Tribute to Antonia Adezio

Special dinners and receptions were held in November and December to bid Antonia Adezio farewell and to celebrate her accomplishments as she departs after twenty-three years as Garden Conservancy's founding executive director and, for the last twelve years, as president.

 

 

In New York, the annual holiday dinner of the board of directors and the Conservancy's Society of Fellows on December 5, 2012, at the Knickerbocker Club in New York City, was held in honor of Antonia, with several speakers (above, from left: Patti McGee, Colin Cabot, Antonia Adezio, Marco Polo Stufanco, and Courtnay Daniels) recalling anecdotes and accomplishments from her tenure.

 

Patti McGee, longtime member of the board, remembered that at her meeting with Frank Cabot and the newly formed Garden Conservancy Advisory Committee in June 1990, the Garden Conservancy had "plenty of vision on hand, but no real plan, little money, and a staff of only ONE: Antonia Adezio." Read Patti McGee's full remarks on how Antonia "moved forward unerringly and forged a path for us all to follow."

 

At the holiday dinner, the creation of the Antonia Adezio Reference Collection was announced. The collection will expand the Garden Conservancy's library of reference books and other resources on garden preservation.

 

Earlier the same day, the board of directors, in appreciation for her years of service, also named Antonia the Garden Conservancy’s first Distinguished Fellow in gratitude for the invaluable contributions she has made to the Garden Conservancy."

 

 

In San Francisco on November 28, the Garden Conservancy's West Coast Council held a reception in honor of Antonia. Betsy Everdell, chair of the West Coast Council, noted how much Antonia had accomplished in the last ten years, establishing a regional office and a vibrant program of events and preservation projects in the Bay Area. Read Shelagh Fritz's Gardens of Alcatraz blog post on the event.

 

At the West Coast Council reception, it was also announced that a walk on the east side of the Cellhouse at the Gardens of Alcatraz has been named in Antonia's name: Antonia's Walk (shown above).

 

A few representative tributes and quotes from these two events and other recent occasions are captured below, to give a sense of the range of Antonia Adezio's activities and influence over the years.

 

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Tributes to Antonia Adezio

© 2009 The Press Democrat / Christopher Chung

A sampling of comments about Antonia's contribution to the world of public gardens and garden preservation.

 

We invite you to share a brief comment of your own. We'll be adding to this list as we hear from people.

 

"Frank Cabot had a great vision -- then brilliantly chose Antonia Adezio who made it come to life. A while ago, I had the joy of introducing her at our shared Alma Mater, Bryn Mawr College -- (she graduated summa cum laude!) -- where she was identified as one of the college's "living treasures." Indeed she leaves us all the treasure of her legacy, a strong, vibrant Garden Conservancy, thanks to Antonia and the team she built."

- Barbara Paul Robinson, gardener, author, and partner in the firm of Debevoise & Plimpton, New York City

 

"We met at the first gathering of the Bancroft Advisory Committee early in 1989. From the start, I was impressed by Antonia’s calm demeanor, clear focus, and dedication to furthering the mission of the Garden Conservancy. Among Antonia’s many strengths is her ability to speak to individuals and groups of any size and make-up, with an easy cadence that is eminently suited to convincing others of the value of the GC’s work. We have all been fortunate to have Antonia at the helm for these past two decades, holding high the standards set by Frank Cabot for the Garden Conservancy.

- Richard Turner, editor emeritus, Pacific Horticulture

 

“Antonia’s breadth of knowledge about the history of gardens, and her remarkable, articulate way of communicating this history, inspired all of us, especially people like me who are new to the field, to see our work in an important context.”

- Sophia Siskel, president & CEO, Chicago Botanic Garden

 

“Antonia has helped create the foundation for a comprehensive approach to recognizing and preserving important American gardens. Her legacy will be an enduring one!”

- Scot Medbury, president, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

 

"As a Garden Conservancy representative on the Peckerwood Garden board, Antonia’s clear thinking, guidance, and vision for the future of Peckerwood Garden have been an invaluable gift."

