(Continued from This Week newsletter.  Lisa is at the right in the photo below. At the end of this post, see a link to a YouTube video where she demonstrates bare-root planting)

Lisa Bourey’s first experience in horticulture began in seasonal greenhouses, rearranging annuals by complementary colors while attending Fort Lewis College in 1986.  As seasonal work became inadequate for making a living, she moved on to work in a number of local greenhouses and nurseries, including the startup and management of Durango Nursery & Supply.

Her emerging skills in design and horticulture led to her winning the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Society of American Foresters in 2006. The award recognized her design efforts and her spearheading an interpretive garden currently being maintained at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Lisa’s passion for gardening education through lectures or her designs and interpretive signs is evident throughout the Durango Botanic Gardens.  She is currently assisting us in the design, plant selection, and installation of our new Community Venue Garden.

Lisa’s passion for our gardens and community is reflected in the following quote in our soon-to-be-published history of the Durango Botanic Gardens…

“I love how a large community of landscapers were willing to contribute to the project through donation. I love how the public/library and the community embraced each part of the garden.  At the time, I was able to give an enormous amount of energy to the development of these gardens, and I fell in love with them in this process, as well as with the interactions with the community. I discovered the highs and lows of public gardens and found faith in a group of equal-minded people who cherished the gardens and the future of public gardens. I loved engaging the public through the gardens and offering a teaching platform to demonstrate and educate.” 

We appreciate Lisa's service to the Durango Botanic Gardens and our horticultural community. Her dedication and passion have left an indelible mark on our gardens, inspiring us all to continue her legacy.  View this link to a YouTube video on Lisa illustrating bare-root planting

Bare-Root Planting