MeetingsQuestions?PublicationsSeeds BooksGardensSlides & VideosLinksSite Map
National MeetingsLocal ChaptersSpeakers' Tour

Rocky Mountain Chapter

North American Rock Garden Society 

The Rocky Mountain Chapter is one of 35 chapters of the North American Rock Garden Society.  A leading chapter, it was organized in 1976.  Rocky Mountain Chapter members live close to the central Rocky Mountain region of the western U.S., affording them the opportunity to know firsthand the alpine and saxatile plants of this superb botanical area.  Most members live at the eastern base of Colorado's Rocky Mountains -- a unique area for cultivating alpines and other rock garden plants. The climate, altitude, sunlight and soils of the Front Range are conducive to growing a wide spectrum of rock alpine plants from around the world.

This chapter, with nearly 300 members, welcomes new rock gardeners. The group includes other novices as well as professional and skilled amateur rock gardeners, botanists, horticulturists, plant propagators, garden designers, professional flower and garden photographers, artists and writers. Most members have their own rock garden. Chapter meetings are usually held at Denver Botanic Gardens on the third Wednesday of each month. Its Rock Alpine Garden affords members the opportunity to observe the eminent collection of plants in cultivation during all seasons.  Many members volunteer in the care of this garden and at DBG's annual fundraiser plant and used book sale.

Chapter meetings feature slide lectures by local, national and international experts, including plant hunters who explore the mountains and steppes of eastern Europe, Asia and the western U.S. to collect seeds from plants with horticultural promise. Events include field trips to study rock alpine plants in their native habitat, visits to members' gardens, and plant sales each spring and fall. The monthly newsletter, Saximontana, features plant and gardening articles and information about coming events.

Members of other chapters delight in visiting our area to study and enjoy its plants. The Rocky Mountain Chapter hosted the Society's annual meeting in 1982, the Interim International Rock Garden Plant Conference in 1986, and the Society's annual meeting at Vail in 1993. Local members wrote and published a major reference book, Rocky Mountain Alpines, for the International Conference.  This valuable resource is available from the Society and local bookstores.  In November and December of 1996 and 1997, the Chapter performed the Phase III packaging portion of the Society's annual seed exchange.

Every year but one since 1980, one of our chapter's leaders has served on the Society's board of directors, and others have served on Society committees.  Since 1990 a chapter member has been editor of the Society's Rock Garden Quarterly. Local member writers, artists and photographers frequently have contributed to the publication.

Membership:  Annual dues are $10.00 for individual and $15.00 for household memberships.   Send check payable to 'RMC - NARGS' to Gesa Robeson, 1648 Yosemite Street, Denver, CO 80220.  For more information, contact Joan Schwarz, Membership Coordinator, at 303-526-0017 (phone), 303-756-4816 (fax), or email joanwschwarz@earthlink.net.

For more information, please visit our web site.

Chapter Officers and Board