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November 22, 2011
Denver Botanic Gardens
All Decked Out for the Holidays: The Shop at the Gardens
The Shop at the Gardens is dedicated to products that represent the Gardens’ core values of sustainability, transformation, diversity and relevance.
November 21, 2011
Denver Botanic Gardens
Shhh, A Child is Growing
The following blog post was written by Josh Gold, a Gardens member and proud supporter of Mordecai Children’s Garden. The first time I entered Mordecai Children’s Garden, I was taken aback by this hidden gem in the Mile High City. A garden on a rooftop? Yeah, maybe in New York but not in Denver. As [...]
Passing of a gardener
This last weekend we lost the most eminent gardener of our era, and possibly the greatest gardener America has ever produced. Francis Higginson Cabot passed away peacefully at his home in Malbaie, Quebec. Frank possessed the vision and means to practice horticulture on a nearly mythical scale: he created not one but two extraordinary gardens [...]
November 19, 2011
Denver Botanic Gardens
Buckley Oak: my favorite tree in the world…
Every year I remind myself to plant another oak: most ashes, maples, elms and the other rabble that make up the Denver urban forest have mostly lost their leaves, but oaks, mountain ash and various pears are ablaze with purples, reds and yellows still. If we only planted more of these, Denver would be as [...]
November 18, 2011
Denver Botanic Gardens
Give a gift of the Gardens for the holidays!
Holiday season is just around the corner, and with it comes all the stress of shopping for the many special someones in your life. Are you mapping out your parking strategy for the Black Friday shopping madness? Or perhaps lining up your favorite catalogs next to your computer for Black Monday online craziness? Take sanctuary in [...]
Photographing the Holiday Lights
Learn how to capture the spirit of the holidays with Photographing the Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens with Scott Dressel-Martin, the Gardens official photographer.
This Week at the Gardens: November 18th
Fair enough, Panayoti! But just because I appreciate the Gardens under cover of snow, doesn’t mean I can’t track down November blooms, as well. Take a look at these! This rose isn’t called ‘Stanwell Perpetual’ for nothing. It is still throwing out buds and has many white flowers on it. There are several to admire in [...]
November 12, 2011
Denver Botanic Gardens
Late autumn glory: crocuses and colchicums still at it!
Now Ellen! I don’t decry your lovely shots of snow, but flowers are still blazing out there! Let’s not rush into this winter thing quite yet (although I don’t deny we’ve had two good blasts of snow the last few weeks). I counted dozens of plants with flowers lingering, and there are (in fact) a [...]
November 11, 2011
Denver Botanic Gardens
This Week at the Gardens: November 11th
Visitors often ask, “What is there to see here in the winter?” Here are a few answers: No snow in sight this week, but next time we get a few inches, be sure to head here first!
Tagawa Gardens
Tap Into Garden Outreach at Tagawa's
The wonderful folks I work for at Tagawa Gardens aren't the type to toot their own horn. So I've made a command decision, and I'm going to do it for them. Here goes: Tagawa's has the most extensive Garden Outreach program in Colorado, and quite possibly, in the entire country.
And what is "Garden Outreach?" As Tagawa's Garden Outreach Ambassador, I'm glad you asked.
Garden Outreach is Tagawa's way of taking the amazing expertise of our staff, about 700 years total gardening experience among our year-round employees. We combine that with examples of the plants and products we carry and offer the whole package to the community as Outreach.
Schools, church groups, garden clubs, private businesses, service organizations, retirement homes, senior centers... You name it, and my Garden Outreach partner Mary Ann (a.k.a. "Grandma Mimi") and I have done it. We visit many of the places for free. It just depends on the type of organization. Businesses, for example, pay a small fee. With non-profits, there's usually no charge. If you're a 501c3, the trip is on Tagawa's dime. Neat, huh?
What ever do we talk about?
Easy! We demonstrate and talk about pretty much any gardening or nature-related topic you ask for. (I did one time decline an invitation to discuss phytoplancton. Not my strong suit....)
Mimi and I have traveled as far north as Broomfield, as far south as Monument and as far east as the wilds of Elbert County. (I'm crazy about the terrific folks in Elbert County. They couldn't be nicer!)
Garden Outreach programs don't have to be "out." If space is available, we're happy to host interested groups right here at Tagawa's. The work of a garden center will continue around you. There may be a little noise from a load of plants going by, or occasional pages on the P.A., but that's part of the fun! We think of it a genuine garden center ambiance.
