Boston Flora

Tag: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

  • Sundays, February 4 – February 18, 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm Eastern – Botanical Gardens: A World Tour, Online

    Join Smithsonian Associates expert presenters on three consecutive Sundays in February, online, to tour some of the world’s greatest botanical gardens. Indulge 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 Morocco, New Zealand, Israel, Belgium, and the East Coast of the United States. In vibrant visuals they explore how each garden has taken a unique approach to design and interpretation as they celebrate plant collections, conservation, education, and the distinctive environments and landscapes in which they bloom.

    February 4  Donabo Gardens of Tangier, Morocco, and the Jerusalem Botanical Garden, Israel

    Visit two Mediterranean public gardens in bustling historic cities that provide horticultural and ecological education while conserving open space in highly urbanized areas. Each garden strives to manage water in a seasonally dry environment as it develops collections of native and exotic plants. While in Tangier, make a brief visit to an extraordinary private garden rarely seen by visitors.

    Presenter Keith Tomlinson has worked as a naturalist and public garden administrator for 25 years, visiting wilderness areas and botanical gardens around the world. He is the author of numerous articles on plant conservation, botanical garden travel, and environmental education.

    February 11  The Royal Greenhouses, Laeken, Belgium, and Chanticleer Gardens, Pennsylvania

    If glasshouses can be a confection, then the Serres Royales (Royal Greenhouses) is a sumptuous dessert. Dating to the Victoria era when architecture was equally as important as a plant collection, these indoor gardens are second to none. Open to the public for only a few weeks each spring, it’s worth planning a trip to experience them. Narrow corridors flanked with flowers open into multi-story rooms encircled by exotic trees collected from around the globe. This is a world horticultural treasure of beauty, innovation, and history.

    Chanticleer has been described as one of the most romantic, imaginative, and innovative gardens in the United States. Nestled in the heart of America’s Garden Capital, this Philadelphia-area gem is brimming with intriguing plants and artistic accoutrements. The garden is relatively new, having come about in the 1990s. Survey its development over the years as well as some of the highlights of Chanticleer’s captivating, ever-changing displays.

    Presenter Karl Gercens is the conservatory manager at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, where he has been in the glasshouses for 25 years. With more than 3,000 individual gardens visited in almost 30 countries, Karl seeks inspiration from across the globe.

    February 18  Dunedin Botanic Gardens, New Zealand and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Virginia

    Known as the Wildlife Capital of New Zealand, the city of Dunedin prides itself on stunning scenery and unique biodiversity. The Dunedin Botanic Garden, New Zealand’s first, marked its 160th anniversary in 2023. With extensive plant collections, viewsheds, and beautiful walks through the native bush, the garden acts as a green sanctuary for those looking to escape the urban environment. Explore this jewel within the city and understand how it fulfills its international responsibility for conservation.

    Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in central Virginia, by contrast, is a relatively young botanical garden celebrating its 40th anniversary. Devoted to inspiring communities and enhancing relationships with the natural world, the garden is continuously growing and evolving, immersing visitors in a world of beauty with surprising vistas around every turn. Enjoy a virtual tour of the 50 acres of gardens, explore the evolving exhibitions, and find inspiration in the programmatic offerings.

    Presenter Chelsea Mahaffey is a public garden professional at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. She is an advocate for horticulture as a career and passionate about the importance of plants in our lives.

    $60 for the three session package for Smithsonian Associates members, $75 for nonmembers. Register at www.smithsonianassociates.org

  • Tower Hill Botanic Garden Announces Appointment of Grace Elton as CEO

    Tower Hill Botanic Garden is pleased to announce that Grace Elton will become CEO of the Boylston-based nonprofit this spring.

    Elton has been the director of horticulture at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Va., since 2011, where she has established herself as a forward-thinking leader of one of the nation’s premier gardens.  Among Elton’s achievements at Lewis Ginter are a new apiary with demonstration beehives, partnerships to grow hops for a local brewery and expansion of a vegetable garden which contributes produce for an area food bank, and the planting of Lewis Ginter’s first native plant garden.

    A Florida native, Elton was first turned on to the importance of plants as a child living in Everglades National Park, where her parents worked. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Interdisciplinary Studies with a specialization in public garden management from the University of Florida and a Masters in Public Horticulture from the Longwood Graduate Program of the University of Delaware. After experiences interning at London’s Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, Elton returned to the UK to work with five separate gardens as a recipient of the Garden Club of America’s prestigious Martin McLaren Horticulture Scholarship.

    Prior to joining Lewis Ginter, Elton served as adjunct professor and arboretum supervisor at the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University.  Currently, she serves on the Board of the American Public Gardens Association, the leading association for professionals in public horticulture.

    Elton will succeed interim CEO Suzanne Maas. Maas has led Tower Hill since the departure of Kathy Abbott, who in May 2016 returned to her roots in Boston to work on waterfront and harbor issues.

    Elton will join Tower Hill during a period of tremendous growth for the organization, which welcomed 137,000 visitors and celebrated its 30th year at its Boylston location in 2016. This year is the 175th anniversary of Tower Hill’s parent organization, the Worcester County Horticultural Society. Tower Hill is also offering more programs and welcoming more members than ever before. Elton will take the reins as the organization moves closer to implementing the first phases of its new Master Plan, which calls for more gardens and programs for visitors to enjoy.

    Tower Hill Botanic Garden is a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting plants and people. Its mission is to inspire the use and appreciation of horticulture to improve lives, enrich communities and strengthen commitment to the natural world. The Tower Hill property includes 15 gardens, an historic apple orchard, a restaurant, gift shop, conservatories, library, and art galleries, as well as year-round programs for all ages.