</p>With over a dozen unique venue spaces, most of which can be booked in any season, Denver Botanic Gardens hosts hundreds of private events each year. Most of our venues are tucked in corners around our 23 acres, but one of the most versatile sits right at the heart of the Gardens: the UMB Amphitheater Tent</a>.</p>A vast canopy with a spacious interior, the UMB Amphitheater Tent is our largest single rental space, offering endless flexibility for hosting a variety of events. It is a beautiful venue for daytime or nighttime events and features twinkle lights across the ceiling and open-air sides that can be opened or closed as needed.</p>The tent has the ability to host groups of different sizes ranging from a seated reception for 600 guests, a ceremony or graduation for 1,200 guests, or a cocktail reception for 1,200 people. Smaller-scale events can also use the tent for multiple functions; clients can easily host both a wedding ceremony and a reception under the tent without resetting any furnishings between them.</p>Guests can mingle during a cocktail hour or can enjoy al fresco dining surrounded by views of the Gardens in their peak. Add in acoustic music, delicious food prepared by one of our preferred caterers and your own decorative touch, and this space will transform your event into a truly breathtaking experience for your guests. Whether you are hosting a wedding, a corporate event, a non-profit fundraiser or gala, the UMB Bank Amphitheater may just be the venue you are looking for.</p>Contact our Private Events team for more information at private.events@botanicgardens.org</a> or 720-865-3551.</p>
Denver Botanic Gardens is excited to announce that our Sensory Processing and Autism Resource Kits (SPARK) are available for use, free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis! They may be checked out from the Helen Fowler Library in the Freyer – Newman Center at our York Street location. The backpacks were designed and created by the Autism Community Store in partnership with the Autism Society of Colorado.</p>The packs are a resource for people of all ages with autism or sensory needs, to help them feel safe and supported while exploring the Gardens. Each pack includes a garden-themed Seek & Find weighted lap pad, wiggle seat cushion, noise-reducing headphones, visor, fidget keychains, hand-operated fan, turquoise sunglasses, calming strategies card and an outdoor blanket.</p>What’s included:</p>Garden-themed Weighted Discovery Lap Pad – </strong>Weighing in at over two pounds, this lap pad does double duty. The therapeutic weight can be calming to the nervous system, helping the user stay seated more comfortably. The lap pad’s garden-theme contents provide tactile and visual stimulation that can offer a calming distraction in a challenging environment.</li>Wiggle Cushion – </strong>“Wiggle seats” can be an effective seating option for people who have a difficult time focusing or staying put in their seats. These helpful self-regulation seating devices provide subtle movement input (gentle bouncing and/or rocking) without getting up from your seat! The calming (or alerting) movement input makes it easier for many children and adults to stay calm and focused.</li>Noise-reducing Headphones – </strong>Noise reduction headphones provide an auditory buffer. They can help people with noise sensitivity explore environments that might otherwise been too uncomfortable for them.</li>Visor – </strong>The visor is a comfortable means of shading the eyes from natural and artificial overhead light while also providing a sense of enclosure and protection.</li>Fidget Toys – </strong>The fidget toys attached to the zipper pulls of the backpack help keep busy fingers engaged. Contrary to what many people believe, fidgeting actually helps sensory seeking people stay calm and focused.</li>Hand-operated Fan – </strong>The fan is manually operated with a crank. It is a fidget toy that will be enjoyed by visitors who like spinning things or a cause-effect toy. The fan also empowers a guest with a cooling tool.</li>Turquoise Glasses – </strong>For some people, colored glasses can be relaxing and may help the brain process the information it sees. Each person has a unique color preference, but turquoise is one of the most popular.</li>Calming Strategies Card – </strong>This card offers opportunities for non-verbal cues.</li>Outdoor Blanket – </strong>The outdoor blanket unfolds to offer a comfortable nest for a visitor who craves a sensory break.</li></ul>Be sure to check out our sensory friendly events that provide an opportunity to explore the Gardens with fewer visitors and hands-on sensory activities. The low-sensory SPARK mornings and evenings are offered during the summer and are free with advance registration. Call 720-865-3500 for more information or find out about low sensory mornings and other therapeutic horticulture programming</a>.</p>
