1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radios How Stuff Works. Hello, and welcome 3 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: to the podcast. I'm Holly Fry. And that silence is 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: because Tracy is out at the moment, So I had 5 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: a special guest on for this show. I was so 6 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: incredibly delighted that Sarah Roberts from the Atlanta History Center 7 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: was able to join me here in the studio for 8 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: a little chat. And the plant lovers in the crowd 9 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 1: are in for a big treat because Sarah is the 10 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 1: vice president of Goisetta Gardens and Living Collections at the 11 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: History Center, and she knows so much about historical horticulture 12 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: but also so much about running a community garden essentially 13 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: and a living history center. But I actually wanted to 14 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: have her on for a very specific reason, aside from 15 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: hearing all that she has to share about both the 16 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: History Center and horticulture. And it's because we often hear 17 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: from listeners about how much they love history and they 18 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: would like to perhaps do something in the history space 19 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: as a career, but maybe they feel like academia isn't 20 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: the career path for them. They don't necessarily want to teach, 21 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: but they're wondering if there are other things, and there 22 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,479 Speaker 1: aren't always a lot of people encouraging them to find 23 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:19,319 Speaker 1: other paths or avenues that they can engage with. History 24 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: is their jobs that do not involve standing behind a 25 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: podium or electorn and so I thought Sarah was a 26 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: perfect example of that. So we are going to jump 27 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: right into her interview. So, first of all, for anyone 28 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: listening who doesn't know, I think most Atlanta Natives know, 29 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: but outside of that, they may not. Even some Atlanta 30 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: Natives don't tell us about the Atlanta History Center and 31 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: what it offers. Oh goodness, the Atlanta History Center has 32 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: so much to offer. It has Atlanta's largest local history museum, 33 00:01:54,120 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: with multiple permanent exhibits and temporary exhibits traveling exhibits. We 34 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: have the thirty three acre Goy's Wetta Gardens, which is 35 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: surrounding the entire museum complex all the way from the 36 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: very entrance where you first pull into the back corners 37 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: of the property. There is the Keenan Research Center, which 38 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: also has the Cherokee Garden Library within it, and all 39 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: of Atlanta's archives are housed there. Uh yeah, I think 40 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: people don't always realize how much is going on there 41 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 1: and how large and expansive it is. I didn't even 42 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,239 Speaker 1: then very complex. Until I started kind of working in 43 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: the history space, I did not have a sense of 44 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,679 Speaker 1: just how expansive it is. UM. And then will you 45 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,399 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about your role there and specifically 46 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: how you ended up in this job, because it's it's 47 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,919 Speaker 1: a uniquely history oriented job. But that was not your 48 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,799 Speaker 1: career path. That's so true. How did that happen? How 49 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: did I end up in history? Um? The boys Wetta 50 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: Gardens was something that developed first with Louise Allen, the 51 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: wife of Mayor I Have Allen Jr. And she recognized 52 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: the cultural landscape of the Swan House and its iconic gardens. 53 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: So she pushed, as a trustee at the time that 54 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: we needed to move the Atlanta Historical Society to this property, 55 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: and that's the origin of the Atlanta History Centers more 56 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 1: than fifty years and historic gardens preservation. And she pushed 57 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: for all of the community garden clubs and local people 58 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: that were interested in gardens to come out and participate 59 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: and have a role in preserving those gardens and maintaining them. 60 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: So it really had a grassroots origin story, which I 61 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: love it's very unusual for a public garden to have 62 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: that community drive to get it started. Lots of gardens 63 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: start with a big master plan from a landscape architect 64 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: and then they slowly over time build that out, whereas 65 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: the History Center's gardens started with the community saying, this 66 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: is something that we want to do. We want to 67 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: preserve this iconic landscape, and then we want to develop 68 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: and add to it. And then will you talk a 69 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: little bit about your education and how you landed there. Yes, 70 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: So I have a bachelor's degree in ornamental horticulture from 71 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: Barry College, and while I was there, it was important 72 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 1: to me to do some internships and to travel. So 73 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: one of those internships was at the end Garboretum up 74 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: at Harvard University, and that was my first taste of 75 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: public gardens. So public gardens is something that people may 76 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: not understand exactly what that means. Is a garden that's 77 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 1: open to the public, Yes, but it's also an institution 78 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: that preserves and collects plants and labels them. So it's 79 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: for the betterment of your community, it's for educational purposes, 80 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,359 Speaker 1: and it could be for research. All of those things. 81 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: And when I was at the Arnold I did my 82 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: internship and curation, which is also something I think that 83 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: just blows right pie people. They don't think of gardens 84 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:51,280 Speaker 1: as being curated, but they are so. Just like you 85 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: might think of an art museum or a history museum, 86 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: all of those outdoor spaces can be considered exhibits. So 87 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: the gardens that we have are also like an open 88 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 1: air museum or an accompaniment to the museum where you 89 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: can look at something inside, learn all about the Civil War, 90 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: and then step outside to our smith farm and immerse 91 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:17,159 Speaker 1: yourself and this environment that is authentic and real and 92 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: start to really imagine what was this life like. But 93 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: that requires really researched and thought out landscape to set 94 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: that tone and also have the house and the plant 95 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: collections and everything around it be accurate. And you also 96 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: studied abroad as well. Did that contribute to your your 97 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 1: knowledge and appreciation of history and how it relates to horticulture? 98 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: Absolutely so. Um. Like I say, in my internship at 99 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: the Arnold, was that first eye opening appreciation for plants 100 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 1: being something beyond decorative. I had started an ornamental horticulture, 101 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 1: and then when I started there in curation, I got 102 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: to get into plant records and understanding that this plant 103 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 1: that's BEAUTI full like paper bark maple. Why was the one? 104 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: They're so old and how long had it been there? Well, 105 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 1: it was the very first one brought there by this 106 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: plan explorer from the far flong corners of Asia that 107 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:12,599 Speaker 1: had brought this back, and it was the very first 108 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:14,359 Speaker 1: one in this country. And I thought, well, hold on that, 109 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: how's a whole interesting story. I want to know more 110 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: about that. So I started looking at plan exploration and 111 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: thinking that, boy, I want to do that that looks 112 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: amazing and explore places and bring plants back and trial 113 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: and can they work here? But also looking through their records, 114 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: you find these photographs and their photographs of people and 115 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: in those landscapes of how they use those plants and 116 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: how they were significant, and those landscapes may no longer 117 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: exist anymore, and those records were so critical. So I 118 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 1: got on this path where I wanted to study plan 119 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: exploration and I wanted to study the deeper and more 120 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: nuanced and complex reasons between why we have plants in 121 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: certain places in this country. So I ended up studying 122 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: abroad at the University of Reading over in England and 123 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:06,479 Speaker 1: working on soil science and garden history and phylogenetics and 124 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: just every different aspect of the field that I could 125 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: study to really broaden my own understanding of how all 126 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: these different things are connected. And while I was there, 127 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: I met my future husband, um. But I came back 128 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 1: to America and I got a job at the New 129 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 1: York Botanical Garden and I worked there for five years 130 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 1: as their curator of her basis Plants and outdoor Gardens. 