- John G. Fairey, founder, Peckerwood Garden, Hempstead, Texas

 

"It is her determination to make Peckerwood work as a public garden that I admire in Antonia the most. Though many obstacles over the years, she always saw the positive side and never stopped believing that Peckerwood could be saved."

- James deGrey David, Austin, Texas. Chairman, Open Days Program

 

Antonia Adezio at the opening celebration

at Winter Hill, Garrison, NY, October 14, 2012.

Photo by Stan Wan.

“Working closely with Antonia on the Garden Conservancy’s mission over almost a quarter-century has been one of the high points of my career. It has been a privilege to  interact professionally with a leader of her imposing competence and high character, and I will continue to value the friendship that has come about.”

- Dick Lighty, founding director, Mt. Cuba Center, Hockessin, Delaware

 

“A remarkable visionary who planted, cared and nurtured an unknown seedling into a majestic, deep-rooted tree whose strong branches have graced the finest gardens in America.”

- John H. Baker, Director of Conservation,Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation & Conservation, New York

 

"Antonia was the soul of the Garden Conservancy ~ she lived, breathed and loved it. She was such a pro at problem solving, expanding horizons and, most importantly, simply a lovely person."

- Maggy Geiger, president, The Window Box MG Ltd.

 

"Tonight, we celebrate twenty-three years of Garden Conservancy history and ten years of our West Coast programs as we honor Antonia Adezio, who is stepping down as President in December. Our close-knit community of gardeners has been enriched by the Garden Conservancy’s presence in San Francisco and we look forward to the next decade of excellence in preservation, education, and garden visiting through the Conservancy."

- Elizabeth Everdell, chair, Garden Conservancy West Coast Council, November 28, 2012

 

"She has the unique capacity to think through big-picture issues down to minute details for every aspect of the Garden Conservancy's work. She has been an eloquent spokesperson for the organization and constantly cultivated relationships important to the organization."

- Elizabeth Byers, land conservation project manager, editor, and writer

 

"As the leader of the Garden Conservancy, she’s brilliant, visionary, inspired, dedicated, creative and talented, fair, determined, collaborative, and a good mediator.  As a boss, she nurtures loyalty, creativity, a certain perfectionism, style, and an understanding of old-fashioned protocol among colleagues, all underpinned by a sense of humor and good will. As a role model, she sparkles and is one of the best extemporaneous speakers around."

- Betsy Flack, West Coast coordinator for the Garden Conservancy, 2003-12

 

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Twenty-three years at the Garden Conservancy

 

Garden Conservancy planning meeting, 1989, at Wave Hill, Bronx, NY. Back row, left to right: Frank Cabot, Betty Corning, Marco Polo Stufano. Front row, left to right: Angela Lansbury, Anne Cabot.

In 1989, visionary gardener Frank Cabot asked Antonia Adezio to join him in creating an organization that would identify the best American gardens and find ways to save them for the education and enjoyment of the public. The Garden Conservancy was born. For the last twenty-three years, Antonia ably served at the helm, first as Executive Director and later as President. Under her leadership, the Conservancy grew from its first garden preservation project, the Ruth Bancroft Garden, to aiding the preservation of a hundred gardens across the country. She expanded educational and Open Days programs across the nation and established the first regional office. Because of her dedication and leadership, the Garden Conservancy has grown and thrived.

 

Awards from prestigious national organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation (Award for Organizational Excellence, October 2009) and the Garden Club of America (Historic Preservation Medal, May 2012) are latest official recognitions of what the Garden Conservancy has accomplished under her leadership.

 

 

President's Letter

 

Read Antonia's own reflections on her twenty-three years with the Garden Conservancy, in the President's Letter in the November 2012 issue of our newsletter to members.

 

 

Press clips

 
Place Keeper award, Foundation for Lanscape Studies, May 8, 2013

News from the Library of American Landscape History, January 17, 2013

 

American Gardener magazine, October 2009, interview with Antonia Adezio

 

Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, California, September 12, 2009, interview with Antonia Adezio

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