Join us for cool wine spritzers and other beverages while we while away the early evening with Jenks Farmer to celebrate the release of his new book Secrets of Southern Gardening.
About the Book and Jenks:
The South is arguably the most challenging region for green thumbs in the U.S. From pests and soil quality to heat and humidity, southern climes can exact an emotional toll on aspiring gardeners. Fortunately, a new book by renowned plantsman Augustus Jenks Farmer, III, Secrets of Southern Gardening: Pro Tips for Success, unlocks the many hidden truths of gardening in this fickle region.
Farmer is the former founding curator of Riverbanks Zoo Botanical Garden and current owner of The Funky Little Flower Farm. He has designed and executed hundreds of gardens from Charleston to New Orleans, and even a college campus in Haiti. In addition to distilling Farmer’s more than 30 years of garden curation experience, his newest book, Secrets of Southern Gardening: Pro Tips for Success, taps the brightest minds in southern horticulture. Its 16 chapters include charts, diagrams and checklists that can save aspiring gardeners, time, money, work and frustration.
“For southerners who are new to gardening and gardeners who are new to the South, the learning curve can be brutal,” said Farmer. “Many years in and thousands of dollars later, some folks just throw up their hands. Myths and memes about gardening can lead to such disappointment.”
According to Farmer, his new book can serve as a field guide for Horticulture 101, and features practical approaches to gardening at all levels, scales and sizes.
Secrets of Southern Gardening: Pro Tips for Success emphasizes the less glamorous yet essential elements of gardening such as drainage, soil quality, and pest management. In a departure from most southern gardening guides, Farmer addresses the year-long gardening cycle in six seasons rather than the traditional four. Moreover, an extensive section on garden design ranges from the design of a compact urban yard to a large, upscale marsh front home.
“I’ve had amazing mentors throughout my career,” said Farmer. “I’ve also had once-in-a-lifetime opportunities with Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Darla Moore Botanical Gardens, and Reynolda Garden at Wake Forest University. I want to share what I’ve learned and what my mentors know with people who are excited about gardening and keep that excitement alive by demystifying the basics of gardening in the South.”
Some of the experts featured in his book include magnolia and pruning expert Dr. Kevin Paris, and University of Tennessee Horticulturist Carol Reese.
“We need more gardeners,” Farmer emphasizes. “I want people to succeed and find beauty, food, and satisfaction through plants. And I want folks to know you can do it without destroying the Southern environment that we're innately drawn to.”
A tenth-generation farmer, Farmer’s family tree includes a great uncle who was the head horticulturist for the South Carolina State House, and another who ran a peat moss mine. His grandfather, an artist, grew flowers for his still life paintings.
His gardening philosophy advocates for working with the land’s natural qualities rather than dominating it with an aesthetic that imposes perfection. A chapter on turf promotes an organic approach that can be pesticide free for pets and children.
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