After the corn maze at Chatfield Farms
A cornfield maze tempted us, right after arriving in Colorado, to trek out to Chatfield Farms, a native plant refuge and working farm that’s part of Denver Botanic Gardens. It was the end of September, and fall was in the air. After the corn maze (fun for about 10 minutes), I took a stroll around the native garden, which I’d last seen at the Denver Fling in 2019.
An old brick silo makes a vertical focal point, surrounded by spiky yuccas and flowering perennials that were drawing in the bees.
Muhly grass pink, the color of fall in western gardens
Silo with a young pine tree
Sunny sunflowers
A tumble of late-season flowers are appealing against the backdrop of a big red barn.
Yucca and silo
On the other side of the barn, we found a picnic table near a small pond and devoured a bag of kettle corn. Mmm, fall flavor.
I admired a blue spruce and noticed a rabbit having an afternoon nibble of its own.
Hello there
I love these powder-blue needles.
Black-eyed Susan and purple aster bring vivid fall color.
It was my first garden visit of the trip and a happy preview of more goodness to come at Denver Botanic Gardens.
Up next: A tour of horticulturist Mike Kintgen’s home garden in Denver. For a look back at colorful aspens and bugling elk in the Rocky Mountains, click here.
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That’s a very cheerful place to spend some time. I’m glad it started your trip off on the right footing.
It plunged us straight into fall with the corn maze, which made me happy.
What a delightful place to wander! Purple asters are wonderful with yellow anything, aren’t they? Love the richness and warmth of fall tones.
I love asters, for sure. So cheery!
We visited DBG last year for the first time. Hands down my favorite BG of all the ones I’ve visited. We didn’t get a chance to see Chatfield, so it is nice to see what I missed here!
I’ve learned that Denver Botanic Gardens is the second most visited botanical garden in the U.S., after Longwood. It is a terrific garden. Chatfield Farms is off the beaten path, with much smaller garden areas. But it was nice to have a return visit and stroll around.
What a lovely place. I love those big old brick silos. There was one we went to look into it every year because barn owls roosted in it. It was fun to see them sitting way at the top. The pat leading to this one is charming.
How cool to see owls roosting in a silo, Lisa!