Fun at Denver Botanic Gardens

The Denver Botanic Gardens, both indoor and outdoor experience in botany and more.

ALL PROGRAM PRICES INCLUDE ADMISSION TO THE GARDENS, EXCLUDING OFFSITE EVENTS
Full calendar: www.botanicgardens.org

HOURS
York St: Through May, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Chatfield Farms: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

SCFD FREE DAYS
Chatfield Farms: June 6
York St.: June 14

EXHIBITS
Elusive: Works by Andrew Roberts-Gray
February 22 – May 14
Included with Gardens’ admission
Artist Andrew Roberts-Gray combines formal abstraction, the painted landscape, and areas of unpainted canvas to create dynamic works that defy traditional genre. His work hovers between painterly abstraction and sculptural space, peppered with symbolic elements.

HEALTH & WELLNESS CLASSES
Evening Kundalini Yoga
Mondays, 6-7:30 p.m.
$10, $8 member
Kundalini yoga focuses on awakening energy and unlocking our inner potential through breathing techniques, movements, stretching, meditation and mantra. This ancient and sacred practice is the oldest form of yoga and is an effective way to recharge and heal the body. In the Morrison Center.

Sunrise Vinyasa Yoga at the Gardens
Every Tuesday and Thursday, 7:30-8:30 a.m.
$12, $10 member
Practicing vinyasa yoga can improve posture, flexibility, and endurance. Takes place indoors.

Evening Vinyasa Yoga
Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m.
$12, $10 member
Instructor Blake Burger teaches vinyasa yoga in the Morrison Center. All levels welcome. Participants are asked to bring water and a yoga mat.

Art Exhibits at Botanic Gardens

2017 Art Exhibitions at the Gardens

Denver Botanic Gardens’ York Street location presents a diverse series of art exhibitions. All of the exhibitions, excluding Calder: Monumental, are presented in Gates Garden Court Gallery and feature artists who live and work in Colorado. All exhibitions are included with Gardens’ general admission.

Elusive: Works by Andrew Roberts-Gray
February 22 – May 14
Carbondale, Colorado-based artist Andrew Roberts-Gray combines formal abstraction, the painted landscape, and areas of unpainted canvas to create dynamic works that defy traditional genre. His work hovers between painterly abstraction and sculptural space, peppered with symbolic elements. This exhibition of recent mixed media works feature a silver and white palette to compliment the gallery’s concrete walls and is organized in collaboration with Michael Warren Contemporary, Denver. Image credit: Andrew Roberts-Gray, Truth, 2016.

Calder: Monumental
April 28 – September 24
Press preview: Thursday, April 27, 10 a.m. Invitation to follow
American artist Alexander Calder (1898-1976) is considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century and is known for his bold energetic sculptures. Calder: Monumental features these iconic works of bolted steel plate–which rise in sweeping curves, or puncture space with geometric lines–revealing the artist’s exploration of forms, volumes, and voids. Using shapes that resonate with the natural world, Calder’s large lively abstractions interact with the surrounding outdoor landscape. Image credit: Alexander Calder, Funghi Neri, 1957. Sheet metal, bolts, and paint, 112″ x 91″ x 72″. © 2016 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Calder Foundation, New York/ Art Resource, New York.

SCFD FREE DAYS
April 2: York St.
April 4: Chatfield Farms

EVENTS

Rock Alpine Society Show and Sale
Saturday, April 15, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Included with admission
Find unique plants to tuck into crevices and scatter on slopes at this annual show and sale. More than 10,000 rock-loving plants are presented including xeric, Plant Select® and native plants. Expect rarely available plants as well as easy-care classics and get advice from experts. A children’s potting station is also available.

Literature of the Land Book Club: “Upstream”
Wednesday, April 19, 7-8:30 p.m., $5
The spring series explores the way we see the natural world—in memoir, essays and biography—and how it influences our views on art, nature, and environmentalism. The April installment discusses “Upstream” by Mary Oliver. The latest collection of essays by the renowned poet reflects on her passion for nature and literature.

Water Garden Society “Get Wet” Event
Thursday, April 27, 6-8:30 p.m.
Included with admission
Annual “Get Wet” event co-hosted by the Colorado Water Garden Society and Denver Botanic Gardens. Our speaker, Tamara Kilbane, senior horticulturist of aquatic plants at the Gardens, will present on her visits to various water gardens in Shanghai, Yangzhou, and Beijing during the summer of 2016.