What makes a plant “water smart”? There are plenty of plants that tolerate periodic drought, and many of them are old favorites that your grandmother probably grew: shrub roses, lilacs, oriental poppies, bearded iris and even hostas. These were classic mainstays of the traditional garden for a reason. While they may get a little stressed during dry stretches of weather, it doesn’t take much to get them through until the next good rain comes along, and they usually multiply enough to pass along to friends and neighbors as well.</p> But some plants just like</em> it dry, thriving in that spot that you thought was hopeless precisely because</em> it has lean soil and never stays wet for long. These are plants that would actually resent the frequent watering that most gardens rely on. The Roads Water-Smart Garden can go for weeks or months without any supplemental water, and this is in a hot, south-facing location against a building! It is never watered more than once a week during hot, dry weather and never more than a dozen times a year—often less.</p> There are dozens of real gems in this garden from arid regions around the world. Here are some of the stars:</p> Salvias</strong>: S. microphylla</em>, S. coahuilensis</em> and S. greggii</em> (hybrids and cultivars include ‘Wild Thing’, ‘Mes Azur’, ‘Furman’s Red’). These are loosely referred to as “autumn sage” and many other species and cultivars exist. Hailing from central Texas and throughout the Southwest and Mexico, these like plenty of sun and good drainage. Trim down to about 4 inches each spring and they will do the rest. Their vibrant colors will attract hummingbirds for months!</p> Wild buckwheats: </strong>The genus Eriogonum</em> is especially abundant in the western U.S., often favoring dry slopes and poor soils that other species find less appealing. Eriogonum umbellatum</em> is a variable native species. Its vast range (Alaska to Mexico!) results in many regional forms, and one of the best is from right here in western Colorado. The Plant Select®-honored ‘Psdowns’ KANNAH CREEK® grows as a short, wiry shrub with glowing lemon-yellow clusters of flowers in late spring into summer. Its dried rusty-hued flowers persist into fall and winter.</p> Penstemon</em>: </strong>This could be a long list, as this genus is at its best in the Southwest. A short “you must grow” list would include P. barbatus, P. pinifolius, P. grandiflorus, P. eatonii, P. pseudospectabilis, P. palmeri </em>– okay, there is no such thing as a “short” list of good penstemons! Using multiple species from the high, dry Southwest can extend your flowering season from May to October, in heights from 6 inches to 6 feet, and all these tubular flowers are irresistible to hummingbirds!</p> Delosperma</em>: </strong>Commonly known as ice plants, the hardy Delosperma</em> were unknown in cultivation until our own Panayoti Kelaidis began to experiment in the 1990s with an obscure purple species (D. cooperi</em>) from South Africa’s Drakensberg Mountains. Superbly adapted to Colorado conditions, they now come in a rainbow of colors and are a mainstay of xeric gardens across the nation. Several are scattered through the Roads Water-Smart Garden, but be sure to see the dazzling carpets of them in the Steppe Garden, Plant Select Garden and elsewhere. Standouts include Lavender Ice, GRANITA® Raspberry, and MESA VERDE®, all with shimmering flowers that nearly obscure the plants when in bloom.</p> Bulbs: </strong>This is a broad category, but so many are perfectly adapted to Colorado conditions that a few have to be highlighted. Those that thrive have a few things in common: They take advantage of abundant seasonal moisture, producing their leaves and flowers during our wettest season (April-early June). Their foliage dries out and disappears as our season gets warmer and drier. They all tolerate long periods of cold, dry conditions. Bold and colorful choices include foxtail lilies (Eremurus</em>), ornamental onions (Allium</em>) and the smaller “species tulips” and crocus—these are the original forms that most hybrids were developed from, and they are especially durable and resilient for many years in the right conditions.