AI Summary
5 min readThe episode opens with a concrete problem: people move to the arid West and bring plants from the East or West Coast, expecting them to thrive. They do not. Ross Shrigley, executive director of Plant Select, explains that the program was created in 1997 precisely to solve this mismatch. Plant Select is not a nursery or a seed company — it is a plant introduction program that researches, trials, and then markets plants appropriate for the arid Intermountain region. The organization is a three-way collaboration between Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University, and the Green Industry (retail nurseries and growers). The third partner is essential, Shrigley notes, because “you can promote new plants or you can promote native plants, but if nobody’s growing it, it makes it frustrating.” The result is a curated list of more than 160 plants that have been vetted for real-world Western gardens.
The nine-point trial: what gets tested and why
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:09) **Opening and Guest Introductions** - Host Alexa Bradford welcomes Ross Shrigley (Plant Select) and Leslie Janis (Santa Fe Master Gardeners) for part one of a two-part series on native plants for the arid West.
- 2 (02:32) **Ross Shrigley’s Personal Journey** - Ross tells his non-linear career path from failing out of school to becoming executive director of Plant Select.
- 3 (03:55) **What Plant Select Actually Is** - Ross clarifies the program is a plant introduction and marketing organization, not a nursery that sells plants.
- 4 (06:10) **The Need for Regionally Adapted Plants** - Ross explains why Plant Select was created and the challenge of gardeners bringing plants from other regions.
- 5 (07:35) **Resources on the Plant Select Website** - Ross walks through the practical tools available for new Western gardeners.
- 6 (10:39) **The Nine-Point Testing Criteria** - Ross details what Plant Select measures in its trial gardens before adopting a plant.
- 7 (13:36) **Advantages of Gardening in the West** - Ross makes the case that dry Western conditions have hidden benefits for gardeners.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Join host Alexa Bradford in the first of a two part series with special guests Ross Shrigley, Executive Director of the non profit consortium Plant Select, and master gardener Lesley Janis, project lead for the Santa Fe Native Plant Project, as they discuss Plant Select's rigorous development and testing of waterwise native plants for our climate.
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