Everyone’s life is marked with memories that stay with us forever. Some of my most cherished plant memories come from discovering the stunning world of cacti and succulent plants that are housed in the Cactus and Succulent House located in the Rock Alpine Garden. </p> I had the privilege of taking over this collection and replanting the display house during the summer of 2021. Now, after three years of care, the plants have really filled in and grown fantastically. I invite you to see what’s growing and blooming inside the Cactus and Succulent House during the height and blight of winter. One reason these plants are so popular and sought after is because the leaf forms are often so pretty that the flowers simply become a bonus or means to produce seed. In their natural habitat most of the succulents from the Southern Hemisphere do their growing and blooming during the winter months. Some of my favorites this year are: </p> Ceropegia cimiciodora </em>– A creeping, leafless stem succulent with super-cool flowers that blooms almost all year-round. You would be hard pressed to find a cooler flower.</li> Stapelia schinzii </em>var. angolensis </em>– Fuzzy maroon flowers that smell like rotting flesh! What could be better?</li> Haworthia emelyae</em> var. comptoniana</em> – A solitary species with a very small natural range in the Cape Province of South Africa. It is prized and known for its beautiful white markings on the leaf surfaces, slow growth and difficult propagation.</li> Haworthia arachnoidea</em> var. setata </em>– In its native South Africa, it is known as papierrosie</em> (paper-rose) or spinnekopnes</em> (spider’s nest). Sign me up!</li> Haworthia </em>hybrid – </em>A special blend of species created by me, formulated for your enjoyment!</li> Albuca spiralis –</em> A bulbous curly leaf plant. Give your curly leaf bulbs as much light as you can during the growing season.</li> Albuca hallii</em> – Another curly-leaf plant, the spring leaf plant has a pair of cork-screwed shaped leaves.</li> Trichodiadema </em>sp. – A beautiful plant that gets covered in purple blooms, reminiscent of summer-blooming iceplant (Delosperma</em>), during the winter months. </li> </ol> I have been collecting these plants for 21 years and I am still finding the next amazing thing I have to have. If you need some plant inspiration while your own garden is sleeping this winter, come visit our collection of unique cacti and succulents in their full glory. </p> Gallery photos by Scott Preusser </em></p>
A hidden charm sprinkled into private events at Chatfield Farms are several specific botanicals that you will find nestled within the landscaping of our venues and historical buildings. These special plants enhance the spaces through their symbolism and uses for wellbeing. </p> Near the Green Farm Barn</a>, you will find firecracker penstemon, Penstemon eatonii</em>, a native wildflower. This botanical symbolizes luck, just like the hummingbirds who frequent this venue throughout the summer. Firecracker penstemons also represent celebration and prosperity, a lovely combination to evoke for wedding celebrations and corporate events. Species of penstemon were historically used by Native Americans to treat a range of ailments, including sun burns, migraines and snake bites. </p> The Polly Steele Center</a> is a beautiful venue surrounded by a cottage garden. This is a favorite spot for birthdays, elopements, micro weddings and celebrations of life. Growing under some of the trees is lady's mantle, Alchemilla vulgaris</em>. Lady's mantle symbolizes protection and comfort, seen through the cloak-like shape of the leaves. Its Latin name translates to “little alchemist”, named after the morning dew that collects within its soft leaves, which represents transformation in alchemy. Medicinal uses of lady’s mantle for women's health have been noted, particularly within western European traditions. </p> There is an abundance of medicinal plants around the Chatfield Farms property. To view medicinal plants formally, visit our herb garden, adjacent to the historical Hildebrand Ranch house</a>. As you continue to expand your plant knowledge, we invite you to come out for a venue tour with our private events team</a> and see if you can identify additional botanicals within the space that can enhance and provide greater meaning or fun for your event. </p>
September is a great time to take a walk through the flowers in Lainie’s Cutting Garden. By this time in late summer the plants are in full bloom and at their peak for harvesting. This garden was designed with ease of cutting in mind with annuals planted in the center beds and perennials and shrubs bordering the entire garden. </p> As you approach Lainie’s Cutting Garden you will notice that the center beds are laid out in concentric circles creating an almost labyrinth-like path through the garden. Enter the garden through the south entrance across from Oak Grove and give the flowers a quick scan. The garden is small in comparison, but it is packed full of beautiful colors, shapes and textures creating a lush living arrangement. Each of the center beds are designed and planted with a color theme in mind and as you walk from east to north to west the colors progress through each pigment of the rainbow.</p> As you take a right around the circle the first plant you will notice stands high above the rest, Leonotis nepetifolia</strong></em>, or lion’s ear</strong>. Lion’s ear features perfect ball-shaped structures that adorn the tall main stem with small orange flowers protruding out of each ball. This flower is perfect for using in fresh or dried flower arrangements. Come back this winter and you will be able to see it on display in the Romantic Gardens’ dried arrangements.</li> Another plant that shares the orange palette of the garden is Amaranthus cruentus</strong></em> ‘Hot Biscuits’</strong>. This cultivar of amaranth is a bit different than most of the red and pink varieties. Hot Biscuits features bronze-colored plumes that bloom throughout the summer and into fall.