Event Details
All attendees are invited to continue the conversation at a cocktail reception following the formal presentation. Additionally, Supporters will receive an S et P notebook.
Friend - $25, Supporter - $50
All proceeds from this year’s series will be directed towards our 2024 partner project, the David M. Hunt Library Pollinator Pathway.
Together, we will extend the pollinator-friendly roadside beds in Falls Village to the steps of the library with a planting scheme of native shrubs and perennials.
Provide additional support to the project
The White Hart is located at 15 Undermountain Road. Salisbury, CT. We thank them for welcoming this series.
Gardening in the Grey with Christopher Koppel
January 25th - 5:30 pm @ The White Hart, reception to follow
Proceeds & Awareness to benefit the Hunt Library Pollinator Pathways Project
Terms like “native” and “invasive” suggest absolutes. With Christopher as the guide, we will journey into the depths of horticulture and land management to explore the reality of a gardener; from sourcing plants and materials, to care and observation. Toss away the practices of hard and fast rules. Bend, sway, and garden in the grey.
Christopher Koppel is a seasoned nurseryman, gardener, and estate manager. He has a passion for cultivating and caring for plants at every stage of growth, from well-established varieties to rare and exotic gems. From Sales Manager at Broken Arrow Nursery to Woodland Manager at Skylands and Japanese Garden Manager at Iroki, Christopher has held noteworthy roles, shaping his view of horticulture to be reverent and practical. Currently serving as an estate manager in Northwest Connecticut, he continues to apply his wealth of knowledge with both botanical insight and experiential understanding to create and maintain flourishing landscapes. He serves as a member of the Steep Rock Stewardship Committee and the local Inland Wetland Commission, embodying a lifelong dedication to preserving our natural world.
Treecare for a Changing Planet with Christopher Roddick
February 15th - 5:30 pm @ The White Hart, reception to follow
Proceeds & Awareness to benefit Hunt Library Pollinator Pathways Project
Just as our planet is changing, so too is our understanding of trees. Christopher Roddick provides an introduction to Conservation Arboriculture. This is a holistic approach to caring for trees and woody plants, based on recent ecological research and an understanding of tree and soil biology. He’ll discuss why you should look at your trees as the center of tree-based ecosystems and illustrate the benefits of conservation-oriented maintenance practices.
Christopher Roddick was head of Arboriculture and Foreman of Grounds at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for 30 years before moving to Northwest Connecticut in 2023. Chris practices Conservation Arboriculture, consults on veteran tree care, species selection, and conducts specialized pruning. He advises on landscape design, selecting shrubs and herbaceous plantings that support trees and work together for beauty function and ecology.
In the Weeds: A Discussion of the Role of the Human Hand in Natural Landscapes with Leslie Needham, Dee Salomon and Matt Sheehan
February 29th - 5:30 pm @ The White Hart, reception to follow
Proceeds & Awareness to benefit Hunt Library Pollinator Pathways Project
Moderator, Jeb Breece, will make sure there are no punches pulled in this panel discussion as Leslie, Dee & Matt share their perspective on the human role in creating and maintaining natural landscapes. They will draw on their experiences making meadows, doing battle with invasive species, and weaving native plants into their designs.
Leslie Needham is a gardener, landscape designer, writer, and lecturer who has taught at the New York Botanical Garden. She loves nothing more than discovering the magic and historic beauty of land, and has a strong focus on sustainable design. Leslie’s work has been featured in numerous publications, received awards and recognition from the ASLD, and her personal garden, River Hills, is one of sixteen gardens featured in Larry Lederman’s book ‘Garden Portraits Experiences of Natural Beauty’.
Dee Salomon aka “the Ungardener” writes, advocates, and consults on woodland restoration. A decade ago, Dee moved to Litchfield County and began clearing invasive plant species from her woodland. Nature responded; tree seeds germinated creating much-needed understory and native shrubs and herbaceous plants began to grow. Dee also grew in her knowledge of, and passion for, the rehabilitation of woodlands.
Matthew Sheehan has been on a 14-year journey into the world of native plants and meadow design that began when he and his family bought an abandoned dairy farm in Sharon. Over that time, he has experienced a plethora of the small victories and huge defeats that come with a 12-acre native meadow installation on old wet pasture. His takeaway from all of this is that there is no “correct way.”
Why “Bad Grass”
The turf grass lawn is uniquely American. It covers the majority of most of our properties, consuming water, chemicals, time, and money but providing little in terms of support for insects and animals. With the right inspiration, each of us can replace a little of that “bad grass” with something better.
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