Sat. Sept. 10th 2022 1:30 PM
Tony Reznicek
More Habitats, Even More Plants:
Microhabitats & Diversity in the Garden
This talk will look at how designing a garden for plants differs from plants as objects to design with. The emphasis will be on physical site conditions and microhabitat creation, especially using rock garden techniques. Tony will look at microclimates around the house, and microhabitats designed with rock and soil, especially sand beds, crevice gardens, plus using tufa and troughs plus other containers (even in-ground “containers”) to maximize the plant diversity you can grow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This will be a zoom meeting.
The meeting link will be sent to members and will be on the members-only page
For more information & to request zoom link, email
Sat. Oct 15th 2022 1:30 PM
Candace Dressler : Native Plants in the Garden
Candace Dressler, will discuss how different plants are native to different parts of the planet and will give examples of the different biomes on the planet and the ecoregions and districts in North America. She will present how to use plant nomenclature and plant tags to help determine if a plant is native to the Ottawa area. Fran Dennett will give an overview of some of her favourite native plants that she says have brought more birds to her backyard gardens and reduced garden maintenance requirements.This will be a zoom meeting.
The meeting link will be sent to members and will be on the members-only page
For more information & to request zoom link, email
Sat. November 12th 2022
Andy Fyon -
Plant-Substrate-Climate Relationships: Changing Rules In A Changing World
Climate is an important factor influencing plant diversity and distributions, but, climate is not the only important factor. Within a climatic area, substrate geology is also an extremely important factor that influences plant diversity. As a geologist, I am fascinated by plant-substrate relationships. My presentation will touch on several distinctive plant-substrate-climate relationships that illustrate the influence of geology and climate on plant diversity. I will also speculate on the impact of a changing climate on plant diversity in some areas. The presentation will touch on several geographic areas, including: a) limestone barrens along the west coast of the island of Newfoundland; b) limestone alvar pavement of Manitoulin Island, Ontario; c) alpine plants on the ice-free landscape in front of the Athabasca glacier, Alberta; and d) halophytic plants of the Takhini Salt Flats, Yukon.
For more information & to request zoom link, email
Sat. Jan. 21st 2023 1:30 PM
Zandra Bainas, Steve Marsh, Rob Stuart, Josie Pazdzior
Highlights from Ithaca New York Annual North American Rock Garden Society Meeting
This talk will show the highlights from the gardens visited as part of the annual North American Rock Garden Society meeting in Ithaca New York.
The annual meeting was held over two day in up state New York over two days with an additional optional day of garden tours proceeding it. Over the course of these three days over 10 different gardens or other areas of natural beauty were explored.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This will be a zoom meeting.
The meeting link will be sent to members in the newsletter and is on the members-only page
For more information & to request zoom link, email
Sat. April 15th 2023 - Morning
From Seed to Garden (seed collection, sorting, storage, the SRGC seed exchange, sowing and growing from seed).
Virtual and In-Person Meeting
starts at 10:30am
Drs Carole and Ian Bainbridge are both keen rock gardeners from south-west Scotland.
Ian’s career was in nature conservation and ecology; he was Chief Ecological Adviser to the Scottish Government, and Head of Science at the Scottish nature conservation agency. Carole came from a horticultural family, and followed a biology doctorate with a career in business, including in the European Commission. She subsequently retrained in garden design, and ran her own design company for 20 years.
Since their retirement, they have been working on their Galloway garden, started from scratch in 2010, after they moved from Edinburgh after 31 years. The garden has rock, boulder, scree and crevice beds, a stumpery and a pond, and more traditional shrub and herbaceous beds including a New Zealand bed.
Carole and Ian have been involved with the Scottish Rock Garden Club for more years than they like to admit (over 40). Both are past Presidents of the Club, they have been the Editors of the Journal ‘The Rock Garden’ and organised the 2001 International Rock Garden Conference in Scotland. They currently run the Seed Reception element of the Club’s large seed exchange, and Carole sits on the Club Council.
Both Carole and Ian are members of the Royal Horticultural Society Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee; Carole is its Scottish Secretary.
