CRAGS annual AGM meeting will be held starting at 7pm before the November talk.
Please make sure you have renewed your membership in order to vote or be counted as present.

Presentation: Gesneriad Family – Various Care and Culture Requirements
Speaker: Winston Goretsky – Stampede Violet Society
Date/Time: Nov.13, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Location:  In person at Lakeview Community Association Hall, 6110-34th Street, SW.  Also available on zoom. Parking is free. Everyone is welcome.  Newcomers are welcome to come in person to meet our club.  

We encourage you to come at 6:30 p.m. to enjoy some refreshments and treats.  Please bring your own mug.

Winston will discuss the various care and culture requirements that range between the different members of the Gesneriad Family of plants, which will include Fibrous, Rhizomatous, and Tuberous examples. If people have examples of plants they would like to bring, it always makes for a good interactive discussion.

This will be a discussion and members are welcome to bring in their own example of the plant to use as a discussion point.

Speaker Bio
Winston is a native of Calgary and an AVSA (African Violet Society of America) Past President. He has been active in AVSA since 1982 and a Life Member since 1986. He is a Master judge and has served on numerous committees, plus continuing to serve as the official photographer for the African Violet Magazine. In addition, he is active in the African Violet Society of Canada and the Gesneriad Society.

Speaker: Todd Boland
Presentation: Spring Wildflowers and Alpines of Northern Greece
Date/Time: October 9th, 2025 6:30 p.m. doors open Speaker at 7 p.m.
Location:  In person at Lakeview Community Association Hall, 6110-34th Street, SW.  Also available on zoom. Parking is free. Everyone is welcome.  Newcomers are welcome to come in person to meet our club.
We encourage you to come at 6:30pm to enjoy some refreshments and treats.  Please bring your own mug.

Most people visiting Greece usually concentrate on the southern region and surrounding islands.  As rock gardeners Mount Olympus is highly recommended. However, few people realize there is a mountain range in northern Greece called the Pindos.  Here grows a wonderful selection of alpines and other suitable rock garden subjects.  Gentiana, Daphne, Ramonda, Saxifraga and Anemone are just a sampling.  And the orchids are second to none, with over 40 species in and around the Pindos Mountains.  Come on a journey to the wilds of northern Greece.

Speaker Bio:

Todd lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where he works as the chief horticulturist at the Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden. He is the current president of NARGS, the first Canadian to hold the position. Since 2009, he has been the author of the NARGS website “Plant of the Month” feature and is the administrator of the on-line image gallery. Starting in 2023, he took over as the tour manager for NARGS. He is a regular contributor to The Rock Garden Quarterly and has spoken to gardening groups across North America as well as in the U.K. and New Zealand. He has authored six photographic field guides on the native and naturalized flora of Atlantic Canada. He has also authored three gardening books, Favourite Perennials for Atlantic Canada, Shrubs and Vines for Atlantic Canada and most recently Gardening for Acidic Soils, a book co-written with Jamie Ellison of Nova Scotia.

If you are not a member and wish to watch on zoom please purchase tickets at Eventbrite: Todd Boland CRAGS Talk

Speaker: Geir Moen Date/Time: Sept.11, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Presentation:  Plants Above the Treeline
Location:  In person at Lakeview Community Association Hall, 6110-34th Street, SW.  Also available on zoom. Parking is free. Everyone is welcome.

Presenter Bio:
I’m Geir Moen, living in the countryside northeast of Oslo, Norway. My passion for plants began in childhood, guided by my grandmother’s early lessons in gardening. Over the years, I’ve cultivated a wide range of plants, with a primary focus on alpine species for the past 30 years. Although I initially wanted to grow every plant I encountered, I now find great enjoyment in studying plants in their natural habitats.

