“East Meets West” Message from the Director
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Elizabeth Fogel
he theme for this year’s Dominion GardenFest of Lights—and a number of other special events at the Garden this fall—is “East Meets West.” Weaving threads of eastern Asia into the fabric of this year’s programs coincides nicely with the 2012 centennial of Japan’s gift of cherry trees to Washington, D.C., and the 100th anniversary of the Japanese Garden at Richmond’s own Maymont. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden also is making plans to create a Cherry Tree Walk around Sydnor Lake through the extraordinary generosity of a donor. The theme struck us as a natural, and as with all good things, the wisdom of it grew and changed over time.
“East Meets West.” The name implies the juxtaposition of the familiar and the exotic, things The splendor of the Japanese snowbell spans the seasons near at hand artfully placed beside those things (Styrax japonica, native to China and Japan) from over the farthest horizon. Might be a good mantra for a botanical garden. It would explain the atlas full of place names on the plant labels, where Common Name and Botanical Name are followed by Country or Continent of Origin. editor’s box It would explain the brilliant New Guinea birdwing butterfly joining dozens of other exotic species fluttering around the North Wing of the Conservatory this summer and next for Butterflies Live! It might also apply to The Garden Times newsletter is the many guests who come to the Garden to enjoy this “here and there” nature of botanical gardens. It mailed three times a year to Lewis turns out many of them are from here and there, as well. I am struck by the Richmond grandmothers who Ginter Botanical Garden members. tell me of their love of daffodils, a passion handed down to them by their grandmothers. I am struck by Volume XXVII, Number 3 the young engineer who wanders the Louise B. Cochrane Rose Garden, then tells me about growing up surrounded by fields of roses grown for the perfume trade in his native Turkey, and the harvest that has to chief executive officer happen at dawn while dew is still on the petals. Frank Robinson Many cultures approach the season of long nights with expressions of faith and community. When we illuminate Dominion GardenFest of Lights this year, we shall highlight the landscape with evocative lighting, as always, and embrace Richmond families, as always. We shall use designs and themes inspired by eastern Asia. Hopefully, there will be something to inspire you, whether traveling east from Short Pump or Japan, or traveling west from Varina or Turkey.
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executive director Shane Tippett newsletter editor Lynn Kirk special thanks LGBG staff for editorial assistance design Elevation
Don Williamson
Shane Tippett Executive Director