Help Us Continue to Grow

What a year 2020 has proven to be. From bringing the Spring Plant Sale and education classes online, to reimagining community events like Urban Homestead Tour, Pumpkins on Parade and Garden of Lights, everyone involved in the organization has made extraordinary adjustments to provide our Members and guests with the world-class visitor experience you have come to know and love—whether in-person or online.

As The Gardens’ non-profit partner, 2020 has also been one of tremendous change for Friends of The Gardens. With your help, we made an initial investment of $25,000 to Gardens for All, developed our own website (friendsgosc.org), hosted more Member Mornings than ever before and created the very popular dinner and music experience called Date Night at The Gardens.

It has required a enormous amount of work and pivoting to meet COVID-19 guidelines. And despite our best efforts, the pandemic has left its mark on our organization, just like everyone else. Between revenue shortfalls and budget cuts, The Gardens is looking at a $150,000 deficit for the year.

We know this is a hard time to be asking for money, but if you are in a position to give this holiday season, we ask that you keep Friends of The Gardens in your end-of-year giving plans. Click here to learn more about your giving options.

Tax Benefits of Giving to The Friends
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act of 2020 created two new tax benefits that could prove beneficial for you and your family.

For taxpayers who do not itemize their deductions, the CARES Act created an above-the-line deduction of up to $300 for individuals and $600 for married couples filing jointly who donate to qualified charitable organizations by December 31, 2020. The deductible amount is applied to Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) without affecting the ability to take the standard deduction.

For those that itemize, the CARES Act allows deductions of up to 100% of AGI (normally 60%) for this year only. If you’re planning to include Friends of The Gardens in your year-end giving, consult a tax professional for further details on how this

While 2020 has been a difficult year, there is plenty to be excited about as we look ahead to 2021. Already we are planning more Date Nights, more concerts, new butterflies, yoga, tai chi, the Spring Plant Sale, exciting community events, a full year of education programming and the continued growth of our stunning gardens. Donor support makes this possible and we want to thank you in advance for helping us bring light and life to this community this holiday season.

Sincerely,
Mary Atchison,
Fundraising Chair Friends of The Gardens

When Plants Fight Back

By Andrew Scott, Horticulturist for The Gardens on Spring Creek This is the second installment of a two-part feature on plant defenses. Read Part I online at North Forty News . Caffeine, nicotine, morphine, cocaine ... sounds like the ingredients label on an old-timey cold medicine, right? These molecules are actually all alkaloids, some of the most common chemical deterrents deployed by plants. As the adage goes, the dose makes the poison. While people can (and do) ingest these alkaloids for their psychoactive effects, they prove to be much more deadly to a small insect that weighs all but a few tenths of a milligram. The sap of opium poppies ( Papaver somniferum ) contains morphine, a potent sedative (via Daniel Prudek , Hodder Education Magazines) Still, alkaloids have a strongly bitter taste, which animals have learned to associate with the toxic effects they can have. Eating green potatoes isn’t likely to kill you, but solanine, the alkaloid that triggers this change...

Blooming Blurbs: Funky Flowers

by Ben Stickland This week, we are exploring The Gardens and looking at plants with funky and unique flowers! Different shapes, textures and colors are a great way to add interest and drama to a garden, and we will be highlighting how these cool plants can do just that. Round-headed Garlic ( Allium sphaerocephalon) Round-headed garlic, sometimes called drumstick allium, is a perennial flowering bulb in the Amaryllidaceae (onion/amaryllis family). It is native to Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa, and is well-adapted to the high and dry conditions of the Colorado garden. Drumstick allium sports slender gray-green leaves and will send out a 2-3 foot flower stalk in early summer. It is notable for being one of the last Allium species in the garden to bloom, reaching it’s peak in early July in Fort Collins. Unlike other Alliums , the flower is egg shaped and has a unique bicolor effect as the flowers change from light green to a deep magenta. Drumstick alliums prefe...

Putting Together the Perfect Pot

Putting Together the Perfect Pot By Andrew Scott, The Gardens on Spring Creek Horticulturist Annuals really are the perfect foray into gardening. There are thousands of variet ies to choose from, they’re relatively inexpensive , and if you don’t like the design you made this year, you can always try something new next year or just plant another pot . It’s that first poin t that can give folks analysis paralysis though : if there are thousands of varieties to chose from, how can you know if yo u’re picking the right one s ? First of all , rel ax — the y’re flowe r s, they’re all good . Second, these thousands of varieties can be set into just three categories that each have a unique role to play in annual design. Whet her I’m putting together the pots in our Welcome Garden or planting the annual display beds on the Color Walk and Everitt Pavilion Stage terraces, al l I hav e to keep in mind are thrillers, fillers , and spillers . Thr...

The Gardens on Spring Creek

Search This Blog