Embossed Botanicals

Embossing is an art form used to raise a shape from the surface of paper. The embossed shape casts a delicate shadow and, when combined with color, creates an elegant effect. We provide decorative letter and flower patterns, and you learn how to design, cut a stencil and choose the best paper surfaces for embossed subjects. Finish your project with ink or colored pencil accents and leave the class with an elegantly embossed design.

No prerequisites.

Fee: $$290 member, $$340 non-member.

Date(s):

Wed, April 22, 29, May 6, 13, 20, 6-9 p.m.

Instructor: Renee Jorgensen

Looking for an amazing place to practice your yoga skills, how about the beautiful Denver Botanic Gardens?

Vinyasa yoga weaves beautiful movement with challenging postures, and cultivates a sense of peace and calm by the end of each yoga class. Practicing vinyasa yoga on a daily basis can improve posture, flexibility, and endurance. Beyond the physical benefits, yoga helps to bring a sense of clarity to challenging situations in life, reminds us to stay present and focused in an ever-changing environment, and can help us find happiness and contentment in our surroundings.

The postures practiced in this challenging class will promote alignment, flexibility, focus, endurance and help detoxify the body.

Instructor: Blake Burger

Skill level: All levels welcome

Price: $12, $10 members

Special Instructions: Please bring a mat, a towel and water. Walk-ins are welcome for members or non-members! Please bring cash if possible but credit cards are also accepted. This class will be located in the Morrison Center (north end of the Children's Garden).

Photo: Perfecto Insecto (Flickr)

Explore the Galleries and Living Collections (Charcoal)

Drawing at a large scale can be daunting, but with charcoal it is surprisingly quick! Charcoal is easier to control than most media, and in this class you will get your hands dirty while we complete four large, loose drawings. Modeled after a classic figure drawing class, we will work at standing easels (perhaps working up to 22” x 30”) and focus on single central subjects from the Gardens’ main exhibit: The Contour of Feeling by Ursula von Rydingsvard. Afterward, we will go outside and concentrate on the Gardens’ conifers. Note: We will be standing for the entirety of each three-hour class (no drawing horses are available for seated drawing).

No prerequisites.

Fee: $275 member, $325 non-member.

Date(s):

Tue, May 12, 19, 26, June 2, 9, 9 a.m. – noon

Instructor: Meredith Feniak

Join us as we create miniature lands for our mystical garden friends. Discover which plants fairies fancy as you design, plant and landscape a tiny fairy oasis. Materials provided are appropriate for families with children ages 5 and up. Preregistration is required.

Family Make and Take programs offer a space for children and their grownups to connect with natural materials and create together. These self-guided and self-paced programs are designed to provide a creative environment that sparks imagination. The Gardens provides the space and supplies. You and your family provide the ideas and creativity!

Price: $15 per project fee non-members; $12 per project fee members. Each project fee includes one garden container, plant and access to a variety of natural and manmade materials to use for decoration.

Special Instructions: Entrance to this program is through the Morrison Gate located at 11th Ave. and York St. To access the Morrison Discovery Center, you will exit the parking garage on the York Street side at level two and then follow the sidewalk (do not cross the street) north towards 11th Avenue. Just past the vehicle entrance of the parking garage is an iron gate. You will enter through the gate. The Morrison Discovery Center Classroom is located in the building on your left. The gate will be unlocked and open 30 minutes prior to the start of the program.

Discover the legend of the leprechaun as you design and create a miniature garden to attract these mischievous garden friends. Materials provided are appropriate for children ages 5 and up. Preregistration is required.

Family Make and Take programs offer a space for children and their grownups to connect with natural materials and create together. These self-guided and self-paced programs are designed to provide a creative environment that sparks imagination. The Gardens provides the space and supplies. You and your family provide the ideas and creativity!

Price: $15 per project fee non-members; $12 per project fee members. Each project fee includes one garden container, plant and access to a variety of natural and manmade materials to use for decoration.

Explore the chocolate tree and its celebrated history. Follow the journey of a cacao bean and discover how chocolate is made. Join us and create a box of delicious chocolate treats to take home. This workshop is designed for families with children ages 5-10.

