After exploring the Birds and Bees Walk at Denver Botanic Gardens, I found bees hard at work among fall-flowering asters and other perennials. This is Part 4 from my visit to DBG in late September.

Goldenrod was flowering too during this fall visit.

And Salvia reptans

Yellow hollyhock

And more goldenrod, alive with busy bees.

Dwarf Conifer Collection

Nearby, the Dwarf Conifer Collection showed off its assortment of cone-bearing trees, so pretty in shades of green and silver.

I admired a rock-sprawling prickly pear topped with red tunas.

I’ve no idea what this silvery plant is — maybe sand sage? — backed by tawny grass, a silver-and-gold combo.

Rock Alpine Garden

At last I made it to the Rock Alpine Garden, accompanied by alpine plant expert and senior horticulturist at DBG who’s in charge of it, Mike Kintgen.

Mike kindly took time out of his workday to meet me and show me around the garden, which was a treat. I’d met Mike a couple of years ago in Austin, but it was great to talk with him on his home turf and see what he’s working on. (I also had the pleasure of touring Mike’s personal garden in Denver during this trip.)

The Rock Alpine Garden contains the most diverse collection of plants at DBG, according to their website, with more than 2,300 species and 20 habitats of varying slopes, soil types, moisture needs, and exposures. That’s a lot of alpine goodness!

After meeting up with Mike, I returned for a photo visit another day, and that’s when I took most of these photos.

The muhly grasses fluffed out along a gravel path are as touchable as they look.

Those pink fizzy blooms

A few garlic chives add their own firework-like seedheads.

Across the path, a sculptural pine seems to grow out of pure rock.

The rocks in this garden add their own sculptural movement.

Prickly thrift (Acantholimon venustum) caught my eye with its silver-green foliage and incandescing white seedheads.

Boulder portal

A crevice garden planter contains teeny tiny alpine plants tucked amid upright slabs of rock — a miniature mountain range?

The one-acre garden offers several paths to wander.

More rock-hugging pines

In a red hypertufa trough, a mounding red alpine plant makes a perfect color echo.

So many unusual plants and characterful rocks!

Up next: A sunny pond garden, Plains Garden, Dryland Garden, and more at Denver Botanic. For a look back at DBG’s PlantAsia and Birds & Bees Walk, click here.

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Digging Deeper

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