You are what you eat. You've probably heard this saying and understand how the food you consume plays a pivotal role in shaping your overall health. But have you ever pondered what your food eats? It might sound like an odd question, but the truth is, almost all the nutrients found in our food originate from the soil. There is a critical connection between soil health and the nutrients in crops. </p> At first glance, it seems straightforward: Nutrient-rich soil should yield highly nutritious crops. However, the reality is far from simple. Over the past five decades, nutrient density in crops has been on a steady decline, despite an increase in crop production in the United States. This alarming trend raises a crucial question: Why are our crops becoming less nutritious over time? </p> Research from the Bionutrient Institute reveals that the nutrient density of crops can vary significantly. Take kale, for instance. The nutrient content in kale can differ by as much as fivefold. In practical terms, this means that you might need to consume five bunches of kale from a low-nutrient soil to match the nutritional value of one bunch of kale grown in nutrient-rich soil. This discrepancy underscores the importance of understanding and addressing the factors influencing soil health and, consequently, crop nutrient density. </p> Some might argue that choosing organic produce guarantees higher quality and better nutrient content. While organic farming practices offer various benefits, long-term research indicates that there is little discernible difference between the nutrient density of organic and conventionally farmed produce. This finding emphasizes that the key lies in how farms manage their soil, rather than the label on the produce. </p> So, what exactly does it come down to? Soil health. Healthy soil is a complex matrix influenced by several factors. Soil rich in organic matter fosters a diverse community of beneficial microbes, facilitating nutrient absorption by plants and protecting them against diseases. Well-structured soil, free from excessive compaction and tillage, allows water, oxygen and plant roots to penetrate deeply, giving roots access to a wider range of nutrients. Implementing sustainable soil health practices such as minimizing soil disturbance, preserving living roots year-round and diversifying crops also contributes significantly to soil health and crop nutrient density. </p> In the quest for nutritious food, it's essential to look beyond the plate. Nutrient density in our vegetables isn't solely determined by the plants themselves; it's deeply intertwined with the condition of the soil in which they grow. By focusing on soil health and implementing practices that nourish this vital resource, we can ensure that our food is not only abundant but also brimming with the essential nutrients our bodies need for optimal health. The next time you savor a dish of fresh vegetables, remember, it's not just about what you eat, but also what your food eats.</p> Learn more about soil nutrition: </p> Soils for nutrition: state of the art</a> </li> Soil Health | Natural Resources Conservation Service</a></li> Soil health and nutrient density: preliminary comparison of regenerative and conventional farming </a></li> Increasing Nutrient Density of Food Crops Through Soil Fertility Management and Cultivar Selection | Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment</a> </li> </ul>
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>
My love and familiarity in tropical and subtropical climates drew me to the tropical plant-mapping internship at Denver Botanic Gardens. I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and moved to Colorado after Hurricane Katrina. Despite growing up around the Denver metro area, New Orleans was still somewhere I considered home, and the climate was something I’ve remained fascinated by. I was overjoyed to get this internship because it would provide a chance to expand on my knowledge of something already near and dear to my heart.</p> This summer I had the pleasure of working on the tropical team in both the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory</a> and the greenhouses. My project was to map the Tropical Conservatory, but I also helped maintain the plants in greenhouses one and five, created the treehouse display in the Tropical Conservatory and propagated for the plant sales and gift shop. Throughout the summer I propagated a number of plants, including Tradescantia </em>(baby bunny belly and zebrina) and Fittonia </em>(red nerve plant). </p> The Tropical Conservatory was built in the 1960s, and a lot of the plants had not been entered into the Gardens’ database, BG Base, since the 1990s. However, when entering the updated locations and statuses of the plants, I was amazed at the records behind each plant. The notes that came along with each plant created an entire history of its time before the Gardens. Each plant is a relic, and our plant records team is uniquely amazing at upholding those legacies. </p> By mapping each bed, I was also contributing to upholding the history of the plants and of the Tropical Conservatory as a whole. Each Wednesday I, along with my mentor Nick, went go into the Tropical Conservatory and recorded which plants were where they were supposed to be in the beds, which plants were supposed to be in the beds and were either dead or removed, and then which plants needed to be added to the map and then later to BG Base. I am proud to say that during this internship we mapped the entire Tropical Conservatory, save for the treehouse. Not all the beds have been entered, but the fact that there are up-to-date paper maps is huge.</p> I also worked with three other interns throughout the summer, working in different gardens each week and going on field trips on Fridays. Each activity was an amazing opportunity and I’m so thankful for my fellow interns and Denver Botanic Gardens’ employees for their generosity and patience in teaching us about their ecosystems.</p> This article was contributed by Moira Newman</strong>, tropical plant mapping and curatorship intern. </em> </p>
