EVENTS
Denver Botanic Gardens
Today: “Garden Grapes & Hops,” annual benefit includes all-you-can-eat food and drink samples from more than 20 local restaurants and 15 breweries and wineries, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Tickets vary, Designated Driver ticket available. Preview Hour (5-6:30 p.m.) and After Party (9:30-11 p.m.) also available. Proceeds benefit the gardens’ education, research, conservation and community outreach programs. botanicgardens .org/content/garden-grapes-and-hops; Thursday & June 15: The Bonfils-Stanton Lecture Series continues with “Bonsai: Reflections on Life,” 6 p.m. tour Thursday, workshops offered June 15, call or visit the website for details. 1007 York St., 720-865-3580,
Fairmount Cemetery
Saturday: “Fairmount Heritage Foundation Annual Rose Tour” with Peggy Williams, Denver Rose Society consulting rosarian, 9 a.m. check-in at Fairmount Cemetery Gate Lodge, 9:30 a.m. tour begins. Tickets are $15, advance ticket sales only. 430 S. Quebec St., fairmountheritagefoundation.org
Garden Conservancy Open Days Program
Saturday: Five private gardens in Denver, Lakewood and Littleton are open to the public in a benefit for the Garden Conservancy, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $5 per garden, free children 12 and younger. No reservations required. Participating addresses: NG & DR, 5438 Blue Sage Drive, Littleton; Floral Designer’s Garden, 185 Downing St.; Japanese Cottage Garden, 356 Lafayette St.; Mike Kintgen Garden, 885 S. Jersey St.; Fondamenta Dona, 815 Crescent Lane, Lakewood. Next date: Aug. 18.888-842-2442, opendays program.org
Greeley Blues Jam Sod
Sunday: Selling 40,000 square feet of sod from this year’s Greeley Blues Jam for 15 cents per square foot. You must purchase a minimum of 300 square feet and pick it up between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday. There will be a forklift and operator available to load the sod onto your trailer. Call 970-350-9522 with questions or 970-356-5000 to place an order.
Rob Proctor’s Garden
Sunday: KUSA-Channel 9 garden pro Rob Proctor will open his garden for tours, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. $10 suggested donation benefits the Dumb Friends League. Tickets available at the door or in advance at Tagawa Gardens (7711 S. Parker Road, Centennial). 3030 W. 46th Ave., ddfl.org
Wildflower Festival
Sunday: Annual festival includes family activities, a wildflower hike, native plant sale and a variety of stations promoting the importance of native wildflowers, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Hikes begin at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., puppet shows at 11:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. Lookout Mountain Nature Center, 910 Colorow Road, Golden, 720-497-7600
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
Community Forester workshops
Classes begin June 30: Registration is open through June 28 for a series of workshops presented by The Park People and Denver Parks and Recreation’s Forestry Division. Community foresters lead and participate in tree planting, neighborhood projects and activities. 303-722-6262, theparkpeople.org
CSU Extension, Pueblo County
Saturday, registration deadline today: “Gardening With Native Plants” with CSU Extension Native Plant Masters in the auditorium at Lake Pueblo State Park, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Reservations required, deadline today. 719-583-6566
CSU Twilight Garden Series
Tuesday: The three-part outdoor workshop series begins with “Watering Wisdom,” continues June 19 with the “Challenges of Gardening Along the Front Range: The World of Woody Plants” and wraps up June 26 with “Fanciful Fruit.”Registration at 6 p.m. followed by the two-hour class at 6:30. The cost is $5 each or $10 for all three. The Tuesday and June 19 classes are at the CSU Plant Environmental Research Center, 630 W. Lake St. in Fort Collins. The June 26 class is at the Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 S. Centre Ave. in Fort Collins. Refreshments and door prizes included. 970-491-7019, hla.colostate.edu
Denver Urban Gardens
Through October: Learn how to compost in your backyard or with a worm bin in ongoing learn-to-compost classes. Free; visit website to register. Gove Community Garden, 1325 Colorado Blvd., 720-865-6810, DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles
Hudson Gardens
“Meet the Vegetable Gardeners” sessions are offered twice a month for visitors to observe and ask questions about bed preparation, planting, weeding, maintenance and more, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Remaining dates are Tuesday and June 26, July 11 and 25, Aug. 9 and 23, Sept. 4 and 18. “Meet the Beekeeper” sessions are offered 9:30-11:30 a.m. June 16, July 21, Aug. 18 and Sept. 15. All sessions are included with admission. 6115 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, 303-797-8565 ext. 306, shop.hudsongardens.org
Tagawa Gardens
Saturday: “Shade Gardening Weekend: Made in the Shade: Perennials for Shady Gardening Spaces,” 10-11 a.m. 7711 S. Parker Road, Centennial, 303-690-4722,
Timberline Gardens
Sunday: “Companion Plants for Hardy Cacti: Richness in the Non-irrigated Landscape,” 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $10; “Cacti and Succulents for Cold Climates: Outstanding Species for Challenging Conditions,” 1-3 p.m. $10. Reservations required. 11700 W. 58th Ave., Arvada, 303-420-4060,
EXHIBITS
Denver Botanic Gardens
Through Aug. 5: “Kenichi Nagakura: Fluid Duality” in the Gates Garden Court Gallery; through Nov. 4: “Kizuna: West Meets East,” large bamboo art installations by internationally known artists Tetsunori Kawana and Stephen Talasnik. 1007 York St., 720-865-3580,
SAVE THE DATE
Old Town Lafayette Garden Tour
June 16: The second annual tour features seven gardens, chicken coops, townhouse gardening, xeriscaping, an urban farm and a 40-year-old rose garden, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Botanical artists will be working in the gardens during the tour. The tour is held in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Society of Botanical Artists’ exhibit at pARTiculars gallery, 401 S. Public Road in Lafayette. A reception is 4-6 p.m.
Tickets for the tour are $10, and available at pARTiculars, Lafayette Florist (600 S. Public Road) and City Hall (1290 S. Public Road). Tickets will be sold at the garden, 109 E. Cleveland St., on the day of the tour.
Center for Connected Communities
June 16: “Mindful Container Gardening” interactive class, 9 a.m.-noon. Plants, soil, instruction and handouts included. Participants must bring a pot/container. $50. Reservations required. 7895 Alkire St., Building A, Arvada, e-mail carol@the-ccc.org
Enchanted Gardens Tour of Northwest Denver
June 16: The 12th annual self-guided tour of approximately 20 gardens, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $15, free children under 12. The tour begins at The Conflict Center, 4140 Tejon St. An after-party is 4-7 p.m. at the 23rd Ave. Sculpture Studio. 303-433-4983, conflictcenter.org
Compiled by Vickie Heath, The Denver Post
Mail info 10-14 days in advance to Garden Calendar, The Denver Post, 101 W. Colfax Ave., Suite 600, Denver, CO 80202; fax 303-954-1679; e-mail living@denverpost.com.