131 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: That was a tremendous learning curve and experience of managing 132 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 1: plant collections. And also I got an opportunity to go 133 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: on a plant exploration trip, So I got to go 134 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: to the Republic of Georgia. I got to go in 135 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: a seed collecting expedition. I got to learn about creating 136 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: herbarium specimens called vouchers, How you drive them in the 137 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: field and you're carrying them around, and you're meeting the 138 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: local people and they're offering you the food they grow, 139 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: and you're you're starting to appreciate how interconnected all of 140 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: this as people and culture and plants and environment and 141 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: landscape and how all that works together. So actually it 142 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: ended up being tremendous training for this job that I 143 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: have now where our mission and vision is connecting people 144 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 1: and culture and history. So UM, that's part of our story. 145 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: And then I ended up moving back to England for 146 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 1: three years and working back in garden design again before 147 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 1: moving back to Atlanta and UM back to my roots here. 148 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: Nice uh, and we all get to reap the benefits 149 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 1: of that. UM. When you're setting up a historic garden, 150 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: you have a space and they want you to recreate 151 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,320 Speaker 1: something similar to what it would have looked like during 152 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: a specific time period. How do you even start that? 153 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 1: It's so interesting. The development of a new garden has 154 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: so many facets you have to work through. So first, 155 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: we live in the city of Atlanta. We're gardening there 156 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: and there's a lot of rules. So there's rules about 157 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: what can you build and what how and if there's 158 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 1: a tree right there, So we work within. We all 159 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:06,199 Speaker 1: we are about preserving collections and trees, so we are 160 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:08,560 Speaker 1: always trying to save them. So any project we go 161 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: in with preventative measures, how can we save our trees? 162 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: Then we're looking at drainage and irrigation and other functional 163 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: and engineering components of whatever we're trying to do with 164 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:23,440 Speaker 1: this landscape. UM. Then we're looking at what are well, 165 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:25,439 Speaker 1: I guess we would really begin with what is our 166 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,680 Speaker 1: whole scope and vision? What are we trying to achieve here? 167 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: So with a new garden, it might be that um 168 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 1: for example, our new entrance gardens that we're working on 169 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:39,120 Speaker 1: right now. What I want to do is set the 170 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: stage for when people first drive in to the front 171 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: door at the History Center, they see that we are 172 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 1: a public garden. It is not solely a museum, which 173 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: is I think what most people's understanding is of the 174 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 1: History Center. So when you first drive in, you will 175 00:09:54,320 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: arrive and be surrounded by a cultivated, curated landscape that 176 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 1: draws you in. And so I have to think through 177 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:06,560 Speaker 1: how do I draw people in? For most people that's 178 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: with flowers. They want to see something beautiful. Okay, so 179 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 1: we're gonna have some flowers and draw people in that way, 180 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 1: But how do I make it go beyond the decorative 181 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: and the ornamental. So I want them to park and 182 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:21,599 Speaker 1: they come up. Maybe they'll go to Super Geni or 183 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:24,200 Speaker 1: we'll get to Brass which are right in our front entrance, 184 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 1: and then head out into the gardens in the front 185 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 1: and this new landscape we're working on and sit down 186 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: at one of our tables, or walk through the landscape 187 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 1: and really be immersed in it, because what I want 188 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 1: to do there is echo the modern and progressive um 189 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,359 Speaker 1: take that the History Center has with our new architecture 190 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 1: as well in the Cyclorama building, and everything looks beautiful 191 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 1: and modern. I want the landscape to look beautiful and 192 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 1: modern too. So one of the things that we're gonna 193 00:10:54,800 --> 00:11:02,080 Speaker 1: do is utilize that acreage to reflect the style called 194 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: the New Perennial movement or the Dutch Way. It goes 195 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 1: by a lot of different names, and this is a 196 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 1: forward thinking, more sustainable way of creating a new garden. 197 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 1: So what we're gonna do is put in plants that 198 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 1: are suited to that site, not trying to force a 199 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 1: plant that needs a lot of water in a space 200 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: that doesn't have much for example, but also create an 201 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 1: environment where people want to ask some questions, why did 202 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: they plant this like this? Why are there so many 203 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 1: grasses up here? Why don't they mow this down? This 204 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: is wild looking um because people's idea, especially in our neighborhood, 205 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 1: is very cultivated and clipped, and there's boxwoods, and there's 206 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:45,719 Speaker 1: pansies and tulips and that's what a garden is. And 207 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: I want to push that envelope. I want people to 208 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 1: come out here and say, what is going on at 209 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:52,320 Speaker 1: the History Center? What are they doing up here? And 210 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: then walk in there and learn how to appreciate plants 211 00:11:55,400 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: for different reasons, like creating a relaxing and be beautiful 212 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:03,559 Speaker 1: and soothing atmosphere that you can walk through. And then 213 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: when you slow down to look at it, you'll see 214 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 1: it buzzing with pollinators. And you will see every time 215 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: that you come past that garden, instead of being a 216 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: static landscape, it'll be changing throughout the seasons. And part 217 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 1: of this is teaching people to appreciate the seasonality of plants. 218 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 1: The early spring to late spring to summer. The blooms 219 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: are going to cycle in and out. Plants are going 220 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 1: to get bigger in the summertime, and then they're going 221 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:31,000 Speaker 1: to fade into fall color. And then we're gonna leave 222 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,960 Speaker 1: those seed heads on so that birds will come out. 223 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: We'll have goldfinches on our cone flowers, all that sort 224 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 1: of thing. Um you'll see the crysalists, you'll have from 225 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 1: the butterflies that have visited. You'll see and appreciate all 226 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:45,599 Speaker 1: these smaller things when you walk through an environment and 227 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: you're immersed in that landscape of a more ecological planting 228 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: and more sustainable planting, and hopefully teach people that it's 229 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 1: okay to have grasses that turn beige and the fall. 230 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 1: You don't have to cut them to the ground, leave 231 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,199 Speaker 1: them up because that all so holds that soil in place, 232 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: and that keeps that soil from a roading away. So 233 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 1: there's there's all these reasons that we build landscapes way 234 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: they do, how they look, how they make people feel 235 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,840 Speaker 1: when they're in that environment. To protect the soil health, 236 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: which is how any garden survives and thrives is with 237 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: its healthy soil. And then how that plants or that 238 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 1: garden sinasas and to fall in winter, and that kind 239 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 1: of landscape is also beautiful, and to teach people that 240 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: it doesn't have to be clipped and green and flower. 