Shane Smith
Shane Smith was the founder and director of the Cheyenne Botanic Garden from 1977 to 2018. Under his direction the project received awards from Presidents Reagan, Bush (senior) and Clinton. Currently, Shane provides consulting services, continues to write books and advises the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens as their “Director Emeritus.”
Individually, Shane has received the American Public Garden Association’s “Award of Merit,” The American Horticulture Society’s “Great American Gardener Award,” the National Garden Clubs’ “Award of Excellence.” In Wyoming he received the “Community Hero award” from both Governor Jim Geringer and the Wyoming Association of Municipalities. He was honored by the Wyoming Farmers Marketing Association’s with their “Award of Excellence,” for starting the state of Wyoming’s first farmers market in 1980.
Shane has a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticultural Science from Colorado State and attained registration as a “Horticultural Therapist,” from the American Horticultural Therapy Association. He authored the bestselling garden book “Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion” and created Cheyenne’s longest-running regularly scheduled radio program on gardening on KFBC that he began in 1978. He has consulted and lectured for over 40 years in 27 different states, and internationally.
Prior to retirement from directing the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, he oversaw the funding, planning, design and construction of the world’s first LEED Platinum children’s garden (Paul Smith Children’s Village) in 2009. He also oversaw the funding, planning, design and construction of a 28,000 sq. ft. tropical conservatory and the renovation of another greenhouse on the site completed in 2018.
In March of 2019, the City of Cheyenne changed the name of their Conservatory to the “Shane Smith Grand Conservatory” in honor of his work in creating the Gardens.