Denver Botanic Gardens
As a recent transplant from Virginia, I’m discovering that there’s more to Colorado than mountains and hiking trails. Much, much more. On the first day of summer, I went on a splendid excursion to the Denver Botanic Gardens, hereby dubbed a plant-lover’s paradise.
What you need to know!
First, I’ll share the facts and nothing but the facts for those of you that are eager beavers one foot out the door:
The address is 1007 York Street, Denver, CO 80206 and they have ample parking either on the street or in the garage.
Tickets need to be purchased online ($15/adults, $11/children ages 3-15) in advance at the Denver Botanic Gardens website. I didn’t know about this until I arrived but was able to get tickets on my phone in the parking lot. It was late afternoon on Father’s Day, so I assume they don’t get busy to the point of inaccessible — but then again, this garden is incredibly spacious.
Dogs are not allowed.
Most of their indoor and outdoor facilities are wheelchair accessible.
They have several dining options on the property including the Hive Garden Bistro, Offshoots Cafe, and Copper Door Coffee Roasters which were poppin’ and seemed like convenient spots to get food without leaving the gardens.
Now, if you want to join me on this visual journey through nearly all 23 acres of the Denver Botanic Gardens, read on!
What’s so wonderful about a little garden, anyway?!
For me, gardens have always been sources of endless wonder. Partially because I have trouble keeping houseplants alive, so it’s fascinating to see such a diverse array of plants and flowers within one space. I was like this even as a child at my grandparents’ dacha in Ukraine, where I’d show my parents the photos I took on my little digital camera and the whole memory card was full of roses, apple trees and other greenery.
Every time I travel to a new city, I absolutely have to check out whatever local garden or conservatory that locale has to offer. I’ve seen Central Park in New York, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Balboa Park in San Diego, the Botanic Garden and the Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens in Washington, DC — not to mention the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris.
And now, I would finally be able to explore the Denver Botanic Gardens!
Welcome to the Denver Botanic Gardens
While I was expecting the garden to be beautiful, the moment I passed through the entrance I realized I was also about to experience flora and fauna so diverse, I may as well have been transported into dozens of different environments. I immediately noticed the modern, triangular structure with a honeycomb patterned roof, which turned out to be the Science Pyramid. While closed at the time of my visit (now reopened) I was still able to admire how it gave the natural beauty of the gardens an unexpected modern touch.
Walking around the Science Pyramid, I spotted the most fantastic sculpture framed by bright yellow flowers that attracted a plethora of bees. There was something hypnotizing about these cylindrical, fluffy bright plants that I later learned were called foxtail lilies or giant desert candles, native to central Asia. This beautiful sculpture is called So Proud of My Children by Nicholas Kadzungura, an artist native to Zimbabwe.
Woodland Mosaic
I walked aimlessly down the winding path towards whatever pretty thing I knew I had to photograph next and stumbled upon the Woodland Mosaic. I came back to it several times to try and get a shot of it looking like a mystical little hut for a magical wood elf rather than a popular spot for tourists to rest, and these were the result.
After seeing these initial structures and sculptures surrounded by flowers that looked like something out of a Dr. Suess novel, I was in a state of photography flow so blissful that I completely lost track of time.
I continued my walk through the garden and eventually came to a charming sculpture.
The Boy and a Frog
At this point, I started questioning time and space itself because I must have somehow stepped through a portal and landed in Versailles. I came across a granite sculpture titled The Boy and a Frog by Elsie Ward Hering, which I’ve since learned was sculpted by Ward during her time in — you guessed it — Paris.
Gloria Falkenberg Herb Garden
The Parisian vibes were strong throughout this section of the garden. Adjacent to Hering’s sculpture was the Gloria Falkenberg Herb Garden, complete with an ornate, vine-laden archway entrance and filled with an array of medicinal and culinary herbs.
