Podcasts about The Garden Conservancy

Madeline Hooper rejoins the podcast Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley to talk about the second season of GardenFit that is available on PBS. GardenFit is a delightful combination of stunning garden tours and practical tips helping viewers learn how to take care of their bodies while taking care of their gardens. Its fundamental premise is that gardening should be joyful, not painful. The 13 episodes in Season 2 feature passionate gardeners who are also well-known artists, ranging from painters, sculptors, ceramicists, photographers, musicians, designers and culinary pioneers. Learn how creative artistry is often inspired by nature. Take a journey into how art can also spark a vision for an imaginative garden. The show also provides simple, easy-to-learn practical tips and tune-ups to prevent strain and stress , and like a garden tool, use the body correctly. Madeline is from upstate New York (Columbia County) who has been a gardener for over 30 years. After an exciting career in public relations, a trustee of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and then of the Berkshire Botanical Garden, she honed her gardening skills at Rockland Farm, a ten-acre property that she and her husband have developed from scratch over the past 25 years. The Rockland Farm is open a few times a year to benefit the Garden Conservancy's Open Days program and the Berkshire Botanical Garden's educational programs. She is very familiar with many aches and pains due to her daily gardening. Her personal trainer has taught her common-sense body movements and self-care to relieve the pains, enabling her to share these tips with us and truly enjoy being in the garden. Host: Jean Thomas and Taly Hahn Guest: Madeline Hooper Photo by: Madeline Hooper Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Tim Kennelty, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski, Eileen Simpson Resources

In this episode, poet Christine Klocek-Lim talks with Ann Wallace about the ways in which her work engages with nature, whether she is taking us onto the trail with her or creating the sequence of persona poems in her new chapbook Nomenclatura, forthcoming from Glass Lyre Press. Christine reflects on the human history held within seemingly wild spaces, the precarity of life, and the communal element of the being outdoors. We then hear from Dr. Randi Eckel for a new installment of Ask Randi. And co-host Kim Correro joins Ann in conversation with Jennifer Jewell, host of the podcast Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden in advance of her appearance at the Garden Futures Summit in New York City hosted by The Garden Conservancy on September 29. Jennifer speaks with us about her new book What We Sow, from Timber Press, a book germinated in the early months of the pandemic, when the widespread seed shortage led Jennifer into a fascinating and moving reflection on the cultural, environmental, and metaphoric meaning of seeds.   WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF WHAT WE SOW At the end of the episode, we share a special creative giveaway offer of Jennifer' book What We Sow! Write a short poem or memoir piece on your own seed or germination story. Think about the communal or generational connections held within the seeds and plants that you sow and pass on. Send your entry of a poem, no more than 20 lines, or a memoir, 150 words or fewer, to us at TheWildStory@npdnj.org with Seed Challenge in the subject line by October 20. Three winners will receive signed copies of What We Sow, thanks to Jennifer Jewell and Timber Press, AND they will be invited to record their pieces to air in Episode 6 of The WildStory. So have fun writing—we look forward to reading your work!

Poet January Gill O'Neil speaks with Ann Wallace about her new collection, Glitter Road, forthcoming from CavanKerry Press in February 2024. January discusses her year as the John and Renee Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi, and her immersion in the difficult cultural history of the south, as laid against its rich and fertile landscape. She also reflects on the ways in which the pandemic, which began toward the end of residency, allowed time for family, writing, and observation of the natural world. We then hear from Dr. Randi Eckel about the new season of NPSNJ webinars during the next installment of Ask Randi. And co-host Kim Correro joins Ann Wallace in the final segment for an important conversation with renowned landscape designer Edwina von Gal in advance of her appearance at the Garden Futures Summit in New York City, which is hosted by the Garden Conservancy on Sept 29 and 30th. Edwina speaks about sustainable design and the Perfect Earth Project, as well as her Two Thirds for the Birds initiative, which offers an easy-to-remember strategy for incorporating native plants into our gardens.

This week, our second episode on gardens and green spaces of New York City, getting us primed for The Garden Conservancy's inaugural Garden Futures Summit being held at the New York Botanical Garden on Sept. 29th and at gardens across the city on Saturday, Sept. 30th. This week, we head to The High Line – a 1.45 elevated linear garden - one of New York City's green space highlights. We're in conversation with Richard Hayden, Director of Horticulture at The High Line since 2022. A horticulture and public garden enthusiast, Richard is all about connecting people with the power of plants. Join us! All photos courtesy of Richard Hayden and The Friends of The High Line, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. The self-seeded wild high line prior to revitalization and curation demonstrates the biodiversity of flora and fauna possible on this elevated railway line. Top image by Joel Sternfeld. Cultivating Place now has a donate button! We thank you so much for listening over the years and we hope you'll support Cultivating Place. We can't thank you enough for making it possible for this young program to grow even more of these types of conversations. The show is available as a podcast on SoundCloud, iTunes, Google Podcast, and Stitcher. To read more and for many more photos, please visit www.cultivatingplace.com.

