A photo tour of some of England's most magnificent gardens will be the focus of a presentation hosted by the Gardeners of Watchung Hills on Tuesday, April 24, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 725 Mountain Ave. (at Plainfield Ave.) in Berkeley Heights.
Club members Regina and Kenneth Carlson, whose decades-long fascination with English gardens has taken them on visits to more than 300 gardens throughout the country, will explore characteristics of English gardens, examining design, plants, structures and materials. In addition to sharing their experiences of visiting England's famous public gardens, they will also describe their visits to dozens of private gardens rarely open to the public.
The couple, who made many of their garden visits in conjunction with extended home-exchange holidays, will also offer practical information on planning a garden tour of England, including comprehensive guidance on how to find open gardens.
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The event is free and open to the public, with refreshments at 7:30 p.m. and the 90-minute program at 8 p.m. For more information, contact Cynthia Amorese, president of The Gardeners of Watchung Hills, at (908) 665-8072 or camorese@comcast.net.
About the Presenters
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Regina Carlson, speaker, is a long-time environmentalist, self-taught gardener and avid student of English gardens. Kenneth Carlson, photographer, is a trained engineer who studied photography at the New Jersey Center for the Visual Arts. The Carlsons' private garden has been included in the U.S. Garden Conservancy Open Days Program several times as well as on garden tours presented by the Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit and the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown. The couple's gardening and composting practices were recognized by the Summit City Council with its Recycling Award in 2009.
About the Sponsor
The Gardeners of Watchung Hills is a men's and women's club whose members come from 13 different towns in the region. The group supports two scholarships for plant science and landscape architecture students at Rutgers University. Many members are also active members of the Wagner Farm Arboretum. Membership in the club is open to anyone with an interest in gardening, at a cost of $15 annually for an individual membership or $20 per year for a family membership.
