The American Stewartias: Ecology, Cultivation and Conservation

Few gardeners are aware of the two species of Stewartia native to the eastern U. S.  Tim Boland, director of the Polly Hill Arboretum on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, outlines the efforts of a new public garden–commercial collaboration to document their distribution in the wild.  Efforts include the collection and propagation of trees from throughout their natural range.  The group is dedicated to the promotion of these plants for cultivation in our gardens as well as their protection in the wild.

Tim holds a bachelor’s degree in landscape horticulture and a master’s degree in botany and plant pathology from Michigan State University.  Prior to becoming director at Polly Hill Arboretum, he was Curator of Horticulture at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois.  In his current position, Tim is preparing a modern flora of Martha’s Vineyard and adjacent islands.  He has participated in plant collecting expeditions to expand the Arboretum’s national collection of Stewartia.

TUESDAY, 7:30 PM
OCTOBER 9, 2012
COLE BURRELL

Ferns: Wild Things Make a Comeback

Ferns impart a cool grace to gardens that no other group of plants can match.  From the filigreed lace of the Lady Fern to the erect swords of the Tokyo Woodfern, Ferns beguile us with their colors, forms and textures.  Learn how to tame these garden treasures and discover the beauty of new Ferns available today.  Cole presents topics including anatomy, life cycle, growth habits, environmental requirements and garden design.  The lecture explores the unrivaled beauty and mystery of an underutilized group of plants.

C. Colston Burrell is an acclaimed lecturer, garden designer and photographer.  The author of 12 books, Cole has twice won the American Horticulture Society Book Award.  A certified chlorophyll addict, he is an avid and lifelong plantsman, gardener and naturalist.  He is an international lecturer on topics of design, plants and ecology; he has shared his knowledge with professional and amateur audiences for 35 years.  Cole is principal of Native Landscape Design and Restoration, which specializes in blending nature and culture through artistic design.  In 2008 he received the Award of Distinction from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers for his work promoting sustainable gardening.  Cole gardens on ten acres in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

TUESDAY, 7:30 PM
NOVEMBER 13, 2012
CONNIE SCHMOTZER

Native Plants and Habitats in the Suburban Garden

Once you’ve made a commitment to “go native” with your landscape, how do you begin?  Connie Schmotzer will share how she and her husband converted a one-half-acre suburban lot into a landscape of rain gardens, meadows, a small forest and more than 200 species of native plants.

Connie Schmotzer is Consumer Horticulture Educator for Penn State Extension in York County.  She coordinates the county Master Gardener Program and the Pollinator-Friendly Certification Program.  Connie worked as a ranger  naturalist in Grand  Teton National Park for ten seasons.

Handout

TUESDAY, 7:30 PM
DECEMBER 11, 2012
JANET DRAPER

Gardening in Plain Sight

Janet Draper designs and cares for the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden next to the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Museum.  She has packed this one-third-acre garden with an amazing array of plants, the wild and funky as well as the rock solid but underappreciated workhorses.  It is open to the public 24 hours daily since it has no gates, so maintaining and changing it through the seasons has to be done as the public looks on.  She says “There is always something interesting going on when you work in front of crowds of people from around the world and your work space abuts a multi-million dollar renovation of an historic building.”  Come and hear Janet recount some adventures presenting a garden to the public in a super-hot urban space, foiling plant-nappers, and much more!

Janet has trained and worked at major horticultural centers in the Maryland area, including Bluemel, Inc., Oehme, von Sweden, and the Mt. Cuba Center as well as overseas at the perennial nursery of Countess von Stein-Zeppelin in Germany and Beth Chatto’s gardens in England.  She has been the horticulturist for the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden since 1997.

Plant Collecting in Taiwan

Andrew Bunting recounts his explorations on Taiwan in the fall of 2012. A joint effort with famed plantsman Dan Hinkley and Georgia-based Scott McMahan. The team explored the entire island in search of interesting woody and herbaceous plants. More than 150 collections were made, including many of Acer, Arisaema, ferns, Hydrangea, Rhododendron and Schlefflera. Andrew, curator of the Scott Arboretum since 1993, is currently president of the Magnolia Society International.

Andrew Bunting

TUESDAY, 7:30
APRIL 9, 2013