Spring Hike at Cherokee Ranch and Castle (OFFSITE)
Saturday, April 29, 9 a.m. – noon
$25, $20 member
Spring comes gently on the Ranch with pasque flowers, Easter daisies, penstemons and numerous members of the pea family. Hike through the Gambel oaks, seeking out early flowers and experiencing the spring migration of several species of birds including the Western Tanager and the Swainson’s Hawk.

Coffee Cupping and Roasting Tour (OFFSITE)
Saturday, April 29, 2 p.m.
$29, $26 member
This class is an introductory tour of coffees and their unique characteristics from places all over the world. Participants taste four to five coffees and discuss coffee growing, processing and how it relates to flavor distinctions. Receive a behind the scenes look into how coffee is roasted in Denver. This class and tour take place at Kaladi Coffee Roasters in Englewood, CO.

Calder: Monumental
April 28 – September 24
Calder: Monumental is a survey of iconic American artist Alexander Calder’s bold sculptures. It is the first outdoor show of Calder’s work in the west and the first solo outdoor exhibition in the U.S. in more than a decade. True to his practice, Calder’s monumental works are made of industrial materials and bolted steel plates, and the works exhibited in Calder: Monumental are no exception. In some cases, a mobile structure sways at the top of the sculpture to create a “standing mobile.” In addition to the outdoor sculptures, one indoor mobile in monumental scale is presented in the Boettcher Memorial Center, on loan from the Denver Art Museum. The featured abstract and figurative sculptures span from 1956–1976.

EVENTS AT YORK ST.
Summer Concerts
June 1: Taj Mo’: The Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ Band; June 13: Punch Brothers

Summertime Tea in the Gardens
Saturday, June 3, 17, 10-11:30 a.m.
$42, $38 member
Denver Botanic Gardens and Denver Tea Room present a beautiful morning of tea tasting and education in the serene Woodland Mosaic garden’s Solarium. Margo Seymour, pastry chef, tea sommelier, and owner of The Denver Tea Room, presents a traditional British afternoon tea service with a nod to the various cultures that also enjoy the practice of taking tea. Guests sample sandwiches from England, desserts from France and Scotland and teas from Sri Lanka.

Mountain and Plains Iris Show
Sunday, June 4
Free with Gardens’ admission
The elegant iris takes center stage at the Mountain & Plains Iris Society annual show in Gates Hall and Garden Court. Discover the flower’s rainbow of colors and diversity of forms.

Croquet in Bloom
Saturday, June 10, 4-6 p.m.
$15 participant, $5 spectator
Croquet in Bloom is a fun, family-friendly, summertime croquet tournament. People of all ages and skill play as teams of two for the first Annual Denver Botanic Cup. Prizes will be awarded each month and the finalists of each month will be invited to play in the grand final tournament in September.

One-Man Bonsai Show
Sunday, June 11-18, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Free with Gardens’ admission
Master bonsai artist Dr. Walter Buck showcases more than 14 of his specimens at the Spring One-Man Show in the Bill Hosokawa Bonsai Pavilion. Buck is recognized for his versatility in bonsai styles and work with both deciduous and conifer bonsai.

Denver Rose Society Show
Sunday, June 18, 1-6 p.m.
Free with Gardens’ admission
Beautiful roses fill Mitchell Hall for the Denver Rose Society’s Annual Show. Visitors can take in the radiant hues and fragrance of more than 200 roses cut from local gardens the morning of the show for judging and display.

EVENTS AT CHATFIELD FARMS
Butterflies at Chatfield Farms
May 26 – September, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
$4 adult/child, $2 member adult/child
This seasonal habitat is home to hundreds of native butterflies, such as swallowtails, monarchs, mourning cloaks and painted ladies. There are more than 50 native plant species in this garden. The rest of the plants (about 20 species) were chosen for the nectar production for butterfly food and are not native species in Colorado.

Beginners Farmers Workshop: Harvest
Friday, June 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
$20
This class teaches how to harvest a wide-variety of vegetables as well as how to manage labor and storage space for your bounty.

