Survival in the Darwinian Garden: Planting the Fittest

Karen Bussolini photo of Heuchera villosa, Aquelegia canadensis

Sooner or later most of us gardeners fall in love with a blue poppy that would rather be in the Himalayas or a hybrid tea rose that looks fine at the nursery but develops every disease in the book the instant we plant it. Figuring out how to satisfy the needs of these fussy plants can be a rewarding challenge – or an exercise in frustration.

I prefer my garden to be an escape from the frustrations of life and to be more sustainable.  Choosing plants that want to grow where we plant them makes for more pleasure and less work. “Survival in the Darwinian Garden” explores some of the many adaptations plants have developed to survive various challenges, to outcompete other plants, conserve moisture, avoid being eaten.

We will investigate plants that are widely adaptable as well as those that are adapted to specific, often difficult conditions. Taking a good look at how plants arrange themselves in nature and how we can use those observations, we consider a diverse range of gardeners’ strategies for encouraging plants to survive beautifully in their gardens.

Contact Karen to book this talk

This talk can also be modified to create a custom workshop.