Smithsonian Associates invite you to ndulge in a colorful midwinter escape as horticultural experts lead a series of virtual visits that highlight the beauty of notable botanical gardens in settings as far-flung as Shanghai, the Hudson River Valley, and Australia. In vibrant visuals they explore how each garden has taken a unique approach to design and interpretation as they all celebrate plant collections, conservation, education, and the distinctive environments and landscapes in which they bloom. The February 20 session features Chenshan Botanical Gardens and Huntsville Botanical Garden.
Tucked in the suburbs of Shanghai, Chenshan Botanical Gardens create a green oasis within one of the largest population centers in the world. Learn how one of the most popular places on the grounds was carved out of a forgotten quarry; virtually stroll through the serpentine conservatories where plants have been collected from all over the world; and learn about the gardens’ extravagant horticultural festivals, which spotlight plants from roses to waterlilies.
On the other side of the world, Huntsville Botanical Garden blooms within a special ecosystem in the United States. Northern Alabama is a top biodiversity hotspot, and the gardens embrace and reflect that variety with masses of wildflowers native to the region and a bottomland forest lush with thousands of examples of trilliums.
Presenter Chelsea Mahaffey is the manager at NOVA Parks’ Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Virginia and a graduate of the Longwood Gardens Fellows program.
$25 for Smithsonian Associates members, $35 for nonmembers. Register HERE. Garden pictured is in Huntsville, should you wonder.
