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Shrublands exist all around us, thriving in almost any environmental condition, from the desiccating sunshine of the endless sagebrush steppe to the deep, private shade of moist forests. These diverse and inspiring ecosystems serve as perfect models for our gardens. Beyond their inherent beauty, they provide nurturing habitats and demonstrate resilience in the face of a changing climate. Since 2017, Manager of Horticulture Research Michael Guidi and I have been traveling the world, striving to experience, interpret and photograph the wild shrublands in all their glory.

Our new book, "Shrouded In Light: Naturalistic Planting Inspired by Wild Shrublands" is an invitation to work, live and play with shrubs by celebrating the shrublands that fill our world. We profile dozens of shrublands, shrub forms and shrub community types that exist across a wide spectrum of habitats and growing conditions. We also delve deeply into the philosophies, aesthetics and design strategies that gardening with these awesome creatures unveils.

"Shrouded In Light" champions inspiration over instruction, offering more than 250 captivating photographs and illustrations to create an immersive experience of shrublands. We collaborated with dozens of photographers, land managers, biologists, horticulture professionals and artists from around the world (including many of our colleagues from the Gardens) to bring this vision to fruition.

The book is out now, as a collaboration between Denver Botanic Gardens and Filbert Press. Get your own copy at the Shop at the Gardens !

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Book Release! “Shrouded In Light”

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