</p> Keep in mind that the Roads Water-Smart Garden alone has hundreds</em> of other species that create a year-round progression of color and texture, drawing on plants from similar climates around the world. The extended list would be very long indeed: Yucca</em>, Agastache</em>, Dianthus</em>, Acantholimon</em>, Ericameria</em>, Opuntia</em>, Hesperaloe</em>, Iris</em>, Arctostaphylos</em>, Sedum</em>, Lavandula</em>, Thymus, Papaver, Crambe</em> . . . you get the idea. This theme is echoed in the Steppe Garden, Dryland Mesa, Sacred Earth, the Laura Smith Porter Plains Garden, Plant Select Garden and parts of the Rock Alpine Garden. Visit us often to see what each changing season brings!</p> </p> Note: </em></strong>Not everything featured in this blog post or gallery is in bloom now, but should be throughout the month.</em></p> </p>
A new school year has arrived, the light is changing, and the final days of summer are coming to an end, which means autumn is around the corner. When people think about autumn in Colorado they think of the hillsides covered in brushstrokes of gold, but there is so much more to the changing of the seasons here if you take a closer look. There is no better place to see these colors in a landscape than at Denver Botanic Gardens. </p> Luminescent Perennials</h3> Begin on the path in the O’Fallon Perennial Walk and notice the luminescent color of the Salvia azurea</em> var. grandiflora</em> (pitcher sage) which shines amidst a backdrop of our native Juniperus scopulorum</em> (Rocky Mountain juniper). Within this garden, you will see many other perennials and grasses donning their yellows and oranges of the season.</p> Follow the path to the Fragrance Garden and search for the Buddleja alternifolia</em> (fountain butterfly bush). This shrub begins stunning our visitors in the spring with fragrant, lilac-purple flowers, but the weeping, fountain-like shape and the soft green and grey leaves are just lovely. A cool fall day is the perfect setting for a mindful stroll through this garden. </p> Unexpected Color</h3> Keep walking west and you won’t have to go far to see the unexpected colors of the late-blooming dahlias in the bed on the south border of the Four Towers Pool. This garden has many blooms that may offer you a warm feeling, but nothing says “pumpkin spice latte” like Dahlia </em>‘Brown Sugar’. This garden is another perfect spot to enjoy some solitude, listen to the sound of the fountain and reflect on the goodness gardens have to offer. </p> Gorgeous Grasses</h3> Right next door you will come across the Ornamental Grasses Garden, which offers a pleasing palette year-round. During the autumn months the colors and seedheads of the grasses are works of art that shine the brightest. A few that will catch your eye first are Helictotrichon sempervirens</em> ‘Saphirsprudel’ (blue oat grass), Deschampsia flexuosa</em> (wavy hair grass) and Calamagrostis </em>× acutiflora </em>‘Avalanche’ (feather reed grass). Mixed among the grasses is another masterpiece called Sedum </em>‘Dark Magic’ (dwarf stonecrop). This stonecrop is a lovely contrast to the grasses and is easy to find with its purple-black foliage and deep pink flowers. Not only do all of these plants provide seasonal interest, but they also offer food for wildlife. </p> Living Art</h3> Make sure to look through the oversized gold frame on the corner and you can imagine this landscape as an Impressionist painting. This frame is one of several at the Gardens and is part of our Blue Grass, Green Skies: American Impressionism and Realism</a> exhibition. If you want the perfect social media photo op, this is the spot! To everything there is a season and just like the disappearing blooms and falling leaves of autumn, the exhibit ends on September 14 and the frames will be removed over the following weeks. </p> International Inspiration</h3> One garden that inspires you to slow down and enjoy autumn is June’s PlantAsia just down the sidewalk. This garden is full of trees and shrubs that offer up an endless display of colors and textures; from the beautiful evergreens like Pseudotsuga menziesii</em> (Douglas fir) and Pinus nigra</em> (Austrian pine) to the colorful maples. Wander past the ting, a Chinese pavilion, and find the Acer japonicum</em> ‘Vitifolium’ (full moon maple) as it begins to turn yellow and red throughout the coming months. </p> Maybe you need inspiration for your own home landscape, or you would like an invitation to be more mindful. Whatever it is, the Gardens has a lot to offer this autumn – cozy, colorful and comforting.</p> </p>