Romantic Gardens
After admiring the view from the front entrance to this European-style herb garden, I followed the pathway to the left and stumbled upon the Romantic Gardens and the Schlessman Plaza. Colorful Tuscan-style columns stood in beds of roses. Bright pink gazebos with benches and arches lined the pathway, offering a little respite from the sun while making you feel like Marie Antoinette herself.
Waring House and Chihuly Sculpture
Not far from the Romantic Gardens was possibly my absolute favorite section of this space. Shrouded in green foliage, a fiery and bold glass sculpture seemingly erupts into view like a big glass firework.
Chihuly Sculpture
Created out of thick glass designed to withstand severe weather, the sculpture was inspired by the warm colors of Rocky Mountain sunsets and aptly named Colorado. It is 14 feet tall and created from 1,017 hand-blown pieces. The artist, Dale Chihuly, hails from Tacoma, Washington and is a world-renowned glass sculptor.
As the vibrant sculpture pulls you in — the Waring house comes into view.
Waring House
Lush roses of deep magenta, soft pink and bright reds frame the walkway to the Waring House. Suddenly, I felt as though I’ve walked straight into a French film about a wealthy family’s countryside holiday where a young heiress falls for the poor village boy but if she pursues this romance then she will be cut out of her inheritance and forever shunned from the family but she doesn’t CARE so she sneaks away one day and they ride a yellow bicycle off into the sunset while Amour Plastique by Videoclub plays in the background.
But I digress…
Designed in 1925 by Jules Jacques Benoit Benedict, this Beaux-Arts house was once a family home until Mrs. Ruth Waring donated it to the Botanic Gardens. It was also declared a Denver landmark in 1973. And because I love a good ghost story, it has been rumored that the mansion is haunted given its built on what used to be the city’s cemetery.
So, maybe our French film has a spooky twist?
Japanese Garden
I was then teleported into a completely new landscape inspired by an entirely different country.
The Shofu-En, meaning “Garden of the Pine Winds” is the stunning Japanese Garden designed by Koichi Kawana. Kawana was a garden designer and landscape architect from Hokkaido, Japan who has designed a myriad of Japanese gardens across the country. Some of the pine trees in this garden are over 200 years old, transported and planted by Kawana from a forest near Boulder, Colorado.
The Japanese Garden then leads you to the Bill Hosokawa Bonsai Pavilion. Many of the bonsai here include species that are native to Colorado. Some of my favorites are featured here, and in my opinion, the most beautiful had to be the blooming bougainvillea with its bright pink petals.
Victorian Secret Garden
A few dozen photos later, I had my fill of admiring these fancy little trees and was ready for the next thing.
Soon, I came across the Victorian Secret Garden. As someone who is endlessly fascinated by the Victorian Era — the opulent dresses, the courts and jesters, kings and queens and princesses — taking a stroll through here was a dream.
Ornate display cages with hanging plants, fountains and lily ponds, florals and pots and color surrounded me as I walked. A little rabbit hid in the flower bed, looking for some things to nibble. A few ducklings splashed about in a pond. This part of the garden is also near the cafe, so the bustle of life and conversation was in the air as I admired the variety of florals and sculptures.
Greenhouse
As the bright, beating sun began to soften and turn into a golden glow, I realized I had been wandering around taking photos for QUITE some time. So, I decided to head to my last stop: the greenhouse.
Greenhouses always transport me to the tropics and this one was no different. Lush, exotic plants filled the space as periodic misting added to the humidity in the air. And, here is where my lack of botanic knowledge will really shine because while I cannot identify these plants for you, suffice it to say that they were really, really pretty.
Particularly fascinating was the gigantic palm, pictured alongside a girl marveling for scale. It makes wonder how it would feel to stumble upon this plant in its natural habitat, hiking among exotic foliage through the rainforest.
Well friends, this is where our journey ends and I thank you for following along with me. Have you ever been to the Denver Botanic Gardens? Let me know if you visit!
