西北分会的设立与早期活动
西北分会(Northwestern Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society,简称 NWNARGS)成立于 1934 年 10 月,源于美国岩石园学会在纽约组建后引发的西海岸分支浪潮。分会首任秘书 Else Frye 是西雅图 Green Pastures Nursery 的创始人,首任会长为 E.L. Reber,其高山园曾被 1933 年 2 月期《国家地理》杂志收录。1935 年 4 月 13 至 15 日,分会在西雅图 Volunteer Park Conservatory 举办首次岩石园展,三天内接待约 15,000 名参观者;1936 年又在 Woodland Park Floral Hall 续办。1941 年,分会参加在西雅图 Civic Auditorium(今 McCaw Hall)举办的第 22 届全国花卉园艺展,以 100 株 Kalmiopsis leachiana 为主景的 300 平方英尺花园获得银奖与优秀奖章。早期成员 Frances Roberson 与丈夫经营的 L. N. Roberson Co. 苗圃、岩石布景设计师 Otto Holmdahl 都是奠基人物。
法人化、章程与组织结构
随着会员规模扩大,分会承担更多财务责任。1980 年代中期,会员 Art Dome 推动分会以非营利身份申请法人化,并起草章程。章程于 1988 年 8 月 30 日通过,先后在 1995、2005、2009、2010 与 2011 年修订。NWNARGS 是美国国税局 501(c)(3) 非营利组织,宗旨涵盖岩石园植物的栽培、保护与知识传播,岩石园设计与建造,植物考察与新类型引种,以及相关历史与文献研究。会员分 Regular 与 Honorary 两类,Honorary 授予长期奉献的成员。章程鼓励成员加入 NARGS 母会以利用其季刊、种子交换、图书借阅等全国性资源。分会由会长、副会长、司库、对内对外秘书、董事会成员与若干常设委员会组成,任期按章程规定轮换,具体人选每年通过会员通讯公开。
月会、讲座与 Bellevue 聚会地点
分会每年最多在西雅图东郊 Bellevue 举办十次月会,地点固定为 Bellevue Botanical Garden in Bellevue,偶尔配合线上会议。每次月会以本地、全国乃至国际讲者的幻灯演讲为骨干,内容覆盖高山植物栽培技巧、太平洋西北地区园艺条件、植物资源信息与实地考察经验。常规时间安排为晚 7:00 开始社交与茶点、7:30 进入正式程序与讲座;部分月份如 2026 年 1 月 17 日的「A Seedy Affair」改在上午 11:00 进行实操,3 月与 4 月的实操讲座均回归晚间档。月会免费向公众开放,欢迎非会员与访客到场;讲者来自全球各地,主题涵盖从英国远到日本、再到远东屋脊的植物探索。冬季分会有时改在线举行,夏季则改为户外野餐与会员花园开放日,11 月保留感恩节前的 potluck 聚餐传统。
春、秋植物销售与会员福利
分会每年举办两次植物销售:春季与秋季各一场。春季销售在 Bellevue Botanical Garden 对公众开放,会员将自繁的稀有与本地植物带到现场售卖,既是植物收藏者的淘货机会,也是与其他爱好者交流栽培经验的场合。2026 年春季销售定在 5 月 30 日,地点仍是 Bellevue Botanical Garden;秋季销售面向会员,内容由会员自繁的秋花与球根为主。销售所得全部用于分会教育使命。除销售外,会员福利还包括由本地与全国专家带领的实地考察、夏季与冬季的花园开放日、面向会员的研习小组(Primula、Hepatica 等专类小组)、双月刊通讯、以及由 NARGS 母会提供的季刊、种子交换与图书借阅服务。Pennsylvania Horticultural Society 与 NARGS 合作的图书借阅服务让会员可借阅难得一见的园艺专著。西部分会单独收取的会费为每年 15 美元,4 月 1 日后缴纳顺延至次年 6 月,有效期可达一年三个月。
野外考察与 Mount Rainier 高山植物区
分会野外考察多围绕华盛顿州的山地与高原展开,Mount Rainier 国家公园是最经典的目的地之一。Mt Rainier 海拔 14,410 英尺,是一座冰川覆盖的活火山,Chinook Pass、Sunrise、Paradise 与 Mowich Lake 四个入口分别通往不同的高山带,Paradise 以亚高山花卉群落著称,Burroughs Mountain 步道可见最丰富的物种多样性。最佳花季在七月中旬至八月,具体取决于冬季积雪。公园及周边地区有两类特有植物:Castilleja cryptantha(单调的印第安画眉菊)与 Pedicularis rainierensis(开黄蕉形花的马先蒿);另有一种直接以山峰命名的 Rainiera stricta(形似一枝黄花,在 Rainier 极为常见,也分布至俄勒冈南部)。除 Mount Rainier 外,分会还组织 Olympic 山脉、Wenatchee 山脉与 Tronsen Ridge 沿线的高山植物徒步,难度从易到中等、距离 2 至 3 英里、海拔上升 300 至 400 英尺不等。考察以「慢速植物观察」节奏行进,适合从初学者到资深植物爱好者参加。
Origins and Early Activities
The Northwestern Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society (NWNARGS) was organized in October 1934, in the wake of the parent American Rock Garden Society’s formation in New York. The first secretary, Else Frye of Seattle’s Green Pastures Nursery, helped launch the branch, while the inaugural president E.L. Reber had an authentic alpine garden featured in the February 1933 issue of National Geographic. The chapter’s first Rock Garden Show, held April 13–15, 1935 at the Volunteer Park Conservatory, drew close to 15,000 visitors over three days. A follow-up display was staged at Woodland Park Floral Hall in 1936. In 1941 the chapter took part in the 22nd National Flower and Garden Show at the Seattle Civic Auditorium (now McCaw Hall), where a 300-square-foot garden built around 100 Kalmiopsis leachiana earned a silver medal and the Seal of Merit. Charter members Frances Roberson (of L. N. Roberson Co. nursery) and rockwork designer Otto Holmdahl helped set the tone of these early exhibitions.
