A treasury! Quite literally!

Lesquerella sp. (now Physaria alas) with Escobaria leei below (May 14, 2021)

I should explain...Ken Ray is the Treasurer of the Rocky Mountain chapter. He is a treasure of a gentleman for our chapter, not only because he does a wonderful job shepherding out treasury--but with a long history in business, he thinks "Big Picture" and nudges us all to do things right--but also to raise our sights and aim higher! He's been a dear friend and fellow rock gardener for more decades than either of us will confess to. And I must confess that I don't know for sure what the magnificent crucifer is in the picture above!

Same Lesquerella as above, May 1, 2022

Believe it or not, this is the very same plant just under a year later: Looks like it's even bigger! Two more different Springs I can't imagine: we had winter up to early March (snow every week) and now six weeks with no precip! Until last night...

Not to embarrass my friend: the plant above is much cleaner than the one below because it's 1) several weeks more growth and 2) Ken has been crazy busy with Plant Sale and his numerous interests that cleanup hasn't quite been up to snuff (and six weeks of dry weather didn't help). Compare rocks--it's the same plant--but notice how much darker the flower? (My finger in the upper left is a bonus, btw).

Penstemon uintahensis

A photo taken last year of one of the choicest morsels of the West. Wish I had this in my garden!

And a picture perfect Penstemon hallii, Colorado's cousin to the last species.

Aquilegia cf. canadensis

Although this could conceivably one of the Western cousins, like A. shockleyi: very compact for a canadensis!

Ken's unbelievable patch of Agave neomexicana: he takes out dozens every year for our chapter member's sale!

Iris 'Scribe'

I'm pretty sure of the identification of this stalwart S.D.B. (Standard Dwarf Bearded) iris--it's been a good one for us here.

Ipheion uniflorum

I have grown dozens of Ipheion in my day: none half so big an robust as this one!

Tetraneuris? Haplopappus? Tonestus?

Whichever of these three this is, it is a superb specimen. I forgot to examine it up close to know for sure--but I'm leaning towards Tonestus...rarely seen in gardens of any kind.

Erigeron compositus

A perfect specimen of cutleaf daisy

Digenia velebitica

The wonderful Physaria lookalike from Dalmatia: an example of parallel evolution between Steppe and Mediterranean climates.

Aha! it was a Tetraneuris after all!

A closeup of the mystery daisy from earlier in the blog: I suspect it's Tetraneuris acaulis...from this angle..

Ken has numerous gorgeous cacti planted in containers: this should have been in our recent CCSS show I just blogged about!

Even Ken's woodpile is nifty...I am so embarrassed: all these closeup shots.. That house is the nearest house to the Rays: they purchased their lot at a time when they had a pick, and theirs is on a peninsula, so to speak, at the end of a cul-de-sac. Just this neighbor to the west and across wide streets to the east and south some distant bungalows...and most of their view to a very broad South is of a large park, a lake and woods and the Rocky Mountains. A lucky guy!

Amsonia jonesii white flowered!

I was admiring my own Amsonia this very day--the usual steely blue color...but I was stunned when I saw this pure white flowered form! I hope against hope it roots from cuttings! My wanny!

The Rays have a cabin and property in Southern Colorado which is the source of the rock for their gardens: I was enchanted by this holey rock: riverworn limestone--but it looks almost like a dinosaur fossil head! Notice the Languid Lady right top?

Mertensia lanceolata

This is our precious prairie Virginia bluebells (I prefer Languid Lady)--which thanks to Raven Ranch I finally have in my garden. This grew in all the vacant lots of my childhood (all of which are now ridiculously overpriced megamansions--don't get me going!)...also don't ask me what I think of the myopic "botanists" who have lumped all the diminutive subalpine and montane species in our state under this rubric: there is a special ring in Hell for them.

Viburnum cf. carlesii

I can almost smell this on my computer: the fragrant hybrids and the Korean spicebush--Ken has a wealth of goodies tucked here and there!

A delightful little pink: D. brevicaulis?

Ken Ray: treasurer and treasure

And here is the man himself: Ray joined our Rocky Mountain Chapter in the 1980's and ended up with an enormous role at Alpines '86, the International Conference we staged in its namesake year--handling much of the registration and hospitality. He was still working a demanding Corporate job at the time (U.S. West) and only became active in our group in the last decade upon retiring when he assumed the role of treasurer, which he fulfills with punctilious care and promptitude.

Last year he was instrumental as part of the team that staged "At the Edge of the Rockies"--NARGS A.G.M. which was a resounding success (staging a 200 person conference in the middle of a Pandemic isn't for sissies!)

He is now sorting through the mounds of data left after our Chapter partnered with the Colorado Cactus and Succulent Society for a three day show and sale that attracted 1600 people and sales in the six figures (lower six figures I hasten to add!)

Through it all he has kept an unfailingly charming demeanor. Rock gardening is just one facet of Ken's rich life: he collects art, is an avid fly fisherman, he's a connoisseur of wines and other spirits and is deeply engaged in many other facets of the community. And yes, he has a lovely wife, Mary and two dynamic children with families to whom he's deeply devoted.

I share this portrait of a friend and a gardener as a personal token of gratitude for the tremendous guidance Ken provides me with, not to mention fun times!

Alas, his garden is in the far northwest quadrant of the Denver metropolitan area (I live far to the south and east). Otherwise I'd have far more, far better pictures of his many treasures! (But these weren't bad at all, were they?)