SYMPOSIUM & EVENTS
2012 Spring Gardening Symposium
Co-sponsored by the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation and the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden
- Saturday, March 24, 2012, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
- Bastyr University Auditorium, 14500 Juanita Drive NE, Kenmore
- Cost: Members $65, Non-members $85 (lunch included)
- Registration: Email nwhort@aol.com or phone (206)780-8172
Woodland Gardening: Building Beauty from Shade-Loving Plants
There is a primal, if not spiritual, attraction to walking in a woodland, whether in the deciduous hardwoods of the eastern U.S. or in our magnificent western coniferous forests. An abundance of our best native plants are found in woodlands, and some of the most beautiful bulbs and ephemerals put on their breathtaking show early in the season under the woodland canopy using available light before the trees leaf out. This speaks to many gardeners’ desire to recreate a small portion of woodland in their own garden. Which trees work in a small urban garden and what plant combinations can be planted to provide year-round beauty?
Our symposium speakers will explore how to use shade-loving plants to create a beautiful and serene space in a woodland environment. We are fortunate to have Rick Lewandowski, former director of the Mt. Cuba Center for the study of Piedmont flora, bring us insights into a large array of native woodland plants and their habitats.
In less than ten years, Jimi Blake has built one of the most celebrated new gardens in Ireland out of an area that was just a field. The plantsmanship to accomplish this and how his plant collection has changed over time, as he is constantly editing and adding new acquisitions, will provide a stimulus for re-evaluating our own plantings.
Most of us do not have large gardens. This is also the case with Richie Steffen who, although he works in the Miller Botanical Garden, has a small plot at home on which he gardens. He will share thoughts into building a woodland garden on a small lot: what trees to plant to generate shade and how to combine shade-loving plants to great effect.
Finally, Cole Burrell, plantsman, author, educator, and designer has devoted a lifetime to studying native plants in the wild and in gardens. His interests focus on the origins of vernacular design traditions and avenues for ecological innovation within urban and suburban neighborhoods.
Speakers
Rick J. Lewandowski: A Gardener’s Lust for the Elusive Wildflower
Rick Lewandowski was the director of horticulture at the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania for seven years and is the former director of the Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware. He holds a BS and a master’s degree in horticulture.
Rick actively explores and studies plant habitats throughout the eastern and southeastern United States. He has been able to document wild-collected plants and to conserve valuable plant genetic diversity for future generations. He has conducted nearly 40 field expeditions to document and collect seed of native plants.
In designing gardens, Rick looks at natural processes and natural habitats to interpret and create gardens designed with harmonious elements. Rick also looks at key design principles for naturalistic gardening, along with some of the plants that make a garden successful.
Jimi Blake: “If You Go Down to the Woods Today:” Woodland and Shade-Loving Plants
Jimi Blake trained at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin as a horticulturist and was subsequently appointed head gardener at Airfield House in Dundrum, Dublin. After twelve years at Airfield, Jimi secured 20 acres of the family estate on which he established Hunting Brook Gardens. He was now fulfilling his ambition of having his own garden to grow and expand his plant collection, and share his passion and knowledge with the public. Jimi has realized his dream of a dynamic and innovative garden and continues to develop his vision. Hunting Brook is now known as Ireland’s most exciting and fascinating garden.
Richie Steffen: Designing and Planting the Small Urban Shade Garden
Richie Steffen moved to Seattle from Maryland in 1989 and began working at a local nursery. He then moved on to the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden as their propagator and nursery manager and also became a part-time instructor at the Edmonds Community College horticulture program. Richie joined the Miller Botanical Garden in 2000 as its curator.
At the Miller Garden, Richie oversees the plant record database, does general horticulture, and manages the garden’s special collections, including rare plants, ferns, hepaticas, woodland plants, rare bulbs, and alpine plants.
Highlighting great plants and smart ideas, Richie will show creative approaches to making an eye-catching small shade garden. Using his own garden for inspiration and photos from other beautiful and creative regional gardens, he will demonstrate what the obsessive collector can accomplish without much room.
C. Colston Burrell: Seasonal Splendor: Year-Round Color in the Shade Garden
Cole Burrell is an author, photographer, and naturalist. Cole has an M.S. in horticulture and an MLA. He believes that good design emerges from a strong sense of place. In 2008 Cole received the Award of Distinction from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers for his work promoting sustainable gardening practices. Among his books, Hellebores: A Comprehensive Guide, is the definitive work on species hellebores and received the 2007 American Horticultural Society Book Award.
Spring provides an embarrassment of riches for woodland gardens. The challenge is to keep the garden colorful throughout the growing season. The key to success is to layer the garden the way nature layers her woodlands and glades.