241 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 1: It can also have a natural beauty to it and 242 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: to learn to appreciate that. I like that because you're 243 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 1: kind of teaching people like natural history along the way, 244 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 1: and it's not all about the manicuring that we do, 245 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: but letting plants be the same thing they have always 246 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,439 Speaker 1: been and appreciating them for that. I love that. UM. 247 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 1: So in an instance where maybe instead of having to 248 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: create something that is um a little more modern, when 249 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: you're asked with creating or recreating a historical garden, UM, 250 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:09,679 Speaker 1: how do you figure out what plants are going to 251 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: be appropriate for that space? Because often they have been 252 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 1: decimated and are no longer part of the area. How 253 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 1: does that even begin? We have to go back to 254 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 1: our records. The wonderful thing about working at a history centers, 255 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: I don't have to go very far. I have to 256 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: walk a hundred yards to get to the Keenan Research 257 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 1: Center or to get to the Cherokee Garden Library and 258 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: look up everything I can find about what would life 259 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 1: have been like in this particular era. So let's use 260 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 1: this Smith farm for example. We want it to be 261 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:43,680 Speaker 1: accurate to the eighteen sixties. Well, how do I find 262 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 1: out what farmers were doing in the eighteen sixties. I 263 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: need to read what they were reading. So I can 264 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 1: go there to the library and work with Stacy Catcher 265 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: and the director there, and not only pick her enormous 266 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: brain for ideas and resources, she will pull out all 267 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: the literature that they would have read. We have those 268 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 1: original source documents, and it's one of them was the 269 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: Southern Cultivator, And I could read through those and read 270 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 1: the same thing that Robert Hiram Smith would have read 271 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: and decide, all right, well, this is how they were 272 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: growing this plant, not only which plants, but how they 273 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 1: grew it. So it's not just okay, they grew tomatoes. 274 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: Let's throw some tomatoes in the ground and grow them 275 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: the way that we grow them today. We have to think, well, 276 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 1: how did they grow tomatoes? And in fact, they had 277 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: only one or two tomato varieties that they would have 278 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 1: grown look at what we have today. So first it 279 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 1: was looking at the plants and trying to decide, all right, well, 280 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 1: if this is what they're listening, they go by this 281 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 1: name in this catalog, but what are they called today? 282 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: They might have a different name today. So we look 283 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: up those, we look up seed catalogs, we look up 284 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 1: resources from newspapers, like, we don't want to just grow 285 00:15:57,680 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: it because it was available in eighteen sixty. We want 286 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: to grow it is available in eighteen sixty in Atlanta, 287 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 1: so it's authentic to this local area. So we then 288 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: have to figure out how would they have grown these 289 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 1: and steaked them, and we learned some methods about using 290 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: natural branch material and weaving it together to create a 291 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: tomato table, which is something we've never done before, or 292 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: to grow them as a cordon to These are methods, 293 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 1: the sort of methods of growing plants that you don't 294 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: see today, and we want to keep that tradition alive 295 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: and show people what used to be done. So you 296 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: can see that if you go to the Smith Farm today, 297 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 1: how we're growing them in the way that they would 298 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: have been done in eighteen sixties. How they we don't 299 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: we now. We in Atlanta, we have tough soil conditions, 300 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: so we grow everything and raised beds. But if you 301 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 1: go to the Smith Farm, you can see that precursor 302 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: where you raise up the bed to get better drainage. 303 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: But you can also do that so that the soil 304 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: can warm up earlier in the season and you can 305 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: start your crop faster. So in the Smith Farm you'll 306 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: see that the the rows are held up or created 307 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 1: like little small plateaus. That's the precursor to the is 308 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:03,400 Speaker 1: bad that you see today. That's the origins. You can 309 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: go back and see them. I think it's interesting to 310 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: trace that history. Um So yes, going back to the library, 311 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,440 Speaker 1: researching those materials there and then also talking to other 312 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:17,439 Speaker 1: gardeners and people that have Farmers aren't always, you know, 313 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:19,159 Speaker 1: the first to move on to the new technique in 314 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:21,040 Speaker 1: the new method and they'll remember. So there's a lot 315 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 1: of oral history that you can do as well and 316 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:27,040 Speaker 1: find out who else remembers growing these with their grandparents, 317 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 1: and how did they grow them, and what did they 318 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:30,680 Speaker 1: grow and did they pass that seed along to anybody, 319 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 1: did somebody save it? And can we get hold of 320 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: some of that seed. So there's a there's a great 321 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 1: process there that we love and then that way you 322 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 1: end up adding to the collection. I would imagine this salutely. 323 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:45,440 Speaker 1: So we have an amazing urban agriculturists Emily Roberts, who 324 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 1: does the Smith Farm now and she is very well 325 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: connected with our network of local farmers, organic farmers, historic 326 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 1: researchers of crops, and as they've been able to bring 327 00:17:57,359 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: back crops that would have been grown here that have 328 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 1: been loss that researchers at universities have been able to relocate, 329 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 1: we discover grow on and then disseminate that seed to 330 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: places like us to show them to the public now 331 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:16,240 Speaker 1: and the Smith Farm, uh is a pretty successful garden. Yes, 332 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:18,879 Speaker 1: what do you do with all that food? Isn't that 333 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 1: a great question? We have cooking demonstrations, so we have 334 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:28,160 Speaker 1: an outstanding group of interpreters that come out there even 335 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:31,560 Speaker 1: if it's incredibly hot, and they will be doing open 336 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 1: hearth cooking. I've had pancakes man on a grittel. We 337 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 1: try to use crops from our farm and all of 338 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 1: those demonstrations and they're using their research to historical receipts 339 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 1: or recipes and looking for those ingredients. So we will 340 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: work with them to say what do you need to 341 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:52,880 Speaker 1: create the food you want to create, and we'll grow 342 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:54,200 Speaker 1: those crops for you. So we have to do that 343 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 1: way in advance in order to have those things ready 344 00:18:57,040 --> 00:18:59,959 Speaker 1: at those times, and we've had some a lot of fun. 345 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:01,920 Speaker 1: We have a lot of public programs too, when we've 346 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: had people like Michael Twitter come out and then he'll 347 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 1: go out in the gardens and harvest what he wants 348 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: to grow, our harvest what he wants to cook with 349 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 1: and do those demonstrations as well. So we have public 350 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:13,600 Speaker 1: programs where we do a lot of the cooking demos 351 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:17,399 Speaker 1: and then we have school group tours with hundreds of 352 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 1: kids on a daily basis. That gets to witness us 353 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 1: harvesting and then preparing the food that we've grown there. 354 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 1: And we also have given a lot of food to 355 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: the Atlanta Food Bank when we have too many or 356 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 1: sometimes we have a whole field full of cabbages coming 357 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:34,160 Speaker 1: at the same time, so we can donate some to them, 358 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 1: or we can ask super Jenny at our location if 359 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:39,399 Speaker 1: they need anything, and so we can give them our 360 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 1: herbs or any bonus crops that we have so none 361 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: of it gets wasted and if there's anything left to 362 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:46,920 Speaker 1: goes home with the staff. We have loads more from 363 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: Sarah coming up in just a moment, but first we're 364 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:59,879 Speaker 1: going to pause for just a little sponsor break, all right. 365 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 1: Coming up next, Sarah and I talked about one of 366 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:08,399 Speaker 1: the Atlanta History Centers very important recreation gardens. You also 367 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 1: have a really really very cool enslaved People's garden there, Um, 368 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: Will you tell us about that and how it differs 369 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: from some of the other recreation gardens that you have 370 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 1: on site. Sure? So, yes, that is a very important garden, 371 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:31,119 Speaker 1: and we worked on restoring that about maybe seven or 372 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 1: six years ago. Where what we want to do is 373 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:38,080 Speaker 1: demonstrate that these people that were brought here in bondage 374 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: and enslaved on these farms um they occasionally by some 375 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 1: of their owners, were given a plot of land and 376 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 1: either they as a group of people at the farm 377 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:54,359 Speaker 1: would have their own spot, or they would work with 378 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of other peoples in a larger group. 