To kick off September, we head to the Big Apple, where at the end of the month, the Garden Conservancy is holding its inaugural Garden Futures Summit on September 29th and 30th. In preparation, we thought we'd dedicate two episodes to checking in on some garden lives in the city. This week we're in conversation with photographer, artist, author, and gardener Ngoc Minh Ngo, sharing more about her newest work, “New York Green,” profiling in word and uplifting photography more than 40 exceptional parks and gardens of the five boroughs that comprise New York City. “From tiny corner lots to acres of old-growth forests, New York is filled with a wealth of beautiful green spaces–if you know where to look,” and Ngoc Minh Ngo's book shows us just where to look. Ngoc was a previous guest on Cultivating Place in 2018, and I am so pleased to welcome her back. Listen in! Cultivating Place now has a donate button! We thank you so much for listening over the years and we hope you'll support Cultivating Place. We can't thank you enough for making it possible for this young program to grow even more of these types of conversations. The show is available as a podcast on SoundCloud, iTunes, Google Podcast, and Stitcher. To read more and for many more photos please visit www.cultivatingplace.com.

JAMES GOLDEN BIOJames Golden's garden design has been featured in national and international magazines, in The New York Times, and in several books on garden design. He has collected many of his inspiring thoughts in the recently published book The View from Federal Twist.  It is a wonderful, well-written glimpse into the inception, creation, and management of a naturalistic garden.  James has been the recipient of national awards and is widely known in the gardening world through his garden blog View from Federal Twist. Federal Twist regularly appears on tours of the Garden Conservancy, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Hardy Plant Society, and on numerous private tours. Recently retired, he has started a garden design practice.  You can learn more about James on his website and blog, by following him on Instagram @imfederaltwist, and by reading James's book The View from Federal Twist.THE PLANTASTIC PODCASTThe Plantastic Podcast is a monthly podcast created by Dr. Jared Barnes.  He's been gardening since he was five years old and now is an award-winning professor of horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX.  To say hi and find the show notes, visit theplantasticpodcast.com.You can learn more about how Dr. Jared cultivates plants, minds, and life at meristemhorticulture.com.  He also shares thoughts and cutting-edge plant research each week in his newsletter plant•ed, and you can sign up at meristemhorticulture.com/subscribe.  Until next time, #keepgrowing!

Edie Tanem hosts Bob Tanem In The Garden, and welcomes guest James Hall of the Garden Conservancy.  They talked many things, but among the gems is James' rundown of the top 10 gardens to visit in the Bay Area and beyond!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Edie Tanem hosts Bob Tanem In The Garden, and welcomes guest James Hall of the Garden Conservancy.  They talked many things, but among the gems is James' rundown of the top 10 gardens to visit in the Bay Area and beyond!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Golden's garden design has been featured in national and international magazines, in The New York Times, and in several books on garden design. He has been the recipient of national awards and is widely known in the gardening world through his garden blog View from Federal Twist (www.federaltwist.com). James' Federal Twist garden regularly appears on tours of the Garden Conservancy, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Hardy Plant Society, and on numerous private tours. Recently retired, he has started a garden design practice.

Media Roundtable; Garden Conservancy Day

Garden writer, lecturer, and designer, Page Dickey, joins us from Connecticut to discuss her gardens past and present, the place where her children could always find her, and what she looks for in a garden. S H O W N O T E S: https://www.instagram.com/pagedickey/ (@pagedickey) http://www.pagedickey.com (www.pagedickey.com) https://www.amazon.com/Uprooted-Gardener-Reflects-Beginning-Again/dp/1604699574/ref=asc_df_1604699574/?hvadid=459515113368&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032075&hvnetw=g&hvpone=&hvpos=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvrand=825220696514896430&hvtargid=pla-945550377835&linkCode=df0&psc=1&tag=hyprod-20 (Uprooted: A Gardener Reflects on Beginning Again) https://www.gardenconservancy.org (The Garden Conservancy) https://www.doaks.org/visit/garden (Dumbarton Oaks) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Beebe_Wilder (Louise Beebe Wilder) https://www.beatrixfarrandsociety.org/beatrix-farrand/ (Beatrix Farrand) https://www.amazon.com/Journal-Solitude-May-Sarton/dp/0393309282 (May Sarton Journey of a Solitude ) https://www.amazon.com/Plant-Dreaming-Deep-May-Sarton/dp/0393315517/ref=pd_lpo_2?pd_rd_i=0393315517&psc=1 (Plant Dreaming Deep) Art: @altavistastudio

