Noted horticulturist Steve Whitesell will deliver the sixth and final lecture in the spring series sponsored by the Franklin Garden Club, to be followed the next day by a tour of Franklin gardens.
On Saturday, June 22, from 7 to 9 pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Franklin, Whitesell will discuss “Unusual Woody and Herbaceous Plants for Zone 5 Gardens.” A landscape architect who works for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Whitesell has BFA and BLA degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design and a Master of Arts in Garden History and Landscape Studies from Bard College. He is active in several professional and amateur horticultural groups and has traveled widely in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, visiting exceptional private and public gardens.
Whitesell maintains a small city garden and is developing a larger country garden in Schoharie County. In his talk even the most experienced gardeners are likely to learn of some new or unfamiliar plants adapted for use in upstate New York gardens.
The lecture is open to all and will be followed by an opportunity to meet the speaker and other gardeners over refreshments, including a cheese tray donated by Good Cheap Food of Delhi and cookies and coffee provided by the Franklin Garden Club. Admission is free. Donations are gratefully accepted and shared by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the Franklin Garden Club.
On Sunday, June 23, nine gardens in the Franklin area will be open from 11 am to 4 pm. Gardens on view will range from a small backyard oasis of perennials to a hilltop with sweeping views and impressive stonework integrated with sculpture and plantings.
Tickets for the tour are $10 and will be available, with maps and directions, at the Franklin Farmer’s Market on Institute Street beginning at 10:45 am. Participants are encouraged to bring box lunches, which may be enjoyed at the picnic table in the village park on Main Street or at one of the gardens on the tour.