Documenting biodiversity is crucial for conservation and is a major aim of our research programs at the Gardens. To work toward this goal, we have been pairing up with the public through community science projects—which invite anyone, regardless of educational background, to be part of the scientific process by recording and sharing their observations of nature. </p> As an example of this, last summer we relaunched Insects Illuminated—a nighttime public event at Chatfield Farms designed to document nocturnal insect biodiversity. Using ultraviolet lights projected onto white bed sheets, we attracted moths, beetles, flies and other insects, documented them with iNaturalist</a> and collected 35 specimens to be deposited in our natural history collections</a>. Experts, staff and volunteers were able to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with those new to the joy of insect diversity. Highlights of the night include the grand elm sphinx moth and brilliant yellow geometer moth.</p> This year we doubled down, hosting the event twice, once at Chatfield Farms and once at York Street. And this year we were very excited to partner with our community engagement team to welcome Young People In Recovery</a> and Westwood Family Nature Club</a> to participate as community scientists at the events.</p> By combining the wonder of discovery with meaningful scientific contribution, events like Insects Illuminated demonstrate how community science can simultaneously advance conservation goals and foster deeper connections between people and the natural world around them. As we continue expanding these collaborations, we're not just documenting species; we're cultivating a growing community of citizen scientists who will carry this curiosity and conservation ethic far beyond our garden gates.</p> This article was contributed by Scientific Data Manager Rick Levy</strong> and Floristic and Outreach Coordinator Alissa Iverson</strong>. </span></em> </p>
Historically, Denver Botanic Gardens has hosted tours of private gardens in spring and early summer. That’s when most gardens boast the largest number of perennials in bloom, and late-flowering trees and shrubs can make a mighty impact.</p> But once the summer heat lets up, many gardens experience a “second spring” in late summer—when early autumn flowers combine with summer’s bounty to create striking sweeps of color at garden-savvy homes.This year, the Gardens has teamed up with the Garden Conservancy</a>, which hosts garden tours across the country, to showcase three outstanding—and very different—gardens close to home. The tour takes place Saturday, Sept. 13. Sign up so you don’t miss them</a>! What better way to spend a late-season weekend?</p> Bosler House</h2> This historical home has been brought to fresh life by owners Jan and Steve Davis, who have lovingly restored the striking Victorian-era house and surrounded it with lush gardens. Visitors will find lavish borders and a stunning potager.</p> Gatehouse Garden</h2> Tim Morgan and Laura Menzer have created a “secret garden”—and a pretty substantial one—in a quiet southeast Denver neighborhood. Morgan, a passionate lifelong gardener, propagates many of his plants in a greenhouse on the property.</p> A newly completed back patio frames a stunning view of the large island bed, which features multiple borders, rock gardens and arbors overflowing with treasures. The entire perimeter of the backyard is filled with plants, including a bog garden, more rock gardens and choice trees. This is truly a garden for all seasons.</p> Kelly Grummons’ Garden</h2> Kelly Grummons is one of the most highly regarded horticulturists in the Rocky Mountain region. His home garden is a showcase of a rich lifetime of gardening—including, of course, his beloved succulents (he is, after all, Mr. Cold Hardy Cactus).</p> Many stock plants can be found in and around several greenhouses on the property, but the real stars this time of year are the island beds south of his home, filled with late-summer annuals, flaming red Zauschneria and remarkable containers featuring succulents. Visitors will also discover gems like rhododendrons in the shady garden. The more you explore, the more you’ll marvel. </p> Denver Botanic Gardens and the Garden Conservancy have partnered for three years to showcase the finest gardens of the Front Range. This is the final weekend of this year’s program—but expect a dozen or more gardens on tour in 2026.</p> </p>