Workshops offer families a hands-on guided opportunity to learn about the science and enchantment behind the plants in our everyday lives. Workshops include a guided garden exploration and hands on projects for grownups and children to create together while exploring the natural world.

Price: $12 non-member adult, $10 member adult; $17 non-member child, $15 member child. Pre-registration is required and class size is limited.

It may still be chilly outside but now is a great time to start thinking about fresh cool season veggies from the garden. Join us as we investigate and taste a variety of tasty roots and leaves. Plant seeds in a tabletop greenhouse to start a cool season veggie garden of your own. This workshop is designed for families with children ages 5-10.

Workshops offer families a hands-on guided opportunity to learn about the science and enchantment behind the plants in our everyday lives. Workshops include a guided garden exploration and hands on projects for grownups and children to create together while exploring the natural world.

Price: $12 non-member adult, $10 member adult; $17 non-member child, $15 member child. Pre-registration is required and class size is limited.

Rocky Mountain Gardening Elective

Learn how to prune both deciduous and evergreen shrubs for long term plant health and appearance in this class. Various types of pruning and the situations where they are appropriate will be illustrated. An emphasis will be placed on flowering shrubs and how to prune them for best bloom. For people with overgrown shrubs, rejuvenation pruning to reduce size and reinvigorate growth will be of interest.

Price: $33, $28 member

Instructor: Carl Wilson, Denver horticulturist, speaker and retired CSU Extension Agent.

Ferns Uncovered

Ferns predate most other plant species on Earth, and the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory is home to specimens of many varieties that continue to thrive today. Their delicate structures and textures are fascinating to study and a pleasure to illustrate—in fact, ferns have been illustrated for more than 1,500 years! Working in pencil and brush, you’ll develop pigment-free values and master seamless gradations from lightest light to darkest dark without the usual graphite sheen. Concentrate on the stem-like rhizomes, leafy fronds and sporangia underneath the leaves. Learn to draw complex detail without losing overall form. All the skills that you learn in this class can be transferred to any other medium, improving your overall confidence in your artistic skills.

Prerequisite: Botanical Illustration in Pencil II.

Fee: $265 member, $315 non-member.

Date(s):

Tue, March 24, 31, April 14, 21, 28, 9 a.m. – noon

Instructor: Randy Raak

Focus on Foliage

Focus on foliage and fill the need for green this winter. Here is your chance to explore the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory and be bold, paint glossy and produce some vibrant greens. Enhance your color-mixing knowledge with the many shades of green. Start with leaf studies and learn techniques to tackle variegation, margins and shine. Your expanded painting skills for depicting leaf form and color will advance your future botanical paintings.

Prerequisites: Botanical Illustration in Watercolor I, Botany for the Botanical Illustrator.

Fee: $265 member, $315 non-member.

Date(s):

Wed, March 25, April 1, 15, 22, 29, 9 a.m. – noon

Instructor: Constance Sayas

Focus on Natural Forms: Feathers and Bark

Explore ways to create finely fashioned feathers and textured tactile bark. Ann will demonstrate the techniques she uses such as underpainting, resist and embossing to build up textured layers and capture the exquisite detail of feathers and bark. In this class you will use both graphite and colored pencils.

Prerequisite: Botanical Illustration in Colored Pencil I or intermediate skills in graphite and colored pencils.

Fee: $365 member, $415 non-member.

Date(s): Fri-Sun, May 1-3, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Instructor: Ann Swan, U.K.

Forgotten Legacy: Colorado’s Lost Apples II

We continue the documentation of Colorado’s heritage apple varieties and devote this session to flowers. In Forgotten Legacy: Colorado’s Lost Apples, you visited the site of your variety during the blooming season and observed the structure of the flower in detail, including the color. During this one-day session, you’ll receive guidance on how to add the finishing touches.

Prerequisite: Forgotten Legacy: Colorado³ Lost Apples.

Fee: $85 member, $105 non-member.

