Film festival attendees touring the PlantPop time-lapse studio; Clayton Leverett, Time-Lapse Photographer, is speaking. In last week’s post about the PlantPop film production company and film festival I promised a separate post about their time-lapse studio, and here ya go. Indeed, one of the coolest events of the festival weekend was a visit to their … Read more
I recently attended the 6th Annual PlantPop Film Festival in Norfolk, Va. and I have a report! So first, I imagine you’re asking: What IS PlantPop exactly? It’s a Film Production Company PlantPop is a 10-year-0ld film production company that commissions short films, mostly about interesting people doing cool things with plants – 359 of … Read more
I have had epiphanies in parks around the world, and, more than once, I have been blessed in the Gospel Tent at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. I am glad about it. There is a bridge between the legacies of Louisville’s Olmsted-designed parks and the city’s rich history of Black gospel music that, … Read more
I had a very dear friend, Mary, who has since passed away. She was a chemist but her real love was botany. The reason I write about her here involves the way she influenced me. Mary was definitely eccentric. She made it her mission to become acquainted with the people in the neighborhood who had … Read more
Our annuals first arrive at our house every spring as garden visitors, then became guests, even friends. They form the backdrop, the understory, in many a fine landscape, including ours. All those fledgling white impatiens, the vibrant-orange Mexican sunflower, our hard-nosed yellow marigolds, the moody African daisies, the surprising profusion zinnias, but most-of-all our effervescent … Read more
My friend Paul Sandman called a few weeks ago wondering if I knew the “Three Sisters.” I’ve driven past the 300-year-old, long decaying American sycamores in Louisville’s Cherokee Park for the past 30 years but knew little. The next time around, I looked closer. The “Three Sisters” might have been a single sycamore, grazed … Read more
Join me next Friday at the 6th Annual PLANTPOP Film Festival, celebrating the work of “incredible commissioned filmmakers. They represent the coolest plant people near them and come from cities, states, and countries all over the world.” Several of the commissioned filmmakers will be in attendance, including two from Europe! (Yes, I hope to find … Read more
You’re either meant to be a gardener or you’re not. The gardening as a career is hard work and it’s quite often a thankless task. Society doesn’t value gardeners; introduce yourself as a gardener and so often see people fight the urge to commiserate with you and tell you that things will work out better … Read more
When it comes to gardening, few plants stir up as much curiosity and confusion as milkweed. With their vibrant flowers and vital role in supporting monarch butterflies, milkweeds are a hot topic among gardeners, nature enthusiasts, and environmentalists alike. But a key question remains: Are milkweeds perennials or annuals? Even though leaves are turning colors … Read more
I’ve been on a very fortunate streak of seeing many fabulous gardens over the past several years, but in early September I visited the display garden at Bustani Plant Farm in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and, weeks later, I find myself still thinking about it. Upon first impression, I was struck by its dedication to color. You … Read more