Beginners Farmers Workshop: Post-harvest and Food Safety
Friday, June 30, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
$20
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) are necessary to keep food safe on the journey from post-harvest to the plate; learn how food safety informs all operations on the farm.

ADULT CLASSES
Seed School
Sunday, April 2, 4-8 p.m., Monday – Friday, April 3-7, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
$750, $650 member
Seed School, a six-day educational course, offers a comprehensive overview of the history, science, business, and craft of seeds. Participants learn how to build local seed systems rooted in the ancient tradition of seed saving and leave with the knowledge and inspiration to start seed initiatives, such as community seed libraries and exchanges, growing for seed, cooperatives, heirloom seed businesses and participatory plant breeding projects. Appropriate for all skill levels, this course is for gardeners, farmers, chefs, entrepreneurs, NGOs, activists, policymakers and anyone interested in turning the tide on the industrialization of our food system.

Totally Tomato
Thursday, April 6, 6-8:30 p.m.
$36, $31 member
This class is an in-depth study of the most prized garden vegetable. Explore varieties of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes and the differences in the two and learn how to select which are best for varying skill levels. Learn about starting seeds v. transplants, growing challenges, pests and diseases and how to overcome them and options for organic care of your prize vegetable. Each student receives seeds to take home.

The Cook’s Herb Garden
Thursday, April 6, 6-8 p.m.
$54, $49 member
Discover the numerous health and taste benefits of growing an herb garden. This course covers growing, harvesting and culinary uses of seven of the most popular herbs including marjoram, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, chives, and basil. Make an all-purpose, garden seasoning blend and have a delicious, gourmet herbal meal. Take home a herb blend and an extensive handout with recipes and growing instructions.

Intro to Beekeeping
Tuesday, April 11, 6-9 p.m.
$41, $36 member
This introductory class is designed for people who are interested in beekeeping but are not sure if they have the time, space and resources to move forward. Participants learn about equipment and supplies, cost, tasks and time commitment.

Going Organic
April 18, 6-9 p.m.
$36, $32 member
Learn how to clean up soil – especially if past treatments are unknown – and select the best products to use in the garden. Discuss the proper use of organic materials and how they can harmful if not used correctly. Also learn about the value of homemade remedies that keep the environment, pets, and pollinators in mind.

Essential Oils for Vitality
Saturday, April 22, 10 a.m. – noon
$43, $38 member
Essential oils are organic compounds extracted from the flowers, leaves, roots, bark, and stems of plants. Explore the healing secrets of essential oils to support the body, inside and out. Each participant makes two essential oil blends.

Raised Vegetable Gardens
Thursday, April 27, 6-7:30 p.m.
$24, $20 member
Learn about raised beds and how to build them. Discuss soil and irrigation. Enjoy a presentation that features examples of raised gardens throughout the Denver area.

CHILDREN AND FAMILY PROGRAMS
Seedling Classes
Wed: 3-6 years old, 9:30 & 11 a.m.: Thu: 24-36 mo. old, 9:30 & 10:45 a.m.; Fri: 18-24 mo. old, 9:30 & 10:45 a.m.
$11 for 18-36 month old, $9 member; $13 for 3-6-year-old, $11 member
Seedlings classes offer a fun, hands-on way for young children to explore the plant world while developing an understanding and appreciation for plants. Seedlings programs are offered for three different age groups and are modified to fit the developmental needs of each group. Week of April 5: Cool Season Veggies, April 12: Carnivorous Plants up Close, April 20: Earth Day, April 27: April Showers Bring May Flowers

HEALTH & WELLNESS CLASSES
Evening Kundalini Yoga
Mondays, 6-7:30 p.m.
$10, $8 member
Kundalini yoga focuses on awakening energy and unlocking our inner potential through breathing techniques, movements, stretching, meditation and mantra. This ancient and sacred practice is the oldest form of yoga and is an effective way to recharge and heal the body. In the Morrison Center.