I founded Plants Above Treeline, an initiative dedicated to conservation and propagation of alpine plants, and knowledge-sharing. We aim to contribute to a sustainable future for rock gardening by producing seeds of wild plants in a controlled environment, while also exploring their unique traits, propagation techniques, and responsible methods for conserving these vulnerable species. I’ve also led plant exploration trips to regions such as the Carpathians, Maritime Alps, and the Tien Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan. My travels have taken me to Patagonia as well, deepening my commitment to understanding and preserving diverse plant ecosystems.

Meconopsis sp.

Pulsatilla sp.

Callianthemum sp.

Presentation: Plant Sex – Intricacies and Implications for Gardeners
Speaker: Lawrence Harder
Date/Time: June 12 2025 at 7 p.m.
Location:  On Zoom or in person at Lakeview Community Association Hall, 6110 – 34th Street SW. Parking is free. Everyone is welcome.

Lawrence will talk about how plant sex is important to know for gardeners, providing us with his experience and knowledge.

Lawrence is a retired plant biologist, who has studied pollination and the reproductive ecology of flowering plants for four decades. He has been fortunate to pursue this interest on five continents, and never misses the opportunity to go plant hunting with camera in hand. He is also a chastened rock gardener, learning the hard way not to start too big!

This meeting is a hybrid meeting: on-line and in person. Non-members are welcome to attend without a ticket at the hall. Lakeview Community Association Hall, 6110 – 34th Street SW

To non-members who wish to view online please purchase tickets at eventbrite plant sex

Presentation:  Cultivating Success Through Trial and Error
Speaker: Cameron Kidd
Date/Time: May 15 2025 at 7 p.m.
Location:  On Zoom or in person at Lakeview Community Association Hall, 6110 – 34th Street SW. Parking is free. Everyone is welcome.

Cultivating Success Through Trial and Error
Embracing a trial-and-error approach, Cameron continually discovers what works best in his
unique gardening environment. Join him as he shares insights and experiences from this
extraordinary gardening journey.

Speaker
Cameron Kidd is an enthusiastic rock and crevice gardener from Victoria, BC, with a passion
for cultivating a diverse range of plants. With a special interest in geophytes, succulents,
woodland plants, and spring ephemerals, Cameron enjoys experimenting with seeds from
around the globe. His garden, located in a coastal temperate climate, features various aspects,
habitats, and micro-climates that allow him to push the boundaries of what can thrive.

This meeting is a hybrid meeting: on-line and in person. Non-members are welcome to attend without a ticket at the hall.  To non-members who wish to view online please purchase tickets for the zoom presentation at: CRAGS May 15 eventbrite

Everyone is welcome at CRAGS’ Plant Sale, to be held on Saturday May 31st from 12 noon to 4pm at Lakeview Community Hall. Go to the Plant Sale tab for more information

Hypertufa Troughs, Demonstration & Displays We’re excited to welcome the Calgary Rock and Alpine Garden Society to our gardensense Studio for a special event you won’t want to miss!

Date: Sunday, May 18th Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Location: Greengate Garden Centers’ – Gardensense Studio

14111 Macleod Trail, Calgary  map location

Discover the art of gardening with hypertufa troughs—stone-like planters that are perfect for alpine and rock gardens! The experts from CRAGS will be on hand with stunning displays, and tons of garden inspiration. Whether you’re a seasoned alpine gardener or just curious about this unique gardening style, take this fantastic opportunity to connect, learn, and grow with fellow plant lovers!

Presentation:  Ecological Gardening
Speaker: Jane Reksten
Date/Time: April 10 2025 at 7 PM
Location:  On Zoom or in person at Lakeview Community Association Hall, 6110 – 34th Street SW. Parking is free. Everyone is welcome.

Ecological Gardening
Gardeners that look beyond their garden gate will have found it hard to ignore the trend towards what is variously known as ‘naturalistic planting design’, ‘designing with plants’ ‘new wave perennials planting’, ‘wild-scaping’ – the names are many.  This philosophy requires seeing plants for more than their flowers, embracing their form, structure, and how well they earn their keep after they have died back in the fall.  We’ll look more closely at this trend and the personalities connected, as well as examples and resources that may inspire your own gardening practice.

