The talk will derive from Wulf’s book, “Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation”, which offers a fascinating perspective of the founding fathers through their lives as gardeners, plantsmen and farmers. Wulf notes that gardening, agriculture, and botany were as ingrained in their characters as their belief in liberty and shaped their political vision for the nation they were creating.
A spokesperson for the Herb Guild commented, “We are delighted to host Ms. Wulf for this public event, which is timely and appealing on several levels. Three of these gardeners had their principal farms in Virginia, and our area today is enthusiastically involved in gardening and food production, so our regional connection to the theme of this book is strong.”
Ms. Wulf is an award-winning historical author and lecturer. She was born in India, moved to Germany as a child, and now lives in Britain where she trained as a design historian at the Royal College of Art. She is the author of The Brother Gardeners: Botany, Empire, and the Birth of an Obsession, which was awarded the American Horticultural Society 2010 Book Award, and is co-author of This Other Eden: Seven Great Gardens and 300 Years of English History. Her most recent book was Chasing Venus: The Race to Measure the Heavens. She was the Eccles British Library Writer in Residence 2013 and a three-time fellow of the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello. She has written for many newspapers, including the New York Times, the LA times, Wall Street Journal, the Sunday Times, and The Guardian. Ms. Wulf is currently at work on a book about the explorer Alexander von Humboldt.
Copies of “Founding Gardeners”and “Brother Gardeners” are available for purchase in advance of the event. Contact Carol Rendleman, 464-1277, or Trina Welsheimer, 464-5290, for details. Please note that books will not be sold at the lecture.
The Valley of Virginia Herb Guild was founded in 1994, with a goal to study and grow herbs and to impart knowledge of their uses to the public. This is accomplished through the support of several school gardens, hosting of speakers, and other herb related projects. The Guild designed and planted the public herb garden on Varner Lane in 2010. They will hold their 19th annual herb sale in May of 2015.
Directions to Kendal: The auditorium is located at 160 Kendal Drive in Lexington. From Interstate 81, take Exit 188B toward Lexington (Rte. 60 W). Follow this into Lexington, approximately 3.2 miles, and make a left on McLaughlin Street. From McLaughlin St., take the second right onto Lime Kiln Rd., following it for 0.3 miles to Enfield Rd. Make a left on Enfield Road, and follow it to Kendal Drive at the top of the hill. Turn left on Kendal Drive and follow it all the way to the parking area in front of the Anderson Center.
Kendal Hall
Kendal at Lexington
160 Kendal Drive
Lexington, VA 24450
The Valley of Virginia Herb Guild will host internationally known author Andrea Wulf for an illustrated talk entitled “Founding Gardeners” on Wednesday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m. The event is free, open to the public, and will be held at Kendal Auditorium in the Anderson Center at 160 Kendal Drive. A book signing and light reception will follow the presentation.