This week's episode features James Golden, talking about the naturalistic garden he's built around his home in New Jersey. James's garden has been created intuitively over time and sits perfectly within the landscape, in fact is a landscape in its own right. Sometimes baffling, sometimes threatening and without utilitarian purpose, the garden is nonetheless life-affirming, vital and dramatically beautiful in different ways from one moment to the next. Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Harlequins Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast! What we cover About the garden at Federal Twist Would the garden be as successful from a horticultural and aesthetic standpoint if James had plotted the garden on paper, particularly the planting? Visitors often seem to get lost in the space and can't find a route through it - so who did James design the garden for, himself or was it always meant to be shared with visitors?  James's stone circle, which serves no purpose other than an aesthetic one James on being a fearless and philosophical gardener How long is long enough to make a garden? How do you create a garden which varies so dramatically from one season to the next? What inspired the garden About James Golden  “James Golden's garden design has been featured in national and international magazines, in The New York Times, and in several books on garden design. He has been the recipient of national awards and is widely known in the gardening world through his garden blog View from Federal Twist (www.federaltwist.com). James' Federal Twist garden regularly appears on tours of the Garden Conservancy, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Hardy Plant Society, and on numerous private tours. Recently retired, he has started a garden design practice.” https://federaltwistdesign.org/about Links The View from Federal Twist: A New Way of Thinking About Gardens, Nature and Ourselves by James Golden - Filbert Press, 2021  The View From Federal Twist  Federal Twist on Instagram 

Join Mark Weaver and interior designer Suzanne Tucker on Designers at Home. Suzanne is known for her personal approach and enduring style, attention to detail and her passion for architecture and the decorative arts. Her award-winning projects are frequently published in magazines worldwide. Architectural Digest has honored her repeatedly on the AD100 list of top designers and she is included in the Elle Décor A-list. Suzanne serves on the national ICAA Board, the Board of Directors of the Hearst Castle Preservation Foundation, and the West Coast Council of The Garden Conservancy. She is also the Chair of the San Francisco Fall Show. To learn more about Suzanne Tucker you can visit her website www.tuckerandmarks.com or follow her on Instagram @suzanne_tucker Be sure to keep up to date on 'Designers at Home' by following @markweaverandassociates on Instagram

News about Mt. Cuba, Longwood Gardens, Garden Conservancy, and the Smithsonian's Let's Talk Garden series. Upcoming gardening events, great seed catalog, video on planting poppies in the snow, and a product called the growing candle. Discussions about Tasha Greer's new book on growing your own spices and the different nigella plants. Pegplant's Podcast is produced by horticulturist and garden communicator, Peggy Riccio. For more information, visit pegplant.com. Subscribe to Pegplant's Post, a monthly gardening newsletter, and follow @pegplant on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Today, Dee and Carol discuss money spent on gardens and how even if you don't have a lot of money, you can still learn from those who do.Clematis recta 'Serious Black' at Brushwood NurseryHelianthus helianthoides 'Loraine Sunshine' at Monrovia Nursery'Bartzella' Itoh Peony at American MeadowsOn the Bookshelf: Private Gardens of Santa Barbara: The Art of Outdoor Living, by Margie GraceDirt:  A fascinating documentary (on Amazon Prime) to watch is The Gardener, about Frank Cabot and his gardens, Les Quatre Vents.More information about The Garden Conservancy.Hear Dee speak at the Denton County (Texas) Master Gardeners Fall Garden Fest, now virtual on October 3.Email us at TheGardenangelists@gmail.com  For more info on Carol and her books, visit her website.For more info on Dee and her book, visit her website.(Some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link, we may receive a tiny commission. It does not affect the price you pay!)

Join Peggy Riccio and Teri Speight as they discuss what is happening in their gardens (and kitchen!). Teri talks about layering and composting and Peggy talks about a new type of lemon balm and setting up her Geobins. This past weekend, Teri visited Tregaron Conservancy and Peggy visited Merrifield Garden Center. Teri talks about jumping worms, the Garden Conservancy and Lady Farmer's upcoming event. Peggy mentions just a few of the many October events that are occurring this week. To learn more, visit Peggy at pegplant.comand Teri at cottageinthecourt.com. Contact them by e-mail at gardensnplantspodcast@gmail.com. Below are links related to this episode. If you listen on Apple podcast, please write a review, and don't forget to tell your friends about this weekly gardening podcast for the DC metro area. Smart Pots Geobin Jumping Worms Tregaron Conservancy Garden Conservancy Merrifield Garden Center Norfleet Quality Mulch Lady Farmer