Speaker Bio
Jane completed a BA in her home town at the University of Victoria followed by a Diploma in Horticulture from Olds College which complemented her background in microbiology and environmental studies.  Jane has worked in the residential landscape industry and at the Calgary Zoo and Botanical Gardens where she helped schools develop native plant gardens, and taught a wide variety of horticulture courses, including the Master Garden Program.  After 8 years at Olds College as the Manager of Botanic Gardens and Greenhouses, she is now a garden consultant and Head Gardener at Lougheed House.

If not a member please buy tickets at:  Eventbrite Ecological Gardening

Presentation: Fynbos: Floral Gems in an Unpromising Landscape
Speaker: Marilyn Mayall
Location: This will be a hybrid talk on zoom and in person at the Lakeview Community Association Hall 6110 – 34th Street SW. Parking is free. 

Fynbos- the somewhat dismissive term used by early Dutch settlers to describe the landscape of the southernmost tip of South Africa. The term can be roughly translated as ‘fine bush’, but the dense grey green shrubs which characterize the flora of the area were of little use to settlers who required building timber. However, the flora of the area almost immediately attracted the interest of early 17^th century European botanists who were fascinated by the distinctiveness and variety of the native flora. Now known as the Cape Floristic Region, it is the smallest of the six floral kingdoms of the world and home to one of the world’s richest flora.

This talk endeavours to showcase some of the unique specimens which thrive in this seemingly unprepossessing environment.

Speaker bio:  Retirement has given me the chance to pursue my lifelong interest in botany. Volunteering with knowledgeable and generous mentors has nurtured my inner nerd and I have benefitted from the fellowship of Calgary’s community of gardeners.

Retirement has also given me the opportunity to travel to some of the world’s botanical hot spots where I marvel at the ingenious variety of the world’s flora.

For non-members please purchase tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/thurs-march-13-2025-700pm-fynbos-floral-gems-in-an-unpromising-landsc-tickets-1246726826499?aff=oddtdtcreator

This is a Zoom-only talk.

John Lonsdale will describe a wide variety of the many unusual and beautiful woodland plants which he grows in his USDA zone 6b garden in Exton, PA. The presentation will highlight genera such as Trillium, Galanthus, Cyclamen, Corydalis, Podophyllum, Hepatica, Erythronium, Cypripedium, Phlox, Epimedium and Arisaema, many of which are native to the eastern USA. These plants are suitable for a range of habitats in the garden, from dry shade to vernally moist sunlit woodland edges. Although often found in deep shade in the woods, many flourish and flower much better when given more sunny locations and plentiful moisture. Several trees and shrubs will also be included, particularly native deciduous azaleas. John is particularly interested in pushing the cultivation limits of these plants, and his talk will emphasize methods for their successful growth and propagation, especially from seed. John has constructed two bog gardens to allow cultivation of some of the woodland plants which typically struggle in the garden, and examples of these will be discussed.

John Lonsdale gardens at “Edgewood” which is situated 35 miles west of Philadelphia, in Exton, Pennsylvania. He has grown a wide variety of alpine and woodland plants and bulbs for more than 40 years and is a recipient of the Alpine Garden Society Gold Merit Medal. He has traveled extensively to study plants in habitat, especially Trillium in the SE USA. John regularly contributes articles to the publications of several horticultural societies, lectures widely and maintains a website (www.edgewoodgardens.net) featuring over 20,000 images of plants growing in his garden. He contributed a chapter discussing Cyclamen in North America to the book, “Genus Cyclamen in Science, Cultivation, Art and Culture”, published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. John received his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and spent more than 35 years working in biomedical research, before driving a school bus for 5 years.

