Visiting the Denver Botanic Gardens:
Things to See and Do

Visiting the Denver Botanic Gardens is my favorite activity whenever I am in Denver, Colorado. This incredibly elaborate, diverse, and beautiful garden is also easily one of my favorite gardens in the United States.

In addition to the variety of themed gardens, it also boasts North America’s largest collection of plants from cold temperate climates

In this guide, I’ll show you some beautiful photos and great things to see and do when visiting the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Denver Botanic Gardens: Important Information
Dimensions	The garden spans an area of 23 acres (93,000 meters²).
Duration	The recommended duration of visit is 2 – 4 hours.
Best Time	The best time to visit is in the morning.
Cost	For more information, refer to the official Denver Botanic Gardens website.
Parking	There is plenty of parking right next to the garden.
Special Considerations: The garden is massive. In order to maximize your experience, at least 2 hours should be allocated for the visit.

Orangery

Orangeries trace back to Rennaissance Italy in 1545 as a way to help citrus trees overwinter (i.e. live through the winter). Eventually, they became permanent fixtures in gardening and some even feature elaborate displays. Orangeries often incorporate double-glazed windows (i.e. it has two parallel panes of glass) to capitalize on solar radiation.

Water Gardens

There are 7 water gardens connecting the Denver Botanic Gardens area via extensive waterways. Collectively, these gardens feature over 450 aquatic plant species.

The Monet Pool—the largest of the water gardens—is easily one of the most beautiful in Denver Botanic Gardens.

The water is black due to the addition of nontoxic, food-grade, black dye. The dye prevents sunlight from penetrating the water in order to limit algae growth. This creates a mirror-like surface that reflects the colorful plants floating on the surface, making the entire pool uniquely picturesque.

In early August, the annual Water Blossom Festival is held near the Monet Pool.

Le Potager

Le Potager is characterized by its neatly-arranged flower beds, divided into sections for easy planting and maximum picturesque effect. It is one of the most easily-navigated gardens in the entire region and very relaxing to walk through.

Volunteers tend to Le Potager every week. Since this garden is essentially the heart of the community, it is located toward the center of the water gardens. Naturally, it is often the most festive area.

Shofu-en Japanese Garden

In Japanese, shofu-en means “gardens of pines and wind.” Like most Japanese gardens, it incorporates shrines, stones, and ponds while inspiring a close connection with nature. By blending Japanese and American plants, it represents a merging of Eastern and Western aesthetics.

The garden is essentially a chisen-kaiyushiki, meaning “strolling garden with lake.”

Bonsai Pavillion

The art of bonsai originated in Japan over 1,000 years ago. The objective is simple: create tiny trees (i.e. “plants in trays”) that conform to Japanese aesthetic principles (proportion, symmetry, balance, and simplicity).

The bonsai collection here features Japanese, Chinese, and Rocky Mountain species. Since each bonsai requires climate conditions resembling its natural habitat, some species remain outdoors year-round.

Bonsai plants are quite incredible because they are often miniature representations of much larger plants. For instance, the Ponderosa Pine bonsai tree is based on the actual Ponderosa Pine—a tree that easily towers over 10-story buildings.

Rock Alpine Garden

The Rock Alpine Garden most resembles a scenic hike in Colorado. It is also one of the most water-efficient gardens in Denver Botanic Gardens, requiring much less water than a typical lawn (that needs about 18 gallons per square foot per season).

To be fair, rocks don’t really need water. Just sayin’.

Romantic Gardens

Romantic gardens evoke passion, sentiment, and privacy. The layout of these gardens combines fragrant, lush flowers with graceful walkways, arches, and waterways to elicit those emotions.

In fact, due to their beauty and romantic nature, these gardens have even hosted weddings.

The Ellipse

The Ellipse is perhaps the most popular of the ornamental gardens. It is recognizable by its Chihuly sculpture, “Colorado.”

Aside from the giant glass sculpture, there are hydrangeas, peonies, and roses, among others.

The Science Pyramid

The Science Pyramid “explores the ways in which the lives of Colorado’s living things are deeply intertwined through landscapes and the finite resources we share.”

The adjacent Four Towers Pool recirculates water for the waterways throughout the park.

The pyramid is incredibly elaborate and contains the most information and reading material in the entire park.

Despite highlighting some of the best attractions in the Denver Botanic Gardens, the photos are just a sample of all the wonderful things to see. If you are ever in the mood to see one of the most diverse gardens (and one of my personal favorites) in the United States, then I recommend visiting the Denver Botanic Gardens.