My wife and I did our fall visit to the Denver Botanic Gardens. Last time, the most notable thing was the Jaume Plensa: A New Humanism exhibit. But this time it was the Victoria waterlily. Each year, the Denver Botanic Gardens hosts a competition with other gardens across the globe to see who can grow the largest water lily that can hold the most weight. To see this year’s winner, I would encourage you to follow them on social media. Last year I saw a video of two average-sized adults standing in the middle of one of these lilies. That was probably around 300 lbs. Truly impressive for a leaf floating on a pond.
These pads can measure up to ten feet across, and they can hold so much weight because of a network of radiating ribs and cross-veins on the underside of each leaf. I believe these ribs and veins are also hollow, adding to their buoyancy. The leaves also have upturned rims that keep water out.
The contest itself is called the Waterlily Weigh-Off, started by Denver Botanic Gardens in 2021 as an informal experiment and turned into an annual event that challenges public gardens and zoos across the globe to see whose Victoria waterlily can carry the most weight. It’s now gone fully viral, with dozens of gardens from multiple countries competing each August.
So if you find yourself in the Denver area, the garden is worth checking out. It is located not far from the Denver Design Center, but there is an alternative for high-quality custom furniture. You know where to find me if I’m not in the Garden.
I’m the owner of Benham Design Concepts, a Colorado-based Custom Furniture design and fabrication studio. I design and build custom furniture that resembles works of art, using materials such as wood, glass, stone, and metals. The furniture I produce serves not only as practical items but also as works of art, infusing character and style into any space.
