Thursday, March 7, 2024 Schedule
Gravel Gardens for a Changing Climate
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Speaker: Jeff Epping of Epping Design and Consulting, just recently retired from Olbrich Botanical Gardens, where he served as Director of Horticulture for over 28 years. His beautiful and environmentally conscious award-winning design work at Olbrich can be seen across the Garden's 16 acres. The most recent award was bestowed upon the Garden in 2022 -- the American Horticultural Society's coveted Garden Stewardship Award, given to public gardens that embrace and exemplify sustainable horticultural practices in design and maintenance.
Presentation: In these challenging times of climate change and global warming, environmentally conscious gardeners are looking for better ways to garden. Water-guzzling, chemically dependent, pollution-causing lawns are not sustainable and can be replaced with so many better alternatives. One such alternative is earth-friendly gravel gardens that require little water, no fertilizer or other chemicals, no organic mulches, and require less time and money to maintain. Don't be fooled by the name -- these gardens are as beautiful, as they are resilient and support a myriad of native fauna.
Smart and Creative Seasonal Succulent Displays For Temperate Climate Gardens
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Speaker: Harnek Singh is an accomplished horticulturist at Wave Hill in Riverdale, NY where he has been for the past 15 years. He is currently responsible for planning, designing, propagation, and planting of Wave Hill's Herb Gardens, Dry Gardens, Silver Bed, Cactus/Succulent Greenhouse, and other seasonal displays. As part of routine reassignments, Harnek has also expertly managed the care of the Flower Garden, Shade Border, Monocot Garden and Aquatic Garden at Wave Hill, so his expertise in various growing conditions, plant health, and design possibilities are far-reaching. Before joining the gardeners at Wave Hill, Harnek worked for a roof garden design company in New York City. He has been welcomed as a guest gardener at Chanticleer Garden, Longwood Gardens, Great Dixter of England, and many others. He was a recipient of the prestigious Chanticleer Scholarship in 2016 and was able to visit and study some of the most notable gardens in England.
Presentation: Even in our temperate Northern climate, it is possible to consider succulents as attractive outdoor additions to the home or a formal garden. Harnek Singh will speak about his many years of creative design as a horticulturist at Wave Hill in Riverdale, NY where he is the head of the Cactus/Succulent Greenhouse. He will share the details of what he looks for in plants before choosing them for seasonal succulent displays, including how leaf texture, color, maintenance needs, and propagation ease are carefully considered in these succulents and their companion Plants.
Private Gardens of Philadelphia: Behind the Lens and Between the Pages
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Speaker: Rob Cardillo has been photographing gardens, plants, and the people who love them for almost thirty years. He has more than twenty-five books to his credit including Private Edens, The Private Gardens of South Florida, The Art of Gardening at Chanticleer, The Layered Garden, and the forthcoming Private Gardens of Philadelphia. He is a founding partner of Blue Root Media, which produces GROW, the award-winning magazine of the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society. His work is also frequently seen in major garden publications and news outlets. Winner of numerous photography awards, he is also a member of the GardenComm Hall of Fame. Rob lives and gardens in Ambler, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.
Presentation: Philadelphia is home to dozens of world-class private gardens, most of them hidden from view and rarely open to visitors. Learn about the techniques award-winning garden photographer Rob Cardillo used to create stunning images of our region's most beautiful private gardens, and be the first audience to preview some of these secluded edens featured in this definitive new book.
