Garden Glamour by Duchess Designs: Register Now for The New York Botanical Garden's 14th Annual Winter Lecture Series

Hot off the press (seriously) - and before many of you darling garden enthusiasts receive notice in the Post -- here is the The New York Botanical Garden announcement of its 14^th Annual Winter Lecture Series

Being all things spot-on, do you think the NYBG visionaries launched the Lecture series to coordinate with the calendar years?
It is uncanny how the lecture series coordinates so nicely with year: 14 in 2014...

The Lecture Series is Presented by Adult Education and the School of Professional Horticulture.

How much do we love these two garden educators?

Before the holiday festivities and the winter solstice have you hibernated or celebrating beyond reach, get out your 2014 calendars and digital schedules for three Thursdays:
January 30, February 20, and March 20.

Garden enthusiasts, landscape design professionals, NYBG Members, and horticulturists fill these reservations very fast, so those who may not fall into these plant-lover tribes, shouldn't wait to register for a seat at these memorable, informative NYBG lectures.

Speakers Dates:

Brian J. Huntley - Thursday, January 30

Kim Wilkie - Thursday, February 20

Thomas Rainer - Thursday, March 20

Time: 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

Location:

Ross Hall

The New York Botanical Garden

2900 Southern Blvd.

Bronx, NY 10458

The essence of a successful garden lies in its ability to inspire as well as to satisfy the inner souls of the creator and the visitor. This year’s lineup of exceptional speakers share their insights on both the functionality of gardens— ranging from preserving natural landscapes with indigenous flora to interpreting spaces based on physical as well as metaphysical parameters— and the emotional value of designing gardens that reflect personal passions and aspirations. Join us for a fascinating lecture series that will expand your mind and enhance your appreciation of gardens.

Kirstenbosch: The Most Beautiful Garden in Africa

Thursday, January 30 • 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

The name Kirstenbosch resonates around the gardening world as the home of a niquely beautiful flora in a setting of unsurpassed beauty. Situated at the southern tip of Africa, it is the flagship of South Africa’s network of nine National Botanical Gardens and has had a major influence on biodiversity science and conservation across Africa.

In this richly illustrated lecture, Kirstenbosch expert Brian J. Huntley will describe the long history of botanical exploration in southern Africa, and the remarkable personalities and plants contributing to this botanic treasure, which has received 33 gold medals in 38 years at the Chelsea Flower Show. Emeritus Professor Brian J. Huntley is a world-renowned conservation scientist and a key figure in post-Apartheid conservation across southern Africa. A former CEO of the South African National Biodiversity Institute and the National Botanical Institute, he now consults on global conservation projects for the UN and most recently authored Kirstenbosch: The Most Beautiful Garden in Africa.

Sculpting the Land

Thursday, February 20 • 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

In his own words, Kim Wilkie is a landscape architect who loves mud. He works in he ancient British tradition of sculpting huge landforms out of clay and chalk and clothing them in grass. Drawing on history, insights, and experience, Wilkie will talk about these traditions and show examples of his renowned work from Heveningham Hall in Suffolk to Boughton in Northamptonshire. He will also show

how the ideas can be translated into small urban spaces. Kim Wilkie studied history at Oxford and landscape architecture at the University of California, Berkeley,

before setting up his landscape studio in London in 1989.

He collaborates with architects and landscape architects on public gardens and on private estate gardens in the U.K. and around the world such as the Victoria and

Albert Museum Garden in London and the Villa La Pietra in Florence. He combines designing with the muddy practicalities of running a small farm in Hampshire, where he is now based. His 2012 book, Led by the Land, chronicles his landscape philosophy and work.

Designing with Native Plants

Thursday, March 20 • 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

A passionate advocate for an ecologically expressive design aesthetic that interprets rather than imitates nature, Thomas Rainer will critique current approaches to designing with native plants and present a bold, alternative design aesthetic based on artful interpretations of native plant communities. Rainer will discuss his process of distilling native communities into striking, adaptable patterns—particularly in urban and suburban sites that have little in common with the native plants that once flourished there—and creating lush, dynamic plantings that can be replicated in any setting.

Thomas Rainer is an accomplished landscape architect who teaches in the George Washington University Landscape Design program and writes on gardens and landscaping at Grounded Design, his award-winning blog. He has designed more than 100 gardens as well as landscapes for the U.S. Capitol grounds, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and The New York Botanical Garden.

Registration:

Each lecture: $31/$35 (Member /Non-Member)

The series: $84/$95 (Member /Non-Member)

Seating is limited, so please register early. Registration will be accepted at the door only if seating is available.

CEUs: Each lecture is approved for two credit hours by the: American Institute of Architects, the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, and the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System.

Funded in part by the Barbara Cushin