379 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:58,879 Speaker 1: And what we're interpreting at the Smith farm is that 380 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: the people that perhaps lived in this one cabin here, 381 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,160 Speaker 1: we're given this small plot of land and we want 382 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,879 Speaker 1: we want to make sure that people understand is this 383 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 1: was not an act of generosity by their owners of 384 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: oh you could have your own plot of land and 385 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 1: aren't I nice? It was very uh sly. It was 386 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 1: a way of saying, here's your plot of land, and 387 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:25,400 Speaker 1: you can you can grow your crops on your own 388 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:27,680 Speaker 1: time when I don't need it, which meant at night 389 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: or you know, a few minutes here and there. And 390 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: the crops that they would grow, they understood that if 391 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: you have a harvest about to come in, you are 392 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:42,680 Speaker 1: less likely to leave because that has value. And that 393 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:45,120 Speaker 1: was their place where they might be able to grow 394 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: a few plants for medicine because they didn't have access 395 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:50,680 Speaker 1: to western medicine um, and nobody was going to spend 396 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 1: their money on that, and so they would have to 397 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 1: grow their own and figure out what what can I use, 398 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 1: what can I grow here? Learned from other people in 399 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: exchange seeds and grow those in our own small plots 400 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:05,400 Speaker 1: and apply that to themselves. We also have we've done 401 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: some oral history research on these things and have knowledge 402 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:10,919 Speaker 1: of some seeds that were tucked into folds of clothes 403 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: and that's how those seeds made it over to the 404 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: United States. Plants like eggplant are from Africa, so the 405 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: other people don't think about So we like to tell 406 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:21,879 Speaker 1: those stories um by also immersing you in that landscape 407 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:24,720 Speaker 1: and showing you not only that there is a difference 408 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: in the plant material that may have been grown, but 409 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,200 Speaker 1: also in how it was grown. So instead of having 410 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:33,800 Speaker 1: neat and tidy, orderly rows of crops like the kitchen 411 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: garden that the Smith family had, it is a jumble 412 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:40,880 Speaker 1: of all different plants mixed together and fit into sort 413 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:45,800 Speaker 1: of a curved shape of a garden with slightly raised beds. 414 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 1: And what it is is if they had an opportunity 415 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:50,160 Speaker 1: to utilize that plant, they'd harvest that one and plant 416 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: something else in that spot, and so everything grew together 417 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:57,640 Speaker 1: in um like a luxuriant chaos in that garden. But actually, 418 00:22:57,640 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: what we have found and learned from our history of 419 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:02,160 Speaker 1: our time is that is a healthier way to grow crops, 420 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 1: the orderly rows of crops. If you get one pest, 421 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 1: they just move on through that whole crop. But if 422 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,679 Speaker 1: you have it mixed and scattered throughout your garden, they 423 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: might only get that one plant. So there's a lot 424 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 1: to learn. It's a nuanced and deep and complex story, 425 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:18,360 Speaker 1: and I'm glad that that is something that we talk 426 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:21,720 Speaker 1: about there. One thing that that we've talked about in 427 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 1: all of this is that these are public gardens, and 428 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 1: that you are. Of course, we're working in the modern 429 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:29,879 Speaker 1: era when soil has changed and climate has changed a 430 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: little bit, and I'm wondering how you strike that balance 431 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 1: between historical accuracy and also maintaining a functioning public garden 432 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:40,359 Speaker 1: that needs to thrive on its own with what we 433 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:43,280 Speaker 1: have today. Such a great question, and it's something that 434 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 1: applies to so many public gardens there. That's a dance 435 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 1: that we do every day. So when you have modern 436 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:55,919 Speaker 1: day pressures, let's say pests, for example, or disease on 437 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,239 Speaker 1: historic crops that never faced that pressure before. You do 438 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:02,960 Speaker 1: have to make it decision. Do we throw every effort 439 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:07,479 Speaker 1: and resource into preserving this historic plant or do we 440 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 1: replace it with something that is more sustainable. That's a 441 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 1: question that every single situation requires its own team to 442 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:18,560 Speaker 1: research and decide on. One example for us is the 443 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:22,480 Speaker 1: boxwood in front of the Swan House iconic boxwood. We 444 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: have the historic ones that are that are still there 445 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: right at the base of the house, and then opposite 446 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: those closer to a big cascade fountain. War a box 447 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:35,480 Speaker 1: would that got box would blight and so that had 448 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: to be treated rapidly and they had to be removed. 449 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:40,919 Speaker 1: That is the only thing to do when you have 450 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:42,600 Speaker 1: an infestation that was as bad as the one that 451 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: we had. So they're gone and we had to think, 452 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 1: do we want to replace it at some point, knowing 453 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 1: that those tiny little spore are going to still be 454 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: in that someone They're still going to infect the next plant, 455 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:54,679 Speaker 1: or do we put on something else? And so we 456 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 1: decided there's a team of us that worked on this, 457 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,120 Speaker 1: so we decided to replace it with a little leaf 458 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:02,199 Speaker 1: holly that will provid I had the same impact that 459 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: the boxwood dead, the same design intent from Philip trammel 460 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 1: Shut see the architects and landscape architect of the Swan 461 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 1: House and Gardens. So we did that. We bought them 462 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 1: at a big size, We've pruned them, we've watered them 463 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,960 Speaker 1: by hand for years. They're thriving, and they cannot be 464 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 1: affected by box would blight, so we know that long 465 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 1: term those are there, they don't require a constant and 466 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: heavy investment of fungicides or special treatment to that felt 467 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:31,399 Speaker 1: like a smart choice for that situation. But where we 468 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:33,199 Speaker 1: have hundred year old boxwood in front of this one 469 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:35,479 Speaker 1: else that are not infected or might have a tiny bit, 470 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: we will. We want to preserve those and preserve that 471 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: iconic look. So those do get more care and more treatment, 472 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 1: but on a much smaller scale that's more affordable and sustainable. 473 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 1: UM I want to shift gears a little bit to 474 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:51,879 Speaker 1: talk about something that people might not think of as 475 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:57,360 Speaker 1: part of your job. Animals. The History Center has an 476 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 1: animal collection, is not insignificant inside it's so true, Well 477 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 1: you talk about some of your heritage breeds and also 478 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,400 Speaker 1: just how you work that into your probably not ever 479 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 1: a thing you thought when you were getting your horticulture degree. 480 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 1: That's so true that there was a big learning curve there. Um. Unfortunately, 481 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:19,080 Speaker 1: when I was at Barry College, the horticulture program was 482 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:21,159 Speaker 1: housed in the same building as animal Sciences, so I 483 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,760 Speaker 1: do have the smallest amount of training, and I didn't 484 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:27,119 Speaker 1: ever think I would use it though. But yes, we 485 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:29,840 Speaker 1: do have heritage breed animals at the Smith Farm, and 486 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:32,879 Speaker 1: it is also something people are so surprised to find 487 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: when they think they're coming to a history museum and 488 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,160 Speaker 1: they step out the door and they find this gigantic 489 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 1: garden and a farm with animals. So are animals that 490 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 1: we have were just brought in when we were able 491 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:46,800 Speaker 1: to hire someone to do their day to day care. 492 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:49,120 Speaker 1: So we didn't have animals for a while, and then 493 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 1: we hired our manager of Animal Collections, Prop Banner, and 494 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:55,919 Speaker 1: he does all of our daily work, and then we 495 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:58,399 Speaker 1: have other people filling in went on his off days. 496 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:02,159 Speaker 1: But we have golf coast sheep, which our heritage breed 497 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: that can survive our heat and humidity. And we have 498 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 1: Angora goats which also thrive here in Atlanta. They're not 499 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:14,520 Speaker 1: as commonly seen. They weren't as common as sheep. And 500 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:18,119 Speaker 1: then we have several different breeds of poultry, so we 501 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:21,719 Speaker 1: have Rhode Island red chickens and Plymouth rocks, and a 502 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:25,680 Speaker 1: couple of turkeys that are called standard bronze, which is 503 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:29,640 Speaker 1: like one step beyond a wild turkey. So all of those. 