Bryan Fischer
Bryan has had a passion for plants for as long as he can remember. Fueled by juicy-imaged garden books and weekends on a fifth-generation family ranch in the Colorado Rockies, he landed his first job as soon as he could drive, working in a dry-bean breeding program. His experience now includes both academic and applied work in horticulture with Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens, and the Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he currently serves as curator of plant collections. Bryan holds a B.S. in horticulture from Colorado State University, and his work for Fine Gardening draws upon his education, his intensive home gardening, observations of plants in nature, and two decades of experience gardening in the Rocky Mountain region.
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DesignGreat Native Perennials for Your Region
In every corner of the United States, native perennials offer an unparalleled blend of beauty, resilience, and ecological harmony. In "Great Native Perennials for Your Region," we’ve partnered with regional…
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Mountain West Regional ReportsTrue Blue Flowers Native to the Mountain West
Aside from the wide-open sky, true blue is a rare color in continental landscapes. The few places it does occur typically signal lakes and rivers, crucial sources of water (and…
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Mountain West Regional ReportsPlants Providing Winter Forage for Seed-Eating Birds
Of all the time I spend in my gardens, the moments I find most memorable and meaningful are when the garden is enjoyed by others. Though typically brief, the moments—like…
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Mountain West Regional ReportsAggressive Weeds to Look Out for in the Rocky Mountain Region
One of the most important tenets of effective weed management is quick action, both in identifying possible weeds in your garden and acting promptly to manage their spread by seeds,…
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Mountain West Regional ReportsCool-Season Ornamental Grasses for Mountain Gardens
Resplendent and easygoing, cool-season grasses are those that begin to grow with vigor during temperatures of approximately 60°F through mid-70°F. In our region, they green up in mid-spring, appearing as…
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Mountain West Regional Reports4 Tips for Getting the Garden Through Drought Sustainably
On a recent hike in the foothills just southeast of my house, I couldn’t help but notice crisped, curling leaves on big flower cinquefoil (Drymocallis fissa) and the drought-tolerant mountain…
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Mountain West Regional ReportsTips for Designing a Meadow Lawn
I’ve designed, installed, and continue to manage two meadow lawns to date. Through these gardens, as well as my own study in nature and research in references, I’ve learned a…
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Mountain West Regional ReportsAnnuals for a Cut Flower Garden in the Mountain West
Annuals are a topic that elicits strong responses from many gardeners. With the word come visions of manicured plantings, most frequently including foliage obscured by a lavish floral display. While…
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Mountain West Regional ReportsHow to Manage Flea Beetles: The Cutest Pests You’ve Never Heard Of
Late spring sees me watching and waiting, breath not quite bated—and certainly not baited—to find out my fate for the season with one garden critter in particular: the flea beetle.…
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Mountain West Regional ReportsGuidelines for Building a Rock Garden
Last fall, this column featured Showy Native Plants for Rocky Soils. Not included in that plant palette were rock gardens. While similar in that the plants for such spaces require…
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