Photo of quilt, photo credit Elli SorensenMany residents and visitors to Silver City may remember seeing the magnificent quilt depicting a landscape with fifty native plants of the Southwest displayed this year at the Seedboat Gallery, the Gila Symposium, the Native Plant Society of New Mexico Annual Conference and other venues. The quilt, painted on silk and hand-quilted by local artist Elli Sorensen, was generously donated to the Gila Native Plant Society for fund-raising. In fact, some of you may have purchased a raffle ticket and are wondering how the raffle turned out.

The raffle drawing was held at the meeting of the Gila Native Plant Society on October 19, 2018. The winner of the quilt was Kristin Haskins, plant ecologist and Director of Research at The Arboretum at Flagstaff. Disappointed as some of us may be that we didn’t win the quilt ourselves, we have to admit that Kristin is an eminently worthy recipient.

Best of all, she intends to hang the quilt, along with the key to the plants, in the hall of the Walter Reichardt House and Visitor Center at the Arboretum, where visitors on a guided tour will be able to see it. The Arboretum at Flagstaff is closed to the public for the winter from November 1, but the quilt will be on display when the Arboretum opens again on April 15, 2019. It’s a great place to visit.

Photo of Rothrock’s Basketflower, photo credit Elroy LimmerThe raffle included second and third prizes as well. Janine Risser of Rio Rancho won second prize, a photograph of Rothrock’s Basketflower (Plectocephalus rothrockii) taken by Elroy Limmer and float-mounted on metal. Third prize, a signed original poster by Jim Brandenburg, framed and matted, was won by Beth Leuck of Silver City.

The fund-raising from the raffle was a great success. The Gila Native Plant Society is planning to use the funds for grants for worthwhile native plant projects and scholarships to promising students in the natural sciences.

The Gila Native Plant Society is committed to promoting education, research and appreciation of the native flora of the Southwest; encouraging the preservation of rare and endangered plant species; and supporting the use of suitable native plants in landscaping. For information on programs, publications and membership, please visit www.gilanps.org.

Photo of framed poster by Jim Brandenberg, photo credit Elroy Limmer