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Shelagh with the daffodills
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The roadside garden
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Greenhouse on the terrrace
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SPEAKER PROGRAM |
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MARCH 14, 2012 |
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SHELAGH FRITZ
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Project Manager, The Garden Conservancy |
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THE GARDENS OF ALCATRAZ
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For 150 years, a succession of soldiers, families of correction officials, and inmates cultivated gardens hewn on the rocky, windswept island of Alcatraz. The Garden Conservancy is leading the effort to rehabilitate these gardens in partnership with the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy for visitors to enjoy and gain insight into the role these plantings played in the lives of people who inhabited this harsh environment. |
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Many of the plants selected by these unheralded gardeners proved to be excellent choices for the harsh and barren environment, flourishing through the four decades of neglect that followed the prison’s closing. Beginning in 2003, volunteers have worked with staff to clear forty years of overgrowth to not only bring back the gardens but the stories of those who tended these gardens before us. Alcatraz’s current visitors experience an island that is alive with colorful plants gathered decades ago from around the world, and complemented by newly introduced plants. These historic gardens not only illustrate the importance of gardens to the human spirit, but also the ecological benefits and aesthetic possibilities of sustainable gardening.
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Since 1989, the Garden Conservancy has helped over 90 exceptional gardens across America survive and prosper. In addition, the Garden Conservancy provides educational lectures, a fellowship program as well as Open Days, a nation wide event where private gardens are open to the public. |
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