Monday, August 17, 2009

Denver Bot: It's Cool! It's Hot!

More than a month after my actual trip to the Denver Botanic Gardens, I'm posting my photos. I have to hurry it along as I'll have lots of new photos by the end of next week, after garden trips to Columbus and St. Louis (and Vincennes, IN and Royal, IL!).

I loved Denver Bot as much on my second visit as I did on my first last year. It's right in the middle of the city so it isn't huge, but it consists of many individual gardens, all in different themes, such as:

...a water-smart garden,

...a Great Plains garden,

...a kitchen garden,

...a Japanese garden,

...and Yuccarama.

The individual garden areas are arranged so you don't see everything at once, but approach each area with delight in discovery. My niece came with me and it was interesting watching her reaction. Even though she has no interest in gardening, I think she found it fun. (She was especially tickled to see the veggies they grew, especially cabbages, as she'd never seen them anywhere but in the grocery store!)

Last year, the Gardens integrated artwork by local teens and young adults into the gardens. This year the theme was Jurassic Gardens and dinosaurs peeked out at you in various locations.


It was really difficult narrowing down what photos to show you, but hopefully the number makes up for the lack of descriptions. Feel free to comment if you have a question or need an ID.

I hope you enjoyed the pictorial essay. For more info on Denver Botanic Gardens, see the blog entries I did last year on Blogger and MLive.

25 comments:

  1. So many interesting scenes, Monica! I thought at first you had photoshopped the dinosaur in the first photo:) What is the vertical plant with the red spikes and pods on it? You should write a review of all the Botanical Gardens you've seen!

    I hope to get a chance to visit some kind of garden this week, but all will depend on my daughter. Wish I could meet you in St. Louis, but you are more than welcome to visit my gardens with Beckie. Just keep in mind I will have been gone for over a week by that time, so who knows what it will look like:) My containers are already looking sad from neglect. Have a good trip!

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  2. Monica, You must have had a wonderful trip! And you keep going and going! As long as you post, we'll know what you're up to. :-)

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  3. What an interesting and beautiful garden. The dinosaurs are great! Your daylily photo is so striking.

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  4. I'm thrilled to see more pics of this garden (A Tidewater Garden has also been posting pics). I don't know why I never thought to go when we were passing through Denver on the way to Estes Park several summers ago.

    I'm not sure about the dinos though, esp. the one peeking out of the Japanese garden. Give me Chihuly glass any day.

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  5. Rose, those are the forming seed pods of a foxtail lily (they look kind of like red hot pokers, only generally yellow, when in bloom, and are quite striking.)

    Shady, I believe it's important to get out beyond one's own garden, both to explore and volunteer.

    Phillip, Thanks, but that's my niece's photo! :)

    Pam, I love the Denver Bot! I wasn't wild about the dinosaurs as such, but still thought it was fun. I think they're trying to get more families to visit.

    ~ Monica (off to Columbus for the day)

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  6. It is a beautiful place. I was there 30 year ago. It has changed a lot obviously. I would love to go back but this is probabaly as close to it as I will get.

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  7. OMG! I love it all. That kitchen garden and Japanese garden take my breath away. What fun! Can't wait to see Vincennes. My husband's former company had a unit there for recruiting and I'd love to see gardens there!

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  8. Wonderful photos. Wish I could visit that water wise garden. LOL, wonder who though of the name Yuccarama.

    Hope I get a chance to see it some day.
    Marnie

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  9. What a beautiful place. So much color. And I love the art pieces.

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  10. What great photos! It’s so nice to visit the great gardens, even if it is vicariously. --Randy

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  11. Wow, so many interesting pictures! Love the first one with the dinosaur and tipsy pots. And the daylilies! *drool* The close-up daylily is gorgeous.

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  12. Ein sagenhaft schöner, großer und vor allem sehenswerter Garten, Monica. Bist Du sicher, dass es nicht der Yurassic Park ist?
    Spaß beiseite, wir haben wir auch ganz in der Nähe einen Dino-Park. Dort sind nicht sooo viele schöne Pflanzen, aber die größten und schönsten Dinos.
    LG Birgit

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  13. It's looks a most varied and interesting garden Monica. Oh lucky you with all those garden visits in the pipeline too :) A couple of questions - how big is the garden and do you know the name of the beautiful purple clematis ?

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  14. What an amazing variety of gardens, Monica...showing you what grows well in different types of soil...wonderful. Thank you for sharing :)

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  15. Fabulous pictorial post Monica.....

    I love the themed gardens.....it always gives me ideas and you are bound to see something that you really like.....

    I am not a lover of japanese gardens but I have to say the one you show is beautiful.....I love the way you have captured the reflections.....

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  16. I loved going along with you again, Monica. You are quite the traveler! There has been much written about Denver Bot, and you have backed up the praise with the proof of photos. It does look well done with lots of ideas for gardeners from any locale. I loved the tipsy pots too, and found the dino in the first shot to fit right in! I agree with Pam, though that the Chilhuly glass is hard to beat. I have his site bookmarked when I need a quick fix. :-)
    Frances

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  17. It's official...I have Botanical Garden Visitors Envy~~BGVE! Wonderful photos, Monica. I love this part of the country and how very different it is from TN. I was going to go to MOBOT, but we had to cancel...Mr I has a conflict. That's another terrific botanical garden. Thank you for the delightful tour...gail

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  18. Great shots all. I see that the dinosaurs appeal to more than just the kids...or, perhaps to the kid in all of us.

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  19. Wow - for a small garden, they certainly manage to pack a lot in! Great photo tour for us, I really enjoyed it - although I wish my japanese garden could end up as big and as glorious as that!

    You're so busy with all these visits - do you ever rest?! :)

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  20. What is it about a japanese garden that is so compelling..I wonder. I enjoyed the photos even as the non-gardener here..LOL...

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  21. Monica, your number was selected to win one of the two shopping bags. I don't appear to have your email anymore. Send me a shipping address to debs kids and flowers at gmail dot com.

    Congrats

    Debbi

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  22. What an amazing place, with so much variety! What are those unusual flowers about 3 photos up from the Verbascum? They look kind of inside out!

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  23. What a gorgeous place Monica. Your photos are fantastic!

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  24. I've only been to this garden once but I really enjoyed it. You're right, it's not big but as you walk you discover so many interesting gardens. Thanks for taking me through it once again!

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