Tagawa's Outreach program also has a growing history of helping service organizations raise money through our Garden Outreach Gift Cards. Groups can plan a class or demonstration and sell gift cards at the same time. And it's way easier than organizing a bake sale!
Topics, please....
Okay, I'm going to take a deep breath and list just some of the items from our Garden Outreach "menu." Here goes: Indoor Holiday Plants, Holiday Porch Pots, Holiday Baskets and Decorations, Late-season Container Gardens, Growing Veggies in a Pot, Indoor Herb Gardening, Low-water Gardening, Fairy Gardens (for kids of all ages), Composting in a Worm Bin, Helping the Honey Bees, Coping with Wildlife, and Birds, Bees and Butterflies. The list goes on and on. And we're wide open to "special requests," too. Just ask (as long as it's not about phytoplancton).
Mimi and I also do several classes just for school-aged kids. Good Bugs and "Bad" Bugs, Backyard Birds, Pond Life, Animal Defenders and many more. We can incorporate topics the kids are currently studying at school with "real life" lessons. And for the pre-schoolers, I have a cast of zany puppets that can keep the kids smiling and learning at the same time.
Why do we offer Outreach?
Beth, Tagawa's general manager, is quick to answer: "Tagawa's takes pride in offering the best plants, products and service possible. But we also want to be the best neighbor we can be for our community and our environment. It's a priority!"
Our Outreach Program played a role two years ago in helping Tagawa's become the first Veriflora certified sustainable garden center in the county.
Plan ahead!
We at Tagawa's are proud of the fact that our Garden Outreach Program is proving to be a great success. The enthusiasm we've seen and heard from the groups and organizations we've served comes through loud and clear.
So we take it as good news that groups now need to plan ahead if they want to reserve a particular date on the Outreach schedule. Making the arrangements is easy. The person at the helm of Outreach is Michelle. She can juggle a calendar like no one I've ever known. You can reach her by calling Tagawa's main number: 303-690-4722, extension 107. Ask for Michelle in Outreach or leave her a message. She'll take excellent care of you. She can also fill you in on the Outreach Gift Card can help your group raise money.
Don't be shy!
We'd love to hear from you at Tagawa's. If you're tired of booking the same old topics for your organization, do something different!! Let Tagawa's Garden Outreach program help make your next gathering shine!
by Luan Akin (noreply@blogger.com) at November 11, 2011 01:39 PM
November 08, 2011
Denver Botanic Gardens
From a Dream to a Legacy
Please consider a gift to the Mordecai Children’s Garden Endowment challenge before it ends on November 30, 2011.
Tagawa Gardens
Time for Amaryllis and Paperwhites
Whether you go all out with your holiday decorations, or not so much..... the beauty of amaryllis and paperwhites is hard to beat. They'll add charm to an elaborate holiday display, or a bright touch of elegance to a more low-key setting. And there's a bonus: both amaryllis and paperwhites are easy to grow, and waiting for you now at Tagawa Gardens. This is a perfect time to start them!
Part of the appeal of an amaryllis is watching it grow. Once they start sprouting, the giant bulbs can easily put on an inch of growth in a single day. I used to send a bright red amaryllis to my grandfather every Christmas. He was frail and didn't get around much, but he was always anxious to tell me that if he stared long enough, he was sure he could actually see that stem get taller and taller. It had been a long time since he'd been able to garden, but the amaryllis brought some of the old joy of gardeneing indoors.
Amaryllis come in a wonderful variety of colors: red, salmon, pink, white and stunning bi-color mixes. The giant flowers look like lilies. Each bulb will produce one or two hollow stems. Three to four huge flowers will emerge from the top of each stem. What fun!!
So where do you start? At Tagawa's, of course!
Tagawa's has a wide variety of amaryllis bulbs to choose from. Some are sold loose in bins, so you can pick exactly the bulb you want. Other amaryllis come boxed with a pot and soil included, and make a great gift.
The bigger the bulb, the bigger the flowers it will produce. Makes sense. And the planting takes about two minutes... no more!
Amaryllis like to be a bit crowded, so a pot just a couple of inches larger than the bulb is perfect. The pot has to have good drainage. Soggy soil is a sure way to rot the roots of an amaryllis.
You can set the pot with the drainage into a nice designer pot. The heavier container will give the plant stability as it gets taller, and more inclined to tip. Just remember to take the amaryllis out of the designer pot when you water it and let the excess water drain away before you put it back on display. This can help protect your furniture, too, and avoid the need for a saucer.