Sunrise Vinyasa Yoga at the Gardens
Every Tuesday and Thursday, 7:30-8:30 a.m.
$12, $10 member
Practicing vinyasa yoga can improve posture, flexibility, and endurance. Takes place indoors.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): Relaxing In the Moment
5 Tuesdays: April 4, 11, 18, 25 and May 2, 6-8:30 p.m.
$265, $220 member
This five-week program offers an in-depth look at mindfulness tools for engaging the demands of our lives and for deepening inquiry into fundamental health and wholeness. Through exploring the teachings and practices of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)—including sitting and walking meditation, body scan, and mindful yoga—participants can become better equipped to manage stress and confidently integrate mindfulness into daily life.

Tibetan Singing Bowls Concert
Monday – Tuesday, April 24-25, 6-7 p.m.
$15, $12 member
Denver yoga instructor and sound healer Chris Anne Coviello and her husband Jason Coviello perform the Hang Drum and singing bowls that are tuned to musical notes that correspond to the different chakras, so they will balance the energy in the body. Tibetan singing bowls have been used for thousands of years as instruments of healing.

EVENTS
Spring Plant Sale Preview Party
Thursday, May 11, 4-8 p.m.
$45 in advance, $55 at door if available
Get early access to the best selection of plants for your garden. Guests enjoy appetizers, wine, and beer.

Spring Plant Sale
Friday, May 12, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, May 13, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Free
Fifteen plant divisions feature quality flora and are staffed by experts who can answer your plant questions and offer excellent advice. This year’s divisions are Aquatics, Annuals, Container Planting, Fruits/Berries/Veggies, Grown at the Gardens, Hanging Baskets, Herbs, Houseplants, Mixed Succulents, Perennials, Plant Select, Rock Alpine/Bonsai, Roses, Summer Bulbs and Water-Smart.

Literature of the Land Book Club: “Lab Girl”
Wednesday, May 17, 7-8:30 p.m., $5
The spring series explores the way we see the natural world—in memoir, essays and biography—and how it influences our views on art, nature, and environmentalism. The May installment discusses “Lab Girl,” by Hope Jahren. This memoir details a modern scientist studying trees, flowers, seeds and soil.

Summertime Tea in the Gardens
Saturday, May 20, 10-11:30 a.m.
$42, $38 member
Denver Botanic Gardens and Denver Tea Room present a beautiful morning of tea tasting and education in the serene Woodland Mosaic garden’s Solarium. Margo Seymour, pastry chef, tea sommelier, and owner of The Denver Tea Room, presents a traditional British afternoon tea service with a nod to the various cultures that also enjoy the practice of taking tea. Guests sample sandwiches from England, desserts from France and Scotland and teas from Sri Lanka.

EVENT AT CHATFIELD FARMS
Butterflies at Chatfield Farms
May 26 – September, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
$4 adult/child, $2 member adult/child
This seasonal habitat is home to hundreds of native butterflies, such as swallowtails, monarchs, mourning cloaks and painted ladies. There are more than 50 native plant species in this garden. The rest of the plants (about 20 species) were chosen for the nectar production for butterfly food and are not native species in Colorado.

Calder: Monumental
April 28 – September 24
American artist Alexander Calder (1898-1976) is considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century and is known for his bold energetic sculptures. Calder: Monumental features these iconic works of bolted steel plate–which rise in sweeping curves, or puncture space with geometric lines–revealing the artist’s exploration of forms, volumes, and voids. Using shapes that resonate with the natural world, Calder’s large lively abstractions interact with the surrounding outdoor landscape.

Color: Works by Teresa Booth Brown
May 24 – August 6 | Opening Reception: May 24, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Artist Talk: 6:30 p.m.
Teresa Booth Brown uses painting as a chance to make order out of chaos; to organize thoughts and ideas that resist written language. From a simple composition, each painting is developed intuitively by the addition and subtraction of layers of paint, collage, and drawing.

TOURS
Birds and Bees Walk
Thursday, May 18, 4:15 and 5:15 p.m.
$12, $10 member
A tour of our Birds and Bees Walk garden led by Horticulturist Sonya Anderson explores the woodland path to discover plants and design geared towards attracting birds, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Seasonal Discoveries Tour
Sunday, May 20, 2-3 p.m.
$14, $12 member
No matter the time of year, botanical treasures await your discovery with these guided tours of gardens at their seasonal peaks. Experience the Gardens’ landscape at its best, whether through the colorful bounty of summer, the crackling beauty of fall or the marvelous contrasts of winter.

