Adirondack Garden Club Announces Lecture on Frederick Law Olmsted

Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. (Courtesy of Olmsted 200.)

The Adirondack Garden Club (AGC) invites interested persons to a virtual discussion of “The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted,” Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Roxanne Zimmer, Ph.D., will give the lecture via Zoom and will focus on explaining the design principles utilized by Olmsted in his gardens, answering such questions as: What are the hallmarks of Olmsted park design? What made his work outstanding and radical in his time? Why are these features so important today?

Lecture attendees will take a virtual trip to Central Park, Prospect Park, Boston’s Emerald Necklace, and the Bayard Cutting Arboretum to see the key features that answer these questions.

Frederick Law Olmsted defined American landscape architecture through
the hundreds of projects he envisioned across the country. His public parks, now over 150 years old, remain thriving natural oases in the heart of American cities.

He is best known for his landscape design of seven well-known gardens: Central Park in New York City, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, Emerald Necklace, Boston, Biltmore Estate, Asheville, Mount Royal, Montreal, and the Grounds of the U.S. Capitol and White House. Olmsted also conceived the idea for the original 4,000 acres of pastureland and woods at Shelburne Farms in Vermont.

As April 26, 2022, marks the 200th birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted, the event is being recognized nationally through the Olmsted 200 campaign, a nationwide bicentennial birthday celebration of the democratic values and enduring influence of the visionary American landscape architect.

The Garden Club of America is a partner of the Olmsted 200 campaign, with 199 member clubs throughout the country, including the Adirondack Garden Club, participating in educating the public as to Olmsted’s importance. More information on Olmsted 200 is available at www.olmsted200.org.

In preparation for the lecture, many members of the AGC have read Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted by Justin Martin, but it is not required to participate.

Dr. Zimmer has been spreading the word about best garden practices for many years. In her Community Horticulture role at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Suffolk County, Roxanne speaks to school and community groups about why we should be reducing lawns, planting native species, and cultivating more vegetables. She offers Master Gardener Training and Spring Gardening School yearly. She recently launched The Joy of Gardening, an online gardening course for those who want to become better home gardeners.

The lecture is free and open to the general public, but registration is required. Visit the Adirondack Garden Club’s website at www.adirondackgardenclub.com and complete the registration form. Details on accessing the Zoom presentation will then be emailed to registrants. Please register by Saturday, Jan. 8 to ensure enough time to receive the Zoom sign-in information.

Founded in 1928, the Adirondack Garden Club’s mission is to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening, to aid in the protection of native plants and birds, and to encourage civic planting, and the conservation of our natural resources. Its purpose is the conservation of the plants, shrubs, and trees native to the Adirondack region, and the making of both wild and cultivated gardens characteristic of the environment in which they are placed, the furthering of the cultivation of gardens throughout the Adirondack area, and the promotion of civic conservation and beautification. The Adirondack Garden Club is a 501 c(3) nonprofit organization. More information is available on the club’s website.