North American Rock Garden Society (Piedmont Chapter) Lecture
"The Horticultural Legacy of John L. Creech"
Leah Chester-Davis, Extension Communication Specialist, NC State University
Cohosted by the Piedmont Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society and the JC Raulston Arboretum
- Saturday, April 19, 2014 – 10:00 am–11:30 am
The horticultural legacy of John L. Creech extends beyond his many plant introductions. John Creech served as a plant collector for the United States government from the mid 1950s to early 1980s. He was also the third director of the U.S. National Arboretum. Perhaps one of his greatest legacies was furthering the diplomatic relationships between countries through plants (he was the first U.S. plant hunter in Japan after WWII). Come learn about this giant in horticulture. John's biographer, Leah Chester-Davis, will share information and stories about his contributions to the horticultural world and his connection to the Friends of the Arboretum, the JCRA, and the North Carolina Arboretum.
About Leah Chester-Davis
Leah Chester-Davis worked for NC State University for 18 years as a communications professional. She founded Extension's Successful Gardener program and worked with Extension agents and other horticulturists statewide for more than 10 years to produce the Successful Gardener newsletter. She worked with Toby Bost to compile the best of the Successful Gardener newsletter into a book that was published by Blair Publisher in 2011.
In 2008, she moved to the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis where she established the communications program for NC State's Plants for Human Health Institute. There, she started and coordinated an outreach effort called The Produce Lady.
Leah is now in the process of starting her own communications consulting business. She also has just launched www.faithfoodhealth.com.
She began working with John L. Creech, Ph.D., on his biography before he died in 2009. After a ton of work on the project, she set it aside for awhile but the invitation to speak here today has prompted her to pull out her files and get back to work on the life story of a giant in plant exploration.
- Cost
- Free for Friends of the JC Raulston Arboretum members, NC State University students (with ID), and Department of Horticultural Science faculty and staff, all others $5.00.
- Registration
- Advance registration is not available.
- Location
- Ruby C. McSwain Education Center, JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Directions
- Need directions? Click here.
- Parking
- Free parking is available at the JC Raulston Arboretum and along Beryl Road.
- Questions
- Please call (919) 513-7005 for more information about this lecture.