Rock Alpine Garden Tour
Thursday, May 25, 4:15 and 5:15 p.m.
$12, $10 member
Mike Kintgen, Denver Botanic Gardens’ curator of Alpine Collections, leads a tour of the Rock Alpine Garden near its flora peak and talks about how participants can create similar gardens at home.

ADULT CLASSES
Introduction to Xeriscape
Thursday, May 4, 6-7:30 p.m.
$24, $20 member
This class demystifies low water landscapes by explaining the seven principles of xeriscape and looking at samples of Denver gardens that do it well.

Edible Wild Foods Gourmet
Saturday, May 13, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
$55, $50 member
Explore the fascinating world of wild edibles. Start with an herb walk, identifying local wild edibles. Discover the optimum nutrition and delicious tastes provided by plants usually weeded and tossed in the compost pile. Back in the kitchen, participants prepare a delicious vegetarian meal using common, nutritious wild plants, including nettle, chickweed, dandelion, lambs quarters and more. Enjoy an appetizer, salad, a savory soup and a delicious wild foods pesto with pasta. Explore all the ways you can add wild edibles to your current recipes to boost nutrition and flavor. Recipes, lunch, and drink included.

Gardening for Pollinators
Tuesday, May 16, 6-9 p.m.
$44, $39 member
There are 963 species of native bees on Colorado’s Front Range and all require our help to provide food, shelter, and water. In addition, we play host to countless other beneficial insects, birds and bats; all that perform the huge task of pollinating a third or more of the crops we eat, repopulate plants and add great diversity to our environment. Learn about the best plants to attract different pollinators and how to accept a little “insect pressure.”

Lecture: Restoring Nature’s Relationships
Thursday, May 18, 6:30-8 p.m.
$20, $15 member
Specialized relationships between animals and plants are the norm in nature rather than the exception. Doug Tallamy, professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, explains how specialized food relationships determine the stability and complexity of local food webs and how we can us residential landscapes to connect isolated habitat fragments and produce valuable ecosystem services.

Beginner’s Farmer Workshop: Growing for Market
Friday, May 19, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
$20
Learn from a local farmer and farm educators how to start and operate your own farm. Learn how to prepare your vegetables for a variety of markets including direct-to-consumer and wholesale; get advice from market managers and produce buyers located in Denver.

Native Pollinators Workshop
Friday, May 19, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
$46, $42 member
The work of pollinators impacts the food we eat. According to the Xerces Society, there are 4,000 species of native bees in North America, forming the most important group of pollinators. They require a source of food, water and shelter for raising their young and like all wildlife, they are affected by changes in landscapes, especially the loss of nesting sites. In man’s quest for neatness, the important nesting sites such as bare ground, dead trees and corners of rough grass have disappeared. Participants of this hands-on workshop create a nesting box to replicate some of the wildness that makes bees comfortable enough to nest in your landscape.

Lecture: Reimaging a Classic Rock Alpine Style
Thursday, May 25, 6:30-8 p.m.
$20, $15 member
Rock gardening uses a range of unusual plants in combination with beautiful stones to create miniaturized landscapes. This approach to gardening is water-wise, perfect for containers, small gardens and for gardeners interested in exploring a whole new group of beautiful plants. In this talk Joseph Tychonievich, a horticulturist from Michigan shares beautiful images of rock gardens to get you inspired, the basic principles of creating rock gardens and an introduction to some of the most beautiful and easy to grow rock garden plants to get you started.

Trough Garden Planting Workshop
Friday, May 26, 9-11 a.m.
$56, $52 member
Trough gardens are a perfect way to dip your toes into the fascinating and water-wise world of rock gardening. In this workshop, Joseph Tychonievich goes over the basic techniques of creating a beautiful and healthy trough garden and the participants make a trough garden to take home.

Be a Bee Advocate
Tuesday, May 30, 6-9 p.m.
$49, $44 member
This class is great for people interested in learning about bees, both wild and domesticated. Instructor, Tracy Bellehumeur teaches about how honeybees and wild bees live, the variety of wild bees in Colorado, and different honeybee hive designs. Participants will build a wild bee house for their home and a handout with suggested reading, and supportive resources are provided. Each participant is asked to bring a drill for the construction of their bee home.

