For my final post on the Denver Garden Bloggers Fling, let’s take a look at the garden of Panayoti Kelaidis. Mr. Kelaidis is a substantial presence in the world of horticulture. For starters, he is the senior curator and outreach director at the Denver Botanic Gardens. He’s also an international plant explorer, an author with a variety of books to his credit, and many other accomplishments too extensive to list here.
His garden is a half acre set on a rocky slope with a view of the mountains. That mass of Achillea in the background is striking even before the flowers burst into bloom. The stone bowl of Sempervivum is also pretty cool.
Whoa! These Yucca elata in bloom have serious charisma. (Note: the only reason I know the name is because they are identified in Pam Penick’s post about this garden, which is definitely worth a look.)
Prickly Pear in bloom.
I don’t think I ever saw so much Mullein in a single garden. It certainly makes itself at home in this dry, sunny space. Those fuzzy stems and leaves look almost cuddly.
The bright yellow flowers are dazzling when blooming in quantity.
A ceramic sun makes a very apt emblem for this sunlit locale.
There needs to be a water feature even on this arid plot of ground. I like it’s location at the base of a stone wall.
Not sure of the names of this grass or the pink flowers (some kind of Ice Plant?), but what a great combination on their rocky perch.
It’s not all xeric tough guys in this garden. Even here, there is space for roses, vegetables, and herbs.
OK, I have a name for this sculpture: Dancing Junkyard Fairies.
And a farewell view of the house, nestled among robust and beautiful plantings.
gardeninacity 
I really, really like this garden. There’s lots to relate to, as well. I was pleased to see Pam Penick mentioned. I came across her blog when I was trying to identify some pink Turk’s cap I’d come across. The Mullein is thick out in the hill country, and it’s always fun to find it alongside the roads on rocky slopes. It is cuddly and soft: so much so that the local name for it is ‘cowboy toilet paper.’ You can imagine why.
I can imagine but I will try not to. The mullein does not grow wild very much around here.
What a beautiful and interesting garden.
That’s what I thought.
Awesome garden! Great plant combinations.
The combinations were fantastic.
Another lovely contrast to Midwest March. My favorite is the stone bowl in that setting.
I would love to have one of those stone bowls.
I enjoy seeing his garden. I like how he also has veggies and a few other types of plants.
Yes he did save some space for veggies, but I think that was true of many of the gardens we saw. In our own garden we grow herbs but no veggies.
It was a super idea to spread these posts on the Denver Fling over the winter. Thanks, Jason!
The fling is a gift that keeps giving,
I like this one. Mullein is not something I see growing locally. Looks like it fits in well at this garden.
I don’t see mullein that often, either. It prefers more arid areas.
The photos you’ve taken show off this garden wonderfully.
Judy took the pictures here, and she did a wonderful job as usual.
I’ve never seen a mullein flower spike branch like that. I wonder if it’s wild or a cultivar.
Wild, I think.
No surprise it is fabulous. The man knows plants. You got some wonderful photos. The iceplant (Delosperma?) with blooming grass shot is perfect.
Judy’s photographs, of course, but thanks.
Yucca elata really does look elated. In the wild, they stand up tall, and toss their bloom up even taller, like a cheer leader with pompoms.
A sort of spiky, punk cheerleader.
Incidentally, one of the variegated cultivars of Yucca filamentosa is ‘Color Guard’.
Great garden, and your post brings back some happy memories. 🙂
To be honest, I couldn’t remember that much about this garden. I think I was pretty wiped out by the time we got there.
Such a beautiful and well-thought-out garden!
The bowl of succulents looks cool indeed and I like also very much the “black iron” (I’m not sure which material they really are) details in the garden and the house.
Thank you, as always, for your comment. I do hope you will be able to visit both Italy and Finland. 🙂
Let’s hope the virus can be controlled before long.
Stay safe!
My book club meeting just got cancelled because of the virus. Bummer!
What a fantastic garden, how lovely to have a view of the mountains! I did enjoy those prickly pear blooms and love your name for the sculpture!xxx
The prickly pears are cool. I did once eat the fruit in Israel and they don’t have a lot of taste.