James Brayton Hall is the President and CEO of The Garden Conservancy. Since 1989 this gift of love from Frank Cabot as consistently created a stir in the preservation of American gardens, sharing gardens across this nation and celebrating the importance of gardens to our everyday lives. Some might think this is an organization for your grandmother - not exactly!! The awesome programming that has been shared before and during this pandemic has been amazing. TRUST ME - IT IS NOT OVER!! Click here to learn more about The Garden Conservancy. The Poem "Tapestry" by Lesley Elaine Greenwood, was perfect as we embrace the tapestry which includes the diversity found in gardens everywhere. Follow Me... Https://www.cottageinthecourt.com...Instagram and Twitter: @cottageincourt...Facebook: CottageInTheCourt, and sometimes on Medium: Cottage In The Court If you live in the DMV and want to know what's happening locally and in our gardens, follow the collaborative podcast by two garden communicators, Peggy Riccio and Teresa Speight. To garden fanatics talking about real gardening as it occurs right in our own yards!! Check out Gardens 'n Plants Podcast If you would like to stay in the know, please subscribe to Apple Podcasts. In the meantime...garden, Teri, Cottage In The Court #gardencomm

Let it be is all I could say as this period of unintentional pausing has made all of us pay attention. Going out into the garden every day to weed or water was less important. Admiring the beauty of the garden in real-time was a gift. The opportunity to witness trees burst into bloom or plants come to life has been amazing. If it were any other year, I would have to make time to weed, make time to capture a few blooms and have very little time actually enjoying the beauty that surrounds me. I wrote about this on my blog recently as I realized sometimes, you have to Let It Be I recently heard Edwina Von Gal speak about the virtues of nature on a fantastic webinar shared by The Garden Conservancy. The Garden Conservancy has introduced informative virtual programming this year. Edwina was one of the guests who I consider a gift to my world. Please enjoy this conversation as you reconsider your fall garden pursuits....and remember the birds. To find out more, email: edwina@234birds.org . If you are like me, Edwina is a person you NEED to know. I love leaving you with words to savor, a poem by Frank Baker...about Birds. Follow Me... Https://www.cottageinthecourt.com...Instagram and Twitter: @cottageincourt...Facebook: CottageInTheCourt, and sometimes on Medium: Cottage In The Court If you live in the DMV and want to know what's happening locally and in our gardens, follow the collaborative podcast by two garden communicators, Peggy Riccio and Teresa Speight. To garden fanatics talking about real gardening as it occurs right in our own yards!! Check out Gardens 'n Plants Podcast In the meantime...garden, Teri, Cottage In The Court #gardencomm

Join Peggy and Teri as they discuss what is happening in their gardens, from saving seed of variegated morning glories and peppers to making wildflower seed bombs. Peggy discusses an African American Foodways Cooking Demonstration given by Stratford Hall in Virginia. Teri discusses the Garden Conservancy and her recent visit to the Patuxent Nursery in Maryland. Together they talk about upcoming gardening events. For more, visit Peggy's website at pegplant.com and Teri's website at cottageinthecourt.com. To contact them, e-mail at gardensnplantspodcast@gmail.com. DRAMM watering products Garden Conservancy Patuxent Nursery Stratford Hall GardenComm

