It’s Pollinator Month, a time dedicated to celebrating the unsung heroes of our ecosystems: pollinators! From the tiniest bee to the most magnificent butterfly, these incredible creatures are vital to the health of our planet and the bounty of our gardens.</p> Take a stroll through our diverse plant collections, and you’ll notice the flurry of activity. Bees—native solitary bees, fuzzy bumblebees and the familiar honeybees—dart from blossom to blossom, their tiny bodies laden with pollen. Butterflies flit gracefully. Even hummingbirds, with their iridescent throats and rapid wingbeats, do their part, sipping nectar and transferring pollen as they go. A particularly special place to spy pollinators at York Street is the Birds and Bees Walk</a>, which has installations</a> that help support the diverse and eclectic habitat needs of an array of creatures. At Chatfield Farms, you’ll want to visit the butterfly house</a>, where you can encounter native butterflies like swallowtails, monarchs, mourning cloaks and painted ladies in a lush and colorful garden.</p> Why are these small but mighty creatures so important? Pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. They pollinate crops like apples, almonds, coffee and chocolate, ensuring we have a diverse and delicious diet. Beyond our plates, they are crucial for the reproduction of countless wildflowers, trees and shrubs, maintaining biodiversity and healthy habitats for all wildlife.</p> But pollinators are facing significant challenges, from habitat loss and pesticide use to climate change. Even small actions can have a big impact. Consider planting native plants in your own garden – these are often the best food sources for local pollinators. Reduce or eliminate pesticide use and provide a shallow water source for thirsty bees and butterflies.</p> Visit us throughout the month and observe these amazing creatures up close. You might even spot a new favorite pollinator you hadn't noticed before. Be sure to join us for special programming on Pollinator Day, Friday, June 27</a>, to experience all things pollinators.</p> Let's celebrate our pollinators this month and work together to create a world where they can thrive. </p>
We can grow together.</p> Denver Botanic Gardens is excited to announce Colorado Gives Day coming up on Tuesday, December 7.</p> </picture> </div> </div> </article> For 24 hours, Colorado comes together to raise funds for local nonprofits and we’re excited to be part of the day! On Colorado Gives Day, we’ll be celebrating. We’re celebrating you, because without our supporters, the Gardens would not have had the success we’ve had over the past year. </p> More than a collection of diverse flora from around the globe, the Gardens has over 80 community partners that offer support to the underserved. From providing fresh produce for those in food deserts</a>, to free passes to the Gardens for school groups, from hands-on training for veterans through our Chatfield Farms Veterans Program</a>, to consulting with municipalities to rethink public landscapes as a way to reduce water use</a>, the Gardens hasn’t been shy about extending our reach beyond our gates.</p> </picture> </div> </div> </article> Our work spreads far beyond our local community. We are building connections all over the world</a> to assist other countries with plant conservation and botanic gardens development. The Gardens has continued to provide a sense of sanctuary as we navigate an ever-changing landscape. And we have kept up our connections with our community partners.</p> We invite you to join us by helping us share the news about Colorado Gives Day and invite your family, friends and your personal network to participate. Every gift is tax-deductible and helps us complete our mission. Our efforts to connect people with plants is more vital now than ever before. This day of giving is one of the many ways you can make a real difference.</p> </picture> </div> </div> </article> Together, we can make the world a better place for our neighbors and our global community.</p> Donate Now</a> </p>
When you set foot in Blossoms of Light™, you immediately realize you’re in the presence of something extraordinary. More than a million lights glow and flicker in every imaginable way amidst diverse flora and naturalistic landscapes on nearly 23 acres. Not only has this dazzling display become a favorite tradition for Front Range families, but it has also garnered attention as one of the best holiday light displays in the nation.</p> Xcel Energy is a fitting sponsor of Blossoms of Light</a> because it’s a beautiful and traditional community event, as well as a showcase for LED lighting. 100% of the string lights, spotlights and unique features installed by the Gardens and their affiliates are LED lights – which are up to 90% more efficient</a> than traditional incandescent lights. </p> </picture> </div> </div> </article> This emphasis on greater energy efficiency aligns with the Gardens’ and Xcel Energy’s ongoing partnership and shared core value of sustainability. And it’s easy to bring that home. If you haven’t already done so, now is a great time to swap out those old bulbs for LEDs around your home. Energy Star LED lightbulbs save about $55 in electricity costs over their lifetime and last at least 12 years; you can save money while having a positive impact on the environment.</p> Energy Star LED</a> standard light bulbs come in several color options. These ranges are measured on the Kelvin scale, hence the K numbers below. </p> Soft, warm white - 2200K to 3000K - The standard color of most incandescent bulbs, this range provides a warm mood for dining areas and other gathering spaces.