Women in Horticulture

1924-2006 | United Kingdom Guest Blogger, Martha Keen, has written the piece below about the dynamic Historic Woman in Hort, Valerie Finnis. "Plantswoman, educator and photographer Valerie Finnis is a horticulturist for the ages. While several cultivars that she introduced still carry her name, her sociability and charisma, keen eye for design and candor in capturing her subjects, and encyclopedic alpine plant prowess warrant retelling perhaps most of all. | Left: Rock garden

Collaboration has been the key to successful events for Women in Horticulture. Our event "Heroines in Horticulture" hosted by Chanticleer earlier this month highlights this. It all started with Erin McKeon reaching out to create a Women in Horticulture event at Chanticleer. As we were brainstorming event ideas we quickly thought of Martha Keen, an area expert on historic women in horticulture. We wanted to give attendees a glimpse into the past to see the women that have stro

During conversations about women in horticulture, someone always asks "What famous women in horticulture do you know?" This is usually met with silence, and a few "Ummms..." Some might even counter the question with "Well, what famous male horticulturists does anyone even know?" This second question usually gets a few excited answers: "Olmstead!", "Capability Brown!", "William Kent!", and "Chistopher Lloyd!". These men all contributed greatly to the art of horticulture and th