Blooming blurbs highlight some of the unique and interesting blooms currently happening in The Gardens. We invite you to come by to see these beauties for yourself!
Guzman's bromeliad (Guzmania spp.)
These astounding pink and yellow blooms can be found on the west and south end of our butterfly house. What's tricky about them, though, is that these photos don't actually portray the flowers. These bromeliads send out leaves without chlorophyll to resemble a flower and draw in pollinators. These leaves will stay pink and vibrant for much longer than their actual flowers, which are tucked along the stem in between the leaves. This plant is epiphytic, meaning it grows on another plant without being parasitic or harming it, forming a commensalistic relationship between the two. These false blooms can last up to 4 months, so they could be around until the end of September if we are lucky.
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Care information: Given that these plants are native to southern Mexico, Central America, and South America, they are not exactly suited for our Colorado climate. They enjoy high humidity and cannot handle cold weather. Since it grows on other plants, it does not absorb water through its roots and instead forms a small collection pool in its center to collect water. This water is then absorbed through its leaves. For watering, this pool/cup should be kept ¼ full and flushed out with fresh water every month to avoid stenches or bacterial buildup. Fertilization isn't usually necessary, but if you notice your bromeliad starting to suffer, it may be a good idea to give it some air plant fertilizer, but avoid getting any in its cup. These plants can be kept as houseplants as long as they are sheltered from hot/cold drafts.
There are three major horticultural groups of marigolds: French (Tagetes patula), African (Tagetes erecta), and signet (Tagetes tenuifolia). Here at The Gardens, we have French and African marigolds varieties. French marigolds typically only contain one or two layers of petals (actually called ray flowers) around their center, as can be seen in the first image. African marigolds have many layers of these petals, so much so that they create a bunch.
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These bright red, orange, and yellow marigolds can be found near the entrance of the Children's Garden. The French marigolds are found in the northern end of the bed, while the two kinds of African marigolds are towards the southern end. The African marigolds in our bed are taller and have larger flowers than the French marigolds as well. All three varieties are predicted to bloom until the first frost of the season.
Care information: The bed these marigolds are in takes all of the water runoff from our beloved giant watering can, so it is no surprise that they can tolerate LOTS of water. They prefer full sun and are tolerant to high temperatures. Though they don't have a preference for soil pH or fertility (within reason), they favor well-drained soils. They can be fertilized once a month with a balanced fertilizer, though they tend to also be resilient without fertilizer.
For more information, reference our Gardens Explorer
'Hope for Humanity' Shrub Rose (Rosa x 'Hope for Humanity')
These gorgeous red roses are located in the Pollinator Garden portion of our Garden of Eatin'. As with many other varieties of roses, they will bloom multiple times throughout the year if they are cared for correctly. This hybrid rose originates from Rosa arkansana and was bred with many other shrub and floribunda roses for the best qualities. We also have approximately 10 of them so you are likely to see at least a couple of these blooms anytime during the summer when you visit.
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Care information: This rose tends to perform pretty well in our climate, given that it is very cold and hardy and can survive in zones 3–9. However, it still has a couple of requirements for maximum performance. The' Hope for Humanity' shrub rose requires full sun and well-drained soil to prevent any standing water. As was pointed out to staff in our Garden of Eatin' by one of our wonderful volunteers, these roses bloom best when fertilized regularly — once monthly during the growing season is about right! As with almost all roses, in order to maximize blooms, any dead flower heads should be pruned down to the first leaf with five leaflets to promote new growth. However, deadheading should be stopped near the end of the growing season because new growth will not survive any harsh or cold conditions. As temperatures get colder, the shrubs will go dormant for the winter and stop producing any new growth until temperatures rise again. Once May arrives and the threat of frost is gone, cut back any dead, diseased, or damaged canes and shape the plant to encourage a healthy form.
These layered dahlia blooms can be found all throughout our Color Walk. These bright purple petals stand out against their dark green leaves and also help to promote the yellow center of the flower. This can attract pollinators such as butterflies, bees, and birds. The orange and yellow flowers planted around this purple dahlia represent a good example of Color Theory in gardening. If you'd like to read more about this, consider checking out our blog post on Color Theory by GOSC horticulturist Chelsea McLean. These flowers have been blooming for a couple of weeks and can keep blooming all the way until early fall. All dahlias are native to Mexico and Central America but are planted in gardens worldwide due to their beauty. They have been hybridized for centuries to create a large variety of colors, shapes, and sizes to fit with any landscape.
