SPEAKER SERIES
The Speaker Series at New England Botanic Garden features a dynamic range of authors, experts, and thought leaders sharing their insights on topics such as horticulture, gardening, conservation, and environmental sustainability. These engaging talks and lectures offer valuable knowledge for both seasoned gardening enthusiasts and those new to the world of plants and ecologically-minded horticulture. Each event provides an opportunity to learn from leading voices in the field and connect with a community of individuals passionate about the natural world.
Illustrated: Art/Science at the Garden
Friday, January 23, 10 AM–4 PM | ONLINE LECTURES
Illustrated: Art/Science at the Garden invites you to observe, imagine, and create through both microscope and paintbrush. Friday’s online programs invite you into the minds of artists and scientists to explore how observation deepens creativity. Then join us for a weekend of immersive practice-based workshops at the Garden. Whether you’re an experienced illustrator or simply curious about plant anatomy and form, Illustrated offers a space to explore the creative and scientific side of the natural world. Details, prices and schedule available here.
Paul E. Rogers Lecture: In the Footsteps of Giants
Sunday, February 8, 2–3:30 PM | IN-PERSON & ONLINE
Explore the living legacies of three of the UK’s most influential gardens in a rare transatlantic panel with Julia Boulton (Long Barn Gardens), Rebecca Lemonius (Beth Chatto’s Garden), and Claire Greenslade (Hestercombe Gardens), moderated by Annie Guilfoyle of Garden Masterclass UK. As contemporary stewards of landscapes shaped by Vita Sackville-West, Beth Chatto, and Gertrude Jekyll, the panelists share personal stories and insights into the challenges, responsibilities, and rewards of caring for gardens whose influence endures worldwide.
This FREE program is made possible by the Paul E. Rogers endowment supporting community education and outreach in horticulture and gardening.
People & Plants: A Community Lecture Series
In celebration of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, join the Garden for an annual series of FREE online webinars. People & Plants: A Community Lecture Series features thought leaders who are advancing plant knowledge, fostering community, fighting injustice, and championing the preservation of vital ecosystems. This series brings together subjects from the Garden’s traveling exhibition Horticultural Heroes as well as others who are creating positive community change by connecting people and plants.
Hosted by New England Botanic Garden’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Committee.
Growing Food is an Act of Resistance
KAREN WASHINGTON, FARMER & ACTIVIST
Wednesday, February 18, 7–8pm
An influential urban farmer, community organizer, and food-justice advocate, Karen Washington is celebrated for transforming how communities understand land, nourishment, and equity. Her grassroots leadership began in the Bronx in the 1980s. Today, she is a co-owner and farmer at Rise & Root Farm in Chester, New York, and serves as a leading voice on efforts to recognize how systemic inequities shape food access in marginalized communities.
Vanilla So Black
DEREK HAYNES, THE CHOCOLATE BOTANIST
Wednesday, February 25, 7–8pm
Derek Haynes, known on Instagram as “the Chocolate Botanist,” is a botanist and science communicator who lectures on horticultural topics including the story of vanilla. Haynes explores vanilla’s botanical origins, addressing the historical nuances surrounding Black communities and their relationship with vanilla and highlighting the pivotal role of Edmond Albius, a man born into slavery in Madagascar, in the cultivation of one of the planet’s most lucrative spices.
Lunch-and-Learn: Restoration & Reciprocity
ROBIN WALL KIMMERER, AUTHOR, BRAIDING SWEETGRASS, THE SERVICEBERRY
Wednesday, March 18, 12–1pm
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. Through her writing, teaching, and speaking, she shares a message about restoration that includes not only restoration of ecological communities, but restoration of our relationships to land.
This event includes a pre-recorded lecture, live, and a Q&A with Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Author Talk & Book Signing: Plants for the Winter Garden | WARREN LEACH
Sunday, January 19, 2025, 2 p.m.
Join us for a talk with Warren Leach, landscape horticulturist and author of Plants for the Winter Garden. Warren will showcase stunning gardens he has designed to celebrate the beauty of the winter season and share planting design ideas to inspire your own winter garden.
