If you love public gardens, you WILL go to this talk!

Public gardens are struggling to gain support nationwide and it's heartbreaking to see, especially our local parks and gardens being subject to severe cuts. Working for one, I understand the dilemma and its made more apparent when colleagues are laid off or cut back and when our duties as gardeners are stretched out beyond what we were originally hired to do. Some would jump ship and not tolerate the work load and not being allowed to work overtime, while others, like myself, are simply fortunate to just even have a permanent half time job where I have some benefits and make enough to just get by along with my own small business on the side. It's hard for a lot of people looking for work and I often wish that I could be of more help to those who have asked me about work opportunities.


Me at the UW Botanic Gardens in one of the gardens I help maintain, speaking with a group of garden writers. (Thanks for the pic, Kelly!)

If you look pass the economic troubles we're all facing and think of the positive things we still have in our lives like friends and family and the activities that we can all engage in that don't cost any money, there's a lot of opportunities to truly enjoy some of the simpler things in life that are incredibly fulfilling. To me, public gardens provide many of those opportunities. Bringing plants and people together in a serene setting such as a public park is a time-honored tradition that spans many different cultures and walks of life. Think of the families out on a Sunday afternoon, a young couple sharing quality time on a blanket with a simple picnic, heck, even the homeless woman finds refuge and an occasional gesture of generosity within a public park. Find all the problems that coincide with that last example, but it still proves a point: public parks and gardens are a part of our needs as human beings to reconnect with nature, to feel safe, and feel like we belong on this planet.

Next month, we have an opportunity to meet a well-known figure in public gardens.


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, Hudson River Park and Wagner Park in Battery Park City as well as many smaller projects in all five boroughs and beyond as well as several university campuses.

For almost 30 years, Mrs. Miller has focused on her belief that public open spaces with good well-maintained plantings can change city life. She has taken an entirely new approach to public horticulture by creating rich plantings that provide four seasons of interest.

Her award-winning book, "Parks, Plants, and People: Beautifying the Urban Landscape" is inspirational and instructive about all aspects of creating and supporting beautiful public space.


She will speak at the 16th annual Miller Memorial Lecture at the University of Washington campus on September 15th at 7PM and I encourage people to come as it is free (please RSVP and learn more about the lecture here) and sure to be inspiring and beautiful.

Just learning more about her and the work that she does reminds me of why I pursued public horticulture as an undergrad. Cut the politics and bullcrap involved in working in one, you have to think of the big picture. Her motto is: "Make it gorgeous and they will come. Keep it that way and they will help"

R

Catching Up...

Ok, so it's been a crazy past few weeks. I've tried to post random photos and stuff just to say that I'm alive and still at it. Man, blogs are a lot of work!

Here's sort of a lil' timeline of my activities, where each one could be a potential blog subject/entry!


1) With severe reductions in state and departmental budgets, a prominent and critical position from UW Botanic Gardens was cut. It was so unfortunate to hear of the news and it basically resonated with what's going on with Botanic Gardens across the nation.

I'll try and elaborate on my thoughts about this New York Times article, but it basically states that many botanical institutions are taking on a new direction that isn't really so plant focused, but instead, they're catering to the gardens as simply places to be for non-horticultural events.

Even with this transition, you'd think that they'd keep up a position that produces the plant collections as well as provide outreach programs to instill in youth the importance of our native plants and environments. Ugh, it got me quite down and really unmotivated to work.

2) I prepared for and attended for the first time the Perennial Plant Association annual symposium held in Portland, OR this year. I spoke on "Perennials for Tough Situations" and aside from a supposed disappointing review from a very well known and respected individual in horticulture who attended my presentation, the feedback from everyone else afterward was most encouraging. I took the time down there to spend with friends, colleagues, and visit gardens and nurseries I've never seen before and so thrilled to finally have now! Definitely more soon!

3) It's time to scale back a bit. Each gardening season brings forth with it new challenges and this year, I've come to realize that my constantly full and unstable plate will continue to be occasionally unpleasant and intolerable if I don't make some pretty tough decisions in the next couple of months. Basically, a significant someone reminded me that I have a lot of life left to accomplish all that I aspire to do in horticulture. It's time to explore the country and the rest of the world more; gain experience that will help better shape me as a person and as a professional and realize that I have a whole arsenal of other skills and talents I must continue to nurture.

4) I've been thinking a lot about my "audience". Being somewhat of an outlier in the industry because of my age, I've worked diligently to appeal to an older generation of experienced gardeners, but now that I feel like I've got many of them on my side, I need to start collaborating more with my up and coming colleagues who are doing big and wonderful things to ensure that plants and gardening become not just a luxury for people, but a wonderful and fulfilling way of life! It's hard to bridge the generational gap at times, but I think it can be done with hard work, lots of patience, and a genuine respect and understanding between everyone.


There's lots to ramble about, but I promised myself that I'd try to really get more sleep than I've been getting.


Please stay tuned and thank you all for reading!



Riz

Defining the "Next Generation Gardener"

I just started to send out email notifications to friends and colleagues about this new blog and I thought it would be appropriate to define and explain the title of this online journal, "THe Next Generation Gardener"

Seattle Times garden columnist, Val Easton, dubbed me as "a new generation of gardener...this child prodigy has grown into a horticultural omnivore whose keen knowledge and enthusiasms bode well for the future of Northwest gardening."

Pretty spiffy, eh? (Ha, my one opportunity to gloat and revel in the success and notoriety of being a horticultural celebrity. NOT!!)

It's actually A LOT to live up to. While I've enjoyed the praise and the attention, I still feel like I'm behind in some respects and lack certain skills and experiences. What needs more attention is the next generation of GARDENERS (not just me); those that can be exposed to nature and have a growing respect and understanding for the environment.

In my view, the next generation has to understand some, if not all, of the many different issues facing our environment. Whether it's sustaining our natural resources, conserving and preserving rare and endangered species, or improving our own personal health and livelihood by altering our wasteful ways: plants, flowers, and gardens are intrinsically linked to each one of those and now is the time for us to be informed about them because each of us can easily play a small role in making these changes to preserve our planet.

The goal shouldn't immediately be to shape the next avid plant snob. That may/will/should come later; however, the whole subject of plants has to appeal to the masses and from there, the true gardeners emerge.

As one of "the next generation", I would like to see technology playing a more direct and innovative role in relaying CLEAR & ACCURATE INFORMATION while keeping up the traditional "grunt work" that's involved in planting and caring for our landscapes. Gardening is a time honored tradition that will always be preserved. Being able to buy plants, dig and amend soil, plant, water, weed, prune, cut back, propagate, etc. is what makes gardening...GARDENING!! HELLO!!

No one sits on their ass to change the environment around them. Seriously!

I would like to see this up and coming generation of gardeners focus on adventurous, yet appropriate plant selections (both native and exotic), edible landscaping, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing design and public gardens.

It sounds daunting to some, but it really doesn't need to be a difficult and strenuous undertaking. Do a little here and there or make an effort to, at least stop by a local garden center and buy something "green", useful and beautiful.

Also, I think it's going to take a few "big names" to help catalyze this entire movement. More on this later...

So yeah, I'm a "NGG", yo!

Peace out! =P


R