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Care information: The City Lights™ purple dahlia prefers either full sun or partial shade. They should be watered several times weekly and prefer to be planted in well-drained soils. They are perennials in zones 8 and up, but can be grown as annuals in our area. Their tubers can also be dug in early fall and stored in a cool place until spring and then replanted the next season. This variety only gets to be about 2' tall, so staking is not necessary as with other, taller varieties. Dahlias can be pinched by removing the apical bloom to stimulate lateral growth and create a bushier plant. They should also be regularly deadheaded to promote new blooms. This can be done by pruning any spent blooms down to the first leaf or node.
For more information, reference our Gardens Explorer
Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus 'Alba')
These bright white blooms can be found in the eastern part of our Moon Garden right near the sign. As you may be able to guess, they get their name from their balloon-like buds that form right before blooming. If a bud is about to open, the sides can be squeezed gently, and it will pop open which often fascinates kids. Just don't squeeze too hard or you risk harming the plant. They are also called the Chinese bellflower by many because of their bell-shaped blooms. As shown in the photos, there are currently only a couple of flowers and lots of buds on our Balloon flower. They are usually in bloom from early July to mid-August, so in the coming weeks, all of these buds will be opening. You won't want to miss it!
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Care information: The Balloon flower is hardy in zones 3–8 and prefers full sun or partial shade. They prefer well-drained soil and have little preference for soil pH, though they do perform moderately better in slightly acidic soils. Platycodon grandiflorus 'Alba' should be watered once or twice per week to maintain enough soil moisture for the roots without causing root rot from standing water. They can be deadheaded to prolong their blooms, though it isn't required for the health of the plant. With the right care, they can grow to be up to 3' tall and 1.5' wide. Though they get decently tall, they typically don't need to be staked unless you prefer them to grow straight up and not lean.
Angel'sTrumpet Tree (Brugmansia versicolor 'Charles Grimaldi')
These massive peach-colored blooms can be found hanging from the angel’s trumpet tree in our Butterfly House. This specific cultivar was bred by a famous plant breeder, Bartly Schwarz, and named after a California landscape designer, Charles Grimaldi. It is a hybrid between B. ’Hetty Kraus’, which produces yellow flowers, and B. ’Frosty Pink’, which produces pink flowers. One thing that might surprise you is that this tree is in the Solanaceae (Nightshade family), which also includes tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. Though you may not be able to identify any similarities at first, they are united by the fact that all of them have flowers with five stamens, sepals, and fused petals with a superior ovary. There is a generalized fear of the Nightshade family, however this tree is perfectly harmless as long as you don’t ingest any of its parts (please don’t eat our plants...).
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Care information: Brugmansia versicolor ’'Charles Grimaldi' can survive in zones 9–11, meaning it is not suitable to be planted outdoors in Colorado. This tropical plant performs best with full sun and generous watering at least twice a week. It prefers rich, well-drained soil with lots of organic matter. Regular fertilizing with a balanced fertilizer can also assist the tree in producing more flowers and new growth. It can be trimmed and shaped to your liking, though this isn’t required. It only grows to be about 12 or 13' tall, so overgrowth commonly isn’t a worry in a conservatory.
These electric violet blooms are present in various locations throughout our Prairie Garden. They are native to short and mixed grass prairies in the central United States. This plant is a part of the Fabaceae (legume family) and is a nitrogen fixer. In time, there are guaranteed to be multiple pollinators buzzing around these blooms, including bees, butterflies, and pollinating wasps, as pictured. In these pictures you may also see their bright yellow stamens right above their petals, which help to offset the purple and attract these pollinators. Dalea purpurea is predicted to bloom for a couple more weeks likely ending during late July.
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Care information: Prairie clovers have large, elaborate root systems meaning they do well in dry soils but can also help to prevent erosion. They prefer well-drained, neutral, or alkaline soil with a layer of mulch around their base to conserve moisture. They like full sun and can survive in zones 3–8. Overhead watering can be an issue for these plants because wet leaves can rust when exposed to sunlight.
Winecup Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)
Placed throughout the Plant Select, Prairie, Rock, and Children's Gardens you can find the lovely magenta blooms of the Winecup Poppy Mallow. This herbaceous perennial only grows about 6–12" tall, but spreads out across the ground to form a thick mass of green and pink. These flowers close during the night and reopen in the morning. The first picture shows a bloom before opening for the day while the second is a couple of hours later when all of the blooms had opened. These poppy mallows are predicted to be in bloom all around the Gardens until the middle of August.
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Care information: The Winecup Poppy Mallow can survive in zones 4–8 and prefers full sun. They are typically drought-tolerant and can survive in dry, rocky soils. They have no preference for soil texture but prefer well-drained soils. They should be watered once a week while establishing, but after that, they can handle much longer periods without watering. Callirhoe involucrata does not need any fertilizer or mulching in order to thrive. They can spread really quickly and become overgrown, so it's a good idea to cut them back from time to time to avoid them becoming a hassle.
For more information, reference our Gardens Explorer