8 responses so far ↓

• 1 Duncan Brine // Nov 20, 2007 at 9:21 am

  There is a group forming to Save Gifford Garden. Sign up here.

• 2 Nancy Brown // Dec 7, 2007 at 2:36 pm

  I am truly heartbroken that these exquisite gardens will soon be gone.

  I had never heard of IES before visiting the Gifford Gardens. It’s hard to believe that the new director could be so foolish as to believe that destroying this jewel could possibly help IES’s “cause”. Each small garden plot is a wonderful teaching opportunity because each garden is a unique and special ecosystem.

  This garden could have become a marvelous way to educate the public about IES’s mission, and to garner potential donors for IES. How terribly shortsighted. What a terrible loss.

  Nancy Brown
  Katonah, NY

• 3 John W. Gallup // Jan 27, 2008 at 3:40 pm

  Has any thought been given to leasing the maintenance of the garden to another non-profit?

• 4 Sharon // Jan 27, 2008 at 10:44 pm

  And what will be the cost to remove all those wonderful plants and flowers and trees? What will the cost be to tear down and remove the greenhouses and all the rubble that will be left behind after their demise? How much money will be spent to lay down concrete or tar and what will be the cost to keep that concrete plowed and sanded in winter and patched and remarked for “parking” in the summer. Then who will be there to listen when science begins to complain about the fumes from the traffic and the noise ad infinitum….

• 5 Duncan Brine // Jan 28, 2008 at 10:40 am

  Thank you Nancy, John, Sharon, and George,
  As far as I know, Schlesinger never tried to make Gifford Garden work. It seems he was brought in to narrow the scope of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and make it fiscally responsible. I don’t think he understands the value of the garden or the unique role it plays for a large community. He is fixed on “science” but blind to the opportunity the garden had to communicate and promote scientific messages and methods. I believe he went about dismantling Gifford Garden without seriously pursuing options to keep it going, or reaching out in earnest for the community to help.

  The CIES board of trustees hired him and is backing up his proposals. They too are clearly culpable. A number of the CIES trustees also sit on the boards of important garden organizations. I cannot fathom how they support his draconian moves. It seems to me that any garden organization with one of these trustees on it should be wary of its future. All gardens cost money. It’s the board’s job to raise it.

  They could have afforded it. What seems clear, but is hard to accept, is that they didn’t want it. Schlesinger’s “science” is in the woods, who needs the garden?

  While I’m busy blaming others, perhaps it’s time to blame ourselves. We gardeners expressed our upset and our outrage, but did little more. We could have banded together to Save Gifford Garden, but we didn’t. Perhaps we’re overextended in our own gardens.

  Gifford Garden was CIES’s, but, incredulously, they didn’t feel that it was their responsibility. They were able to plan to rip it out and still look at their funders, the Cary trustees, straight in the eye and say that to rip out Gifford Garden supports the Cary mandate to be a benefit to the public.

  Perhaps Schlesinger, up from the south, is able to more easily disfigure our cultural landscape because he doesn’t have a real affinity for it or our community. How long will he stay up here in the North, now that he’s made his improvements?

• 6 George Ball // Jan 29, 2008 at 2:58 pm

  Dear Duncan
  It’s worse than I fear. The Executive Director seems intent on making a big splash, certainly, and that’s par for new leaders. Too bad.
  However, what troubles me is he goes so far as to blame landscaping and gardening for increasing the ozone layer and thus contributing
  to global warming. I’m no expert, but this sounds ridiculous. Yet, it’s the “moose on the table”, since man-made climate change is Schlesinger’s specialty, and the hot and trendy
  movement du jour. This, I believe, is why no one has said much if at all against him.
  Ironically, much of the study about climate change comes from places like farms, arboreta, etc, ie man-made environments.
  Anyway, this is tragic if it goes through. The site, for example, features all these photos of the gardens, people in them, donors, and folks working in the greenhouse.
  On a hiking trail, people–mostly the same groups every third or fourth visit– are moving along, without reflecting on things etc. Weirdly,
  the antithesis of a garden.
  But the new ED, the board, the scientific staff, are all “heavy”, and global warming is their big moment. Too bad that they are so ignorant about gardens. What a drag for the public they are supposed to serve.
  Here’s hoping and praying that someone sees the light, before petty board and staff politics send the lovely garden to oblivion.

• 7 Gillian Creelman // May 12, 2008 at 10:16 am

  I am heart sick at the thought that the beautiful and inspiring Giford Garden is to be destroyed and agree with every thing that has been said in the other comments. Please add my name to the list and I will keep an eye on this site in case there is any follow up to which I can contribute.

• 8 Pat Sullivan // May 14, 2008 at 11:40 am

  To say I am in shock is an understatement! I was looking at the IES web site trying to find out the date for this year’s “Plant Sale”. When I found no mention..no trace.. I started to search the web and found this site. Clearly Mr. Schlesinger does not understand the significance of Gifford Garden or the Plant Sale. The garden and the sale provided new and experienced gardeners a place to think about plants, gardens and the environment. The employees and volunteers joyfully shared their precious knowledge to all who wanted to chat. The knowledge one could gain from just listening into their conversations was invaluable and their enthusiasm infectious.

  These interactions, which many of us may have taken for granted, helped us be more aware of environmental issues and stimulated our desire to maintain and preserve the beauty around us.

  Mr. Schlesinger has no idea what positive PR can do for the environment. As many of us know, an executive/leader/company head can be recognized only by their title or by the positive actions and example they set.

  I was away all winter taking care of my Mom who had surgery…. I had no idea all this was going. While 1300 miles away, I dreamed of walking through the gardens and chatting with an old soul mate about plants, gardens, trees and the environment.

  Please let us know if there is a way for all of us who care to help in the effort try to save Gifford Gardens and the jobs of the wonderful staff.

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