The interpretive shelter at the Pacific Connections Garden . Dan was a key member of the team that formulated the overall design of the garden . ( Photo by Niall Dunne )
just four of us : Kate Day , Dennis Meyer , Scot and myself . We got into these ideas and started ripping things apart in our minds , and then putting them back together and coming up with the different pods of the Pacific Connections Garden . It ’ s really exciting to see that these ideas we threw out were captured and then became something . It ’ s also really weird , because now I walk through the Garden , and I don ’ t even think of my involvement in it .
JO : That ’ s really interesting . Do you think that ’ s because it ’ s now hitting its stride with , particularly , the New Zealand Forest . It ’ s more established , and so it feels more like it has a life of its own ?
DH : That might be why , certainly . I may have been involved in the planting design a little bit . Sarah Reichard was at the helm at that point in time , when the garden went in . I remember looking at the species mix that was proposed and feeling uneasy , thinking that not a lot of the plants would prove to be ultimately hardy . And being the Lutheran that I am from the Midwest , I hate seeing money spent foolishly . But in many ways , I was completely proven wrong . There were some losses , but the overall effect is really , really beautiful .
JO : You did your thesis on the maples of the Arboretum and focused on the actual ones planted there . What drew you to the maples ? Was it the Asian maples that you were primarily interested in or was it all of them ?
DH : Well , my focus ultimately went towards the Asian maples , but I don ’ t think it was my idea . I actually think that Joe Witt wanted to get that collection sorted out and suggested that as my study or at least a study . Shortly after , we lost Joe , and so I went forward with that . I ’ m so glad I did because it led me down a great road .
JO : Because the process of diving into the collection and sorting , organizing , and getting it squared up led to a lifelong interest , right ?
DH : Yes , I ’ ve continued down the road of maples . In the process of searching for the maples in the Arboretum , my eyes started seeing maples . And so by default , I started seeing maples in the wild when other people didn ’ t , and I would point maples out , and they ’ d say , “ That ’ s not a maple ; don ’ t be ridiculous .” I ’ d say , “ No , I just know it ’ s a maple ,” and it would always turn out to be a maple .
Essentially , I had to do archaeology work to find the Arboretum maples . The notes on the index cards would say , “ four feet south and 10
Fall 2021 v 23