Great Lakes, Great Plant Symposium
I apologize for my posting absence. I have been pre-occupied with preparing for the BGHB Great Plant Symposium event that sapped my time to write. Botanic Garden Historical Barns have put on a great event the last three years in the late summer. The event celebrates plants and how they can change our lives and bring’s in participants from all over Michigan. Mathew Ross, the Executive Director, is very well connected across the nation with well-respected plant professionals and each year he brings a few of them to Traverse City to speak at this three day event. Yesterday was about education with four speakers. Adriana Quinones from San Antonia TX. is developing a 200 plus acre golf course into an arboretum park, an enormous task and she was so excited to share her vision and horticultural journey with us. Katrina Quint is from Chicago and director of horticulture at the Lincoln Park Zoo, a 44 acres property with 13 plus acres of gardens. Seeing her vision and changes to existing gardens was wonderful. Ed Lyon shared his experience with being director of many botanic gardens from Wisconsin to Iowa. His last as director of Reiman Gardens in Iowa before retiring. All their love of plants really showed through in their presentations. The fourth speakers were Matthew Ross and myself. We had such fun sharing our love of plants and picking the Academy Awards for Best Plants in seven categories, this was all Matthew’s idea, and a great one. I’m sure many participants disagreed with the choices but there were only two judges and although we didn’t always agree who should win there was always compromise. Maybe there is a lesson there!
All the speaker’s journeys were plant centric so meeting them and talking plants let me know there are many out there who truly care about educating how to use plants in our lives. These are people I am humbled by. As a plant nerd I really enjoyed being with participants and speakers that spoke a similar language – the love of plants. The dinner /auction (with some amazing plants in the auction), was so much fun. Matthew’s energy is infectious and endless – he will need a few days to recoup from his effort to put this three-day event together. A huge shout out to the BGHB volunteers who have been there the whole time, behind the scenes, to help put it all together.
This was just the first day. Today the participants embark on a bus tour of gardens in Grand Traverse area and a loop around Leelanau Country. Tomorrow tours of the Botanic Gardens and a visit to our nursery. There is a little trepidation in the staff including myself, wanting to make a good impression to out of town visitors And also excitement to share what we have created.
If you haven’t been a part of this event and if it continues next year consider joining. All proceeds go the Botanic Garden. This is an informative and fun event for plant lovers and supports a Traverse City treasure.