Today we remember the beloved English writer who was punished for treason but adored with flowers. We'll also learn about the female botanical illustrator who is known as the "Audubon of botany." We celebrate the Dean of American Architecture. We also salute the "poet of the blackbirds." We honor the establishment of the horticulture program at the Smithsonian Gardens. In Unearthed Words, we say goodbye to July and hear some poems about the fleeting summer. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that celebrates 25 years of the Garden Conservancy through over 50 gardens from across the country. And then we’ll wrap things up with a little story about the Alligator Pear. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today’s curated news.   Subscribe Apple  | Google  | Spotify  | Stitcher | iHeart   Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy.   Curated News How To Grow A Mood-boosting Garden| Financial Times | Clare Coulson Here's an excerpt: “Isabel Bannerman – who along with her husband, Julian, has created atmospheric gardens for the Prince of Wales at Highgrove [and other royalty] – is a passionate flag-bearer for good-for-you gardening. “Plants are a really good steadier. You can’t let them die, you have to keep going. Like having children, but less demanding,” she says. But as she also notes, gardens are very forgiving. “There’s always another year, another season to look forward to, to try again. There is so much beauty, such sensory pleasure, all of which feeds the soul and the psyche.” For Bannerman, scent is key to creating gardens that transport and revive – a subject she explores in her book Scent Magic: Notes from a Gardener. Natural chemical “uppers”, including indole, are present in the fragrance of lilac and jasmine, while the calming qualities of lavender are connected to linalool. Bannerman uses their powers to envelop the home." Garden designer Jo Thompson says it is really important to have an “enclosed garden (the hortus conclusus). “It’s really important to have a place to sit or even a retreat,” she says. “These areas are magical and inspiring. You’re in nature, there’s movement and life but you feel safe...”  American journalist and author Florence Williams has gathered and simplified the research in her book The Nature Fix, which reveals that we are hard-wired to be in the natural world. “Our brains become relaxed because these are things that we are designed to look at, hear and smell,” she says. “The frontal lobe – the part of our brain that’s hyper-engaged in modern life – deactivates a little when you’re outside, while alpha waves, which indicate a calm but alert state, grow stronger.” Korean researchers have found that pictures of landscapes stimulate brain function in... areas associated with empathy and altruism."   Alright, that’s it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There’s no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events 1703  It was on this day in 1703 that the English journalist and author Daniel Defoe was made to stand in the pillory in front of the temple bar. Daniel is remembered for his popular novel Robinson Crusoe which, at the time, claimed to be second to the Bible in its number of published translations. After Daniel was convicted of treason for one of his political writings, he was punished with time at the pillory. The pillory was essentially a stockade; the hands and head were stuck between two giant beams of wood. The person would stand in the pillory for days. It was a horrible punishment and it was usually reserved for hideous crimes. While Daniel was in the pillory, the crowds did their best to show their support; they sang songs, shouted encouragements, and threw flowers at his feet instead of mud. In 1830, a biography of Daniel said that his stocks were adorned with garlands and that drinks were provided to celebrate Daniel's release. The image of Daniel standing with his head and hands in the stocks surrounded by an adoring audience was memorialized in an 1862 painting by Eyre Crowe. Gardeners will especially notice the flowers strewn on the ground in the foreground. On the right, there are two women struggling to hold on to a large basket of flowers as they are being pushed away by the red coats. Behind the women, a man has managed to attach a small bouquet to the tip of a spear that he is attempting to give to Daniel who is standing calmly in the pillory.   1860  It’s the birthday of the botanical illustrator Mary Vaux Walcott who born in Philadelphia on this day. Gardeners appreciate Mary for her meticulously accurate watercolors of plants and flowers. For this reason, Mary is regarded as the "Audobon of Botany." Mary began her career as an illustrator one summer after being challenged to paint a rare blooming Arnica. Although her effort was only a modest success, it encouraged her to pursue art. In the pursuit of her art, Mary met Charles Doolittle Walcott. They were both doing fieldwork in the Canadian Rockies, and they found they were equally yoked. They married the following year. At the time, Charles was the secretary of the Smithsonian; that's how Mary was tapped to develop the Smithsonian process printing technique. Mary created hundreds of illustrations of the native plants of North America. Her five-volume set entitled North American Wildflowers showcases the stunning beauty of common wildflowers, many of which are at peak bloom right now. In addition to her work as a botanist, Mary was a successful glacial geologist and photographer. She was the first woman to summit a peak over 10,000 feet in Canada when she tackled Mount Stephen. Today Mary even has a mountain named after her in Jasper - Mount Mary Vaux.   1895  Today is the anniversary of the death of Richard Morris Hunt, who was an American architect during the gilded age. Gardeners know Richard for his collaborations with Frederick Law Olmsted. They worked together on the Vanderbilt mausoleum and