A Celebration of Charles Darwin's 200 Birthday.

Check out the list of demonstrations at the Garden Show
Garden Show hours:
Friday, February 6, 1 pm to 7 pm
Saturday, February 7, 9 am. to 6 pm.
Sunday, February 8, 9 am to 1 pm.
$3 entry fee (children 12 and under free)

On-Line Registration for the conference

Speaker Bios

Change is all around us! Research has developed new insecticides that are less harmful to our environment; plants have developed their own methods of warding off insect and disease pests while their parasites have evolved new methods of attack; and plants once known only from fossil records have been rediscovered.  These topics and the unique methods plants have developed to avoid extinction, how Western Colorado came to be and outstanding plants, gardens and landscapes are just a few of the topics that will be covered in the 2009 Landscapes West Gardening conference.

Friday – February 6, 2009

8:45 – 9:15      Registration and refreshments

9:15 – 10:30    The Evolution of Insecticides – Bob Hammon, Colorado State University Extension Agent, Tri River Areas
            The evolution of insecticides has progressed from deadly lead arsenate treatments to growth regulators, biologicals and the newer insecticides such as the Neonicitinoids. Bob will cover the effectiveness of these materials and how they can make your life as a gardener more enjoyable.

10:30 – 10:45  Break

10:45 – 11:45  What's Old is New at the Learning Garden – Aline LaForge, Archaeologist, Bureau of Land Management, Grand Junction Field Office

A project inspired by the Northern Ute Tribe and funded by the Bureau of Management and US Forest Service has blossomed. With a generous donation of land from Mesa County we hope to reconnect Ute tribal members to their traditional lands through botany, create an accessible Western Slope garden landscape, and inform visitors about plants that provide food, medicine, and materials. Learn more about the people who lived in this valley long before the import of the people and plants that surround us here today.

11:45 – 12:45  Lunch – provided 

12:45 – 1:30    The Evolution of the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens –  David Brown, Executive Director and Elizabeth Neubauer, Operations Manager

One thing about gardens is that they are never finished. They are always changing and evolving. The Western Colorado Botanical Gardens is no exception. As the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens enters into its 11th year of operation, many exciting developments are happening. New gardens are in the works.   Conservation efforts are underway. Special events are coming up. Meet the WCBG new Executive Director, David Brown and hear about all the changes that are in store at your Botanic Garden.

1:30 – 3:00      The Geological History of the Grand Junction Area - Dr. Rex Cole, Professor of Geology, Mesa State College

The Grand Valley has gone through many changes over the eons including volcanic flows, glaciers higher than the Grand Mesa, catastrophic floods, and at least one earthquake that tore the valley in two. These and other topics to include age-dating techniques and fossils will be covered.

3:00 – 3:30      Break – visit the exhibits

3:30 – 4:30      The Evolution of Parasitic Plants – Dr. Kristy Duran, Department of Biology, Mesa State College

A parasite is an organism that grows, feeds, and is sheltered on or in a different organism while contributing nothing to the survival of its host. Nematodes, fungi, bacteria and many other organisms parasitize plants.  Which came first, or did they evolve together?

Saturday

8:00 – 9:00      Registration & Breakfast

9:00 – 10:00    The Evolution of a Gardener – Panayoti Kalaidis, Senior Curator and Director of Outreach, Denver Botanic Gardens

The life-long search for plant life adapted to Colorado’s conditions has had a tremendous impact on the belief system of this great plant explorer.  P.K. will   take you with him on his explorations of the plant communities of the Steppes and explain how they came to be.

10:00 – 10:30  Break to visit the exhibits

10:30 – 11:30  "Which Came First the Flower or the Bee" – Sheryl Williams,  Instructor/Coordinator of Horticulture and Landscape Technologies   Delta-Montrose Technical College

Explore the fascinating co-evolution of flowers and their pollinators as we look at the relationships between hummingbirds and tubular flowers, ants and the Acacia tree, the Yucca and the Yucca moth, butterflies and milkweeds, and moths and orchids. From wind pollination to exclusive partnerships, discover how each party affected each others' evolution.

11:30 – 12:15  Native Plants; Adaptations for Survival – Susan Rose, Horticulture Educator, Colorado State University Extension

Colorado natives have developed a variety of ingenious adaptations to some of the world's harshest environments.  From the alpine tundra to the scorching western deserts, these plants have beaten the odds to become successful survivors under many kinds of adverse conditions.

12:15 – 1:30    Lunch on your own.

1:30 – 2:30      Weapons of Botanical Defense – Mary Ann Bonnell, Naturalist, City of Aurora

Sessile lifestyle notwithstanding, plants employ a remarkable arsenal of natural, efficient, and clever defense mechanisms against a diverse array of environmental challenges. In this session, Secretary of Botanical Defense, Mary Ann Bonnell, offers a briefing, training, and press conference on plant defense mechanisms (PDMs) and how they are being deployed daily to fight the botanical axis of evil.  Bring your note pads along with your questions. 

2:30 – 3:30      The Evolution of the Garden – Susan Carter, Carter Designs,   Fruita, Colorado

Evolution is a process in which something passes by degrees to a different stage.   Susan will discuss how backyards morph into areas of functionality and fun.  The use of art, technology and consideration of environmental issues will be highlighted.  Bring an open mind and learn how the design of your back yard directly affects your personality and life style.

3:30 – 4:00      Break to visit the Exhibits

4:00 – 5:00      Going Beyond Sagebrush and Hollyhocks: New Frontiers in Plant Selections – Marcia Tatroe, Author, Columnist and Teacher, Denver, Colorado

Going xeric opens up a whole new world of planting options, as each year more and more variety joins the ever-expanding palette of dryland plants that grow better in our region than anywhere else. This class looks at how adding some of the best of these promises to enliven your garden and create enough diversity to excite the most obsessive gardener.

Sunday

8:00 – 8:30      Registration - Breakfast will be provided between 8:00 – 9:00

8:30 – 9:30      Bulbs for Colorado Gardens – Marcia Tatroe, Author, Columnist and Teacher, Denver, Colorado

No group of plants is better suited to Colorado’s capricious climate. Spring-flowering bulbs actually prefer cold winters and dry summers. Tropical bulbs withstand heat better than many traditional annuals. Besides unusual varieties of daffodils and tulips, learn about dozens of lesser known bulbs that promise low maintenance color throughout the seasons.

9:30 – 10:00    Break – visit the exhibits

10:00 – 10:45  Living Fossils – Dr. Curtis Swift, CSU Extension, Grand Junction

The fossil evidence reveals that many plants have gone extinct since the world began.  Several trees that were thought to be extinct have since been planted in the Mesa County Arboretum. More information on the Arboretum will be provided by Dr. Swift.

10:45 – 11:30  Using Ancient Lavender in Your Modern Garden – Kathy Kimbrough, CSU Master Gardener and Lavender Specialist.

Learn where lavender came from, how it has been used over the centuries, and how to grow it successfully.

11:30 – 12:30  “Get the Drift” – Evolution is in your own garden – Panayoti Kelaidis, Senior Curator and Director of Outreach, Denver Botanic Gardens

This talk will focus on what is happening in your own garden, under your own nose, without you even knowing it.  During this discussion, P.K. will reveal a number of beautiful gardens and their complement of plants.