This series of five talks, organised by the Historic Gardens Foundation in partnership with The Gardens Trust, explores international examples of Unforgettable Gardens, seen through the eyes of their owners, creators and restorers.

The Historic Gardens Foundation is an international not-for-profit organization, launched in 1995, which works to bring together lovers of historic parks and gardens across the world. Its magazine, Historic Gardens Review provides a portal for the views of both enthusiasts and professionals and is a strong voice in championing the cause of our global garden heritage.

This ticket is for this individual session and costs £5, and you may purchase tickets for other individual sessions via the links below, or you may purchase a ticket for the entire course of 5 sessions at a cost of £20 via the link here. (Subscribers to Historic Gardens Review will be able to purchase a series ticket for £10.)

Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk. Please note the slightly earlier time for these talks of 6 pm. A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards.

Week 1. June 2: Two Mughal Paradise Gardens: Part of a series of 5 online lectures, £5 each or all 5 for £20.

Week 2. June 9: Courances, a moveable feast: Part of a series of 5 online lectures, £5 each or all 5 for £20.

Week 3. June 16: Le Jardin Secret, Marrakech: Part of a series of 5 online lectures, £5 each or all 5 for £20.

Week 4. June 23: Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace, Boston: Part of a series of 5 online lectures, £5 each or all 5 for £20.

Week 5. June 30: The Indian influence on Renaissance Gardens of Portugal: Part of a series of 5 online lectures, £5 each or all 5 for £20.

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Week 4. June 23: Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace, Boston by Karen Mauney-Brodek

Winding its way through Boston and neighbouring Brookline, the Emerald Necklace is a living masterpiece of American landscape architecture that connects countless communities each day. The 1,100-acre expanse—a water management system cleverly disguised as a string of public parks encircling the Boston peninsula like a great necklace—was the most ambitious project of Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of such world-renowned landscapes as New York City’s Central Park and the US Capitol Grounds in Washington, D.C. Stewarded since 1998 by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, this five-mile chain of seven parks stands out as a landmark preserving Olmsted’s philosophy on parkland as a place for people of all walks of life, where refuge, tranquility and solitude can be found within a bustling urban hub: themes that are as relevant today as when it was built nearly two centuries ago. Under the leadership of President Karen Mauney-Brodek, the Conservancy works to preserve, restore and maintain the parks for all, honouring Olmsted’s vision and serving the needs of the Boston of today.

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Karen Mauney-Brodek is President of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, working to restore and improve Boston’s Emerald Necklace linear park system for all. She led the successful celebration of the Conservancy’s 20th Anniversary in 2018 and is currently undertaking a major revitalization of Charlesgate Park with neighbourhood group Charlesgate Alliance. Prior to the Conservancy, Karen served as Deputy Director for Park Planning in the San Francisco Parks Department, where she led outreach, communications, planning, design and construction of numerous projects and initiatives; prior to that she was Chief of the Design Build Program in the Design & Construction Division of the New York Department of Parks & Recreation.

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Unforgettable Gardens - Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace, Boston