About Ernie and Marietta O'Byrne

Ernie and Marietta are warmly familiar faces to most of the chapter and NARGS. Both have served the chapter as chairs respectively and have been actively involved since our earliest days. They have offered their hospitality, home, and garden to traveling speakers and as a meeting ground for chapter events such as potlucks and seedling sales, garden tours, and trough-making sessions. As individuals and as a remarkable team, they have contributed many writings that have brought the world of rock gardening and the North American Rock Garden Society to the horticultural community. Ernie and Marietta were instrumental in bringing the 1998 Annual Meeting to Eugene and their inspiration, communication, and faithful legwork was pivotal to its success. They guided the cooperative construction of the Sebring Rock Garden, the Emerald Chapter's first public rock garden. Emerald chapter member Bernard Levine once aptly described Marietta as being "always in motion".

This remarkable couple have served NARGS in numerous capacities, all of which have been a great credit our chapter. Over the years their exuberant plantsmanship has resulted in an impressive number of treasures that they have raised from seed and introduced into many of our gardens as well. Many of us can claim enduring success with the plants that they have cultivated and shared over the years, which is an ultimate test of plant selection skill. The remarkable plant palette that they share has something choice for everyone from the beginner to the most ardent collector. Along with plants, they have shared their gardening knowledge and experience with engaging and superbly-illustrated talks such as the one that they presented jointly at the 1997 Western Winter Study Weekend in Ashland entitled "A Garden for All Seasons". The O’Byrne’s garden stands as a tribute to the finest goals of the NARGS, to bring rock gardening into its own and to share it with the public. Their joint slide talks are currently being enjoyed by chapters around North America.