CHILDREN AND FAMILY PROGRAM
Seedling Classes
Tues-Wed: 3-6 years old, 9:30 & 11 a.m. Thu: 24-36 mo. old, 9:30 & 10:45 a.m. Fri: 18-24 mo. old, 9:30 & 10:45 a.m.
$11 for 18-36 month old, $9 member; $13 for 3-6-year-old, $11 member
Seedlings classes offer a fun, hands-on way for young children to explore the plant world while developing an understanding and appreciation for plants. Seedlings programs are offered for three different age groups and are modified to fit the developmental needs of each group. Week of May 2: A Rainbow of Wildflowers, May 9: Painting with Plants, May 16: Sunflowers Galore, May 23: Life in the Pond, May 30: The Plants in Your Pizza.

Sunrise Vinyasa Yoga at the Gardens
Every Tuesday and Thursday, 7:30-8:30 a.m.
$12, $10 member
Practicing vinyasa yoga can improve posture, flexibility, and endurance. Takes place indoors.

Gentle Vinyasa
Wednesday, 8-9 a.m.
$12, $10
Unwind through gentle movement, stretching, pranayama and guided meditation. This class holds space to allow the student to gain strength and flexibility at their own pace with an emphasis on safety and alignment.

Tai Chi in the Gardens
Tuesday, May 16, 23, 30, 8-9 a.m.
$12, $10 member
Tai Chi is a Chinese gentle form of exercise that helps maintain strength, flexibility, and balance in people of all ages. The simple and beautiful movements strengthen and revitalize the body, nourish the heart and focus the mind.

Fitness in the Gardens
Thursday, May 18 and 25, 8-9 a.m.
$18, $15 member
Fitness in the Gardens incorporates dynamic stretching, running, and high-intensity interval training using functional fitness and body-weight movements. This class is perfect for intermediate and advanced level athletes designed to challenge you with constantly varied movements that will keep you on your toes!

EXHIBITS
Calder: Monumental
April 28 – September 24
American artist Alexander Calder (1898-1976) is considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century and is known for his bold energetic sculptures. Calder: Monumental features these iconic works of bolted steel plate–which rise in sweeping curves, or puncture space with geometric lines–revealing the artist’s exploration of forms, volumes, and voids. Using shapes that resonate with the natural world, Calder’s large lively abstractions interact with the surrounding outdoor landscape.

TOURS / LECTURES
Calder: Monumental Tour
Friday–Sunday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. and 6-7 p.m.
Learn more about the artworks with a docent guide during a one-hour tour of the exhibition

Curator Conversation- Calder: Monumental
Thursday, June 8, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
$17, $15 member, $13 student
Enjoy a tour of the exhibition with a Gardens’ curator to learn interesting details about the sculptures.

Every Drop Counts Tour
Thursday, June 8, 17, 5-6 p.m.; June 21, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
$14, $12 member, $10 student
Do you want a garden that is beautiful and requires little water? Or, are you new to the Denver area and want some ideas of plants well suited for our climate and soil? Come join a docent-led tour that explores gardens full of texture and color made up of plants that can thrive in semi-arid climates.

Lecture- Calder: Connected to the Contemporary
Thursday, June 8, 6-8 p.m.
$25, $20 member
Curator Lynne Warren presents examples that demonstrate the effect Alexander Calder has had on artists working today. Warren curated the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s exhibition Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form, Balance, Joy, authoring a book by the same name. She has written more than 30 exhibition catalogs and has taught courses at prominent Chicago universities.

Sip and Stroll Tour
Thursday, June 8, 6:30-8 p.m.
$15, $10 member
Join Horticulturalist and Herbalist Blake Burger on a walking tour of the gardens featuring medicinal plants. Pour a glass of your favorite summer drink and reconnect with nature as we take a beautiful summer stroll! This informative and practical tour will showcase a few of the many medicinal plants growing throughout the Denver Botanic Gardens. Learn about the healing connection between humans and plants, and how to turn garden plants into medicine right in your own home.

Lecture: Under the Colorado River
Thursday, June 15, 6-8 p.m.
$25, $20 member
Learn about the Colorado River in a way you’ve never imagined! Kathleen Velo discusses her project “Water Flow: Under the Colorado River,” a series of color photograms created under the surface of the water in the Colorado River. This photographic project spans the entire river, from the headwaters in northern Colorado through five states into Mexico, where the river ends short of the Sea of Cortez.

