In May of 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began their historic exploration of the uncharted western United States. Although they didn’t really know what they were looking for or what they might find, they set out on their ambitious pursuit with an equal mix of enthusiasm and determination. The results were historic.
Dan Hinkley reminds me of a modern day Lewis and Clark. His enthusiasm and determination is of a similar nature. But Dan Hinkley knows exactly what he is looking for – plants. Specifically, plants for gardens.
For those that do not know who Hinkley is, which is probably most, he is a rock star among plant fanatics. To the gardening world he is The Beatles and Bob Dylan combined.
A world renown plant collector, propagator and author, Dan Hinkley spends most of his time split between a mountainside in Nepal or some other far off place and his own five acre garden outside of Seattle.
As a former owner of the well-known Heronswood Nursery, Hinkley created a woodland garden considered one of the most stunning in America. Many referred to it as the greatest private botanical garden in the country. In Heronswood, he deposited a massive collection of exotic and seldom seen plants gathered during his worldwide plant expeditions; to places like China, South America, Central America, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Nepal, Vietnam, Taiwan, Sikkim, Bhutan and Tasmania.
Heronswood was magical. A Mecca of sorts for plant lovers. A visit was nearly a religious experience. Two of my greatest gardening memories will forever be of stepping foot in Heronswood, especially on one occasion when I had the rare privilege of speaking briefly with Dan while we walked this amazing garden.
After 19 years, Heronswood was closed in 2006. Gardeners, myself included, greeted the closure as a calamity. The Seattle Times referred to it with the headline "Paradise Lost."
But all was not lost and Hinkley has built a new garden. This one he has called Windcliff, due to its position on an isolated point overlooking Puget Sound. Windcliff now serves as Hinkley’s new playground and as a repository of many of the plant treasures he continues to bring back from the four corners of the planet.
Local gardeners will have a very rare opportunity to meet and hear Dan Hinkley next Saturday evening in Newport Beach. Hinkley is one of the most sought after speakers in the plant world.
At 6:30 PM on May 29th Dan will present a program titled On the Discovery of New Plants for our Gardens. The program will be held at the new Newport Coast Community Center. Tickets are $25 and an RSVP is required to 949 640-5800. All profits from the evening will be given to a charitable endowment benefiting local horticulture scholarships and research.
Dan Hinkley, in all his knowledge and experiences is very much a humble person – he’s a gardener at heart. An evening with Dan Hinkley will leave you feeling smarter about your plants and more enthusiastic than ever about your garden. Dan is not only knowledgeable, funny and informative, but he is approachable, not intimidating. It is Dan’s ‘ordinary gardener’ persona that makes him so appealing and in demand as a speaker. It is this manner, combined with his astounding knowledge and willingness to share that breathes renewed life into the groups he meets.
It is not often that any of us have the opportunity to meet and hear someone who is at the top of their field, be it a doctor, a scientist or even a sports star. Next Saturday evening, right here in Newport Beach, local gardeners will have the chance to meet and hear one of the world’s foremost plantsmen, Dan Hinkley. I hope I’ll see you there.
Ron Vanderhoff is the Nursery Manager at Roger’s Gardens, Corona del Mar
Questions from Readers
May 22, 2010
Question:
My ceanothus is finished blooming. When should I do some pruning?
Chris, Newport Beach
Answer:
Ceanothus are increasing popular in local gardens and for good reason. Most ceanothus are California native plants and local gardeners are discovering their benefits; spring flowers, drought tolerance, easy of care and habitat enhancement. Depending on the selection, ceanothus can be groundcovers, hillside stabilizers, accent plants, border shrubs, screens or even small patio trees.
Since ceanothus develop next year’s flowers during the summer months, they should be pruned as soon as their flowering period has finished, usually that’s about now in our area. But prune ceanothus lightly, never cutting into bare wood and seldom past the prior season’s new growth. Avoiding cutting stems greater than ¼ inch is a good rule of thumb and will encourage more flowers next year.
Well-known plant explorer and plantsman, Dan Hinkley, will speak next Saturday evening in Newport Beach. This rare Southern California appearance will benefit local horticulture scholarships.