Date(s):

Tue, June 30, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Instructor: Randy Raak

From Seed to Plant

We are fascinated by process, so let’s start at the beginning and illustrate the seed first. Learn how to sprout a bean seed for observation and document its development week by week as the sprout adds roots and foliage. The process begins with a talk by a Gardens’ expert on seed selection and development as well as directions for scientific observation. In weekly color illustrations, you’ll note changes as the plant begins to grow. In the meantime, you’ll have a mature plant to illustrate in graphite as a backdrop for your weekly botanical snapshots. Learn how to integrate two compositions in different media for an effective presentation. Over the course of five weeks, you’ll see your plant change from seed to shoot to seedling, and you’ll gain a better understanding of germination and growth to share through your own botanical plate in colored pencil and graphite.

Prerequisites: Botanical Illustration in Colored Pencil I, Composition for Boatnical illustration, Botany for the Botanical Illustrator.

Fee: $265 member, $315 non-member.

Date(s):

Mon, April 27, May 4, 11, 18, June 1, 6-9 p.m.

Instructor: Susan DiMarchi

Presented and Managed by the City of Aurora

Discover Aurora's true nature under the light of the full moon and learn a little about its history with this guided nature hike.

The City of Aurora's Parks, Recreation & Open Space department's mission is to encourage active lifestyles and create healthy environments for people, nature and community.

Price: $5

Location: Plains Conservation Center, 21901 E. Hampden Avenue, Aurora, CO 80013 Phone 303-326-8380

Immerse yourself in the Gardens with a horticulturist as your guide. Gain insight into living museum collections and walk away with gardening tips from an expert. Please note that every tour has its own emphasis and is led by a different horticulturist.

Thursday, February 6, 2 p.m.: “Orchids” with Nick Snakenberg, curator of tropical collections and associate director of horticulture

Tuesday, March 24, 10 a.m.: “Spring Garden Preparation” with Dan Johnson, associate director of horticulture, curator of native plants

Friday, June 19, 10 a.m.: “Plant Select®” with Sonya Anderson, horticulture specialist, Plant Select and pollinator gardens

Tuesday, July 7, 10 a.m.: “Annuals” with Bridget Blomquist, horticulture specialist - annuals

Wednesday, July 22, 10 a.m.: “Medicinal Plants” with Blake Burger, horticulture specialist

Tuesday, September 15, 9:30 a.m.: “Fall Garden Preparation” with Mike Bone, curator of steppe collections

Price: $17, $15 member

Special instructions: Tours can be both indoors and outdoors; dress accordingly for the weather. Water, sunscreen and sunglasses are recommended. Please bring booking confirmation. Meet guide in the lobby of the Boettcher Memorial Center after entering through the Gardens main entrance. Tours are one hour long.

Notes: Prices include admission to the Gardens. Tours with low registration are subject to cancellation. These tours are not available for private parties.

**Gift memberships take up to 72 hours to be activated. Please allow 7-10 business days for the gift packet to be mailed to your gift recipient.

If you are renewing a gift membership click here

1 membership card (Only valid for named card holder)

1 person admitted per visit (card holder)

Advance ticketing for Summer Concert Series (Day 5)

2 complimentary tickets to Blossoms of Light at York Street

3 one-time use guest passes

Entry to our Member Mornings where the Gardens are open just to members

Subscription to the Gardens' quarterly printed magazine

Receipt of our monthly Botanic Buzz e-newsletter

Be a green Girl Scout! Learn about ways to save energy, explore water-smart garden plants, create reusable items, and plant an air-purifying house plant to take home with you. This program is designed for Brownie level Girl Scouts.

Scout Exploration Days offer scout troops the opportunity to explore plant-based themes through a variety of hands-on activities and take-home projects. Each Exploration Day offers several activity stations set up throughout the Gardens for groups to explore. Pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it!

Audience: Brownie Girl Scouts

Price: $12.50 per scout (includes admission to the Gardens). One adult (troop leader or parent) for every five scouts is admitted free of charge. Additional adults and non-participating siblings pay $7. Non participating siblings do not participate in the take home activities. If siblings want to participate please purchase a scout ticket.

