Now that it is officially fall with those lovely cooler evenings, I can take a moment and reflect on the beauty of summer. It was a hot tamale with record-breaking heat, but I love the respite I get in the Idaho Botanical Garden and the beautiful gardens I visit. There is tremendous joy in observing the wildlife that visits, such as hummingbirds that wage war and dive bomb around the salvia, ladybugs and lacewings that bring balance to the aphid population, and if you were lucky, you witnessed the monarchs making an exciting presence back in Boise.  I love to follow gardening and insect g ..read more

Have you ever experienced that romanticized idea of a flower farm? You’re picking flowers at sunset on a warm summer night, and everything is amazing. Behind those beautiful rows of flowers are people working around the clock to bring you fresh blooms. The truth is that flower farming is farming – and farming is blood, sweat, and tears. This year at Idaho Botanical Garden, we introduced a new project taking on an entire new garden, our own flower farm. We opened a bouquet subscription program to 30 of our garden members. Every week we create arrangements for them to take home and enjoy for the ..read more

Weeds, like other plants in our gardens, begin their lives as seeds. Contained within the protective outer layer of a seed is a plant in miniature, awaiting the right conditions to break free. Upon germination, these tiny plants begin their journey towards reproduction and will ultimately flower and make seeds of their own. The old adage, “one year’s weeds, seven years seeds,” is a warning. If you let weeds go to seed, you can expect to see those weeds for many years to come. Don’t let your weeds set seed. That’s the lesson. But it’s more than that. This saying is also a reminder of where weed ..read more

As I sit at my Garden desk each week, the first greetings I usually have are the sound of children and families not too far from my window. The excitement is evident in their laughter and bustle (umm, with camps titled Wizarding Camp and Outback Camp, who wouldn’t be!?) as they wait for their Garden adventures to start. We have reached the middle of our summer youth season and Wendy recently had a rare free moment, so I thought it would be a perfect time to have her highlighted in our blog. Wendy was born into a nature-centered family that spent a lot of time in the outdoors – an experience t ..read more

Being a Plant Parent If plant care falls on a scale between “helicopter” and “free range parent,” my personal style would be in the vicinity of, “Oh wait, I’m supposed to water that plant on the balcony, aren’t I?” Said after a week of not stepping out onto the balcony when the temperatures have been in the 90s. (The ghosts of my neglected container plants may indicate otherwise, but I’m quite responsible with my human child and my four-legged fur child.) In actuality, I have gained a fair amount of maturity as I’ve aged, and after a number of years marked by extremely variable plant parenting ..read more

Have you ever heard a plant described as an “annual” and had no idea what that meant? Most people are afraid to ask what they would consider an “obvious” question, but there are no right or wrong questions when it comes to gardening. With that in mind, for those who don’t know – an annual is any plant that completes its entire life cycle in one growing season or less. Annuals are great for the impatient gardener, but beginners can benefit from starting with a few annuals as well. They are typically inexpensive and, because they grow quicker and bloom longer, annuals can provide confidence for ..read more

June in the Idaho Botanical Garden is a beautiful thing! Blooms, music, yoga, a gathering place for our community… But the key ingredient that makes it the ideal meeting place and outdoor therapist for many is YOU, our volunteers! You can find volunteers supporting us in visible ways: sharing the love of garden spaces and our colorful history, helping you find your way, or being a friendly face for the traveler. Few people know that we have many that aren’t so visible: working behind the scenes in our office, prepping for kids crafts at home, studying and gaining knowledge to share. What – or ..read more

I got a text from Erica: “I’m going to water the veggie garden in 45 minutes!”  Perfect time for an interview, right?  If you haven’t met Erica yet, she’s IBG’s Horticulture Volunteer Coordinator. She spends a lot of her time out in the Garden, working alongside the horticulture volunteers on various projects.  In her interview, Erica was pointing out romaine lettuce and radishes while answering questions. Here’s what she had to say:  Where is your favorite part of the Garden? “I’ve got two! Foothills Grove is my favorite spot for relaxin’, and the Vegetable Garden is the ..read more

On this cooler April day, I joined Eric and Krista in the Garden for the opening day of the Fairy House Exhibit.  Between setting up music and interacting with the visiting fairies and gnomes, we were able to chat about what brought them here. At events such as this, Eric and Krista share tasks to make the event run smoothly.  Eric is the master strategist, planning an event that falls in line with IBG’s mission: Cultivate. Educate. Celebrate.  Grow our community by connecting people, plants, and nature. Eric also handles the legal aspects of the event, as well as details such ..read more

Midden, rot heap, dressing, leaf mold, wormery, windrow, smells like green spirit, muck, bokashi… all terms for the black gold that we know as compost.  Compost creates nutrient-rich humus, balances pH, and increases water filtration and retention – making our gardens and farms crave compost like we do for gravy on a biscuit.  There are benefits beyond our gardens and farms, too!  The EPA stated that 30% of landfill space is compostable material (“Composting At Home”. www.epa.gov, February 28, 2022, https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home).  Reducing waste from our home ..read more