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This lecture will track Elisabeth Zander’s experiences traveling to the 3rd Czech International Rock Garden Conference in Pruhonice in 2017 and the influence the expedition had on her own gardening. On the way to the conference Zander stopped by public and private Dutch gardens, including The Utrecht Botanic Garden, one of the oldest in the Netherlands, in addition to its six other themed gardens. After several other garden visits in the area Zander went to the conference in Czechia and Průhonice Castle. Count Arnošt Emanuel Silva-Tarouca began creating a 600 acre park in 1885 in the valley of the Botič (stream) in the English landscape style. He collaborated with Camillo Schneider, who in 1913 ventured to China to collect seeds and plants for the castle’s botanical garden. The park and castle are now a National Heritage Site and UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 1,600 species of local and exotic plants. The collection of rhododendrons is particularly unique with about 8,000 rhododendrons within 100 taxa and cultivars.  While the conference was housed there, attendees were bused to other unusual and noteworthy Czech gardens. These combined with previous visits to gardens of the First Czech Conference profoundly influenced Zander’s New England garden in Goshen CT, providing inspiration with a touch of magic.

Presented by Elisabeth Zander, vegetable and rock gardener; President Emeritus and current Webmaster, North American Rock Garden Society; international seed exchange organizer and conference host

Image courtesy of Elizabeth Zander

Free admission to the Museums a la Carte lectures for all museum members made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities through the #SHARP program.