back in 2004 or 2005. At the time, she knew Daniel only as“ a fine gardener who managed a big estate landscape in the area.” He surprised Debra and the entire writing class with the language he gave to the flowers being described.
GWA Foundation hits the road for GRO1000 programs
“ I always aspire to be more literary in my work and Daniel is one of the best examples of the way I wish I could write,”
— Debra Prinzing
“ His prose brings you into his world of color, form, seasons, weather, life and death. In his spareness of storytelling, there is not a single wasted word. He sweeps you up and makes you feel included. There is universality in his writing that connects the reader to his own experience in the garden. I always aspire to be more literary in my work and Daniel is one of the best examples of the way I wish I could write,” Debra said.
Now he designs gardens for others, tends his own, writes about them, and of course, still creates art. A recent exhibition of his photographic prints was titled Willow.“ I live in a swamp and grow a lot of different species of willows. I take a lot of pictures of willows and wanted to present them to the public, because I think most people don’ t give willows the time of day,” he said.“ The series of photographic prints that I produced are influenced as much by Helen Frankenthaler’ s abstractions as 19th century botanical prints. I want to keep experimenting with images of willows and the printing process.”
If you’ d like to see more of Daniel’ s work, he can be contacted through Mount Gardens or by email, daniel @ mountgardens. com.
GWA member Mary Ann Newcomer, a native daughter of Idaho, is deeply rooted in the soil of the American West. As a scribe-scout-andspeaker, she blogs at www. gardensofthewildwildwest. com. The American Horticulture Society profiled her as“ A member making a difference” in American Gardener magazine.
BY ASHLEY HODAK SULLIVAN
Alexa Haller teaches St. Louis school children how to keep a pollinator journal as part of the Gro 1000 project.
This spring, the GWA Foundation team has been traveling the country to celebrate the 2016 showcase grant winners of the Scotts Miracle-Gro GRO1000 program.
On May 4, foundation representatives traveled to St. Louis for the dedication of the city’ s Riverfront Butterfly Byway. When complete, the project will span approximately 31 acres of monarch butterfly habitat along the northern portion of the 19-mile riverfront. It will be planted with native plants that will also attract pollinators and serve as urban prairie patches for other species. GRO1000 partners and volunteers spent the day creating one of the projects special gardens, along with school children from nearby schools. A very special thank you to GWA Foundation Director Jeff Lowenfels and GWA National Director Linda Nitchman for joining the team for the day’ s activities, culminating in a garden dedication by St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay.
The following week, the team was at General Street Park in Providence, Rhode Island, where GRO1000 partners and volunteers installed several edible and pollinator gardens. These gardens will support nutrition literacy and food access in this neighborhood park, which is completely surrounded by a low-income housing complex, many parts of which are occupied by families. The May 11 project aims to transform General Street Park into a vibrant, creative and safe place for residents and youth, as well as an opportunity for access to healthful food and environmental education. A very special thank you to GWA member Mort White, who decided to spend his birthday with the GRO1000 partners for the day’ s event. During the dedication, he was invited to join the ceremonial planting with several neighborhood children.
The GWA Foundation team will attend garden dedications: June 2 in New York City and June 18 in Atlanta. Be sure to visit the GWA Foundation Facebook page for news and photos of these wonderful community events. Interested in attending? Contact Ashley Hodak Sullivan at asullivan @ kellencompany. com.
Ashley Hodak Sullivan is executive director of the Garden Writers Association Foundation.
PHOTO COURTESY ASHLEY HODAK SULLIVAN
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