Amorphomania: Carrie the Corpse Flower

by Shay Magaraci | Jul 22, 2019 | Horticulture

Corpse Flower Bloom: July 25, 2017 Since it arrived in Des Moines, our Amorphophallus titanum, also referred to as Titan arum and commonly known as corpse flower, grew in the Botanical Garden greenhouses until the spring of 2017, when it finally dropped its leaf and...

Purple Passion: 5 Flower Favorites

by Shay Magaraci | Jul 10, 2019 | Horticulture

Five Striking Purple Ornamentals The 2018 Pantone Color of the Year was Ultra Violet, which just happened to coincide with the dominant color scheme throughout the espalier border in the Koehn Garden last fall. In its announcement, Pantone described its chosen color...

Textural Appeal: 8 Grasses to Add Complexity to Your Garden

by Shay Magaraci | Jun 14, 2019 | Horticulture

8 Grasses for Texture and Complexity Grasses can accent almost any garden. But why are they just accents? If you have a lot of height in a garden, these varieties can make a great background foil that won’t clutter the rest of the vignette with obnoxious, excess...

7 Meadow Plants We Love

by Shay Magaraci | Jun 10, 2019 | Horticulture

Meadow Mayhem In 2017, the first annual Botanical Garden Summer Camp program took place in amid an artfully designed meadow. The square-in-square design allowed children to experience a sense of wildness, no matter how contrived. The planting also added benefit of...

4 Flowers Perfect for Arrangements

by Shay Magaraci | Jun 10, 2019 | Horticulture

Making the Cut In its finest form, flower arranging is high art. In more casual settings, cut flowers adorn modern living spaces as a celebration of a garden’s ample success. These flowers are favorites at the Botanical Garden, and they happen to work well in...

Phenology: Tracking Plants in Bloom

by Shay Magaraci | Jun 10, 2019 | Horticulture

When Do Plants Really Bloom in Des Moines? Phenology, the study of natural cycles and seasonal changes, is especially important in horticulture. While the name may sound intimidating, we are all phenologists to some extent. We know that with the coming of spring we...