The Mountain West (Rocky Mountain) climate, terrain, humidity, rainfall, altitudes, length of growing season, and native plants,
are distinctly different than all others.
(Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado). Would it make sense to have a place for us?

Well now I understand why there is no Mountain West Forum. It appears I might be the only Serious Gardener in the Rockies. 😀🌺

Still wouldn't hurt though because I would have a place to put all my multi plant and native plant photos for this climate.

I noticed this thread and did some quick research.
The "Mountain West" seems to be one of the least populated parts of the NGA members' map. Since you posted your query on a Sunday morning (on a rather historic date in US history - 9/11) perhaps it would be wise to wait a while to see if someone will answer. I'm sure there are several serious gardeners who share you special climate conditions and challenges.

I wonder if it would generate more interest if it included a larger geographical area? Perhaps have it be high altitude gardening or mountain & high plains.

I've tried to get the Southwest forum to get active again, but no one answers. I am at 6500 ft in NM, so that might be close to what you have in the Rockies.

I answer there Karen!

The Mountain West also has one of the largest birth rates in the US so parents are pretty busy with that. However growing food and fruit gardens are extremely popular in this region for budget purposes...as well as having plenty of growing space per average house.

I've seen enough members from the region kind of wondering through the other regional forums and garden specific forums it just doesn't make sense to me to have a forum for every location in the US but the Mountain West. I just happen to bump into folks from my area while browsing the forums. Would be much nicer to have a place we can go where it doesn't take six months to bump into someone on NGA who lives 15 minutes away ... and we never knew.

But hey... we are used to climbing over mountains to get where we are going so maybe it's character building to make us hunt for each other.

I really like the idea of a 'Mountain West' regional forum, or something like that, mountains and high plains, intermountain west
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Inter...
Of course, the Rockies are a massive discontinuous series of ranges including our Canadian neighbors and I'd think the western and southern mountain ranges and spurs (technically not rockies but mountainous nonetheless) plus the horsts and grabens should be included--lots of serious gardeners out here, just maybe not hanging out on the web with us just yet
Perhaps it's a build it and they will come sort of thing?

Hmm, it is odd that we don't have have a regional forum, we are a region out here, aren't we? We certainly do have some unique regional challenges to contend with as stated and it would be nice to have a place for us

dirtdorphins said:I really like the idea of a 'Mountain West' regional forum, or something like that, mountains and high plains, intermountain west
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Inter...
Of course, the Rockies are a massive discontinuous series of ranges including our Canadian neighbors and I'd think the western and southern mountain ranges and spurs (technically not rockies but mountainous nonetheless) plus the horsts and grabens should be included--lots of serious gardeners out here, just maybe not hanging out on the web with us just yet
Perhaps it's a build it and they will come sort of thing?

Hmm, it is odd that we don't have have a regional forum, we are a region out here, aren't we? We certainly do have some unique regional challenges to contend with as stated and it would be nice to have a place for us

Well said. ❤️ Somewhere I saw even @dave displaying a picture of himself on our Mountains in Zion's. ❤️❤️❤️ (Shows he has good traveling taste.)