504 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:32,919 Speaker 1: We have a historic chicken coop that we research nineteenth 505 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 1: century poultry architecture. That was really something I didn't think 506 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:39,920 Speaker 1: i'd ever study. Um once I designed a coop, figure 507 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:43,800 Speaker 1: out what materials would be appropriate, square cut nails, dimensional 508 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,480 Speaker 1: lumber two inch by four inch, not today's two by 509 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:49,879 Speaker 1: four So all those little bitty details go into all 510 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 1: the work that we do. Uh So, yes, all of 511 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:56,640 Speaker 1: those breeds are there. And it is not a petting zoo, 512 00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 1: make that real clear. It is a place where we 513 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 1: preserve the a sort breeds and can educate the public 514 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 1: about them. And I'm excited to say that we are 515 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 1: going to attempt to carry on that heritage breed by 516 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: bringing one of our sheep to another farm and see 517 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:14,919 Speaker 1: if she can get impregnated, and then we'll bring her 518 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: back and if we're lucky, she will be pregnant to 519 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:19,480 Speaker 1: have a lamb for us in the spring. Or too, 520 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: that'll be exciting, very exciting. So fingers crossed. It is 521 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:24,960 Speaker 1: really hard to not want to go in and put 522 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: all the it's so hard. Most important, you can probably 523 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,239 Speaker 1: put them. The busters very friendly and if you just 524 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 1: call him but sir, he'll probably walk up to you 525 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: like scratching between the years. But most importantly, don't feed them. 526 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:41,200 Speaker 1: Please don't feed them. They're on a healthy diet already 527 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 1: and they don't want any people food. That's one of 528 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:46,719 Speaker 1: my personal crusades is to always tell my friends not 529 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 1: to be giving particularly birds that they see in places. 530 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 1: Please stop giving them bread. Right, it's not good for 531 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:54,680 Speaker 1: It's not good for them. It means well, but don't 532 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 1: do it. It makes them very sack. Um. You mentioned 533 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: building this unique um chicken coop that is historically accurate. 534 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 1: One of the things that I have heard you mentioned 535 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 1: before is that you guys also mill your own lumber there, 536 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 1: which may or may not have been involved in the coop, 537 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: but I know in the fences it shows up. Will 538 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 1: you talk a little bit about that. We actually we 539 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 1: use um a contractor to do it, but we save 540 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 1: our trees whenever we can, so if there is a 541 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:26,040 Speaker 1: tree that needs to come down because it's structurally hazard us. 542 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,959 Speaker 1: We will look at that and decide is there a 543 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:34,479 Speaker 1: way that we could use this lumber on site? UM, so, well, 544 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 1: how we can have it milled locally and brought back 545 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,280 Speaker 1: here and we will store it and are we stored 546 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: our last um a lot of wood. It took about 547 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:44,560 Speaker 1: eighteen months for it to dry, and once it got 548 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:47,600 Speaker 1: to that critical moisture point, we decided what we're gonna 549 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:49,920 Speaker 1: do with that. And I had eyebawled one tree in 550 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 1: particular and thought it was a white oak and had 551 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 1: lots of good lumber and it had to come down anyway. 552 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: So I thought, well, let's see what we can do. 553 00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: And we are in the process now of creating an 554 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 1: absolutely enormous table I call it the Tree Table, and 555 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 1: it's gonna go up in this new landscape the entrance gardens, 556 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:15,959 Speaker 1: under some towering pines and oaks, and it's about it's 557 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 1: gonna be about sixty ft long, be huge, and it's 558 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: all made from this tree just on our property. All 559 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: of it is going to be utilized for us for 560 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:29,880 Speaker 1: the and the tabletop is more than halfway through, so 561 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 1: we're still working out all of its final um structural 562 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 1: components and exactly how it's going to sit in the landscape. 563 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:39,720 Speaker 1: But it will be very cool, and I wanted to 564 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 1: really represent bringing the community together in Atlanta. This is 565 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: You're welcome to come here and eat your launch and 566 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: enjoy these gardens and sit in the shade of this 567 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 1: little remnant of forest and buckhead and join us and 568 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:56,000 Speaker 1: have conversations and talk to your neighbor and have a 569 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 1: coffee and sit in this landscape and think about all 570 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,720 Speaker 1: these differ front things that we've brought up today, or um, 571 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:05,719 Speaker 1: you know, just enjoy being outside and appreciating that we 572 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:09,440 Speaker 1: have that opportunity. That's so cool. Oh, I can't wait 573 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:11,600 Speaker 1: to see it. It's gonna be really cool. Um. Will 574 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:14,040 Speaker 1: you also talk a little bit about all of your 575 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:19,120 Speaker 1: building collection. Oh, there's so many buildings. So you mean 576 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 1: the historic homes, Yes, we had so the smith form 577 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,160 Speaker 1: we've talked about, and there's a number of buildings there 578 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 1: between our old barn, the blacksmith shop, a corn crib, 579 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:33,480 Speaker 1: dairy which is a small room, a kitchen, smokehouse, the coope, 580 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:35,720 Speaker 1: and the enslaved people's cabin, and then we have the 581 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 1: Swan house from Philip Trimmell shut seas classical masterpiece. Then 582 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: there's also a cabin out in swan Woods. Swan Woods 583 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: is about a tent achere section of our property that 584 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:51,200 Speaker 1: is Piedmont Forest, and we have this very cool cabin 585 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: that's out there and it's actually being utilized in a 586 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: new school group tour that we're putting on where because 587 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:02,040 Speaker 1: this cabin has logs from multiple different eras it's been 588 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:06,760 Speaker 1: put together, has its own unique in long history. But 589 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 1: there's no one date that we can put on that cabin, 590 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 1: so we can use it to interpret different periods. And 591 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,959 Speaker 1: right now we're looking at what happened when the Creek 592 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:20,120 Speaker 1: Indians were pushed out on the Trail of Tears, and 593 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:21,680 Speaker 1: then who would have moved in? So this could have 594 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:24,520 Speaker 1: been their home and then they would have been pushed 595 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:27,120 Speaker 1: out and a settler during the land lottery could have 596 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:30,240 Speaker 1: moved in and acquired that home. So we were able 597 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:33,120 Speaker 1: to tell those stories with these historic homes and many 598 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:35,000 Speaker 1: many more stories. And I think that's one of the 599 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 1: things that History Center is so good at, is telling 600 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:41,800 Speaker 1: stories that aren't often told. And I think that we 601 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:44,440 Speaker 1: can do that both within the museum, within our historic 602 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 1: houses and in our gardens. Uh, there was one thing 603 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:51,200 Speaker 1: when I saw you speak before, you mentioned something that 604 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:55,160 Speaker 1: just struck my fancy, which is another call back to 605 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 1: how you can't always recreate a garden the way it 606 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:05,160 Speaker 1: was holyander. Yeah, story, Yes, so that's a great point. 607 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 1: It's just one of many little things that that we've 608 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:11,400 Speaker 1: worked out over the years. The Swan House is beautiful 609 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:15,320 Speaker 1: cascade fountain in the front. Mrs n Men used to 610 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,520 Speaker 1: put terra cotta pots on each of the little pedestals 611 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:23,080 Speaker 1: alongside that fountain, and we recreated that with terracotta pots, 612 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 1: and what she had in it that we know from 613 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:29,280 Speaker 1: photographs and scrutinizing old photos was oleander, pink, oleander, pink 614 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 1: and white were her favorite colors. So we eventually recreated that, 615 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:36,760 Speaker 1: and we found out, uh, that wasn't exactly what brides 616 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 1: always want to have in their weddings. And we used 617 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 1: that space in front of the cascade found as a 618 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 1: as a rental space where we have lots of weddings 619 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:46,960 Speaker 1: every year. So it meant our staff would have to 620 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:48,800 Speaker 1: pull all those pots down every time they wanted to 621 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:51,760 Speaker 1: do their own arrangements of flowers there. So yes, well, 622 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 1: well to be strictly true to historic accuracy, those pots 623 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:58,360 Speaker 1: with those oleanders would be there. But on the downside, 624 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 1: oleander is toxic feet and so we don't want anyone 625 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:03,080 Speaker 1: to pick at an eat it. So I thought, maybe 626 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:05,400 Speaker 1: that's not the best thing to have out there. But 627 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:08,360 Speaker 1: also the idea of having to move those plants all 628 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:11,320 Speaker 1: the time in order to accommodate the weddings. So another 629 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 1: example is we have a big gravel path very carefully 630 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:18,440 Speaker 1: designed in front of this one house that's not original. 