant reproduction and ecosystem health.</p> 3. Material Pockets</h3> This installation was designed as an extensive material library; a place where any creature can take or borrow what it might need. Often overlooked as mere waste or mulch, these materials are carefully arranged in woolen pockets that hang throughout the structure, holding leaves, pine needles, duff and fibers for nest-building and shelter.</p> 4. The Tapestry of Fibers</h3> Woven into the design are strands of natural fibers like grass, cotton, wool, silk and flax. These fibers provide birds with vital nesting materials and insects with safe hiding spots. Can you spot fibers from this structure repurposed in nearby trees or bushes to form intricate nests? </p> 5. Bird Houses</h3> Each birdhouse varies in size and shape, accommodating different species like chickadees, wrens or bluebirds, with tailored entryways and internal dimensions. Beyond their practical function, these havens demonstrate the importance of intentional design in supporting wildlife through offering safe spaces for birds to nest, rest and raise their young.</p> More than an installation, this is a living example of how human creativity and natural processes can merge to foster biodiversity. How can you create more space for other creatures in your own life?</p> To explore the structures of the Birds and Bees Walk further, read Bring Out Your Dead! Complex Spaces in the Habitat Gardens</a>. </p> </p>
When I was in art school, Spiderwoman Theater, an Indigenous women’s performance troupe, performed at the school. During the Q&A, one of my classmates asked the artists what their tribe thought of them doing modern performance art. Their answer: Many Indigenous people view art as a part of life – just as music, food and nature are a part of life. Everything is connected. This reply has always stuck with me, and this interconnection is always apparent here at Denver Botanic Gardens. Art, music, food and nature are intertwined. Follow this walking tour to explore some of these connections. </p> The gardens that surround the UMB Bank Amphitheater</strong> represent our Colorado landscapes. Although the Summer Concert Series has passed us by, the musical sounds of the plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides</em> ssp. monilifera</em>) leaves fluttering in the wind can be heard in the Grant Family Cottonwood Border.</strong> Don’t forget about the zipping of the hummingbirds moving from Roads Water-Smart Garden</strong> to the Ponderosa Border</strong> in search of a snack and a place to rest. Once Blossoms of Light®</strong> opens for the holiday season, you will get to hear new music that accompanies the synchronized light show in the amphitheater. </li> Meander over toward the Science Pyramid</strong>, and you will find the artwork “Feature Fountain” by Wright McLaughlin. This four-tower fountain is a popular spot to sit and have a bite to eat, listen to the rushing waters and look out onto many of our aquatic gems of waterlilies and cannas (Nymphaea</em> and Canna</em>). Don’t leave until you walk through the annual display of gorgeous blooms of black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta</em>), dahlias (Dahlia</em>) and more in the Fountain Bed Garden.</strong></li> Now, head down the path past the Ornamental Grasses Garden</strong>, making sure to take in the beauty of the sculpture “So Proud of My Children” by Nicholas Kadzungura, which is surrounded by the soft colors of Kudos Mandarin Hyssop (Agastache</em> ‘Kudos Mandarin’), and make your way through June’s PlantAsia</strong>. </li> You will notice some exciting renovations on the southside of June’s PlantAsia</strong>, as well as within the Birds and Bees Walk</strong>. Here you will find many places to sit and enjoy mature trees like lacebark pines (Pinus bungeana</em>) or walk along the boardwalk to see our brand-new “habitat hotel district” (artistic walls for insects to nest and overwinter). We couldn’t be more excited to share this habitat paradise with our visitors!</li> Getting tired? Head over to the Hive Garden Bistro</strong> for a bite to eat and a cool drink (I recommend an agua fresca). There’s never a bad time of year to sit on the deck and enjoy the views of Monet Pool</strong>. As we move closer to fall and winter, the view from the deck will transition from a sea of blooms in the pool and the creative, artistic kitchen garden, Le Potager Garden</strong>, to pumpkin displays for Glow at the Gardens™</strong> and then Blossoms of Light</strong>. </li> </ul> The coming months still offer musical soundscapes for our fall and holiday events, delicious food and drinks from our restaurants, and artwork throughout the grounds (explore the galleries in the Freyer – Newman Center </strong>during your visit) and nature. So. much. nature. Enjoy what life has to offer: art, music, food, nature. Everything is connected. </p>
