By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Tracy DiSabato-Aust believes beautiful gardens are possible almost anywhere. She also believes that novice gardeners shouldn’t be intimidated if they don’t have natural green thumbs.
The world-renowned garden expert will be in Bowling Green on Sept. 9 to share her knowledge during a program sponsored by the Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department, the Kuebeck Forum on Nature and Environment, and the Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Foundation.
DiSabato-Aust wants to make beautiful gardening accessible to everyone – regardless of their talents or their available space.
“People come up to me and say, ‘I’m not really a gardener, but I am an artist,’” DiSabato-Aust said.
An eye for art can help compensate for having a little less than green thumb.
“I’ll talk about the principles of design, no matter how small or how large,” she said. The same principles apply whether she is designing a garden three football fields long, or a garden potted in containers.
Important in gardening is to design the space prior to purchasing the plants, DiSabato-Aust said.
“Most people go to the garden center and start selecting plants,” she said.
But first gardeners must determine the type of soil they are working with and the light conditions for the garden. They should also decide on the purpose they want their garden to serve.
“Do you want a garden that’s therapeutic,” she asked. Or do you want a garden that’s more energetic, or one that is more masculine or more feminine? Do you want a garden that will supply fresh-cut flowers for your home?
“What are your objectives? Is it a formal garden?”
Use of color and textures in plants can make a big difference. For a cool, restful space, more blues, violets and greens should be used, she explained.
DiSabato-Aust will show how different plants can create rhythm and movement, “to move people through the space,” she said.
Also, how much time do you want to spend on garden maintenance? Which plants are drought and disease resistant? Which ones flower the longest, and which require a lot of pruning?
“We go through quite a variety of different topics,” DiSabato-Aust said.
“I will be giving them the tools that they need to design their gardens,” she said.
DiSabato-Aust’s expertise is rooted in 46 years of designing gardens. Her book, “The Well-Tended Perennial Garden,” is a volume most gardeners have on their shelves and can’t do without, according to Chris Gajewicz, Bowling Green’s natural resources coordinator.
She has also authored “The Well-Designed Mixed Garden,” and “50 High-Impact, Low-Care Garden Plants.”
Her talk in Bowling Green will focus on “The Well-Designed Mixed Garden.”
The lecture will discuss the design fundamentals of border building using a wide palette of plant material. Design steps, color, texture, form, design principles, as well as mixed garden designs will be highlighted – along with how to create beautiful and environmentally sound gardens.
DiSabato-Aust has spoken throughout North America at venues such as Longwood Gardens, the Smithsonian Institute, the Toronto and Montreal Botanic Gardens. Her work has also taken her to Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay, Argentina, Portugal, Belgium, Scotland and England.
In England, she spoke at the Royal Botanic Garden: Kew, the Royal Horticulture Garden: Wisley, the Oxford Botanic Garden, and the English Gardening School.
Her talk on Sept. 9 will be in the Simpson Building located at the Simpson Garden Park, 1291 Conneaut Ave., Bowling Green. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the lecture will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Seating will be limited to the first 150 participants. Seats are $10 each for the evening’s event and entry fees may be paid at the door. Reserving a seat is strongly encouraged by calling 419-354-6223 to put your name on the reservation list.
Following the lecture, DiSabato-Aust will stay for a time to sell copies of her books and will sign personal copies as well.