631 00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:24,160 Speaker 1: That was me. Sorry, But in order to accommodate opening 632 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:27,360 Speaker 1: to the public, you have to make some changes. You 633 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 1: have to make it where people can get in and 634 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:32,640 Speaker 1: out and not have to walk through what might be 635 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:35,880 Speaker 1: wet and muddy ground after a heavy rain. So how 636 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,160 Speaker 1: do you do that, Well, you just you look at 637 00:34:38,360 --> 00:34:41,920 Speaker 1: the original design intent, you try to be true to that, 638 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:43,800 Speaker 1: and you try not to put in something that couldn't 639 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:46,920 Speaker 1: be removed. So I put in a gravel path. So 640 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 1: if one day we decided let's go back to strictly 641 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:52,680 Speaker 1: exactly what it was, that wouldn't be hard to remove. 642 00:34:53,200 --> 00:34:55,879 Speaker 1: If we put in a solid concrete or stone path, 643 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:57,399 Speaker 1: that would be a lot more work and a lot 644 00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:00,160 Speaker 1: more expense. So this way we've put in a way 645 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:04,640 Speaker 1: where we can have wonderful rentals and weddings and people 646 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:06,800 Speaker 1: can walk on it and utilize the space, and everyday 647 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,799 Speaker 1: visitors come in and out without causing damaged landscape because 648 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:12,120 Speaker 1: they're on a regular path, whereas before when it was 649 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:15,160 Speaker 1: just lawn, when you put that much foot traffic on it, 650 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:18,360 Speaker 1: it's gonna die off. Well, it's the even though you 651 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:21,720 Speaker 1: apologize for it. It's the difference between keeping a historic 652 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 1: space usable and something that people can interact with and appreciate, 653 00:35:26,239 --> 00:35:29,239 Speaker 1: versus no, I swear it's beautiful inside, you may not 654 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:33,400 Speaker 1: be able to get there exactly. We want people to 655 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:36,360 Speaker 1: come and enjoy these beautiful historic homes. Who want everybody 656 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:38,719 Speaker 1: to be able to get there and walk around and 657 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:42,600 Speaker 1: take pictures and enjoy it and not put it behind 658 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:44,759 Speaker 1: a rope. I could let you walk through. And in 659 00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:48,239 Speaker 1: many cases we have the opportunity to play hands on. 660 00:35:48,760 --> 00:35:51,120 Speaker 1: So if you go to the little children's room, uh 661 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:54,359 Speaker 1: Sam and Mimi's playroom, then then children you can go 662 00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:56,480 Speaker 1: play and so in the rocking horse and some in 663 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:58,279 Speaker 1: their beds and play with the toys. And that's just 664 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:00,160 Speaker 1: something you don't get to do it a lot of museum, 665 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:02,480 Speaker 1: and we're working on a new children's trail in the 666 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:05,799 Speaker 1: gardens as well, where any spot that you go to 667 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:09,240 Speaker 1: you'll see that there's a very obvious hands on play area. 668 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:12,919 Speaker 1: So as a caregiver or an adult, you can maybe 669 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:14,719 Speaker 1: read some of the panels or look around at the 670 00:36:14,719 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 1: gardens or that particular location, but your children might be 671 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:22,759 Speaker 1: playing in the playhouse or uh, you know, investigating some 672 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:25,719 Speaker 1: little children's feature that we've added to the gardens. There 673 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:29,480 Speaker 1: is more coming up, including how the Atlanta History Center 674 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:32,759 Speaker 1: solved a problem of trying to recreate a meadow in 675 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:35,640 Speaker 1: a space where even weeds would not grow. But first 676 00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:37,440 Speaker 1: we're gonna hear from one of the sponsors that keep 677 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 1: stuff you missed in history class going all right, Now, 678 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:51,239 Speaker 1: we're about to get some great science in this discussion, 679 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:55,320 Speaker 1: including how the History Center is helping with breeding programs 680 00:36:55,360 --> 00:37:00,279 Speaker 1: for chestnuts. There was another element of the land escape 681 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:01,800 Speaker 1: there that I love, which is that you have like 682 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 1: a reclamation meadow going on. Well you talk about that 683 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:08,600 Speaker 1: a little bit. I love that you remember all these stories. Um, yeah, 684 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 1: I was taking note. We have several reclamation meadows so 685 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:18,720 Speaker 1: at the end of every construction project, we have to 686 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:24,440 Speaker 1: take what is left and figure out the mechanics of 687 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:28,839 Speaker 1: how to make that soil healthy again um as well 688 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:31,280 Speaker 1: as breathe life back into it. When you drive heavy 689 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:34,640 Speaker 1: machinery over soil, it is inevitable that it becomes compacted. 690 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:38,160 Speaker 1: So we always do preventative strategies first. And then there's 691 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:40,080 Speaker 1: the area where they have to drive the vehicles and 692 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:41,839 Speaker 1: so we have to come in and fix it. Well, 693 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:44,799 Speaker 1: when we built the wood cabin out and out in 694 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:48,400 Speaker 1: Swan Woods, there was quite a bit of compacted soil 695 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:50,439 Speaker 1: and I thought, what am I going to do here? 696 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:52,439 Speaker 1: But it was the first time also that I had 697 00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:55,760 Speaker 1: any full sun out in that woodland. And the missing 698 00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:59,480 Speaker 1: component to that woodland was a wild flower meadow. When 699 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:02,160 Speaker 1: in any forest, and in that that forest is a 700 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:05,440 Speaker 1: secondary succession forest, meaning it's been cut once and it's regrown. 701 00:38:06,239 --> 00:38:08,520 Speaker 1: Uh So everybody left to go fight in the Civil War, 702 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:12,839 Speaker 1: the cotton fields were abandoned and upspring these woods and 703 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:16,600 Speaker 1: they have since been preserved since that time. So now 704 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:19,160 Speaker 1: I have this one opening where we build the cabin, 705 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:20,799 Speaker 1: and there was some sun in that spot, and I thought, 706 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:26,160 Speaker 1: now I can finally create the understory the perennial meadow 707 00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:28,400 Speaker 1: that would have lived here. So just like if you 708 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:30,839 Speaker 1: had a natural disaster, if you had a tornado ripped through, 709 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:33,600 Speaker 1: it would clear out an opening. We're trying to recreate 710 00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:37,439 Speaker 1: an authentic regrowth. What would that look like. So we 711 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:41,839 Speaker 1: use strictly Piedmont native plants and swan woods, which is 712 00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:45,920 Speaker 1: this band across where Atlanta sits across Georgia between mountains 713 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:48,680 Speaker 1: and coastal plain. So we're only using those species. We 714 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:51,600 Speaker 1: use a flora. We use Alan Weekly's Flora of the 715 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:55,239 Speaker 1: Southeastern Region to identify which plants are really native here, 716 00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:58,120 Speaker 1: so checking all of our accuracy, and then what kind 717 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:00,319 Speaker 1: of conditions do they want to grow? And these are 718 00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:01,959 Speaker 1: not plants that you can just go to the store 719 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:04,239 Speaker 1: and buy and a one gallon pot. You have to 720 00:39:04,239 --> 00:39:06,319 Speaker 1: grow these plants from seed, so then we have to 721 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:09,160 Speaker 1: source that. Well, you can't just throw seed on a 722 00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:12,840 Speaker 1: compacted clay piece of earth, nothing will grow there. We 723 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:15,320 Speaker 1: knew when we didn't even have weeds in that spot 724 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:19,000 Speaker 1: that we had some serious soil issues. So the first 725 00:39:19,040 --> 00:39:21,520 Speaker 1: step was trying to rent a tiller. It has very 726 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:23,960 Speaker 1: small acts as you can't get a tractor out there 727 00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:25,600 Speaker 1: or anything. So he rented a tiller and it just 728 00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:27,799 Speaker 1: went tingting ting tingtinging across the ground because it was 729 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:31,319 Speaker 1: so hard. So we tried another larger tiller and we 730 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:33,400 Speaker 1: worked in one inch of composts. We didn't want to 731 00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:37,640 Speaker 1: make rich garden soil. I wanted to recreate a natural process, 732 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:40,480 Speaker 1: so basically speeding up a couple of thousand years of 733 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:43,480 Speaker 1: evolution within a couple of years. So we did that. 734 00:39:43,560 --> 00:39:46,080 Speaker 1: They're um worked in a little bit of soil and 735 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:48,600 Speaker 1: in order to it's put our first round of seeds 736 00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:51,320 Speaker 1: out and we use seeds like partridge p which is 737 00:39:51,360 --> 00:39:53,840 Speaker 1: a legume, and it creates its own nitrogen, so we 738 00:39:53,880 --> 00:39:57,319 Speaker 1: can feed itself. And then when you um let that 739 00:39:57,400 --> 00:39:59,680 Speaker 1: crop die down and you see something else. It adds 740 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:01,759 Speaker 1: that little bit of layer of organic matter to the 741 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:03,600 Speaker 1: soil and it's a little bit richer and a little 742 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:05,880 Speaker 1: bit nicer soil, so then a higher species can be grown. 743 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:08,480 Speaker 1: And you keep doing this for a couple of passes, 744 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:10,880 Speaker 1: three or four passes in with our seed mixes, we 745 00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:14,280 Speaker 1: started to see real vitality and that something was working. 