A special event in collaboration with the Westfield Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution

Think New Jersey only grows tomatoes?  Think again.  New Jersey was once the pinnacle for peaches, the ultimate for orchids, the tops for turf.  19th century New Jersey plant nurseries led the nation with their innovative breeding, greenhouse, field, and marketing techniques.  Meet the horticultural superstars who made New Jersey their home. Impresarios, hermits, academics, politicos and a cast of unlikely characters will make you a believer that yes, New Jersey is the "Garden State."

Garden historian and writer, Lesley Parness, has worked in public gardens in America and abroad for the past four decades. As Superintendent of Horticultural Education at the Morris County Park Commission, she oversaw education, programming and interpretation at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Willowwood Arboretum, and the Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center for fifteen years. Upon her retirement, Congressman Rodney P. Frelinghuysen presented Lesley with an American flag which had flown over the United States Capitol in honor of her achievements in Public Horticulture. She served as a Board Member of the NJ Commission on Environmental Education and the Alliance for NJ Environmental Educators, and is a founding member and past President of Garden State Gardens, a non-profit consortium of NJ Public Gardens. Lesley is the recipient of numerous awards, including The Friends of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum’s Annual and Arbor Day Awards, The Friends of Berry Lane Park’s Annual Award, and The North Jersey Civil War Roundtable’s Special Achievement Award. Currently, Lesley is a member of the Herb Society of America and the Council on Botanic and Horticultural Libraries. She is a columnist for Gardener News Magazine, and her articles have been featured in many gardening publications.