Special Instructions: To accommodate a larger number of scouts and improve your group's experience we are offering 2 admission times. Activity stations will be available to your group from the admission time you choose until 2:00pm.

Activity stations will be located outdoors. On colder days or days with inclement weather programs will utilize the indoor spaces of the Gardens. We recommend the scouts dress in layers and bring a hat, water bottle and sunscreen with them. You will receive an email with check in information a few days before your scheduled visit.

Scout Exploration Day Refund Policy: Cancellations more than one week prior to the scheduled program are subject to a 15% cancellation fee. Cancellations with less than one week’s notice are non-refundable.

Junior Girl Scouts discover the importance of flowers as they explore the beauty and diversity of flowers. Each scout will plant a flower to take home with them.

Scout Exploration Days offer scout troops the opportunity to explore plant-based themes through a variety of hands-on activities and take-home projects. Each exploration day offers several activity stations set up throughout the Gardens for groups to explore at their own pace. Pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it!

Audience: Junior Girl Scouts

Price: $12.50 per scout, one adult (troop leader or parent) for every five scouts is admitted free of charge. Additional adults and nonparticipating siblings pay $7. Program fee includes admission to the Gardens.

Special Instructions: To accommodate a larger number of scouts and improve your group's experience we are offering 2 admission times. Activity stations will be available to your group from the admission time you choose until 2:00pm.

Activity stations will be located outdoors. On colder days or days with inclement weather programs will utilize the indoor spaces of the Gardens. We recommend the scouts dress in layers and bring a hat, water bottle and sunscreen with them. You will receive an email with check in information a few days before your scheduled visit.

Scout Exploration Day Refund Policy: Cancellations more than one week prior to the scheduled program are subject to a 15% cancellation fee. Cancellations with less than one week’s notice are non-refundable.

Rocky Mountain Gardening Elective

You can grow food in the mountains! Wind, hail, deer, bears, extreme temperatures, we have heard it all. The Parmenters have been growing organic food at 8,120 ft. since 1992 and their techniques and experiences apply to all Colorado s elevations and hardships.

This class covers many great foods that thrive in the cool weather of the mountains, wind-proof season extenders, hail covers, raised bed preparation, bio-intensive growing, compost options against bears, crop rotation, companion planting, succession planting, vegetables for the shade, mulching, seed starting, seed saving and more. Altitude does not matter; this class is designed to help all Colorado gardeners overcome growing in the wild, wild West.

Can t you just taste those fresh, mountain-grown succulent greens, beans, squash and yes, even tomatoes, sweet corn and pumpkins? Join us for a day of learning and inspiration.

Price: $59, $52 members

Instructors: Penn and Cord Parmenter

Penn and Cord Parmenter are high altitude food and seed growers. In 1991, they began homesteading and growing on 43 acres in the Wet Mountains of South-Central Colorado at 8,120 ft. They apply a multitude of techniques to overcome the challenges of the high country. They are owners of Smart Greenhouses LLC, a sustainable greenhouse design company and Miss Penn s Mountain Seeds, providing regionally adapted seeds for extreme climates.

Rocky Mountain Gardening Elective

Just about everyone grows a rose bush or two. Congress designated the rose as America’s national floral emblem in 1986. The popularity of growing roses began thousands of years ago and continues today. The rose growing series offered by American Rose Society Consulting Rosarians and experts from the Denver Rose Society will cover how to grow healthy, easy care beautiful roses for years to come. The series covers secrets to successful rose growing, no pain pruning, versatile shrub roses, fragrant roses, and winter care. Choose one class or take them all and come away with confident rose growing skills and greater appreciation for the “Queen of Flowers.”

Roses grow great in Colorado! Many rose varieties thrive in our region, and can fill your garden with beautiful blooms, color and fragrance. Let one of our experienced rosarians with the Denver Rose Society lead you through the basics of growing roses, how to plant, fertilize and water. We’ll cover healthy practices for growing happy and vigorous roses through the season. You’ll leave the class with the know-how to make roses the Queen of Flowers in your garden!

Instructor: Denver Rose Society

Price: $32, $27 members