Old Houses, Old Gardens, Old Roses: How to Tend Living History

Photo: Steven Finacom

Sunday, 4 August 2019
11:00 am–12:30 pm or 1:30 pm–3:00 pm
McCreary-Greer House
2318 Durant Avenue, Berkeley

Admission $25 per session (sessions are identical)
Purchase tickets online (limit: 20 persons per session)
$15 lunch option also available*

Join us for a special summer exploration of rose care, culture, and history.

BAHA’s garden—perhaps the last estate garden remaining in Berkeley’s original 1860s College Homestead Tract—surrounds the historic McCreary-Greer House and includes several dozen roses, from small tea rose shrubs to giant climbers Most had a spectacular bloom this spring, and we hope to see some coming into re-bloom by late summer.

This special event will bring renowned rose expert Gregg Lowery to BAHA to give two informal talks in our garden on the care, culture, and history of roses. He’ll use BAHA’s plantings to illustrate growth habits, pruning, and cultivation tips.

Lowery was the co-founder of Vintage Gardens Nursery in Sebastapol and is currently the curator of the extensive collection of old roses managed by the Friends of Vintage Roses. He has spent a lifetime rescuing, growing, and researching roses, particularly those brought to the western United States in the early days of American-era settlement. Lowery is a sought-after speaker for conferences and events around the world, talking about old roses, their history, and the gardens they inhabit.

The morning talk will be repeated in the afternoon. You may buy separate tickets for both sessions, if you wish, but they will have similar focus and facts. There will be opportunity for questions and answers.

* We will provide an optional lunch in the garden between the two talks. You may stay for the lunch ($15 additional charge) or attend only the talk. We will send details about the lunch to attendees prior to the event.