the Chicago world‘s fair. Their ultimate collaboration occurred in Asheville, North Carolina, where they worked together to design the gardens, house, and manor village for the Biltmore Estate. Richard is often recognized as the Dean of American Architecture. He was the first American trained at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. If you get the chance to walk around Central Park, you’ll discover a memorial to honor Richard Morris Hunt. The memorial is located on the eastern perimeter of the park, and it was created by the same man who created the monument to Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial: Daniel Chester French. When he was alive, Richard wanted to elevate the public taste in design and the arts, but he was also flexible enough to meet them where they were. Modern-day designers will recognize the truth of Richard’s advice to other Landscape Architects. He said, "The first thing you've got to remember is that it's your clients' money you're spending. Your goal is to achieve the best results by following their wishes. If they want you to build a house upside down standing on its chimney, it's up to you to do it."   1917  Today is the anniversary of the death of the Irish war poet and soldier Francis Ledwidge. Francis grew up in the Irish countryside. When he became a writer, he established himself as the "poet of the blackbirds." Francis was killed in action during World War I at the Battle of Passchendaele.   When the clouds shake their hyssops and the rain Like holy water falls upon the plain, 'Tis sweet to gaze upon the springing grain And see your harvest born. And sweet the little breeze of melody The blackbird puffs upon the budding tree, While the wild poppy lights upon the lea And blazes 'mid the corn. — Francis Ledwidge, A Rainy Day in April   Broom out the floor now, lay the fender by, And plant this bee-sucked bough of woodbine there, And let the window down. The butterfly Floats in upon the sunbeam, and the fair Tanned face of June, the nomad gypsy, laughs Above her widespread wares, the while she tells The farmer's fortunes in the fields, and quaffs The water from the spider-peopled wells. The hedges are all drowned in green grass seas, And bobbing poppies flare like Elmo's light While siren-like the pollen-stained bees Drone in the clover depths. And up the height The cuckoo's voice is hoarse and broke with joy. And on the lowland crops, the crows make raid, Nor fear the clappers of the farmer's boy, Who sleeps, like drunken Noah, in the shade. And loop this red rose in that hazel ring That snares your little ear, for June is short  And we must joy in it and dance and sing, And from her bounty draw her rosy worth. Ay! soon the swallows will be flying south, The wind wheel north to gather in the snow Even the roses spilt on youth's red mouth Will soon blow down the road all roses go.  — Francis Ledwidge, June   1972   It was on this day that the horticulture program at the Smithsonian Gardens was established by Sydney Dylan Ripley, who served as the secretary of the Smithsonian. An American ornithologist and conservationist, Sidney had been inspired by the area around the Louvre in France as a child. With the Louvre always in the back of his mind, Sidney hoped to make the Smithsonian a bustling destination with activities to engage crowds of visitors and tourists. The horticultural services division was created to provide landscaping in and around the Smithsonian museums. Sidney knew that gardens not only attracted pollinators but people as well. In 2010, the Smithsonian horticultural program was renamed the Smithsonian Gardens to recognize the central role that the gardens play in the visitor experience.   Unearthed Words Today we say, “Goodbye, July. Until next year, we’ll miss you.”  Today’s words are about the fleeting summer.   Our fear of death is like our fear that summer will be short, but when we have had our swing of pleasure, our fill of fruit, and our swelter of heat, we say we have had our day. — Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist and poet   You have seen the blossoms among the leaves; tell me, how long will they stay? Today they tremble before the hand that picks them; tomorrow they await someone's garden broom. —Hanshan, Chinese Tang Dynasty   Grow That Garden Library Outstanding American Gardens by Page Dickey This book came out in 2015 and the subtitle is  A Celebration: 25 Years of the Garden Conservancy. This gorgeous book celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Garden Conservancy. The book highlights eight gardens preserved by the conservancy and 43 gardens that have participated in the Open Days Program. The author, Page Dickey, is a well-known garden writer. Among her many books are Gardens in the Spirit of Place, the award-winning BreakingGround: Portraits of Ten Garden Designers, and Duck Hill Journal. She created Duck Hill, her garden in North Salem, New York, over the past 30 years. This book is 272 pages of inspiring gardens from all around the country and photographed in a variety of seasons from spring to fall. You can get a copy of Outstanding American Gardens by Page Dickey and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $20.   Today’s Botanic Spark Today is National Avocado Day. Avocado is a fruit, and it was initially called an alligator pear by Sir Hans Sloane in 1696. And, Guinness has a giant avocado recorded at 5 pounds, 6 and ½ ounces. Don’t forget that the skin of an avocado can be toxic to cats and dogs - but the flesh of an avocado is higher in potassium than bananas. Now, the next time the price of avocados gets you down, remember that avocados are harvested by hand. Pickers need to use a 16-foot pole to reach the hanging fruit. And, finally, here’s a little fun fact about avocados: The conquistadors used avocado seeds to write. It turns out, the avocado seed produces a milky liquid that changes to the color red when exposed to air.

