Sip a cup of your favorite tea as you savor tales of horticulture’s most storied gardeners, courtesy of our Vice President of Engagement and Learning Sarah Masterton and famed plantsman, author, and BBC personality Matthew Biggs. Together, Sarah and Matthew journey into the worlds of visionary Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx and his powerful modernist vision, acclaimed American landscape architect Beatrix Farrand and her signature style, Longwood Gardens founder Pierre S. du Pont and his spirit of innovation, and more celebrated gardeners who have shaped the world of horticulture. Enjoy engaging stories about these great gardeners’ achievements and inspirations, while learning top tips you can implement in your own gardening adventures.
This live presentation will be recorded; following the presentation, you will have three-month access to the video recording.
Instructors
Matt Biggs and Sarah Masterton
Where
Online, live-streamed
Sarah Cathcart Masterton comes to Longwood from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in the UK, where she was Head of Education and Learning. While at RHS, Masterton was responsible for the RHS Campaign for School Gardening with approximately 30,000 participating schools. In addition, she oversaw the quality and direction of RHS’s education programs for school-age children through Master of Horticulture programs and actively sought strategic collaborations and partnerships to advance RHS’s educational mission. As Vice President of Education, Masterton oversees the development, implementation, and coordination of Longwood’s global education programs, which include: the two-year Professional Horticulture Program; the School & Youth Program, which attracts 45,000 students online and in person; the Co-Op Program; Continuing Education Program for adults; the High School and University Internship Program; the International Internship and Training Program; the 13-month Longwood Fellows Program; and the Longwood Library and Archives.
Matthew Biggs is a gardener, writer, and broadcaster, and graduate of The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. During his forty-year career, he has gardened for a local authority, been Head Gardener at a private house, and owned a landscaping company. He has also presented and directed gardening television programs, written over fifteen books on horticulture and related subjects (including several commissioned by The Royal Horticultural Society), and is a panel member on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. He is a floral judge at Royal Horticultural Society shows, including Chelsea Flower Show. Matthew is currently developing his own garden, 30 miles north of London—among its features are exotic and Mediterranean borders, a mixed shrub and herbaceous border, and a kitchen garden with a collection of heritage apples. He loves exciting stories and is passionate about history, plants, and people.