Amaryllis do best in good quality potting soil.... something loose and airy.
Fill the pot half way with the soil, set the amaryllis into the pot, then backfill with the remaining soil until only one third of the bulb is still showing. Water the bulb well, then set it in a warm room and don't water it again until the first shoots are a couple of inches tall. Bright light will keep the plant from getting leggy. Give the plant a quarter turn each day to keep it straight.
Next you wait... but not for long!
You should see your amaryllis begin to grow within a couple of weeks after planting. Depending on the size of the bulb, your amaryllis will take about eight weeks from planting to flowering. Larger bulbs take a bit longer. The bud stalks usually emerge first, followed by the leaves.
Water your amaryllis when the top of the soil is dry to the touch.... always remembering never to let it sit in standing water. Once the flowers have begun to bloom, keep the plant in slightly cooler conditions, even if it's just overnight, to help the blossoms last longer.
And there's more, if you choose....
When the flowers finally begin to fade, remove the stalks with a very sharp knife an inch or so above the bulb. Continue to nurture the leaves with bright light and feeding a gentle fertilizer (5-10-5, for example) twice a month. The amaryllis can even go outdoors in the summertime to give the leaves a chance to "bulk up" the bulb for next year's show. You may need to stake the leaves they get floppy.
Once the leaves die back on their own, store the bulb, pot and all, in a cool place for a couple of months. Water it just a bit to keep the soil from completely drying out.
And next fall, start all over again!
Or......
You can also choose to enjoy your amaryllis this season only, and then toss it out. If this is your preference, why not grow an amaryllis in a special glass vase that lets you see through to the lovely tangle of roots.... one more way to enjoy these fascinating plants.
Paperwhites are just as easy!
Tall, elegant paperwhites have been a winter and holiday tradition for years, and for good reason. It's easy and inexpensive to start several paperwhites in a shallow bowl of small rocks, marbles or decorative stones. The reward comes four to eight weeks after planting, with petite white flowers that look like tiny daffodils.
Tagawa's sells pre-rooted paperwhites for no additional charge. Gently transfer the bulbs to your own pot or tray, and watch them take off! The bulbs can sit on top of the pebbles an inch apart, just barely nestled in. Leave the bowls of paperwhites in a bright, cool room until the shoots appear, then move them into direct sunlight to keep them from getting leggy.
You water them with what?
Another trick to keep the leaves and stems slightly more compact: booze!
Specifically, any of the clear distilled spirits like gin, vodka or tequila.
The alcohol serves as a growth regulator that keeps the plants more compact.
Kris, one of Tagawa's amaryllis and paperwhite experts, offers the following instructions: Water the paperwhites normally for seven to ten days. Once the shoots are two- to three inches tall, replace the plain water with a diluted alcohol solution.
With any clear distilled spirit ranging from 40 to 80 proof, use one part of alcohol to seven parts of water. Use this solution for all further watering of the paperwhites. Kris says the result will be plants that are about one-third more compact, with flowers just a large, long-lasting and fragrant as usual.
Why not plant now?
Amaryllis and paperwhites can be grown indoors so easily. The only challenging part is making sure that you buy the bulbs while they're available, like now, leading up to the holiday season.
Whether you grow them for you own home or give them as a lovely holiday gift, amaryllis and paperwhites from Tagawa's are a terrific way to make the season an especially sweet time of year.
by Luan Akin (noreply@blogger.com) at November 08, 2011 06:33 PM
November 07, 2011
Denver Botanic Gardens
The iceman cometh!
I start off with high summer: if I showed the “after” picture you would not be impressed…late winter can be very bleak, and the picture below seems to reinforce all our prejudices. But wait! Winter isn’ perhaps as dismal as these pictures would let you believe! I know it looks stark! Just wait.. over the next [...]
November 03, 2011
Gardening After Five
Pet rescue
Attending the Larimer County Humane Society’s Top Cat and Tails gala, I was impressed by the devotion humans feel toward animals and their creative ways to raise money to care for them. The live auction had many items of interest, from Caribbean condo stays to baskets of wine, but what captured my fancy was the [...]
by gardeningafterfive at November 03, 2011 06:44 PM
October 31, 2011
Denver Botanic Gardens
Chai Tea
Learn how to make your own varieties of Chai tea in the fun and always popular class - Make Your Own Chai.
Champion Tree
What a fall for color! That latest cold snap stripped the glorious gold off many trees, but have you noticed that oaks, mountain ash and various pear trees are still turning deep burgundies and red…the show goes on! And some trees, like this wonderful Plant Select introduction, have been blazing for some time now. Despite [...]