</li> Neutral cool white - 3500K to 4100K - This range is suitable for kitchens and workspaces.</li> Daylight - 5000K to 6500K - This type of light has a high-contrast quality – think of a blue sky at noon. Good for reading. </li> Home holiday LED lights offer a mix of display colors, offer up to 90% greater efficiency and run cooler – and therefore safer – than traditional incandescent lights. </li> </ul> You can find discounts</a> of up to $3 per LED bulb at participating Denver-area stores.</p> </picture> </div> </div> </article> Visit Blossoms of Light for inspiration! Get tickets</a> and more information. Advance online ticket purchase is required; capacity is limited, and some dates sell out weeks in advance.</p> Looking for a 100% LED holiday lights experience in Littleton, CO? Visit Trail of Lights at Chatfield Farms</a>.</p> Masks are required indoors for all visitors ages 3 and older.</p>
Launched in the mid-1980s as a way to increase visitation to the Gardens during the winter, Blossoms of Light™</a> has evolved into a blockbuster, sellout event celebrated as one of the top holiday light displays in the world</a>. The display has advanced considerably since its beginning: We have converted the lights from incandescent to LED, the majority of the lights are now installed by a professional tree care company instead of Gardens staff, and innovative special features are added frequently. Our special events team works hard to push the envelope each year, designing new color palettes and developing new elements, to ensure the display surprises and delights even the most seasoned Blossoms of Light visitor. </p> We had a great time digging through the archives to see how far we’ve come. While photos from the earliest years are scarce, the last 20 have been well documented. Enjoy this trip down memory lane with us as we compare Blossoms of Light today with displays of old! </p> O’Fallon Perennial Walk, 2005 and 2021</h4> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </p> Monet Pool, 2002 and 2021</h4> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </p> Crossroads, facing west, 2007 and 2021</h4> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </p> Shady Lane, 2005 and 2021</h4> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </p> Japanese Garden, 1985 and 2019</h4> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </p> UMB Bank Amphitheater, 2005 and 2021</h4> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </p> El Pomar Waterway, 2005 and 2020</h4> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </p> Romantic Gardens, 2002 and 2020</h4> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </p> Cottonwood Border, 2006 and 2021</h4> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </p> Gates Montane, 2016 and 2021</h4> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </h4> Welcome Sign, 2007 and 2020</h4> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </picture> </div> </div> </article> </p> Blossoms of Light runs nightly through January 8, 2022 (closed November 25 and December 25) and is expected to sell out. Get your tickets early; advance purchase is required. Masks are required indoors for all visitors ages 3 and older.</p>
This summer I had the opportunity to work in Denver Botanic Gardens’ database, (BG-Base) entering photos documenting the species in the Rock Alpine Garden. This project gave me a foundational knowledge of the database system, as well as an understanding of the importance of data recording for a large institution such as Denver Botanic Gardens.</p> Working in the database, I entered four collections of photos under the categories of caragana, veronica, bulbs and wildflowers. I worked through one folder at a time, going through each image for each species and deciding if it should be added to the database. Then, I narrowed down each species to 4-5 photos, picking photos that displayed all the plant’s important identification features—leaf, habit, flower, fruit and stem—as well as conditional features considering the species, such as habitat. </p> Important information that needs to be included in the database is the exact genus, species, cultivar and/or subspecies, the date the photos were taken, the name of the person taking the photos, the location of the photograph, and the accession and name numbers of the plant being photographed. This information is all vital in having an accurate record of the specimen. </p> The process of entering the photos into the database went like this: The name number for each specimen was found by looking further into the current records in the database. A name number is a number given to a plant in the database, that way when anyone needs to enter images of a specimen, they can use the name number that already has the appropriate morphological features assigned to each plant name. Next, each photo was renamed with their specific name number and then added to a special file folder that allows for photos to be accessed when they are looked up in the database or on Gardens Navigator</a>. Lastly each photo was given its information as listed above. </p> This opportunity allowed for me to learn about the importance of plant records and gave me the ability to navigate and work in a botanical garden database. </p> </p> Summer Pritchett is a senior horticulture student, minoring in biology at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. She has an interest in studying the relationship between native and invasive plants, as well as plant collections and plant records.</em></p>