Katie Ridder is a New York-based interiors and textile designer known for her bold use of color and penchant for pattern. Ridder’s work has been published in ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST, THE NEW YORK TIMES, ELLE DÉCOR, TOWN & COUNTRY, HOUSE & GARDEN, DOMINO, and HOUSE BEAUTIFUL. ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST, ELLE DÉCOR and HOUSE BEAUTIFUL have featured her projects on their covers. She has appeared on the “Top 100” list of designers for HOUSE BEAUTIFUL and ELLE DÉCOR. Katie’s first book, ROOMS, was published by Vendome Press in 2011 and is in its third printing. A House in the Country—Ridder’s second book, co-authored with her husband, architect Peter Pennoyer--has graced three AMAZON best-sellers lists. Katie is releasing her third book, MORE ROOMS, in September of 2020. Katie’s design work extends to her involvement with many groups. She is currently a member of The Friends of Horticulture at Wave Hill, the Horticultural Committee at the New York Botanical Garden and serves on the board of directors of the Garden Conservancy.

Today's episode is inspired by a recent visit to Peckerwood Garden in Hempstead, TX. This gem is one of the Garden Conservancy's special gardens, and hosts Kate and Charles Sadler talk what it takes to become a volunteer for gardens like this and others around the country.Visit www.kinggardeninc.com/in-the-landscape for host bios and more! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

James Brayton Hall, president of the Garden Conservancy, examines what America's gardens say about our culture and how new approaches pioneered by the Conservancy are helping to protect and document these landscapes for the future. Several examples of West Coast gardens are highlighted, including remarkable successes—such as the gardens surrounding the former prison on Alcatraz Island—and one near failure.

James Brayton Hall, president of the Garden Conservancy, examines what America's gardens say about our culture and how new approaches pioneered by the Conservancy are helping to protect and document these landscapes for the future. Several examples of West Coast gardens are highlighted, including remarkable successes—such as the gardens surrounding the former prison on Alcatraz Island—and one near failure.

Kerry Lewis Landscape ArchitectureKerry Lewis established KLLA in 2002 after fifteen years of professional practice with firms in New York, San Francisco and, most recently, in Boston with the award winning Halvorson Design Partnership. At Halvorson, Kerry headed up the residential design department and lent her planting expertise to many commercial, institutional and park projects.She comes by her love of plants naturally from growing up on a farm in the Hudson Valley region of New York State. Her parents own and operate a perennial nursery in the area, Lorjon Nursery. Artistic talents run in the family; Kerry’s brother, Christoper Lewis, is a stone mason and artist who is available for commissioned work.Kerry graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science with distinction in Landscape Architecture.Kerry is a registered landscape architect in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of California. She is a member of New England Wildflower Society, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, The Trustees of Reservation, The Garden Conservancy and The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).She was recently elected to the Board of Trustees at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, MA.Kerry Lewiskerry@klla.com617.642.7448Instagram

If you’re like me, you love getting out into your own garden, but visiting someone else’s garden is almost as good — there’s just less weeding required. The end of March/beginning of April is also the unofficial kick off of garden-visiting season, with garden tours and open garden days on local, regional and national levels, and of all shapes and sizes, getting started now and running right through to November in some parts of the country. While open gardens and garden tours are hosted by organizations large and small, and individuals both famous and obscure, there are few open garden days as well known or well organized across the US than the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days. This week on Cultivating Place, we’re joined by Laura Wilson, recent past West Coast coordinator of the Garden Conservancy’s National Open Days Scheme. The 2017 Open Days directory will be out by the end of March letting those of us who love such things know where, when and which gardens are open around the country. Each year my directory has more pages dog eared than the last year. Join us!

Every garden has something to teach me – truly. About plants, about people, about space and light and place. I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, CA – the result one dedicated gardener woman’s life-long curiosity and admiration for cacti and succulents as she gardened in a dry climate. The garden started in the early 1950s as a private collection of potted plants. By 1972, the collection had outgrown its location and was moved to its current site, which at the time was an old walnut orchard. After being seen by the founder of the Garden Conservancy, Frank Cabot in the late 1980s, the Ruth Bancroft Garden became the first in the United States to be preserved by The Garden Conservancy. Open to the public since 1972, the garden remains an outstanding example of a Dry Garden. On Cultivating Place this week, we’re joined by Gretchen Bartzen, Executive Director of the Ruth Bancroft Garden to hear more. "The Bold Dry Garden - Lessons from the Ruth Bancroft Garden", is a new book out from Timber Press about the life and garden of a remarkable plantswoman, Ruth Bancroft and her epic cacti and succulent garden in Walnut Creek California. The book is written by Johanna Silver, Garden Editor for Sunset magazine, and is gorgeously photographed by Marion Brenner.

Gardens and landscapes, gardeners and gardening are integral to our cultural literacy and sense of place and self as a nation. In 1989 Frank Cabot founded the Garden Conservancy in the United States in an effort to preserve exceptional gardens and landscapes for the future. This week on Cultivating Place we’re joined by George Shakespear of the Garden Conservancy to hear more about its work, including its garden education and conservation mission as well as its dynamic Open Days program, which brings access to many, many other private gardens across the country each year. Several episodes ago, Cultivating Place spoke with the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, California. That remarkable garden resulting from one woman’s passion and dedication became the garden that essentially launched the Garden Conservancy – an American nonprofit organization founded in 1989 by Francis Cabot. The conservancy is dedicated to preserving exceptional gardens and landscapes for the future.

