Advance Registration Recommended

Garden design with native plants is often presented as a set of rules or formulas, but the most memorable gardens grow from a deeper understanding of place, ecology, and the plants themselves. In this engaging presentation, co-authors Lauren and Bryan explore a fresh approach to creating beautiful, resilient landscapes inspired by the Interior West.

Together, they will share practical perspectives on designing with native plants, encouraging gardeners to move beyond rigid design principles and instead develop ways of seeing that foster originality, atmosphere, and a strong sense of place. Along the way, they'll expand the native plant palette with outstanding but underused species from the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Great Basin, and Southwest, while introducing surprising native plants that many gardeners would never expect to find in the region's wild landscapes.

Whether you're just beginning to garden with native plants or looking to deepen your knowledge, you'll leave with new ideas, fresh inspiration, and a broader appreciation for the remarkable diversity and design potential of the Interior West's native flora.

About the Presenters:

Lauren Springer

Lauren received the national 2025 American Horticultural Society Landscape Design award. Her work is featured regularly by the national and international press, in books, and on television. Of her six books the newest, coauthored with Bryan Fischer, is The Rocky Mountain Native Plant Primer from Timber Press. Lauren continues to introduce many plants to the regional trade, including this year’s Plant Select selection Epilobium canum UnforgettableTM and next year’s Muhlenbergia rigens Sure ThingTM. She has designed public garden spaces at Denver Botanic Gardens, Chatfield Farms, the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, and at the Gardens on Spring Creek.

Bryan Fischer

Bryan is the Horticulture Manager for the High Plains Environmental Center (HPEC) in Loveland, Colorado. Recruited to pioneer the role and grow HPEC's horticulture program, Bryan oversees the care and development of the Center's gardens and several associated landscapes across Northern Colorado. Complementing this work, Bryan breeds native plants to maximize their beauty and durability in gardens while preserving their ecological values. In 2025, he received the Plant Select® Individual Partner Award in recognition of his contributions to advancing sustainable horticulture. Bryan is the coauthor, with Lauren Springer, of The Rocky Mountain Native Plant Primer, and his writing is regularly published for regional and national audiences alike.

Date and Time:

• Friday, September 25, 2026
• 2:30 - 5:00pm

Location:

• Udall Center for Museum Resource Building, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 725 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, 87505

Pricing:

• Members: $40
• Not-Yet-Members: $50

**SFBG Members** You must sign in to receive your member discount. If you already have an account, click the “Sign in” button at the top of this page. If you do not have an account, click the “Register” button to create an account. If you receive an error or have questions, email info@santafebotanicalgarden.org.

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Refund and Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. We do not offer refunds. If you must cancel, please consider the program fee a donation to the Garden.

We reserve the right to cancel programs at our discretion. Participants will be contacted via email as early as possible in the event of a program cancellation.