Dana Cromie - Biography

Dana is a lifelong artist and gardener living in Vancouver, British Columbia. Dana studied Visual Art at Capilano College, Institute Allende de San Miguel, and Vancouver School of Art. He then worked in clothing manufacturing as a production manager and as a planner.

The son of a green thumb and ardent volunteer, Dana has a renowned garden full of unusual plants. Dana has a deep engagement with the local garden community, and his garden has been toured multiple times by the Alpine Garden Club of BC, the Vancouver Rhododendron Society and the Vancouver Hardy Plant Group.

Dana wrote and photographed 'In My Garden' for Vancouver Lifestyle Magazine from 1999-2001 and has contributed to the Annual of the Rhododendron Species Foundation and the Bulletin of the Alpine Garden Club of BC.

After retiring, he became a Friend of the UBC Botanical Garden where he was head of the FOGs’ guides, coordinator of the various propagation units, and is chair of the Treasured Bulb Sale. Dana coordinated the acquisition and catalog descriptions of the plants for the UBCBG Collectors' Plant Auctions from 2004 - 2011.

He has studied botanical illustration at UBC Botanical Garden with Alison Watt, at Emily Carr University with Elizabeth Mancini, and privately with Mary Comber Miles. From 2012-2014, Dana was an Artist in Residence at UBC Botanical Garden. Dana is currently co-chair of the Vancouver Hardy Plant Group, and CoChaired their recent Hardy Plant Study Weekend, which is a conference that rotates between Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, Portland, and central Oregon.

Dana is a regular judge at the Vancouver Island Rock and Garden Society spring show. He has travelled widely to visit plants in situ. He lives in East Vancouver with his husband, Greg Brown.