Denver Botanic Gardens Guild is an organization centered around herbs. The group staffs the Herbs Division at Spring Plant Sale, provides support in the York Street and Chatfield Farms herb gardens and harvests and dries herbs to use in Guild creations. Herb education and outreach are a large part of the Guild’s mission.</p> The Guild’s members craft numerous products that are sold in the Shop at the Gardens</a>. Cat toys filled with a mixture of dried catnip and catmint engage the fussiest felines. Our dog biscuits are approved by canines across the country. Bakery goods and hot drinks are enhanced by the five sugars we create: orange chocolate, lemon, peppermint, lavender and rose petal. Complex herb vinegars fly off the shelf. The stock changes by season but includes the pale lavender chive blossom vinegar, the mellow orange mango ginger vinegar, the mahogany-colored Black Mission fig balsamic vinegar, golden tarragon vinegar, deep purple basil vinegar, the beloved Denver Botanic Gardens Guild Herbal Blend and many others. </p>
So, you have walked, biked, bused, scootered or driven to Denver Botanic Gardens on York Street and are ready to explore all the beauty that is within our 24-acre property. Before you make a beeline for the entrance, stop. Take some time to explore just beyond our walls.</p> What many visitors might not know is the gardens that surround our main property are curated with as much care as the ones inside and are some of the most sophisticated and transformative gardens we have. An added perk is these gardens are accessible 24/7!</p> If you begin along the Josephine Street streetscape</strong>, you can explore a naturalistic grassland area. This garden gives you an innovative idea of what is to come in the world of residential landscaping in the coming years. Stroll along Josephine Street throughout the year and observe the transformation that happens from spring through winter. As the idea of adding water-smart meadows to our yards takes hold, you can be inspired by this sophisticated design and beautiful shadows of species from sagebrush (Artemisia</em>), evening primrose (Oenothera</em>), beardtongue (Penstemon</em>), grasses (Poa secunda, Koeleria macrantha</em>) and more. </li> Walk up Josephine Street and turn left onto 11th Avenue</strong>. Here you will find the perfect shrubs for a Colorado Front Range garden. You will see several Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa</em>) and curly-leaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius</em>), which offer feathery plumes and year-round interest.</li> Now, head across York Street to our newest building, the Freyer – Newman Center</strong>. You can enjoy a tasty beverage and read a book in Copper Door coffee shop’s courtyard and admire a different kind of leaf – one of our newest sculptures. Leaf</em> is a sculpture by Lesley Change and Jason Klimoski and highlights the relationship of our art and science collections housed in the Center. Each of the panels contain a cutout of a Colorado native plant specimen held in the Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium. If you continue south, you will come across our medicinal courtyard</strong>. You will find many medicinal herbs here like pot marigold (Calendula officinalis</em>), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea</em>) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis</em>).</li> Are annuals and perennials your passion? Head down York Street and enjoy the beautiful blooms of our Mile High Garden</strong>. Not to be outdone by the flashy trumpet vine (Campsis radicans</em>), the annual and perennial blooms put on a real show from April through October. As you get closer to the Bonfils-Stanton Visitor Center</strong>, go a little bit further to see the intricate willow artwork of our very own Horticulturist Coordinator Jennifer Miller. The woven gold-leaf willow (Salix</em> × fragilis forma vitellina</em> ‘Kaat’) might not be found in any garden center, but maybe it will inspire you to see what you could add to your own garden.</li> </ul> August is the height of gardening season and one of the best times to have a look at what Denver Botanic Gardens has to offer; no ticket required, anytime of day, access to all, just outside our walls. Enjoy the journey.</p>
The steppe is a vast, treeless plain. A seemingly endless horizon interrupted only by the faint jagged line of mountains in the distance. In summer, the grasses dance in the warm breeze. In the winter, the cold winds move snow horizontally across the plains. These seemingly harsh environments evoke thoughts of distant nomads riding hard across the prairie. </p> Steppe biomes occur mainly in four regions of the world: Patagonia, Central Asia, Southern Africa and much of North America. They are typified by cold winters, hot summers and arid conditions punctuated by seasonal moisture. These habitats are very important to people in part because they are where much of our food comes from. At the same time, they are filled with flowers and beautiful, resilient plant life. </p>
As cities become an increasingly popular place to live for many, the importance of green spaces becomes even more relevant. Gardens and urban farms provide city-dwellers with a space to connect with nature and a respite from the heat of the urban sprawl. Located in the Denver neighborhood of Lincoln Park, the Mariposa Urban Farm is open to all. Join us as we take a tour through the farm in the peak of the growing season. </p> Start your tour on Mariposa Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues</strong>. As you look west toward the mountains, notice the main garden site of the farm. This is the first of two gardens that comprise the Mariposa Urban Farm. Follow the sidewalk alongside the garden’s edge to find an opening on the southwest corner. The raised beds are filled with leafy greens, including various types of kales, collard greens and herbs. Keep an eye out for ladybugs (a most important beneficial insect) as you take in the aroma of the Genovese basil. July is a prime growing month, and the tomatoes, peppers and squash take full advantage of the warm weather and long, sunny days. As you walk between the beds, notice the unusual varieties of veggies that come in all shades of colors and a multitude of shapes.</li> When you are ready to advance, continue your journey by walking south on Mariposa Street toward 10th Avenue</strong>. After your cross over 10th, look to your right and you will see a parking lot with a play area just beyond. The second garden, known as the East Garden, abuts the play area. As you approach the East Garden, enjoy the lush vines of Concord grapes that adorn the garden’s fence. By now, the clusters of berries are about the size of marbles and are starting to turn from green to deep purple. Make your way into the garden by entering on the west side of the fence. While this garden is much smaller than the one before, it is an important part of the Urban Farm. Here, we succession-plant lettuce mix and mustard greens for a continuous harvest throughout summer and fall. This garden also provides the community with two varieties of cucumbers (lemon and Diva) along with grapes, Honeycrisp apples and Bartlett pears from the trees in the north section of the garden.</li> </ul> </li> To finish your tour, head west on 10th Avenue toward Osage Street</strong>. Next to the train station you will find Osage Market – a Denver Housing Authority-owned affordable market with delicious food and drink options. This location is also where we hold our weekly farm stands. Come by on Thursdays from 10 a.m. – noon to pick up some produce, meet your neighbors and say hello to your local farmers. All food is distributed free of charge to combat food insecurity within the community.</li> </ul> Thanks for taking this tour! </p> With management from Gardens’ agricultural experts, Mariposa</a> residents have volunteered with the maintenance and harvesting of the Mariposa Urban Farm, located in their development. Residents volunteering with the program receive a share of the produce every week. Produce from the farm is distributed within the community on a weekly basis at no cost.</p> Here is more information about the Urban Food Programs at Denver Botanic Gardens and related community-based projects.</a></p>
