Garden Study Weekend Symposium

In over 25 years as the director of the Hermannshof trial gardens in Germany Cassian Schmidt’s research included plant ecology and performance and the coexistence of plants in designed plant communities. In his plantings, native European grassland and tall forb vegetation, stylized North American prairie or Eastern European steppe vegetation as well as Mediterranean shrub steppe have been modified and enhanced for aesthetic and practical demands. Cassian will identify and explore some of the most valuable natural plant communities that have great potential to be used as an ecological palette for resilient planting designs. He will discuss the ecological, climatic and aesthetical factors that shape those natural plant communities and how they can be applied and modified for urban environments and private gardens. Cassian is currently a professor of planting design at universities in Germany.

What do You Mean I’m Not a Perennial? Native Shrubs and Trees for Perennial Companionship

Most folks are familiar with the concept of the mixed border – perennials, annuals, shrubs and evergreens blended together in a seamless composition. It sounds good in theory, but transplanting this concept into a real garden is more difficult than it seems. Not all woody plants mix well with perennials and annuals for many reasons including different soil and fertilization needs and incompatible growth habits. However there are a number of native shrubs and small trees that mix wonderfully with herbaceous perennials and annuals. In this talk, Bill Cullina, a recognized authority on North American native plants and the F. Otto Hass Executive Director of the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, will profile his favorite fifty “natural mixers,” focusing on native woody plants that bring, form, texture, color and wildlife to the perennial garden.

Enchanting Edens: revising and Reimagining Twelve Historic Gardens of Timeless Beauty

Joann Vieira, statewide Director of Public Gardens & Horticulture for the Trustees of Reservations, will lead us on a journey through twelve extraordinary historic pleasure gardens that were once exclusive retreats for influential families in the early 20th century. Today, they are carefully preserved, rejuvenated, and shared as prime examples of historic trends in plant collecting and garden design. This lecture will offer a rare glimpse into their rich past and exciting future, showcasing how contemporary gardens—guided by historic sensibilities—complement the original designs with modern plant palettes. Joann will explore the effects of time on these gardens, and how it has softened their edges. Accompanied by stunning images of the gardens, this talk promises to inspire a renewed appreciation for the blend of history and innovation in garden design.

The Story of Hollister House Garden : A classic English garden on a Connecticut hillside

George Schoellkopf will tell us how forty-five years ago on a fateful trip to England, he became infatuated with English gardens and returned to America determined to make an English garden of his own. A serious concern was how to design a complicated English garden that would harmonize and not seem out of step with the spirit of the simple 18th century Connecticut farmhouse he had recently purchased. The choice of plant material was another significant challenge since New England winters are too cold for many of the plants that luxuriate in the milder English climate. Only by trial and error did George determine which plants worked, and which ones didn’t. In this illustrated lecture George will take us on the adventure of designing and creating the garden we know today and talk about his decision to preserve this special garden for the future.

Moderator

Todd Forrest is Arthur Ross Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections at The New York Botanical Garden. He oversees the team of managers, curators, and horticulturists who steward the Garden’s natural landscapes, plant collections, gardens, and glasshouses and develop its celebrated horticulture exhibitions. An advocate for historic trees and forests in urban landscapes and public gardens, Forrest is the primary author of Gardening with Nature at The New York Botanical Garden (available April 2025) and contributed essays to The Magnificent Trees of The New York Botanical Garden, The Trees of North America: Michaux and Redoute’s American Masterpiece, and Ancient Trees: Portraits of Time.

The Garden Symposium takes place at Heritage Hotel and Hollister House Garden.

Heritage Hotel
522 Heritage Road
Southbury, CT

8:00 AM – Registration and light continental breakfast

9:00 AM – Morning session opens

12:00 PM – Lunch and shopping at Hickory Stick Bookshop

1:00 PM – Afternoon session opens

3:30 PM Symposium concludes

Hollister House Garden
300 Nettleton Hollow Road
Washington,CT

4:00 PM – Cocktails, music and a very special Silent Auction
at Hollister House Garden, Washington, CT,