The 11th Annual Winter Lecture Series: C. Colston Burrell
Posted in Learning Experiences, Programs and Events on February 10 2011, by Plant Talk
| Travis Beck, Landscape and Gardens Project Manager, The New York Botanical Garden |
Every time I’ve spoken to a landscape architect or nursery grower about taking an ecological approach to landscape design–something I’ve been doing a lot throughout the planning and development of the Garden‘s new Native Plant Garden–I keep hearing the same phrase repeated over and over: “You should talk to Colston Burrell.”
Up until this point I’ve known Burrell mostly through his writing. Of recent note is his American Horticultural Society (AHS) award-winning Hellebores: A Comprehensive Guide. This is the time of year when I really start looking forward to the blooming of the Lenten Rose and other garden hellebores, but Burrell’s knowledge goes far beyond the mere beauty of these harbingers of spring. Another book of his that won an AHS book award is A Gardener’s Encyclopedia of Wildflowers. Wildflowers . . . Now isn’t that just a friendly term for native plants? Burrell is deeply involved with using and promoting native plants, whether he’s lecturing on plants and ecology at the University of Virginia, getting his hands dirty in his own garden, or working on designs through his firm Native Landscape Design and Restoration.
There are a lot of reasons to use native plants. They’re also commonly misunderstood, both by those who overestimate their powers, and those who underestimate their potential. I’m looking forward to getting a real plantsman’s perspective on how to use native plants in the landscape, the perspective of someone who loves wildflowers and hellebores with equal passion. That’s why I’ll be in the front row on February 17, when Colston Burrell speaks as part of NYBG’s 2011 Winter Lecture Series. I hope to see you there!
Burrell’s lecture is at the Garden in the Ross Lecture Hall on Thursday, February 17, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. The cost is $39 for non-members, and $35 for Members. The third and final installment of the series will feature director of The New York Botanical Garden’s Children’s Gardening Program, rooftop farmer, and food advocate Annie Novak on Thursday, March 17.
