Join us in the new Wild Garden for a sensory-rich native plant walk with landscape designer Ashley Gamell. This interactive stroll highlights standout native species that bring beauty, ecological value, and surprising fragrance to the home garden. As we explore, Ashley will share tips for incorporating these plants into your landscape—focusing on species with aromatic foliage.
Expect an immersive experience: we'll enjoy the subtle scents of our native flora—many of which are often overlooked for their fragrance. You’ll leave with inspiration for spring or fall planting, a better understanding of plant behavior in the landscape, and simple maintenance practices to support biodiversity at home.
Ashley Gamell has spent her career interpreting the world of gardening and nature to the public. During her ten years on staff at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Ashley developed and ran children’s gardens, curated greenhouses, ran educational programming, developed exhibits, and led the creation of the groundbreaking new Discovery Garden, a garden developed with Michael Van Valkenberg Landscape Architects that celebrates native plants and habitats. Ashley is a co-author of the award-winning The Kids’ Guide to Exploring Nature, as well as a contributor to several other nature and garden books and blogs. She teaches gardening and nature courses on a range of subjects, from indoor gardening and Gardening 101 to fragrant botanicals and native plants.
Ashley holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Non-Fiction Writing, a Certificate in Horticulture, and is completing her Diploma in Garden Design at the Oxford College of Garden Design. Ashley owns an ecological landscape design business, and recently worked with Partners for Climate Action to co-write an action guide for pollinator conservation gardening. She lives in the Hudson Valley of New York with her husband and two children, a small flock of chickens, and an ever-expanding wild garden.
Thanks to event sponsorship from the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area these events are free and open to the public.