HGSA presents honor at 2022 Summer Summit

HGSA's Lifetime Achievement Award

The Home Garden Seed Association established their Lifetime Achievement Award to honor key people in the industry—those who have devoted their lives to making quality seed available to home gardeners—with awards.

The Home Garden Seed Association is very proud to announce that the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient is posthumously given to Dave Salman of High Country Gardens.

David Salman - a pioneer of waterwise gardening, passionate plant explorer and charismatic storyteller - passed away Sunday, June 5, 2022. His commitment to cultivating a palette of beautiful waterwise plants transformed gardening in the American West. David founded Santa Fe Greenhouses, High Country Gardens and Waterwise Gardening. For decades, he encouraged environmentally conscious gardening practices, long before "organic" became a household word. He was also an enthusiastic, highly sought-after speaker on these subjects.

David began his career with a degree in Horticulture Science from Colorado State University. Then in 1984 with a single greenhouse he brought his revolutionary vision for the future of gardening to the community of Santa Fe, NM by focusing on plants that thrive in the Great Plains and Intermountain states. Over time, through a commitment to waterside, native and habitat-friendly plants, his business grew into a brand that inspired millions of Americans to consider sustainability in their own yards.

Over the years David and his wife Ava won many awards including, but not limited to, four Silver Awards and one Gold Award for Best Gardening Catalog by Catalog Age Magazine. In 1996 David introduced Agastache rupestris followed by native blue grama grass Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition' P.P.#22048.

Agastache rupestris (l) and Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition'

The Home Garden Seed Association board, members and all who have followed David through the years salute Mr. Salman for all his contributions and influences on the world of home gardening.

For more information, please contact Diane Blazek at 630-963-0770

Source: HortiBiz