aug. 15 open day, ken druse shade talk, photo workshop

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WHERE ELSE CAN YOU hear Ken Druse lecture on shade; take his hands-on garden-photography workshop; shop a rare-plant sale; and come say hello at my place–before or after heading up the road apiece to Edna St. Vincent Millay’s former garden? That’s just part of the Saturday, August 15 lineup for the next Garden Conservancy Open Day in my area. Reserve tickets now for the Ken events, and get directions for all the rest:

the lineup:

10 AM-4 PM: Margaret Roach garden visiting, and plant sale: I’m here to welcome you, plus Broken Arrow Nursery holds a giant plant sale in my Copake Falls, New York, driveway (pictured below). No advance ticket required; $7 suggested donation at the gate to benefit Garden Conservancy and Friends of Taconic State Park. Get directions at this link to the garden, and others open nearby, including Millay’s Steepletop.

11 AM-noon: Ken Druse shade lecture, Church of St. John in the Wilderness, Copake Falls, New York. Reserve a ticket at this link or at the bottom of this page (proceeds benefit Friends of Taconic State Park). Ken, whose books “The New York Times” describes as “bibles for serious gardeners,” will offer highlights from his latest, “The New Shade Garden: Creating a Lush Oasis in the Age of Climate Change.”

1:30-4:30 PM, “Beyond Selfies: Hands-on Garden Photography Workshop” with Ken Druse, 1:30-4:30. Get a ticket (proceeds benefit Friends of Taconic State Park). Space is extremely limited. Full workshop details at the bottom of this page.

plant sale details (yes, you can pre-order!)

BROKEN ARROW, one of the nation’s most acclaimed rare-plant nurseries, will be in my driveway (above) from 10-4 on each Open Day, selling some of my favorite woody and herbaceous plants–and theirs. If you want to pre-order a particular things from their even-larger inventory, or a bigger, landscape size of some item, contact Adam Wheeler ahead of time (or call the nursery at 203-288-1026) to discuss what you are seeking, and it will be delivered here that day, just for you. Browse their offerings.

shade lecture details

‘THE GARDEN of the future will be a shade garden,” proclaims author and photographer Ken Druse in his latest book, “The New Shade Garden.” And that’s not just because there are now so many plants to choose from that grow in a lower-light environment. Today, in an era of shifting climate, the shade looks more inviting than ever, and we may wish to create more. Learn about making smart, beautiful shade gardens with great plants in Ken’s 11 AM lecture at Church of St. John in Wilderness, Copake Falls NY.

photo workshop details

“Beyond Selfies: Garden Photography with Ken Druse”

(1:30 PM-4:30 PM, limited to 12 participants)

ANYONE CAN let his or her camera phone control the pictures that they take. This is not a workshop for professionals, but amateurs who want to take control of their images instead. Sure, you can record a scene with your camera or phone, but there is a good deal of power to tell the stories you hope to tell and share the feelings you felt when you experienced a garden scene, by mastering your equipment.

Ken Druse, award-winning author and photographer of many lavishly illustrated garden books, is going to show you what your DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera can do, and a little about “post production.” (Want to erase those telephone wires and remove that garbage can?)

The class, starting at Church of St. John in the Wilderness in Copake Falls, NY, will include teaching time indoors, time outdoors taking photos, and then more classroom time evaluating and improving them, including Ken’s top tips on using Photoshop. Students (limited to 12) should bring their DSLR and up to 5 photos they’ve taken that they love, or had trouble with and need help with for next time.

Learn more about Ken’s approach to photography in this interview.

rethinking the lawn, with dan wilder

THE LECTURE that he’s been giving for a number of years is not-so-subtly called “Kill Your Lawn.” Ecological horticulturist Dan Jaffe Wilder knows that starting over and creating an entire native habitat instead of a lawn isn’t for everyone. But Dan just wants to grab our attention and get us to start to make some changes at least in the way we care for the turfgrass we do want in our landscapes. And maybe give up a little square footage of it to some other kind of more diverse planting, too, like the wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana, inset). Alternative, more eco-focused styles of lawn care, along with some lawn alternatives is what he and I talked about on the podcast. Dan is Director of Applied Ecology at Norcross Wildlife Foundation in Wales, Massachusetts, and its 8,000-acre sanctuary. He’s also co-author with Mark Richardson of the book “Native Plants for New England Gardens.”