Seasonal Discoveries Tour
Sunday, June 11, 11 a.m. – noon
$14, $12 member
No matter the time of year, botanical treasures await your discovery with these guided tours of gardens at their seasonal peaks. Experience the Gardens’ landscape at its best, whether through the colorful bounty of summer, the crackling beauty of fall or the marvelous contrasts of winter.

Denver Water-wise Garden Tour (Offsite)
Saturday, June 17, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
$10
See how fellow Denverites creatively use native and low-water plants, greywater and rain water to grow beautiful landscapes. Every garden boasts water conservation through the extensive use of mulch and hand-dug earthworks infiltrating the rain to grow diverse drought-tolerant edible perennials. This self-guided tour is open house style.

Midsummer Night Tour
Sunday, June 18, 29, 6-7:15 p.m.
$14, $12 member, $10 student
In Elizabethan times in England, midsummer’s eve (also known as the summer solstice) was a night to revel. This tour celebrates the long days of summer by focusing on the edible, medicinal and mischievous properties of the plants that played important roles in Shakespeare’s works. Guided by quotes from his plays, expect to hear about the life and times of Elizabethan England and of plants such as love-in-idleness, tickle my fancy, gillyvor and heartsease.

2017 Horticulture Home Garden Tour: Habitat Hero (Offsite)
Friday, June 23, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 1-5 p.m.
$51, $46 member
A Habitat Hero is a gardener who, certified by the Audubon Society, includes diverse planting layers through the use of native and regionally adapted plants, provides shelter and nesting opportunities, offers natural food and water sources, does not spread invasive species of plants and does not rely on the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Come see three of the best and most diverse examples of Habitat Heroes gardens throughout the Denver-metro area.

Mountain Bird Hiking Tour (Offsite)
Wednesday, June 28, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
$40, $35 member
Take a mid-week break and explore all that our beautiful state of Colorado has to offer with guided hikes. Join expert birder, Lynn Willcockson, for an easy hike to explore the mountains and look for birds such as Clark’s Nutcracker, Red Crossbill, Rufous Hummingbird, White-crowned Sparrow, Wilson’s Warbler and many more. Participants hike in four of the Colorado Life Zones starting near Bergen Park (Foothills Zone) and move up to Summit Lake (Alpine Zone).

ADULT CLASSES
Brungquist Gulch Day Trip with Panayoti Kelaidis (Offsite)
Wednesday, June 7, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
$50, $45 member
A short drive from Denver finds us in a woodland Shangri-La filled with unusual wildflowers, many (like Sarsaparilla: Aralia nudicaulis) characteristic of the Eastern hardwood forest. Several alpine plants grow here, thousands of feet below their usual limit.

Garden to Glass: Summer Drinks and Tapas
Friday, June 9, 6-8 p.m.
$65, $60 member
Participants learn to make refreshing aqua frescas, extraordinary elixirs, and sensational syrups made from fruits and herbs from the garden and summer markets. Become your own mixologist and dazzle your family and guests with custom craft cocktails. Create delicious tapas to go along with drinks. Add some sparkle to those summer gatherings! Handout with recipes, drink samples, and tapas included.

Easy Drawing in the Gardens
Saturday, June 10, 2-5 p.m.
$44, $36
Make drawing easier and more enjoyable by learning the basics of perspective, composition control and the use of reference points and lines. After classroom instruction, students move outdoors and practice the techniques by drawing and sketching in the Gardens.

Cooking with Fresh Herbs
Saturday, June 10, 2-4 p.m.
Chef Elizabeth Buckingham teaches about the amazing varieties of fresh herbs available, the best growing methods for the Denver area, how to incorporate fresh herbs in both savory and sweet recipes, and the best ways to preserve and dry fresh herbs.

Alternate Photographic Botanics Workshop
Friday, June 16, 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
$46, $42 member
In this hands-on workshop, Kathleen Velo introduces the photogram process, a camera-less photographic technique that she used for her project, “Water Flow: Under the Colorado River.” Use the same general technique to create cyanotypes of foliage similar to the process used in the mid-1800s by Anna Atkins in the first book to include photographic illustrations of plants and seaweed. Learn to coat paper with simple light-sensitive materials, arrange unique compositions of common plants and expose them to light; once processed, the resulting images becomes beautiful cyanotypes.

