Claire Sawyers
horticulturalist, philadelphia, pa
Newly retired, Claire Sawyers had been the Director of the Scott Arboretum since 1990, overseeing the horticultural development and outreach programs of the Arboretum and Gardens located on the 400 acre campus of Swarthmore College, near Philadelphia, PA. Prior to that, she worked at Mount Cuba Center for the Study of Piedmont Flora in Hockessin, Delaware for seven years. Holding Master’s Degrees in ornamental horticulture from Purdue University and the University of Delaware, where she was a Longwood Graduate Fellow, Claire has gardened in Japan, France and Belgium in addition to the U.S. She served as a commissioner for the accreditation program of the American Association of Museums from 2004 to 2010. Her book, The Authentic Garden: Five Principles for Cultivating a Sense of Place, was published in 2007 by Timber Press.
lecture:
The Authentic Garden: Five Principles for Cultivating a Sense of Place
Drawing on her knowledge of a vast array of American and foreign gardens, Sawyers identifies five principles that help instill a sense of authenticity: capture the sense of place, derive beauty from function, use humble or indigenous materials, marry the inside to the outside, and involve the visitor.