2017 News
Los Angeles-based husband and wife architects Raun Thorp and Brian Tichenor were featured in our December 2017 Society of Fellows' enewsletter.
The Ruth Bancroft Garden announced the death of Ruth Bancroft on November 26, 2017, at the age of 109 years. Ruth's garden inspired Frank Cabot to found the Garden Conservancy, and her legacy continues to inspire people. Watch the tribute video made by the Ruth Bancroft Garden.
Christopher Woodward, director of the Garden Museum in London, presented "The Memory of Gardens" in New York City on November 8, 2017, which set the tone for our 2018 Speaker Series on garden preservation. Watch the video.
Our September 2017 Society of Fellows' enewsletter profiled Douglas Hoerr, FASLA, partner, Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects.
Devastating hurricanes and wildfires in late 2017 caused extensive damage around the country.
On September 9, Maureen and Mike Ruettgers hosted an outstanding Open Day and the second Family Time celebration, which offered something for everyone, at their Gardens at Clock Barn in Carlisle, MA.
Board member Robert Balentine and his wife, Betty, were named Preservation Heroes by the Library of American Landscape History, and profiled in the summer 2017 issue of View magazine, as well as by the Southern Highlands Reserve in North Carolina, which they created. They were also honored in Atlanta by the Library of American Landscape History in April.
Jack Hyland, longtime Garden Conservancy friend, member, and Open Days host since 2005, passed away on August 11, 2017.
James Brayton Hall joined the Garden Conservancy in June 2017 as President and CEO. Read a few of his first impressions.
Jack Lenor Larsen of LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, NY, turned 90 years old; Larsenworld, a film about his life and legacy, premiered in June 2017.
The Chase Garden in Orting, WA, closed for regular public tours on July 1, 2017, as reported by Tacoma's News Tribune.
We were saddened to hear of the passing of Janet Meakin Poor on June 21, 2017. Janet was a landscape architect, catalyst for the expansion of our Open Days program in the 1990s, former chair of the Chicago Botanic Garden, editor of two books, and a force within the plant world.
Piet Oudolf, Rick Darke, and Lorraine Ferguson joined us in New York City on June 9, 2017 for the launch of their new book, Gardens of the High Line. View event photo gallery Watch video highlights
We profiled Garden Conservancy board member Robert M. Balentine for our May 2017 Society of Fellows' enewsletter.
Pearl Fryar, creator of the outstanding topiary garden in Bishopville, SC, was the recipient of the 2017 National Garden Clubs Award of Excellence.
On April 27, renowned designer Piet Oudolf was selected to prepare a planting plan for the Jensen Formal Garden at Humboldt Park in Chicago. Read the joint press release from the Chicago Park District, Chicago Parks Foundation, and the Garden Conservancy.
The Hannah Carter Japanese Garden was designated a Historic-Cultural Monument on April 25, 2017.
Peter and Sofia Blanchard, of Greenwood Gardens, received the Foundation for Landscape Studies 2017 Place Keeper Award.
Garden Conservancy member and volunteer Laura Wilson shared some highlights of our upcoming 2017 Open Days season in a "Cultivating Place" public radio interview in early April.
Dorrance Hill Hamilton, a loyal supporter of the Garden Conservancy since our founding, and a leading patron of healthcare, education, and the arts, passed away in April 2017.
In February, 2017, the Garden Conservancy Board of Directors announced the appointment of James Brayton Hall as President and CEO, effective June 1, 2017.
The Illustrated Book of Edible Plants, by Jack Staub, proprietor of Hortulus Farm, was released in February.
In late January, in response to our own letter of October 2016 concerning plans to replace the historic Enid A. Haupt Garden at the Smithsonian Institution, we received a letter from the Smithsonian indicating that they were exploring alternative master plans.