To kick off the new year, Cultivating Place offers out the first in what will be an ongoing and intermittent series exploring Fresh Starts in our horticultural and gardening world.

Following up on last week’s show with Duron Chavis, in which we explored some of the obstacles, hobbles and even failures of imagination in the botanic and garden world, this week we dive into a botanic garden endeavoring to imagine a fresh start to what they do, how they do it, and to whom it is of greatest service.

The Botanic Garden at Smith College opened its well-endowed collection in 1895 and celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2020.

This week’ we’re are in conversation with Tim Johnson Director of the Garden going on 4 years now, and Jamila dePeiza-Kern, a student in her Junior year at Smith and involved with the garden since the earliest days of her freshman year.

As these two share in our conversation, the Botanic Garden at Smith College, the original design for which was created by Frederick Law Olmsted, is a venerable university-based botanic garden striving to meet the needs of our times with intelligence, heart and imagination.

Join us to hear more on Cultivating Place this week.

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