Lecture Series
An annual series of lectures held from late fall to early spring that explore a wide variety of fascinating topics. Lectures are supported in part by the Klein Lecture Endowment given in memory of Dr. William M. Klein who served from 1977-1990 as the Arboretum’s first full-time director, the Laura L. Barnes Lecture Endowment of The Philadelphia Foundation, given in memory of Laura Barnes by students and alumni of her school of horticulture, and the Byron Lukens Lecture Endowment, given in memory of educator and Arboretum volunteer, Byron Lukens and his wife Elizabeth.
Endowed Lectures
Tuesday Night Nature: A Virtual Speaker Series (Online)
Tuesday Night Nature, occurring on five consecutive evenings this spring, brings expert voices from afar to the comfort of your own home. Take a virtual tour of England’s gardens; learn from garden experts in Denmark, Quebec, and coastal Maine; and take a dive into the wild world of fungi and explore scientific and theoretical lessons from mycology. Sign up for each class separately or join for the five-part series at a discounted price.
The Morris Arboretum Lecture Series is supported in part by the William Klein Lectureship Endowment, the Laura L. Barnes Horticultural Lecture Fund of The Philadelphia Foundation, and the Byron & Elizabeth Lukens Lecture Endowment.
Series price: Members: $80 | Non-members: $100
Sign up for each class separately below or join for the five-part series at a discounted price. Each program will be recorded and available to registrants only for up to three months.
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
Dr. Toby Musgrave, Garden Historian, Designer, Author
The perception of beauty is subjective and what one person may think beautiful, another may not. This is as true for garden art as for any other art form and in this lecture, plants and gardens historian Toby Musgrave will present and explore a selection of garden styles from across the world and down the centuries that have drawn differing opinions as to their beauty … or not, and delve into the whys and wherefores of the differences in opinion.
Dr. Musgrave is a foremost authority on the subjects of garden and plant history and design, about which he has authored or co-authored 18 books. Most recently Wild Edens, The Garden: Elements and Styles and The Multifarious Mr. Banks. He is part-time Faculty Lecturer at the Danish Institute of Studies Abroad in his adopted country, Denmark. Between semesters he works as a gardens tour leader for Botanica and as a submersible pilot for Seabourn Expeditions. For more information about Toby and his work please visit www.TobyMusgrave.com.
This course has been approved to carry 1.5 LA CES professional development hours for registered landscape architects.
Tuesday, April 25
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Members: $20 | Non-members: $25
Register here
Virtual Tours of English Gardens
Erin Conley, Rosarian, Morris Arboretum
The Arboretum’s rosarian Erin Conley had the incredible opportunity to work at a private garden in England from June to September 2022, thanks to a Chanticleer Scholarship. While abroad, she visited 30 gardens in England. Join her on a virtual tour through some of her favorites, including a few of England’s most famous gardens as well as other notable gardens in the English countryside. Besides providing lush images of double borders and the stately and classic English hedges, Erin will highlight what makes an English garden, the influential characters behind these famous gardens, and exciting plants she encountered along the way. This program is a collaboration between Morris Arboretum and Chanticleer.
Tuesday, May 2
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Members: $20 | Non-members: $25
Register here