CHILDREN AND FAMILY PROGRAMS
Seedling Classes
Tues-Wed: 3-6 years old, 9:30 & 11 a.m. Thu: 24-36 mo. old, 9:30 & 10:45 a.m. Fri: 18-24 mo. old, 9:30 & 10:45 a.m.
$11 for 18-36 month old, $9 member; $13 for 3-6 year old, $11 member
Seedlings classes offer a fun, hands-on way for young children to explore the plant world, while developing an understanding and appreciation for plants. Seedlings programs are offered for three different age groups and are modified to fit the developmental needs of each group. Week of June 1: The Plants in your Pizza; June 6: Pick a Salad; June 13: Homemade Lemonade; June 20: Pollination Exploration; June 27: Inch by Inch

Garden Art Family Workshop: Calder Inspired Planters
Saturday, June 17 and 24, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
$12 non-member adult, $10 member adult; $17 non-member child, $15 member child
Embark on a journey of art and nature as a family while exploring the artwork of Alexander Calder in the Gardens. This hands-on workshop allows families to experience art in an inspiring and active way. Each child makes a planter inspired by the exhibition.

Sunrise Vinyasa Yoga at the Gardens
Every Tuesday and Thursday, 8-9 a.m.
$12, $10 member
Practicing vinyasa yoga can improve posture, flexibility and endurance. Takes place indoors.

Tai Chi in the Gardens
Tuesdays, 8-9 a.m.
$12, $10 member
Tai Chi is a Chinese gentle form of exercise that helps maintain strength, flexibility and balance in people of all ages. The simple and beautiful movements strengthen and revitalize the body, nourish the heart and focus the mind.

Gentle Vinyasa
Wednesdays, 8-9 a.m.
$12, $10
Unwind through gentle movement, stretching, pranayama and guided meditation. This class holds space to allow the student to gain strength and flexibility at their own pace with an emphasis on safety and alignment.

Fitness in the Gardens
Thursdays, 8-9 a.m.
$18, $15 member
Fitness in the Gardens incorporates dynamic stretching, running, and high intensity interval training using functional fitness and body weight movements. This class is perfect for intermediate and advanced level athletes designed to challenge you with constantly varied movements that will keep you on your toes!

Vinyasa, Violins and Vino
Thursday, June 22, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Yoga with a twist. Enjoy vinyasa yoga, live violin music and a picnic! Relax in nature as Blake Burger, certified instructor and Gardens’ horticulturist, leads an hour-long class in the Gardens. Conclude the evening with a bring your own picnic and music performance. BYOB wine and beer is permitted.

Color: Works by Teresa Booth Brown
May 24 – August 6
Public reception: May 24, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Artist Talk: 6:30 p.m.
Teresa Booth Brown’s paintings are said to be at once interior, diagram, landscape, architecture, still life and abstraction. The Longmont, Colorado-based artist uses painting as a chance to make order out of chaos. Each painting begins with a collage layer followed by the addition and subtraction of layers of paint and drawing. This exhibition of new work is organized in collaboration with Michael Warren Contemporary, Denver. Image credit: Teresa Booth Brown, Incandescent (detail), 2016.

Play: Works by Pattie Lee Becker
August 16 – November 5
Public reception: Aug. 16, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Artist Talk: 6:30 p.m.
The free-flowing narratives of Denver artist, Pattie Lee Becker, feature fiction-myths within a vibrant and characteristic color palette of fine-line drawings and curious soft sculptures. Pattern-rich, highly detailed and playful explorations showcase her process-based dream improvisations. The exhibition will feature new work. Image credit: Pattie Lee Becker, Process and Communicate, 2012.

Whimsy: Botanical Art and Illustration
November 19, 2017 – February 11, 2018
Public reception: Nov. 19, 1-3 p.m.
This annual juried exhibition from the School of Botanical Art & Illustration features the students’ best achievements. At the same time that artists are drawing on technical skill, they also rely on botanical knowledge. Selections focus on the unusual, often blending scientific documentation and fantasy. Image credit: Susan Dimarchi, Cockscomb, 2016