746 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:18,280 Speaker 1: We also wanted to take the opportunity to grow another 747 00:40:18,320 --> 00:40:20,759 Speaker 1: species in our living collections that we had not been 748 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:23,840 Speaker 1: able to do much, which was was American chestnuts. We 749 00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:26,560 Speaker 1: know that the American chestnut was here. You can see 750 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:29,240 Speaker 1: them on platts. They were often used as the corner 751 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:32,560 Speaker 1: post of a property line because they were big. And 752 00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:36,080 Speaker 1: when the chestnut pipe blew through and killed awful lot 753 00:40:36,080 --> 00:40:39,320 Speaker 1: of the chestnuts, they would spring up from root suckers, 754 00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:43,200 Speaker 1: but they were pretty much as a functioning species wiped out. 755 00:40:43,600 --> 00:40:46,040 Speaker 1: So what we want to do is also tell that 756 00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:48,680 Speaker 1: story of species that were once here that we no 757 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:51,320 Speaker 1: longer see today. So on the lower half of that meadow, 758 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:55,160 Speaker 1: we wanted to plant American chestnuts, but not just any chestnut. 759 00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:58,080 Speaker 1: We wanted the ones that have The American Chestnut Foundation 760 00:40:58,120 --> 00:41:02,359 Speaker 1: has been breeding for caids. So I worked with Dr 761 00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:05,600 Speaker 1: Martin Sippollini at Barry College, who was my old bomby professor, 762 00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:08,080 Speaker 1: to say, I know you're studying these. I remember researching 763 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:10,840 Speaker 1: them at school. Can't we grows some of your hybrids? 764 00:41:10,880 --> 00:41:13,880 Speaker 1: And so that worked out to a great partnership with them, 765 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:16,960 Speaker 1: and we have forty American chestnuts and are orchard now. 766 00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:19,000 Speaker 1: But in order to plant those, we had to use 767 00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:22,440 Speaker 1: a big gas powered auger to break through that ground 768 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:26,719 Speaker 1: because it was hard, so that requires drilling through and 769 00:41:26,719 --> 00:41:29,400 Speaker 1: we finally found tops well about twenty eight inches down 770 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:32,239 Speaker 1: through that clay hard pam. So we broke it up 771 00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:33,640 Speaker 1: with an augur because that was the only way to that. 772 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:36,319 Speaker 1: You couldn't get a shovel in. Broke that all up 773 00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:38,520 Speaker 1: in a big area, amented a little bit and planted 774 00:41:38,520 --> 00:41:43,720 Speaker 1: our new hybrid chestnuts, which are fifteen sixteenth American chestnut 775 00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:46,120 Speaker 1: and one sixteenth Chinese chestnut, and that gives them that 776 00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:50,040 Speaker 1: little bit of light resistance that and then allows you 777 00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:53,439 Speaker 1: to still have what looks like an American chestnuts tall, 778 00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:56,719 Speaker 1: tall and straight and grows the kind of chestnuts that 779 00:41:56,760 --> 00:41:59,560 Speaker 1: you want to roast with just a little bit of 780 00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:02,279 Speaker 1: that disease resistance. So we have the lower meadow that's 781 00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:05,279 Speaker 1: the chestnut orchard and also surrounded by wildflowers. It's also 782 00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:07,440 Speaker 1: where we started our apiary, and so we have our 783 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:09,960 Speaker 1: own honey bees down there. And then on the upper 784 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:14,600 Speaker 1: meadow um that's just purely grasses and wildflowers. So that 785 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:17,719 Speaker 1: we can show people what would have regenerated and a 786 00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:21,439 Speaker 1: Piedmont forest had there been a force clearing um and 787 00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:25,520 Speaker 1: that those hybrid chestnuts. Is there like reciprocal benefit. Does 788 00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:27,600 Speaker 1: your former professor come and get to look at them 789 00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:30,200 Speaker 1: and see how they're doing and examine what's going on 790 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:33,000 Speaker 1: when they have kind of all of the benefits of 791 00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:36,080 Speaker 1: ideal growth. Yes, so what we will do, Yes, so 792 00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:38,319 Speaker 1: he's been back here again, and we can send an 793 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:41,719 Speaker 1: annual report to say what's happening, what's doing well? Um. 794 00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:44,400 Speaker 1: But also ideally this is an educational orchard. This is 795 00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:47,040 Speaker 1: an opportunity to show people we have a few purely American, 796 00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:49,240 Speaker 1: a few purely Chinese, and then here's what the hybrids 797 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:51,880 Speaker 1: look like. So we have it as an educational orchard, 798 00:42:52,280 --> 00:42:55,439 Speaker 1: but also to contribute towards this science that we will 799 00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:58,759 Speaker 1: grow these trees on. We will let them become teenagers 800 00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:02,000 Speaker 1: or so when they're about twenty feet tall, that's when 801 00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:04,400 Speaker 1: you would come through and inoculate the chestnuts and you 802 00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:07,600 Speaker 1: would put cry an extray a parasiteica straight into the 803 00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:09,840 Speaker 1: trunk of that tree and jacks it like a shot 804 00:43:10,320 --> 00:43:12,879 Speaker 1: and see if it heals. So that is the chestnut blight. 805 00:43:13,200 --> 00:43:15,760 Speaker 1: It's either going to grow a big, horrible weeping wound, 806 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:18,080 Speaker 1: and you'll know this tree has no disease resistance. Just 807 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:20,920 Speaker 1: cut it down or it's going to heal over and 808 00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:22,440 Speaker 1: it'll be one of those that you think, this is 809 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:24,480 Speaker 1: one that we need to breed from to carry on 810 00:43:24,520 --> 00:43:27,560 Speaker 1: this research for the next generation. So ideally that's what 811 00:43:27,600 --> 00:43:30,120 Speaker 1: would happen. Will grow these trees on for another decade 812 00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:33,080 Speaker 1: and then do the injections, and then call all the 813 00:43:33,080 --> 00:43:35,319 Speaker 1: trees that aren't any good, and then utilize this last 814 00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:38,520 Speaker 1: couple towards the breeding program and plant the next generation 815 00:43:38,560 --> 00:43:42,200 Speaker 1: of chestnuts. I love it. Um you're kind of keeping 816 00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:46,359 Speaker 1: the history of that plant alive. Is the modern era 817 00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:49,960 Speaker 1: in like the most fabulous ways. So if somebody at 818 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:52,759 Speaker 1: home wants to add a little bit of history to 819 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:59,360 Speaker 1: their own garden, where do you recommend these start interesting? Well, 820 00:43:59,560 --> 00:44:04,000 Speaker 1: all his story goes back to agricultural history, so I 821 00:44:04,040 --> 00:44:08,399 Speaker 1: think if you want to be a part of this 822 00:44:08,520 --> 00:44:10,839 Speaker 1: larger story, you should grow something that you're going to eat. 823 00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:19,879 Speaker 1: Everything that we do in this world requires plants at 824 00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:22,920 Speaker 1: the very root of it. We need oxygen to breathe, 825 00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:26,040 Speaker 1: so we need plants to produce that oxygen. We need 826 00:44:26,040 --> 00:44:27,680 Speaker 1: food to eat, so we have to grow it. So 827 00:44:27,719 --> 00:44:32,960 Speaker 1: it all comes back to that very basic necessity. Um, 828 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:35,880 Speaker 1: so growing something, and I would say teaching a child 829 00:44:36,520 --> 00:44:41,120 Speaker 1: or someone who is real, Um, you know, city dweller 830 00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:43,279 Speaker 1: that has never spent much time in nature, has never 831 00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:46,040 Speaker 1: grown anything on their own, sharing that story or that 832 00:44:46,760 --> 00:44:50,759 Speaker 1: amazing sense of pride of having grown something from seed 833 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:53,680 Speaker 1: that actually grew and became like a little tree seedling, 834 00:44:54,120 --> 00:44:56,040 Speaker 1: and then go plant it somewhere and water it in 835 00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:58,040 Speaker 1: and keep it on it and watch it grow. Because 836 00:44:58,040 --> 00:45:02,200 Speaker 1: there's really it's hard to even explain how much that 837 00:45:03,080 --> 00:45:06,160 Speaker 1: gives back to you. And it's like I have two 838 00:45:06,239 --> 00:45:08,640 Speaker 1: children that we collect seas and will plant them around 839 00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:11,840 Speaker 1: and watch them grow, and they're astonished that it worked. 840 00:45:13,600 --> 00:45:16,920 Speaker 1: It does work. Um, So I love that. And then 841 00:45:16,960 --> 00:45:20,160 Speaker 1: I think, also there's a lot of plants with an 842 00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:25,440 Speaker 1: interesting ornamental history to like. Um. Lilium regale is this 843 00:45:25,520 --> 00:45:29,160 Speaker 1: beautiful trumpet lily, fragrant white, blooms in the summer when 844 00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:31,560 Speaker 1: things are maybe a little bit flatter in your garden. 845 00:45:32,160 --> 00:45:37,239 Speaker 1: But know that that lily came from a plant explorer 846 00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:39,920 Speaker 1: that went all the way over to Asia and was 847 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:43,960 Speaker 1: looking and found a valley full of these lilies growing, 848 00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:48,960 Speaker 1: and an avalanche hit him and crushed his leg and 849 00:45:49,040 --> 00:45:51,840 Speaker 1: for the rest of his life. Ernest Henry Wilson or 850 00:45:51,920 --> 00:45:54,400 Speaker 1: Chinese Wilson walked with what he called his lily limp. 851 00:45:55,120 --> 00:45:58,680 Speaker 1: And I have sixty of these bulbs flowering in Olgita's garden, 852 00:45:58,719 --> 00:46:01,520 Speaker 1: which is the new garden that we belt last year 853 00:46:01,520 --> 00:46:03,960 Speaker 1: and opened in the fall in honor of Oke took Osta. 854 00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:07,040 Speaker 1: And there's sixties these Lilium or gali bulbs. And they're 855 00:46:07,160 --> 00:46:09,520 Speaker 1: very fragrant and beautiful, and they're white, so they show 856 00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:12,080 Speaker 1: up really well at night as well. And I think 857 00:46:12,080 --> 00:46:14,640 Speaker 1: of that history instead of just going, oh, here's this 858 00:46:14,719 --> 00:46:17,000 Speaker 1: plant I bought from a bulb company and stuck in 859 00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:19,880 Speaker 1: the ground. I love to know some of that background 860 00:46:19,880 --> 00:46:21,839 Speaker 1: and some of those stories behind the plants and how 861 00:46:21,840 --> 00:46:25,160 Speaker 1: do they end up here. I love it. Even Azalea's 862 00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:28,719 Speaker 1: are most every day hum drum. Everyone's seen azalia They're 863 00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:31,400 Speaker 1: all over Atlanta. But why are they here? They're not 864 00:46:31,520 --> 00:46:35,759 Speaker 1: from here, They're from Asia. Someone decided let's let's try 865 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:39,239 Speaker 1: these as a florist crop a rhythm and pots, and 866 00:46:39,320 --> 00:46:41,080 Speaker 1: like you know, now we see him at the grocery store. 