If you are not a CRAGS member you can order tickets at Woodland tickets 

The Alaska Botanical Garden in Anchorage, AK, is the home of a collection of Meconopsis, or Himalayan Poppies.  Our speaker, Will Criner, studied Horticulture in Kentucky and has worked in the industry for 20 years. He moved to Alaska in 2012 and has been working at the Alaska Botanical Garden for 11 seasons. He is currently the Garden and Facilities Manager and oversees the garden’s APGA accredited Meconopsis Collection.

This will be a Zoom-only meeting and members will receive an email with the links the day before the meeting.  Non-members can register for the talk via this Eventbrite Link 

PLEASE NOTE: THE TALK WILL BE PRECEDED WITH THE CRAGS AGM

Presentation: Europe 2024.  Four cities in fourteen days, many gardens discovered.
Speaker: Daniel Walker from CRAGS
Location: This will be a hybrid talk on zoom and in person at the Lakeview Community Association Hall 6110 – 34th Street SW. Parking is free. 

At an early age I was always drawn to nature and plant life. From helping my mom tend to her flower and vegetable beds to picking out a dahlia from that wall of bulbs at the garden centre. I always enjoyed watching plants grow.

During high school I got a job at the local greenhouse and the spark I had for horticulture flourish. I had amazing mentors at the greenhouse that nurtured my passion and steered me to Olds College, where I completed my Landscape Management diploma. After a few years I joined the City of Calgary Parks department where I worked in various locations in the city the highlight being the National Historic Reader Rock Garden where I was the head gardener. During my time at Reader Rock I cultivated relationships with plant societies, growers, volunteers etc.

I garden for work and I garden for pleasure in my small yard that utilizes every square inch. When I run out of room I simply, remove more grass. since that isn’t enough for me I have my collection of just under 100 orchids and dozens of houseplants to keep me busy in the winter months. I am that crazy plant person.

If not a member please buy tickets at:  Daniel tickets

Presentation: A look into the collection, layout and propagation of the Utrecht Botanic Gardens located in the Netherlands
Speaker: Connor Smith is on tour through the NARGS.speaker program
Location: This will be a hybrid talk on zoom and in person at the Lakeview Community Association Hall 6110 – 34th Street SW. Parking is free. 

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. Plants trips to Chile, Kyrgyzstan, Japan and co-leading a AGS trip to Kazakhstan.

If not a member please buy tickets at:  Eventbrite Connor Smith

Before the Sept.12 meeting some vendors will be selling a small selection of alpines.  Come and check out what plants are available.

Cash only and bring your own container.  Held at the side of meeting hall.

Presentation: Lorne Kaban from the Alberta Regional Lily Society talks about how be became interested in Lilies and what he has learnt about them.

Location: This will be a hybrid talk on zoom and at the Lakeview Community Association Hall 6110 – 34th Street SW. Parking is free. 

Speaker:

Lorne, has been a lifelong gardener that started out under the tutelage of his Baba and Mother in a vegetable garden on the family farm. Through out his life he has always had a few lilies in his garden.

About 15 years ago, while living in NE Alberta he heard about a farmer north of Vermilion that grew and sold lilies. When he visited Fred Fellner’s farm, Lorne was absolutely infected with “lilyitis”. The four acre plot of seedling lilies that ranged in height from 2-7’ and covered the full spectrum of colors in the white, yellow, pink, red, and multicolor range, as well as were spotted, no spots, frosted, and striped, totally enamoured him. He never looked back and has been on a journey of learning, growing, a little hybridizing, and promoting lilies ever since.

He became involved with the Alberta Regional Lily Society, shortly after he met Fred, and then joined the North American Lily Society a couple years later. Through both groups he has met and been mentored by folks, many of who are now lifelong friends, from across the globe. Lorne is the current President of both Societies and is a champion of growing lilies. He grows over 200 hundred varieties of lilies in his home garden in St Albert and is excited to share some of his knowledge with you and maybe even a couple of tips on how to manage the dread red Lily beetle!

If not a member please buy tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/lets-talk-about-lilies-tickets-1002621496887

    Alberta Cultivar “Alberta Rose”

  Alberta Cultivar “Amilita”