Editor’s note: Get Growing, written by the La Plata County Extension Office’s Master Gardener Program, appears during the growing season. It features timely tips and suggestions for your garden and landscape.By Melanie Palmer
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is on the way for anyone interested in horticulture. The Durango Botanical Society and the Colorado State University Extension Office have garnered a lineup of superstars of western horticulture for a public conference in June at Fort Lewis College.
The presenters include David Salman of High Country Gardens in Santa Fe; Mike Bone and Mike Kintgen, both curators at the Denver Botanic Gardens; Don and Donnie Barnett, experts on succulents and the author and photographer of The Cactus of Colorado; Pat Hayward, former director of the Plant Select program; Jim Klett, professor of landscape, horticulture and nursery management at CSU and coordinator of Planttalk Colorado; Kelly Grummons, one of the state’s most sought-after plantsmen, with many plant introductions to his credit; and our own local expert, Jeff Wagner. Indoor gardening is not left out. Andrew Hatch of the Denver Orchid Society will have orchid growing tips for beginners and experts alike.
It is no exaggeration that these individuals have literally transformed horticulture in the High Plains and Mountain West over the years and have brought beautiful water-wise plants within reach of the average homeowner. A conference of this quality and scope usually happens in Denver or Albuquerque and will likely not be seen in this area again for many years.
The Four Corners Horticulture Conference has something for every interest: crevice gardens, steppe gardens, conifers, annuals, native and non-native perennials and companion plants, succulents, cacti and the aforementioned orchids.
The conference includes an evening reception June 8, all-day classes June 9 and 10, tours of Durango Botanical Society’s Demonstration and Crevice Gardens, plant and book sales and book signings. At $175, the cost of the conference is deeply discounted and includes the reception and two lunches. Individual tickets for the reception and lecture will be available, space permitting, for $20.
For specific conference details and to register, visit www.durangobotanicalsociety.com or call 749-5642.
Melanie Palmer is a master gardener living in La Plata County.
Horticulture conference
The Four Corners Horticulture Conference will be held June 8-10 at Fort Lewis College. For more information and to register, visit
www.durangobotanicalsociety.com
or call 749-5642.
