Our Award-Winning Gardens 

   At left, DBG volunteers practice       bare-root planting in our                 nationally  recognized Crevice           Garden. Durango will  host the         Annual North American Rock             Garden Society's Annual Meeting,     August 4-8, 2021. 

The Durango Botanic Gardens are honored to be a Plant Select® Demonstration Garden and test facility. Begun in 1997, the Plant Select® program seeks to identify and promote plants that are best suited to gardens located in the high plains and the mountains of Colorado. Each year plants are tested and evaluated to see if they measure up to the standards of Plant Select®.  Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens, and members of the green industry (greenhouses, landscape companies, and nurseries) work cooperatively on this program.  Water-efficient, garden smart plants that have proven they are uniquely adapted to the Rocky Mountain region are introduced annually and sold with the Plant Select® label, often in special displays at garden centers.  

To be chosen as a Plant Select® Demonstration Garden, it is the mission of a chosen garden to encourage regionally appropriate gardening, increase awareness of Plant Select plants, and maintain a well-planned educational program.  In 2014, the Durango Botanic Gardens were celebrated by Plant Select with its Showcase Garden Award for our work toward the education and promotion of the missions and goals of Plant Select^®.

^{City of Durango 2019 Arbor Day Distinction}

Durango Botanic Gardens' President, John Anderson, received an "Outstanding Service" award from the City of Durango at its 39th Annual Arbor Day Celebration on April 19, 2019. The award recognizes Anderson, in his role as president of DBG, for contributing to the growth of Durango's "Urban Forest." The Durango Botanic Gardens develops and maintains public gardens around the Durango Public Library at 1900 East Third Avenue, Durango, CO. 

 Plant Select^® partners with 65 public gardens across the Rocky Mountain region to  display plants that flourish in our region and provide education opportunities to        homeowners and professionals alike. The Golden Shovel award recognizes a  Demonstration Garden partner exhibiting superior design, care, and use of Plant  Select® plants while providing educational opportunities to visitors. 

Featured Rock Garden

Our rock garden work has been distinguished in the North American Rock Garden Society's (NARGS) national publication as one of the premier rock gardens in Colorado.  In 2021, Durango will host the annual NARGS convention. 

                               

                         

Additional Memberships, Partners, Distinctions, and Donors

Audubon Garden and Education Partner

American Horticultural Society

American Public Gardens Association

American Society of Botanical Artists

American Orchid Society Member and Education Partner

North American Rock Garden Society Member

Colorado Succulent and Cactus Society Member and Partner

Colorado Garden Foundation Grant Recipient

Ballantine Family Fund Recipient

Denver Botanic Garden Partner

Colorado State Extension Education Partner

Durango Library Advisory Board and Friends of the Library Grant Recipient