Anyone who knows the quality of garden fresh vegetables, values the flavor of heirloom vegetables. In The Beginner's Guide to Growing Heirloom Vegetables, Heirloom expert Marie Iannotti explains which varieties are the easiest to grow, the tastiest to eat and how to cultivate each one successfully. If you've never tasted the meaty and mellow 'Lacinato' kale or the unexpected sweetness of 'Apollo' arugula — or if you have tasted them and want more — The Beginner's Guide to Growing Heirloom Vegetables is your guide to easily growing the best. Longtime Master Gardener, Marie Iannotti, is the former owner of Yore Vegetables, an heirloom seedling nursery. She has served as a Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture educator and as a Master Gardener program coordinator and is a member of the Garden Writers Association and The Garden Conservancy. Tune in to this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, as host, June Stoyer talks to Marie Iannotti about growing and harvesting heirloom vegetables.  Visit our contest section at www.theorganicview.com/contests to win one of our monthly prizes! Today's show is sponsored by Eden Foods the most trusted name in certified organic clean food! When you shop online at EdenFoods.com enter the coupon code “ORGVIEW” to receive 20% OFF any regularly priced items (excluding cases). For other promotional offers, please visit TheOrganicView.com's website.    

Learn about plants that are extraordinarily useful in cooking, homeopathy, and more on a brand new episode of We Dig Plants. Carmen and Alice are joined by Stephen Orr, author of The New American Herbal . Stephen Orr is a writer and editor who shares his love of food, travel, gardening, and cooking in a wide range of media. He is currently the executive editor at Condé Nast Traveler magazine. Previously, he was an editorial director at Martha Stewart Living and a features editor at House & Garden and Domino magazines. In addition he has written for The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications. Orr has been a regularly featured expert on “The CBS Early Show,” “The Martha Stewart Show,” and “The Today Show.” In addition he was a segment producer for the PBS television series “Cultivating Life” and edited two cookbooks by British author Sarah Raven for Rizzoli. Because of his books, Orr is a featured speaker across the country for organizations such as The Garden Conservancy, The Garden Club of America, the Garden Writers Association, and a variety of national programs. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. “Every new person that comes from a farway country brings plants with them. I found so many plants that way and was able to research them.” [10:00] “If you broadly define a herb, it’s any useful plant. That makes it very broad.” [16:00] –Stephen Orr on We Dig Plants

Oprah's OWN, The Wall Street Journal, Martha Stewart Living & L.A Times are some of the places you have seen Pearl's Topiary Garden featured . He has even been a keynote speaker at Harvard University, the inspiration in the documentary "A Man Named Pearl" & a film short funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation called "Planting Hope". Pearl once stated, "According to the book I would have thrown it out, but I didn't know anything about the book," "I didn't even know what topiary was." The most education he received was a three minute overview on a small topiary plant he purchased. Amazingly done freehand with no forms to start his fascinating works of art. He is known internationally in the world of gardens and art. His story is an example of what can happen when you try something new and discover hidden talent beyond imagination. For the past 25 years, he has taken the world of topiaries to heights never imagined before. Starting by taking plants no one, not even the professionals thought were anything more than trash. Transforming them into a work of art through a labor of patience, love and determination. He looked at the potential of the plant and nurtured each one. He has taken risks and developed new techniques to tame trees. He has been featured in the documentary: 'A Man Named Pearl'. Thousands visits his garden yearly. There are 150 topiaries on his three acre property, comprised of 400 different plants. His topiaries can be seen all around Bishopville. He started with the 'Yard of the Month' award to numerous articles in national newspapers and magazines and appearances on national television. Recently Pearl's Topiary Garden has been designated a Preservation Project of the Garden Conservancy. It is a 501C3 Foundation. Pearl Fryar believes strongly in the role higher education can play in breaking the cycle of poverty in rural communities. He tells visitors to the garden that he believes a student’s academic performance does not always reflect potential for success. To realize Pearl’s objective of helping the average student to succeed, the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, Inc. contributes to scholarship funds at Central Carolina Technical College in Bishopville, South Carolina and at Clinton Junior College in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Scholarships are awarded to students who might not have done well in high school but who nevertheless show "potential." ~ PearlFryar.com © Building Abundant Success!! 2014 All Rights Reserved See you on my New Facebook Page ~ facebook.com/BuildingAbundantSuccess

Bill Noble on how the Garden Conservancy works to save living works of art -- and on open days for visiting private gardens.