Tagawa Gardens
Do your lawn a favor. Aerate and fertilize!
The timing couldn't be better. Mark-the-Aerator-Man has a date with my lawn this week. And right on cue, Mother Nature has delivered a nice soaking storm. The moisture in the soil will help Mark's machine (and Mark, of course...) pull lots of lovely aeration plugs of out of the lawn.
If your area didn't get this weekend rain and snow, a deep soaking from your sprinklers will work just fine. Either way, the lawn should be well-watered to make the aeration effective.
We want holes in our turf? You bet!
A deep core aeration will help open up the top few inches of this lovely Colorado clay that so many of us like to complain about. That means less compaction and more air for your lawn's root zone. A little "breathing room" can be a very big deal if you're a root.
Increased air circulation helps fight the different types of fungus that can be so hard on our lawns. Greater air flow near the soil surface reduces the higher humidity that the fungal spores need to thrive. The spores are there in our lawns anyway. That's a given. Our goal is to make the spores' job of reproducing as tough as possible, and aeration can help us do just that.
And there's more!
There are lots of benefits from aeration besides increased "breathing room" for your lawn's roots. For example, when you apply your fall fertilizer after you aerate, those helpful little grains of nutrients can reach even farther into the soil when they drop down into the aeration holes. It's as if you're giving them a two- to three-inch head start.
As long as your lawn is still green, it's a great time to ferilize. Tagawa's Garden Experts at Dick's Corner can recommend just the right lawn food. There are several that do especially well here. "Colorado's Own" and "Richlawn Winterizer" are among Tagawa's recommended choices. They're slow-release, which is just what your lawn needs. Apply the fertilizer at the recommended rate, then water it in well. Fall fertilization is a big deal, so don't neglect that piece of the puzzle!
Aeration can also be helpful if you're over-seeding a lawn. Again, the aeration holes can capture some of the grass seed and help "baby" it a bit so it doesn't dry out as quickly. Tagawa's has several kinds of grass seed in bulk so you can buy just what you need for your particular setting.
By the way, there are two schools of thought re: the aeration plugs. Do you leave them where they fall or rake them up? I'm adhere firmly in the "leave 'em" approach myself. The plugs have lots of nutrients that will break down and go back into the soil. Besides, I can always find more pressing gardening chores than raking plugs. But gathering up the plugs and recycling them to another part of your landscape is fine, too.
Spring and fall, that's all!
My first couple of years as a Master Gardener convinced me that aeration is one of the best things we can do for lawns here. I make a point never to aerate in hot weather. That would be too much air circulation and moisture loss during an already-challenging time. But Mark-the-Aerator-Man knows to expect my calls every spring and fall, when the weather is cool.
Despite a host of other challenges.... less than ideal soil, hot dry winds that make gardening "interesting," and more dog traffic than I care to mention, my lawn rarely has problems.
I'm convinced that the secret to having a strong, healthy lawn starts with some T.L.C. in the fall and the spring. Good care in between (including winter watering, which we'll talk about down the road a bit) is important, too. But if you've had problems with your lawn, and don't aerate regularly, you might want to change your routine. There's a very good chance your lawn will thank you.
by Luan Akin (noreply@blogger.com) at October 31, 2011 11:57 AM
October 28, 2011
Denver Botanic Gardens
Secrets to Festive, Stress-free Cooking for the Holidays
Holidays approaching stress you out because you're the hostess/host for the day? Discover how to make everything come together perfectly without wearing yourself out. Register for one of Lee Clayton Roper's classes at the Gardens to keep yourself sane this holiday season.
This Week at the Gardens: October 28th
In the spirit of Dia de los Muertos and Halloween, this week I took a tour of some of the Gardens’ more ghoulish plants. This time of year, the Conservatory, Orangery, and Marnie’s Pavilion are great places to spot all kinds of beautiful but deadly flora. Here’s what I found: Life of Crime Amy Stewart, in her [...]
Of Sweetgums and snow! Abrupt transitions…
Colorado is reputed to have such a harsh climate that many trees could never grow here, like flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida) or Sweetgums (Liquidambar stracuiflua). Once again, conventional wisdom is proved WRONG by Denver Botanic Gardens! We boast a fabulous specimen not far west of York St. in the Sensory Garden: I have admired this the [...]
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Last updated: November 26, 2011 12:30 PM