Over 40 years they have travelled to all six continents in search of alpines. They have been on three visits to Patagonia; and several to North America. There have been many trips to European mountains, and they have visited China and New Zealand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This will be a zoom and in person meeting.
The meeting link will be sent to members in the newsletter and is on the members-only page
For more information & to request zoom link, email
Sat. Feb 11th 2023 1:30 PM
Connor Smith - Utrecht Botanical Gardens Netherlands - Alpine Gardens in Utrecht
Connor is currently in charge of the Rock Garden at Utrecht Botanic Garden which is one of the largest in Europe.
Connor Smith has worked in America for Iseli nursery, one of the world’s leading conifer nurseries. Work for Zu Jeddeloh nursery in Germany, a short spell with Kevock Garden followed, where he participated in one of their Gold Medal-winning displays at the Chelsea Flower Show. Then, it was on to Vannucci Piante in Pistoia, Italy – the largest growing area in Europe. Connor gained an interested in alpine plants from alpine expert Elspeth MacKintosh at RBGE. Elspeth’s passion and knowledge inspired Connor to further pursue a world in alpine plants. In 2019, he worked for the Schachen Alpine Garden high in the German mountains on a Merlin Trust placement.
The Rock Garden: Utrecht Botanic Garden – A look at one of the largest rock gardens in Europe which contains a range of plants from all over the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This will be a zoom meeting.
The meeting link will be sent to members in the newsletter and is on the members-only page
For more information & to request zoom link, email
Sat. April 15th 2023 - Afternoon
Modern European Rock Gardening (new UK and European rock gardening)
Virtual and In-Person Meeting
starts at 12:30 pm
Drs Carole and Ian Bainbridge are both keen rock gardeners from south-west Scotland.
Ian’s career was in nature conservation and ecology; he was Chief Ecological Adviser to the Scottish Government, and Head of Science at the Scottish nature conservation agency. Carole came from a horticultural family, and followed a biology doctorate with a career in business, including in the European Commission. She subsequently retrained in garden design, and ran her own design company for 20 years.
Since their retirement, they have been working on their Galloway garden, started from scratch in 2010, after they moved from Edinburgh after 31 years. The garden has rock, boulder, scree and crevice beds, a stumpery and a pond, and more traditional shrub and herbaceous beds including a New Zealand bed.
Carole and Ian have been involved with the Scottish Rock Garden Club for more years than they like to admit (over 40). Both are past Presidents of the Club, they have been the Editors of the Journal ‘The Rock Garden’ and organised the 2001 International Rock Garden Conference in Scotland. They currently run the Seed Reception element of the Club’s large seed exchange, and Carole sits on the Club Council.
Both Carole and Ian are members of the Royal Horticultural Society Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee; Carole is its Scottish Secretary.
Over 40 years they have travelled to all six continents in search of alpines. They have been on three visits to Patagonia; and several to North America. There have been many trips to European mountains, and they have visited China and New Zealand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This will be a zoom and in person meeting.
The meeting link will be sent to members in the newsletter and is on the members-only page
For more information & to request zoom link, email
Sat. March 11th 2023
Martin Hajman - Tromsø, Norway - 'Learning from Nature'
Martin Hajman is gardener in Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden – part of The Arctic University of Norway… far north above the arctic circle. Participate on large Rock Garden landscape constructions with Bjørn Thon – Man who made Tromsø BG into rock landscape.
Before Tromsø Rock gardening professionally in Pruhonice garden/ Czech Republic – Head gardener and curator of large historical rock garden on natural rocks (UNESCO site) and running small alpine nursery. Co-founder of Czech Hardy Plants Society and member of Prague Rock Garden Club where he learned rock gardening from masters.
Plant interests - changing according season… since early spring Saxifraga enthusiast through summer Cremanthodium-Meconopsis collector ends with Gentiana expert while snowing. Botanical Trips : European mountains, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Syria, Jordan, South Africa and Tibet…anyway the best flowers are in Northern Norway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This will be a zoom meeting.
The meeting link will be sent to members in the newsletter and is on the members-only page
For more information & to request zoom link, email
For more information & to request zoom link, email