867 00:46:41,120 --> 00:46:44,000 Speaker 1: But someone decided to plant it outside and someone else 868 00:46:44,040 --> 00:46:48,160 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, Frank Smith decided this will do really well here, 869 00:46:48,239 --> 00:46:50,800 Speaker 1: and we should be promoting these and these the nursery 870 00:46:50,800 --> 00:46:53,799 Speaker 1: men and started promoting to all of his customers to 871 00:46:53,880 --> 00:46:56,279 Speaker 1: plant these azaleas and dogwoods. And what do you see 872 00:46:56,320 --> 00:47:00,279 Speaker 1: now all over Atlanta you see that legacy from this 873 00:47:00,440 --> 00:47:03,440 Speaker 1: nursery man who was promoting this plant that these explorers 874 00:47:03,440 --> 00:47:05,480 Speaker 1: brought back. So this is long chain of events to 875 00:47:05,520 --> 00:47:08,759 Speaker 1: make Atlanta have the spring landscape that it does. And 876 00:47:08,800 --> 00:47:11,279 Speaker 1: that's one of our other gardens is the Frankie Smith, right, 877 00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:14,879 Speaker 1: a dentry garden that's fantastic. Didn't Magnolia has also start 878 00:47:14,920 --> 00:47:17,920 Speaker 1: out as coastal plants, and now people think of them 879 00:47:17,960 --> 00:47:23,439 Speaker 1: are so sort of Atlanta classic, but they weren't. Here 880 00:47:23,960 --> 00:47:27,960 Speaker 1: does southern magnolia with the leathery leaves and the huge 881 00:47:27,960 --> 00:47:31,399 Speaker 1: fragrop flowers. Those our coastal plain species. And again this 882 00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:33,879 Speaker 1: is these are the complex stories that we can tell. 883 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:38,280 Speaker 1: As we get warmer up here, those plants are finding 884 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:41,439 Speaker 1: their homes moving they can move further north, so now 885 00:47:41,480 --> 00:47:44,759 Speaker 1: they'll recede and regenerate up here in the Piedmont when 886 00:47:44,760 --> 00:47:46,520 Speaker 1: they used to live down by the coast. And that 887 00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:51,000 Speaker 1: is that story of global warming. Climate change, and as 888 00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:53,600 Speaker 1: that climate changes, we're seeing these species move north. And 889 00:47:53,640 --> 00:47:58,600 Speaker 1: so what we consider a native plant is that it shifts. 890 00:47:58,719 --> 00:48:00,799 Speaker 1: Is that at a certain line in the sand, a 891 00:48:00,880 --> 00:48:04,239 Speaker 1: certain era, a certain time or do we have to 892 00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:07,680 Speaker 1: evolve as gardens with the plants as they move themselves 893 00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:10,319 Speaker 1: around the country and around the world. So, yes, our 894 00:48:10,320 --> 00:48:12,960 Speaker 1: southern magnolia is moving its way north and it is 895 00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:16,839 Speaker 1: seating around it everywhere. Will you tell us a little 896 00:48:16,840 --> 00:48:21,040 Speaker 1: bit about Ogita's garden and perhaps even her Camellia. Oh yes, 897 00:48:21,719 --> 00:48:27,160 Speaker 1: sois Wetta as it was a trustee at the Atlanta 898 00:48:27,239 --> 00:48:32,440 Speaker 1: History Center and an amazing leader and philanthropic person. And 899 00:48:32,560 --> 00:48:36,560 Speaker 1: when she passed away, in her family said we would 900 00:48:36,560 --> 00:48:39,200 Speaker 1: love to honor her legacy with a new garden space 901 00:48:39,320 --> 00:48:42,480 Speaker 1: at the History Center at the gois Wedda Gardens, which 902 00:48:42,520 --> 00:48:45,000 Speaker 1: makes a lot of sense. And so we learned a 903 00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:48,759 Speaker 1: little bit about what she loved about gardens and that 904 00:48:48,840 --> 00:48:51,800 Speaker 1: she loved English gardens and French gardens and formal gardens 905 00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:55,920 Speaker 1: and that was very exciting. That is something we didn't have. 906 00:48:56,320 --> 00:48:58,719 Speaker 1: We have all these different styles of gardens at the 907 00:48:58,719 --> 00:49:02,360 Speaker 1: History Center, but not in England garden And given my background, 908 00:49:02,400 --> 00:49:06,040 Speaker 1: having lived there for many years, I couldn't wait to 909 00:49:06,080 --> 00:49:09,760 Speaker 1: create an English garden at the History Center. So the 910 00:49:09,800 --> 00:49:13,440 Speaker 1: gardens itself, they also greatly expand our living collections by 911 00:49:13,480 --> 00:49:17,360 Speaker 1: letting us grow all these ornamental perennials and full sun. 912 00:49:17,920 --> 00:49:20,880 Speaker 1: And it's right behind the museum. When you got the 913 00:49:20,880 --> 00:49:25,560 Speaker 1: back doors, you are ensconced within Algitas Garden right left 914 00:49:25,600 --> 00:49:28,520 Speaker 1: and center to the right hand side is the more 915 00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:31,040 Speaker 1: formal side of it, where there is a walled garden 916 00:49:31,120 --> 00:49:36,840 Speaker 1: space with a double border, very English look, and billowing 917 00:49:36,920 --> 00:49:39,800 Speaker 1: perennials coming over a gravel path leading to a focal 918 00:49:39,840 --> 00:49:45,239 Speaker 1: point of a fountain with neil read columns flanking four 919 00:49:45,280 --> 00:49:48,359 Speaker 1: sides of the fountain, and that water feature is full 920 00:49:48,400 --> 00:49:52,880 Speaker 1: of water lilies and papyrus. So this whole space was 921 00:49:52,960 --> 00:49:55,640 Speaker 1: created with the idea of creating a garden that was 922 00:49:55,680 --> 00:50:00,160 Speaker 1: beautiful all year, always had something in bloom, and had 923 00:50:00,160 --> 00:50:04,000 Speaker 1: a special emphasis on fragrance. So we have all kinds 924 00:50:04,040 --> 00:50:06,080 Speaker 1: of plants like the lilies that I mentioned earlier that 925 00:50:06,120 --> 00:50:09,480 Speaker 1: are fragrant, or they might be hyacinths or roses or 926 00:50:09,480 --> 00:50:12,279 Speaker 1: other traditional English garden plants that are talked within those 927 00:50:12,320 --> 00:50:17,439 Speaker 1: double borders. Also very special was the History Center's first 928 00:50:17,440 --> 00:50:22,480 Speaker 1: plant introduction. So when we went to plant around that fountain, 929 00:50:22,560 --> 00:50:25,880 Speaker 1: those very tall columns, we needed some really big plants 930 00:50:26,440 --> 00:50:30,319 Speaker 1: to immediately seat that garden in and have it look 931 00:50:30,719 --> 00:50:34,400 Speaker 1: full and lush and form one and to scale. So 932 00:50:34,560 --> 00:50:36,719 Speaker 1: we did a lot of research and we ended up 933 00:50:36,960 --> 00:50:42,200 Speaker 1: going to Alabama, where Bobby Green's nursery is, and we found, 934 00:50:42,400 --> 00:50:45,040 Speaker 1: through a lot of discussion, the largest chameleas for sale 935 00:50:45,040 --> 00:50:48,200 Speaker 1: in the United States, which was a huge find. Our 936 00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:51,560 Speaker 1: director of horticulture, Tiffany Jones, managed that with all of 937 00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:54,960 Speaker 1: her connections in the nursery world, and we went down 938 00:50:54,960 --> 00:50:57,840 Speaker 1: there in November when they were in full bloom and 939 00:50:58,200 --> 00:51:00,759 Speaker 1: just it just blew my mind to walking this field 940 00:51:00,760 --> 00:51:03,720 Speaker 1: where these communities are growing in one hundred gallon pots, 941 00:51:04,440 --> 00:51:07,000 Speaker 1: so I mean, just imagine hugging the biggest tree possible. 942 00:51:07,000 --> 00:51:09,760 Speaker 1: They're about that big around the size of those pots, 943 00:51:10,480 --> 00:51:15,160 Speaker 1: very heavy. But we managed to select a variety of 944 00:51:15,320 --> 00:51:17,560 Speaker 1: his hybrid seedlings, and he was willing to share this 945 00:51:17,680 --> 00:51:20,839 Speaker 1: with us, and so we we purchased those and one 946 00:51:20,880 --> 00:51:24,080 Speaker 1: of them was unlike any chamelia I've ever seen before. 947 00:51:24,719 --> 00:51:28,640 Speaker 1: It was absolutely covered in flowers and they're white, and 948 00:51:28,680 --> 00:51:31,800 Speaker 1: they have streaks of this raspberry pink through the petals 949 00:51:31,840 --> 00:51:34,799 Speaker 1: and a central boss of golden stamens. But just it's 950 00:51:34,800 --> 00:51:38,160 Speaker 1: floriferous in nature, and it's beautiful small leaves, and its 951 00:51:38,200 --> 00:51:40,960 Speaker 1: form was very elegant. So we asked him, would it 952 00:51:40,960 --> 00:51:45,480 Speaker 1: be possible for us to perhaps name this plant and 953 00:51:45,560 --> 00:51:49,400 Speaker 1: honor this family. He's done so much for Atlanta and 954 00:51:49,640 --> 00:51:53,800 Speaker 1: especially as Wetta, and he said he loved that idea. 955 00:51:53,960 --> 00:51:57,239 Speaker 1: He loves that people are making public gardens happen, and 956 00:51:57,280 --> 00:51:58,960 Speaker 1: he wanted to honor that too, So he gave us 957 00:51:58,960 --> 00:52:02,120 Speaker 1: the naming rights and we named it Camelia o Quita 958 00:52:02,640 --> 00:52:05,200 Speaker 1: And that isn't one of a kind camelia. And it 959 00:52:05,360 --> 00:52:08,360 Speaker 1: is growing right alongside the little limestone terrorists of that 960 00:52:08,440 --> 00:52:11,160 Speaker 1: garden where everybody can see it right up close and 961 00:52:11,160 --> 00:52:15,920 Speaker 1: see this gorgeous flowers. That such a beautiful story. Ah, Sarah, 962 00:52:15,920 --> 00:52:18,359 Speaker 1: You're such a delight. Thank you so much for having 963 00:52:18,400 --> 00:52:20,080 Speaker 1: me on the show. I can talk about plants all 964 00:52:20,120 --> 00:52:22,680 Speaker 1: the time. I love it. But thank you so much 965 00:52:22,719 --> 00:52:24,440 Speaker 1: for spending so much of your morning with me. I 966 00:52:24,520 --> 00:52:27,520 Speaker 1: feel so lucky and spoiled. It was a pleasure to 967 00:52:27,560 --> 00:52:30,000 Speaker 1: be here. Thank you. For having Where can people find 968 00:52:30,320 --> 00:52:34,560 Speaker 1: you or the History Center on our website Atlanta History 969 00:52:34,560 --> 00:52:37,720 Speaker 1: Center dot com. You'll also find us on our blog, 970 00:52:38,239 --> 00:52:40,920 Speaker 1: and we have Facebook and Twitter, so we're all over 971 00:52:40,960 --> 00:52:45,520 Speaker 1: the place. Perfect. Thank you so much, many many thanks 972 00:52:45,560 --> 00:52:48,719 Speaker 1: to Sarah and to the Atlanta History Center. You can 973 00:52:48,800 --> 00:52:51,680 Speaker 1: check out everything that they've got going on at Atlanta 974 00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:55,239 Speaker 1: History Center dot com. They do a lot of great programs. 975 00:52:55,560 --> 00:52:57,160 Speaker 1: We are in the autumn season and they are doing 976 00:52:57,200 --> 00:53:00,520 Speaker 1: some fun Halloween activities and if you're in Atlanta, highly 977 00:53:00,520 --> 00:53:03,640 Speaker 1: recommend visiting. It is an absolutely beautiful space. You can 978 00:53:03,680 --> 00:53:05,839 Speaker 1: see all of the amazing things that Sarah described, which 979 00:53:05,880 --> 00:53:08,239 Speaker 1: you might have been surprised to learn exist there, so 980 00:53:08,280 --> 00:53:10,719 Speaker 1: I hope you all go and check it out. I 981 00:53:10,719 --> 00:53:12,400 Speaker 1: also have a little bit of listener mail. I'll keep 982 00:53:12,440 --> 00:53:14,920 Speaker 1: it short since this was kind of a longish episode. 983 00:53:15,120 --> 00:53:17,239 Speaker 1: I believe this is from our listener Sharon. It is 984 00:53:17,280 --> 00:53:19,000 Speaker 1: a postcard, and I know I always tell you, but 985 00:53:19,080 --> 00:53:22,439 Speaker 1: it really is true. Things often get a little bit 986 00:53:22,960 --> 00:53:26,840 Speaker 1: blurred or distorted because they put stamps on the postcards 987 00:53:26,840 --> 00:53:29,319 Speaker 1: at the post office. So she writes, Dear Tracy and Holly, 988 00:53:29,360 --> 00:53:31,640 Speaker 1: I love the show. On a recent trip to Tillamook 989 00:53:31,719 --> 00:53:34,040 Speaker 1: and the Oregon Coast. I thought about how there are 990 00:53:34,160 --> 00:53:37,479 Speaker 1: very few lighthouse episodes. Oregon has some great and spooky ones. 991 00:53:37,880 --> 00:53:40,480 Speaker 1: She recommends some specific ones, and she says, just a thought, 992 00:53:40,560 --> 00:53:43,040 Speaker 1: thanks for making my long commute better. I love learning 993 00:53:43,080 --> 00:53:45,920 Speaker 1: from you and sharing with my students. Uh. And she 994 00:53:46,000 --> 00:53:47,840 Speaker 1: just writes, ps, I thought the cow was just cute, 995 00:53:47,840 --> 00:53:50,160 Speaker 1: which is it is on a cow postcard one. I 996 00:53:50,200 --> 00:53:53,000 Speaker 1: just wanted to take this opportunity since she is an educator, 997 00:53:53,040 --> 00:53:55,319 Speaker 1: to thank her for being an educator and all of 998 00:53:55,320 --> 00:53:57,879 Speaker 1: the educators out there who listened to the show. Uh, 999 00:53:57,920 --> 00:54:00,160 Speaker 1: you're doing such important work and we're so grateful that 1000 00:54:00,200 --> 00:54:03,600 Speaker 1: you're out there. Uh. And also just to say I 1001 00:54:03,640 --> 00:54:06,080 Speaker 1: will always talk about a lighthouse. Those are fun, So 1002 00:54:06,120 --> 00:54:08,479 Speaker 1: I'll I'll hunt for some of those stories. I can't 1003 00:54:08,480 --> 00:54:11,719 Speaker 1: ever promise we have a long list, and it kind 1004 00:54:11,719 --> 00:54:14,960 Speaker 1: of just depends when things shuffle into rotation. But uh no, 1005 00:54:15,160 --> 00:54:17,120 Speaker 1: take in. If you would like to write to us, 1006 00:54:17,160 --> 00:54:19,840 Speaker 1: you can do so at History Podcast at how stuffworks 1007 00:54:19,880 --> 00:54:22,200 Speaker 1: dot com. You can also find us everywhere on social 1008 00:54:22,200 --> 00:54:25,760 Speaker 1: media as Missed in History and at our website missed 1009 00:54:25,760 --> 00:54:28,240 Speaker 1: in History dot com. If you would like to subscribe 1010 00:54:28,239 --> 00:54:30,520 Speaker 1: to the podcast and you haven't yet, now it is 1011 00:54:30,560 --> 00:54:32,239 Speaker 1: a perfect time and you can do that on the 1012 00:54:32,280 --> 00:54:35,440 Speaker 1: I heart Radio app, at Apple Podcasts, or wherever it 1013 00:54:35,480 --> 00:54:42,840 Speaker 1: is that you listen. Stuff you Missed in History Class 1014 00:54:42,880 --> 00:54:45,520 Speaker 1: is a production of I heart Radio's How Stuff Works. 1015 00:54:45,560 --> 00:54:48,000 Speaker 1: For more podcasts. For my heart Radio, visit the i 1016 00:54:48,080 --> 00:54:51,160 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 1017 00:54:51,200 --> 00:54:52,040 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.