I’ve been rethinking the kitchen garden, just as I have been planting more natives in my flower beds. In this new lecture, you will learn the six steps to design but also how to unwind our gardener’s tendency to be too neat and tidy in the garden. We are trained to pull lettuce before it bolts or deadhead dill when it forms a seed head, but these are necessary for a wide range of pollinators to thrive. Let’s look more closely at all the pollinators in our gardens, going beyond the honeybee to the wasps, flies, and moths. What can you plant in your kitchen garden that brings you good food, while nourishing the edible landscape with pollen-rich plants, and nectar? Take a fresh perspective and discover new ways to let your garden grow a little wild.

Ellen Ecker Ogden is an award-winning garden author and kitchen garden designer. She is the author of five books including The Complete Kitchen Garden and The New Heirloom Garden.

Join us as the Memphis Botanic Garden presents the Urban Home Garden Speaker Series with support from Memphis Horticultural Society. This series features topics about gardening with a purpose from horticultural experts.

Each evening will begin with an optional guided tour of a related Urban Home Garden space from 5-6 pm followed by the talk at 6:30 pm with a closing book signing and/or meet and greet with the speaker. A cash bar will be available from 6-8 pm.

Each lecture is $10 MBG & Memphis Horticultural Society Members/$15 Non-Members.

Click here to register.