0011 - Friends First Friday

Join us each month at the State Botanical Garden as we have a unique educational opportunity for our friends. Each month features a guest lecturer who will bring you updates to all things garden and plant related. Sponsored by the Friends of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.

October 4 - Container Gardening and More

As the curator of seasonal color, Sheldon Jones is responsible for the Visitor Center patio water-feature, multiple containers around the gardens (usually connected to the buildings), multiple annual and permanent beds, native grass plantings on the entrance drive, and the maintenance and care of the conifer collection at the Callaway administrative building.  Additionally, he cares for the orchid collection housed in the horticulture complex greenhouse.

Sheldon has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a major in Horticulture from the University of Georgia (1992). He worked as the greenhouse manager at the State Botanical Garden (1993–1994) before accepting a position which evolved into the head horticulturist at Vines Botanical Garden in Loganville, Georgia (1994–1997). His interest in plant propagation led him to pursue a position in the private sector managing the nursery at PS Landscapes and Nursery and growing and selling unique and hard-to-find plant material (1997–2008). He then decided to establish his own business of a similar nature and called it Dogtrot Plant Nursery (2008-2011). Within that time, an opportunity to return to the State Botanical Garden of Georgia was offered as a part-time assistant with seasonal color which eventually became the curator of seasonal color position which he has enjoyed from 2011 to present.

November 1 - The Shady Side of Gardening

Sara Henderson recently retired as director of the garden at Oakland Cemetery where she served for almost 15 years. Sara has a passion for shade plants and is committed to finding the right plant for the right place. She's also committed to gardening in a way that considers our time limits and our decreasing flexibility, energy and strength as we grow older. She is credited for leading the transformation of Oakland’s gardens into the fabulous treasure they are now, restoring and expanding the garden throughout its 20 acres.

A former director says Sara “helped lift landscape up to a more prominent, valued, and appreciated element of Oakland.” Sara also established Oakland's now famous plant sale as a fundraiser. "From buying trips to Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama, and anywhere else across the southeast that had something unique and special to offer, Sara was able to procure truly spectacular plants for happy buyers." Thanks to Sara's extra effort, the plant sale went from "make a little extra money" territory into a serious revenue generator that many gardening enthusiasts and community members look forward to each year. Sara is also a past president of the Georgia Perennial Plant Association.

December 6 – Pining for Spring with Cliff Brock

Join Cliff Brock as he describes what you can be doing and planning to prepare for a new year of gardening.

Winter is the season for longing and daydreaming about all the fun gardening you’ll be doing in the next few months. In this talk, Cliff will offer his personal experience picking plants and preparing his garden for the warmer months. He’ll also showcase his favorite winter-blooming species.

Originally from Monticello, Cliff has a degree in horticulture from the University of Georgia and was the curator of the State Botanical Garden's Flower Garden for four years. He has also worked at the New England Wildflower Society and Plant Delights Nursery. His interests include heirloom plants, perennials, wildflowers, and shrubs and trees. He currently works as an organist and music director at Newnan Presbyterian Church. He also enjoys writing in his blog cliffordbrock.com.

January 10 – Breeding Plants for a Crowded Market

David Roberts has a deep love for plant breeding and propagation and hopes to inspire gardeners with exciting new plants that are unique and easy to care for. David acquired his master’s degree in horticultural science from North Carolina State University (December 2015) with a concentration in ornamental plant breeding. David worked as a graduate student for Dr. Dennis Werner and Dr. Tom Ranney, where he developed a passion for horticultural science.           

Bailey Nurseries, Inc. hired David in 2015 to act as the general manager and head plant breeder for Bailey Innovations. David now serves as the Director of Plant Breeding at Bailey Innovations, where he leads the breeding team and coordinates plant trials from their nursery located in Winterville, Georgia. 

Please join David as he discusses the philosophy, strategy and objectives for various plant breeding projects at Bailey Innovations.

February 7 – Dorothy Doughty’s American Birds

Please join us as Grace Moorman explores the life and art of master sculptor Dorothy Doughty (1892-1962), focusing on Doughty's American Birds series, her artistic process, and her celebration of the connection between art and nature. Doughty is best known for her work with the Royal Worcester porcelain manufactory where she designed numerous sculptures of birds and flowers. She was an avid lover of nature, claiming that one of the happiest ways to live was to spend a life working closely with nature.

Grace Moorman, Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum Curator, joined the State Botanical Garden in January 2024 as she was finishing her master's degree in art history at the University of Georgia. She received her bachelor's degree in art history from the University of Mississippi in 2020. Previously, Grace worked as the Assistant Manager of Exhibitions and Collections at the University of Mississippi Museum and Historic Houses, where she helped digitize the entirety of the David M. Robinson Memorial Collection of Antiquities, curate exhibitions of all kinds, and manage a collection of 20,000 objects.

March 7 – Who is Oconee Joe? Look into These Waters and Tell Me What You See

Are you curious about the natural and cultural history of the Oconee River? Join us as we welcome David Titshaw with Oconee Joe Paddle Co. David is well known for leading kayaking tours throughout the Upper Oconee watershed from Athens downstream to Lake Oconee. He also has a vast knowledge of the history of Native American communities along the Oconee River. Come and learn more about the river that flows through the State Botanical Garden.

April 4 – UGA Hort Farm

Have you ever wondered about what’s happening on Hog Mountain Road in Watkinsville? As one rides by, you can see unusual plants, shrubs, flowers and fruits. Ryan McNeill, superintendent of the UGA Durham Horticulture Research Farm (aka Hort Farm), will discuss the behind-the-scenes research that takes place there.

 Ryan grew up in Lithonia, Georgia, and first came to Athens as a biochemistry major at UGA in 1992.  He changed majors after getting a position as a student worker at the Botanical Garden and stayed on through graduation.  He was the first curator of the Heritage Garden which opened in early 2000. He left the Botanical Garden in 2004 but came back to the University in 2005 to serve as the superintendent of the Durham Horticulture Research Farm in Watkinsville.

While working here, he received his Master of Science in Horticulture (UGA) and is currently a PhD candidate working on ways to improve the somatic embryogenesis of American chestnuts.  He lives on site at the Durham farm with his wife, Carri, and their daughter, Molly.  He is active in the Georgia chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation as well as Keep Oconee County Beautiful.