A Conversation with W. Gary Smith and Selected Member Designers

MHG Meetings

Sponsored By: Metro Hort Member Projects Showcase

SUMMARY:

Gary Smith says, “I design gardens that celebrate plants and the connections they offer between people and nature.” It is precisely because he is so knowledgable about plants and people that his designs work so beautifully. At our Showcase, he will put his expertise to work by conversing with six of our many members who submitted designs in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Terraces, penthouses and the backyards offer a variety of challenges that we will see and hear about from the designers and Gary.

Gary Smith an award-winning landscape architect and artist, who celebrates the connections between people and plants, spoke at our November 2013 meeting. He is the 2011 recipient of the American Horticultural Society’s Landscape Design Award, and his book From Art to Landscape: Unleashing Creativity in Garden Design received an AHS Book Award. Look for his work at wgarysmith.com.

MEETING NOTES:

The five Metro Hort members who were selected for the Showcase were Michael Franco, Robin Key, Hanna Packer, Michael Pelow and Liz Pulver. The projects included terrace, courtyard, penthouse and backyard gardens. They offered a variety of urban challenges, which the designers met with creativity, artistry and technical expertise. A lively question-&-answer period followed the showcase, indicating our members’ interest in the plants, products and processes used by the designers. Many attendees expressed a desire for more presentations like this one in the future. Thanks to the selection committee, designers and W. Gary Smith for putting on a well-edited and effective showcase.