Ecological Landscape Design guru Thomas Reiner will speak at the Annual Member Gala and John A. Floyd Jr. Inaugural Lecture at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on January 31st.
The Birmingham native talks about his landscape philosophy and how it applies to the homeowner’s garden and the Kaul Wildflower Garden.
Rainer is a principal at Phyto Studio in Washington, DC, and has designed the landscapes of the US Capitol grounds, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the New York Botanical Garden, according to a garden statement. Featured in publications such as The New York Times, Landscape Architecture Magazine, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Architectural Digest and many more.
His recent work focuses on incorporating wild plant communities into engineered plantings that thrive in towns and cities.
The event, from 5:30pm to 7:00pm, will include refreshments and a book signing after the talk. Registration required. Visit bbgardens.org and click the calendar link to find the event and registration form.
The first Floyd Lecture was produced by the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens to honor Dr. John Alex Floyd Jr.’s lasting impact in the gardens, according to a statement.
He was the driving force behind the creation of the Southern Living Gardens in 1981, serving as chairman of the board and overseeing the garden’s second master plan and the funding efforts to bring it to life.
Through his work with Southern Living, he has helped position Birmingham as the epicenter of Southern gardening, style and hospitality, according to the statement. After his retirement, he continued his community service, volunteering weekly at the Japanese garden, helping develop the garden’s latest master plan, and sharing his expertise and talents until his death in 2021. .