Incorporation, Bylaws, and Governance
As membership grew, the chapter took on new financial responsibilities. In the mid-1980s, member Art Dome spearheaded the Articles of Incorporation for nonprofit status and drafted the bylaws. The bylaws were adopted on August 30, 1988, with subsequent amendments in 1995, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2011. NWNARGS operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and pursues the cultivation, conservation and knowledge of rock garden plants, design and construction of rock gardens, plant exploration and introduction of new forms, study of history and literature, and exchange of experience among members. Membership falls into Regular and Honorary categories, the latter awarded for long and dedicated service. The bylaws strongly encourage members to also join NARGS to access the Quarterly Bulletin, Seed Exchange, slide and video library, and book loan service arranged with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The chapter is led by a president, vice president, treasurer, corresponding and recording secretaries, a board of directors, and several standing committees; terms rotate per the bylaws and the current roster is published in each issue of the chapter newsletter.
Monthly Meetings at Bellevue Botanical Garden
The chapter hosts up to ten meetings per year at Bellevue Botanical Garden in Bellevue, supplemented by occasional online gatherings. Each meeting features illustrated talks by local, national and international speakers, with subjects ranging from alpine cultivation techniques and Pacific Northwest growing conditions to plant exploration stories from the Himalayas, the Andes and beyond. The default schedule sets social time at 7:00 pm and the program at 7:30 pm on the second Thursday of the month. Special hands-on sessions, such as the January 17, 2026 “A Seedy Affair” seed-starting workshop, shift to 11:00 am. Programs scheduled for March and April 2026 will return to the evening slot, with hands-on sessions rounding out the spring calendar. All meetings are free and open to the public, and non-members and guests are welcome. The November potluck and summer membership picnic round out the social calendar.
Spring and Fall Plant Sales
Two plant sales anchor the chapter’s public outreach each year. The spring sale opens to the public at Bellevue Botanical Garden and gives members a venue to share rare and locally grown plants; the fall sale is held for the membership and focuses on autumn bulbs and woodland material. The 2026 spring sale is scheduled for May 30 at Bellevue Botanical Garden, with details posted as the date approaches. Proceeds from both sales support the chapter’s educational mission. Member benefits beyond sales include field trips led by experts, summer and winter garden tours, study groups on genera such as Primula and Hepatica, a bimonthly newsletter, and reciprocal services from NARGS — Quarterly Bulletin, Seed Exchange, slide and video library, and book loans arranged with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The chapter’s annual dues are $15, paid to the Chapter Treasurer; dues received after April 1 extend membership through June of the following year.
Field Trips and the Mount Rainier Alpine Zone
Field trips center on Washington State’s mountain ranges, with Mount Rainier National Park as the signature destination. The 14,410-foot glaciated volcano can be entered from Chinook Pass, Sunrise, Paradise and Mowich Lake, each route reaching a different alpine zone; Paradise is famous for its subalpine floral displays, and the Burroughs Mountain trail from Sunrise offers the most species diversity. The bloom season typically runs mid-July through August, depending on winter snowpack. Two species are endemic to the park and its surroundings: Castilleja cryptantha, a drab little paintbrush, and Pedicularis rainierensis, a lousewort with yellow banana-shaped flowers. A third species, Rainiera stricta, takes its genus name from Mount Rainier itself; the plant resembles a goldenrod and is very common on the mountain while extending south into Oregon. Beyond Mount Rainier, the chapter schedules hikes in the Olympic Mountains, the Wenatchee Mountains and along Tronsen Ridge, with distances of 2 to 3 miles, elevation gains of 300 to 400 feet, and a slow botanizing pace suited to beginners and experienced members alike.
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