Celebrating Black Contributions Through Art and Nature | COLAH B. TAWKIN
Thursday, February 6, 7 p.m.
Black in the Garden podcast creator Colah B. Tawkin guides attendees through the rich narratives of the Garden’s Horticultural Heroes exhibit, bringing history to life in an innovative and interactive way. Register by January 20 to receive a specially designed Black in the Garden coloring book, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the webinar experience.
Art or Science? The Co-Construction of Botanical Illustration | TRACY QIU
Thursday, March 6, 7 p.m.
“How has the history of botanical illustration influenced the way we perceive plants, gardens, nature, and environment in the present day?” Join Tracy Qiu as she explores the complex stories unearthed from botanical renderings and colonial plant collection during her doctoral research at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew and Edinburgh.
Horticulture Heroes: Black Faces, White Spaces | CAROLYN FINNEY
Thursday, March 13, 7 p.m.
Storyteller, author, and cultural geographer Carolyn Finney discusses her book, Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans in the Great Outdoors.
A Rock and Roll Life – Favorite Chlorophyllians I’ve met along the way | TONY AVENT
Saturday April 12, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Join renowned plantsman Tony Avent as he shares captivating stories of the remarkable plants and unforgettable moments that have shaped his legendary career. Filled with horticultural adventures and botanical inspiration, you won’t want to miss this engaging lecture!
The Wondrous World of Fireflies | SARA LEWIS
Wednesday May 14, 7-8:30 p.m.
Fireflies are among nature’s most enchanting ambassadors, inspiring wonder for centuries. With 30 years of global research and advocacy, biologist Sara Lewis, reveals the science behind their glowing lights and extraordinary lives. Discover how human activities threaten these dazzling insects and how we can help protect them.
Jane Austen’s Garden | MOLLY WILLIAMS and JESSICA ROUX
Sunday, May 25, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Jane Austen’s Garden will transport readers back in time to the lush English landscape of the early 1800s. Join author Molly Williams and illustrator Jessica Roux, for a moderated Q&A exploring Jane Austen’s Garden, and how the landscapes of Austen’s time shaped her classic novels. After the discussion, meet Molly and Jessica at a book signing.
In Bloom with Jane Austen: Regency Florals & Tea | MOLLY WILLIAMS and JESSICA ROUX
Sunday, May 25, 1-3 p.m.
Step back in time for an interactive floral design workshop and an afternoon Regency-style Bridgerton-inspired tea with the author and illustrator of Jane Austen’s Garden: A Botanical Tour of the Classic Novels, Molly Williams and Jessica Roux.
Behind the Canvas: Xiang Li in Conversation | XIANG LI
Saturday, August 2, 2-3:30 p.m.
Join us for an inspiring conversation with artist Xiang Li as she shares the stories, symbolism, and creative process behind her work in the Chinese Empresses exhibit. Discover how traditional Chinese aesthetics and contemporary techniques blend in her evocative portraits. A book signing will follow the talk, with copies available for purchase on-site.
The Journey of Botanical Photography: An Origin Story | SHELLEY LAWRENCE KIRKWOOD
Thursday, September 11, 7-9 p.m.
Photographer Shelley Lawrence Kirkwood explores the fascinating intersection between botany and photography in 19th century artwork. Discover how early photographic techniques captured the beauty of plants and shaped our understanding of nature. This talk will be accompanied by a special display of Shelley’s artwork, a book signing and print sale, and the opportunity to meet the artist.
Tulipmania! Art, Obsession, and a Seventeenth-Century Craze | JIM WELU
Thursday, November 6, 2025 | 7–9 p.m.
Art historian Jim Welu, PhD, Director Emeritus of the Worcester Art Museum, leads a richly illustrated tour through the world’s most beguiling flower and the 17th-century craze it inspired. Trace the tulip’s journey from Ottoman palace gardens to Dutch market stalls; step inside still-life paintings where blooms signaled wealth, status, and the fleeting nature of beauty; and unpack the famous “tulipmania” bubble—what really happened in 1636–37, what’s myth, and why it matters.