</li> As you continue walking you will see a very interesting ball-type dahlia, Dahlia</strong></em> ‘Double Jill’</strong>. Double Jill gets its name from the many colors that it features on each flower. No one flower is ever the same with different combinations of white, orange and yellow. Dahlias make great cut flowers, and the ball types seem to attract less Japanese beetles!</li> As you make your way around the pink section of the rainbow you may notice a familiar smell in the air that is Ocimum basilicum </strong></em>‘Cardinal’</strong>. Cardinal basil is in its full expression this time of year showing off its dark pink blooms and lush foliage. Basil makes a fantastic filler for flower arrangements and with flowers and fragrance you can’t go wrong.</li> Finally, you make your way to the end of the rainbow where purple is the featured color. The standouts in this section are Eustoma grandiflorum</strong></em> ‘Can Can Purple’ </strong>and Eustoma grandiflorum </strong></em>MARIACHI® Lavender</strong>, also known as lisianthus. The flowers on lisianthus often remind people of roses with their soft petals and double flower heads. They can be a bit top heavy, so we plant them tight and provide a lot of support as they grow. These flowers add a lot of drama to fresh arrangements, and they will hold up for weeks.</li> </ul> This is just a handful of the many flowers that are on display in Lainie’s Cutting Garden. Come back again and again to discover something new; the garden is always changing. </p> Gallery photos by Angie Andrade</em></p>
Why plant in the fall when we’ve always heard spring is the right time to plant? Fall is when the season is winding down and when we start putting the gardens to bed, not when we plant new plants, right? WRONG! Fall planting is the best time to plant and let me tell you why.</p> Energy</strong></p> When we put our precious plants in the ground, it’s a bit of a shock to them. They’ve been nice and cozy in their nursery pot with their sterile potting mix, then we come around and yank them out of their home, shake off that peat and perlite mix</a> and jam them into some real soil…often a much heavier clay or loam. In spring, the days are heating up and getting longer, and those little plants are itching to photosynthesize; they want that sun, and they want to push out leaves and flower and get big and strong! That sounds great, that’s what we want, too! There is a caveat though… days getting longer signals foliar growth meaning all the plant’s energy is going up, up, up to the above-ground parts. Remember, what’s most important isn’t on the outside, it’s on the inside. Or in the plant’s case, inside the soil.</p> At the root of it</strong></p> What I’m getting at is roots. Ah yes, the roots, the anchor of the plant that drinks up the water and nutrients they need to survive. It is vital the plant establishes a strong root system for long term success. This is where fall planting shines. After the summer solstice, the days get shorter, the nights get cooler, and the plants start winding down. They know what’s coming and they start prepping by switching up their priorities. No more wasting energy on leaves and flowers, it’s time to build roots. </p> When we plant in the fall, plants get two or more full months to establish strong roots without dividing their resources between above-ground growth and below-ground growth. This gives them a head start for next spring because they’ll have deeper, better-established roots that can find more water and nutrients, allowing them to really go to town on foliar growth when the time comes.</p> Temperature </strong></p> Planting in the spring means hot days around the corner, and depending on how quickly summer comes, you may be watering those babies several times a week to keep them from frying. While fall days may still be hot, nights start to cool off, preventing moisture in the soil from evaporating, meaning less frequent watering. The moisture also keeps the ground temps stable and warm, perfect for root growth. But check the forecast and try to avoid planting in the days before an early frost. </p> One last reason</strong></p> If you’re still not convinced to plant your perennials in fall, here’s one more reason you can’t argue with: Most plant nurseries close for the winter and try to sell their remaining inventory before they do. This means sales, discounts, savings! Plants aren’t cheap, so be smart and shop when they’re reduced. </p> Get out there and plant in the perfect fall weather – you won’t be sorry!</p> Psst</em>. Take advantage of Fall Plant & Bulb Sale</a>, Sept. 27 & 28</strong>. Admission is free, but reservations are required. Reserve your time today! </p> </p>
When in Rome, do as the Romans do; when on a field expedition in Colorado, do as the local flora do! Colorado is home to an impressive diversity of geographies and environments, from prairie to shrubland to alpine tundra. It’s a botanist’s paradise to conduct fieldwork in these environments, but these varied conditions make expeditions both adventurous and challenging. As a seasonal botany assistant in the Research & Conservation Department, I’ve learned to adapt to our environments by paying attention to the locals.</p> In the sun-soaked eastern plains, heat and drought are concerns for human researchers and leafy subjects alike. Artemisia frigida</em>, or fringed sagebrush, has learned to make the most of the fleeting water. They grow taproots as deep as five feet underground when water is abundant but can alternatively grow branching roots near the surface when water is fleeting. Thanks to its adaptability, fringed sage has become a ubiquitous plant across the plains. For humans living and working in this arid environment (including Denver), we can learn from the sagebrush as well. Since humans don’t have roots, it’s wise to drink up when you’re near a source of water and be sure to pack enough water for the day ahead. Bonus points for added electrolytes! </p>
