Back to All Events

Bellefield Garden Talk: American Plants for American Gardens Book Club

  • Beatrix Farrand Garden Association 4097 Albany Post Road, P.O. Box 315 Hyde Park, NY, 12538 United States (map)

Join us for an informal morning chat about East coast native plant communities, inspired by American Plants for American Gardens, a forward-thinking book first published by Vassar College professors Edith A. Roberts and Else Rehmann in 1929. 

Each chapter of this book focuses on a plant community and describes how and why the plants within it associate with one another. A collaboration between a Dutchess County-based ecologist and landscape architect, American Plants for American Gardens is still a wonderful resource for anyone thinking about the relationship between landscapes and houses, but also for curious observers of the natural world. Come share your thoughts, ideas, and questions about plant ecology with us!

Readers with all levels of experience with plants are welcome, from the newly curious to the professional!

Discussion will be lightly guided by Claire Davis, a Hudson Valley-based gardener and garden designer with a background in the natural sciences. We’ll meet on September 7th from 11 AM to 12 PM. Please feel free to bring snacks to share, and if you have a favorite local place to observe plant communities, we’d love to know about it and share it with others in the group.

We’ll have a couple copies of the book on hand to peruse if you aren't able to get a copy ahead of time, and it’s also available for free as an Ebook here

Can’t wait to talk plants with you! 


Please bring a blanket or chair to sit on our lawn. We also recommend bringing a sack lunch for a picnic!

These events are free and open to the public, but we appreciate donations to keep the programming accessible.