Native plants conference goes virtual
Gardening with native plants is not a new concept. There are people who have been doing it for a long time, but it’s not what I would call mainstream.
It is, however, gaininginpopularity as people discover that a native plant garden provides much more than just water savings. Gardeners of all types from patio planters to commercial properties can play an important role in helping to increase pollinator and wildlife habitat and bolster biodiversity.
Our urban and suburban landscapes can ser ve as nature preser ves if we choose the right plant species. Potential water savings is cer tainly a plus, as is celebrating the renowned Colorado aesthetic that draws visitors to ournationalparksandopenspaces ever y year.
Whether you are new to incorporating native plants into your landscape or have been doing it for decades, the Sixth Annual Landscaping With Colorado
Native Plants Conference promises to have something for you.
Scheduled for Feb. 27, things will look a little different this year, as it will be presented in a virtual format for everyone’s safety and convenience.
High Countr y Gardens founder David Salman will kick things of f as the keynote speaker. In his session, titled “A Western Perspective on Native Plants; A Career Bringing Natives From Habitattomarket,”hewillregale participants with stories from the past 35-plus years in the industr y.
He will explain how native
plant collections transition from the wild into home horticulture and how some of his introductions were discovered. The rest of the day will be split into two tracks, New to
Natives and Knows the Natives, along with vir tual exhibitor booths for people to visit during breaks.
Opening the New to Natives track is awardwinning author Susan Tweit speaking on what native plants need to thrive — it might different than what you expect!
Amy Yarger, of the Butterfly Pavilion, will share information on how to choose plants that are necessar y to raise the next generation in her session, “Bringing Up Baby … Bugs.” And Lisa Olsen, with Wild Ones Front Range Chapter, will be sharing tips on what native plants are available in the nurser y trade, where to find them and advice on plant-specific preferred growing conditions.
If you’d like to dig a little deeper into the world of gardening with native plants, the Knows the Natives track features Alison Peck, of Matrix Gardens, who will be discussing how native plants can be a vital par t of sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gasses in her session, “Natural Climate Solution Heroes: Native Plants.” Jim Tolstrup, from the High Plains Environmental Center, is speaking on how to ef fectively use native plants in your garden designs and Jennifer Bousselot, assistant professor of horticulture at Colorado State University, will round out the track with a discussion about her research on “Colorado Native Plant Finishing Protocols for the Green Industry,” an important piece of the puzzle for getting more native plants into the nurser y trade and available to home gardeners.
The closing keynote is author and native plant advocate Marcia Tatroe, who will be sharing her experience gardening with native plants in Centennial over that last 33 years. In her session, “Evolution of a Suburban Garden,” she is sure to have many lessons learned and expert advice to share with participants.
For more information about the conference and how to register, visit pheedloop.com/evemSJHPTZKRI/SITE/HOME/ or landscapingwithcoloradonativeplants.org.
The Landscaping With Colorado Native Plants Conference is presented by a coalition of partner organizations: the Butterfly Pavilion, CSU Depar tment of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, CSU Extension, Colorado Native Plant Master Program, Colorado Native Plant Society, Denver Botanic Gardens, Wild Ones Front Range Chapter, the High Plains Environmental Center and author Susan J Tweit.