Toronto Botanical Garden

EDWARDS LECTURES 2010

WINTER 2010

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

EVENTS

We’ve searched the world to bring the best of the best – in expertise, in advice and, most importantly, in inspiration. Lectures are held in the Floral Hall, Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Admission: Door sales only. Limited seating.
Public $20 / Students (with valid ID) $15 / FREE for Members of TBG or Reciprocal Gardens
Generously supported by the Edwards Charitable Foundation

	Wednesday, February 17, 7:30 p.m. Matthew Wilson (UK) An Adventure in Green Gardening Matthew Wilson is often referred to by the British Press as the "Heathcliff of the Hedgerows", because of the handsome gardener's popularity on a variety of BBC gardening shows. But Wilson is not just a pretty face. His love of gardening and the environment had an early start: his parents owned a small nursery in Kent, where he worked with his father on some of England's best gardens. He worked with the Royal Horticultural Society for 10 years, most recently as Head of Gardens Creative Development for all four RHS gardens. A journalist and author, he is a regular columnist for "Country Life" magazine and the author of the award-winning "New Gardening; How to Garden in a Changing Climate". In this world-class lecture, Wilson will discuss the issues facing gardeners today and in the future: water efficiency, plant choices, carbon reduction, and gardens in their relation to local wildlife.
	Tuesday, March 30, 7:30 p.m Marjorie Harris (CA) Re-Envisioning Your Garden Torontonians are familiar with Marjorie Harris through her books and gardening columns, but this lecture will highlight a more personal side: the evolution of her own garden. Located in Toronto's Annex area, her shady back garden is long and narrow, typical of many urban gardens. Over the years, the garden has seen many changes, but the latest redesign, a couple of years ago, was the most challenging: how to make landscape changes while preserving the parts of the garden that "worked". As usually happens, the remake was bigger than expected, resulting in changes to the back of the house as well. The resulting oasis is innovative, practical and very, very beautiful. Come and see what happens when you want to make changes, but you don't want to "throw the baby out with the bathwater".
	Wednesday, April 14, 7:30 p.m. Lynden B. Miller (USA) Parks, Plants and People: Beautifying the Urban Landscape Internationally renowned public designer Lynden Miller will present an inspirational lecture based on her latest book (same title as lecture). Director of the Conservatory Garden in Central Park, Ms. Miller has designed many public gardens and parks in New York City as well as gardens at the New York Botanical garden and several university campuses. She believes that public open spaces with good plantings can change city life by providing a connection with nature in neighbourhoods both rich and poor. As a painter and garden designer, she brings an artistic perspective to garden design. After the lecture, Ms. Miller will be available to sign copies of her book.
	Wednesday, May 26 7:30 p.m. Tony Avent (USA) Perennials: What's New and Exciting and Often Overlooked Once again, Tony Avent will fan our plant lust with information and pictures of the best and newest perennials available this spring. His "Plant Delights Nursery" in North Carolina is an international mail order firm specializing in new and unusual perennials, many of which are their own introductions. Tony's online plant catalog and photos (www.plantdelights.com) have been known to drive gardeners mad with desire. Resistance is futile.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES:

Matthew Wilson worked for the RHS for ten years, first as Curator of RHS Garden Hyde Hall, then as Head of Site and Curator at Harlow Carr and latterly as Head of Gardens Creative Development for all four RHS gardens. During his time at RHS Garden Hyde Hall Matthew succeeded in transforming many areas of the garden dramatically. At Harlow Carr he established a strong environmental ethos for the garden and led the development of a number of key projects and redesigned several important areas of the garden. During his four and a half year tenure, visitor numbers rose from 130,00 to 220,00, with a significant increase in local membership recruitment. The success of the Dry Garden, finished in 2001 and irrigated purely by rainfall, pays tribute to his dedication and commitment to gardening in an environmentally friendly way.

Matthew has joined Michael Heseltine and Roddy Llewellyn as regular garden columnist at Country Life. He also lectures and teaches regularly on sustainable horticulture, planting design and wildlife gardening. Matthew contributes regularly to a number of publications including the Daily Telegraph and The Guardian. Matthew is a Trustee of the Lowther Castle & Gardens Trust (Cumbria), board member of the BBC's Gardening Editorial Advisory Board, Board member and horticultural advisor to Horticap (Harrogate) and Patron of the Friends of Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Marjorie Harris is considered one of Canada's leading garden writers. She has a garden column in Canada's national newspaper, The Globe & Mail, and makes speeches across the country; was Editor-in-Chief of Gardening Life magazine. Born in Shaunovon, Saskatchewan back in the mists of time, she was educated from Goose Bay Labrador to Vancouver B. C. and graduated in Hon. Eng. From McMaster University Her latest book: How to Make a Garden. Other books include: Botanica North America, The Canadian Gardener, Seasons of My Garden, Marjorie Harris' Favorite Garden Tips, Pocket Gardening , Ecological Garden.

Lynden B. Miller is a public garden designer in New York City and director of The Conservatory Garden in Central Park, which she rescued and restored beginning in 1982. Her work includes gardens for The Central Park Zoo, Bryant Park, The New York Botanical Garden, Madison Square Park and Wagner Park in Battery Park City as well as many smaller projects in all five boroughs and beyond, including waterfront gardens in Red Hook, Brooklyn, improvements to Union Square Park and the 97th Street Park Avenue Mall, renovation of the "Gateway to Harlem" Broadway Mall at 135th Street, design of the Entry Garden for Segment 5 of Hudson River Park, and design consultation for the garden at The Museum of Modern Art, Loeb Plaza for Hunter College and the front of the 67th Street Armory. She has designed and enhanced the campus landscapes at Columbia University, Princeton University, and Stony Brook University, where she continues to work on new projects, and is currently in the process of designing a garden for the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC. For twenty-five years, Mrs. Miller has focused her work on the improvement of parks and gardens from the Bronx to the Battery, from Rockaway to Staten Island.

Tony Avent: After graduating from NC State University with a degree in Horticultural Science in 1978, Tony Avent worked in the horticultural field and, in 1988, became the owner of the award-winning Plant Delights Nursery Inc., a mail order nursery specializing in new and rare perennials. The goal of Plant Delights Nursery, Inc., is to change the way people garden by offering the best, the newest, and the strangest fun, garden-worthy perennials to gardeners around the world. The nursery's specialty is hostas; they have conducted one of the most extensive hosta breeding programs in the country, yielding exciting introductions like Hosta 'White Wall Tire' (98), Hosta 'Tattoo' PP 11,603 (98), Hosta 'Elvis Lives' (95), and the ugliest hosta ever, Hosta 'Out House Delight' (94)! Tony volunteers on a number of horticultural committees in his home state, N. Carolina, as well as being a Contributing Editor to Horticulture Magazine.