plantPOP

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNWv5AVn_Ws)

BRANCHING

How do you harness your relationship with plants? We live amongst plants and they can play a significant role in our lives. Some folks are aware of this and some are not.

Meet twelve people who are aware of this, who can see the forest as well as the trees, and are using plants to create, to connect, and to sustain. Whether used as a subject, a source of inspiration, a source of income, or to better lives, plants play more than just a horticultural or decorative role. Through the prism of plants, join us as we explore art, science, technology, health, companionship, sustenance, business, and other themes. Filmed primarily in Hampton Roads, Virginia, this documentary shows how our relationship with plants can lead to transformation, growth, and vision.

We will be having a screening event at Work | Release in the Norfolk Arts District on March 17, 2016 at 7:30. https://www.facebook.com/events/16722...

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We are working on a series that explores different artists and their use of all things botanical as the core of their work. We’re excited to meet and document amazing people, their work, and how plants connect it all.

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An Official Selection of the 2015 Virginia Film Festival, GLASS GARDENS is the story of a slightly obsessive, yet ordinary guy who built a business selling creative energy and artistic passion with succulent terrarium gardens in Norfolk, Virginia.

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Historic Garden Week 2016 Guide Book Cover Shoot

The Garden Club of Virginia invited us to accompany them on the cover shoot for their 2016 Historic Garden Week Guide Book. Join us as we visit Fort Monroe National Monument in Hampton, VA and talk with some of the folks that are tasked at capturing the perfect photograph to grace next year's guide book.

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2015 Historic Garden Week in Williamsburg, VA

We journeyed to Colonial Williamsburg during Historic Garden Week in Virginia. Deemed as "America's Largest Open House", visitors are invited to over 250 gardens, homes, and historic landmarks throughout the state. Thousands of volunteers put their hard work and efforts into the event, which funds restoration and preservation of Virginia's historic gardens. The Garden Clubs all over Virginia take their plants and gardens seriously and we're all about people and their relationship with plants. For more information visit the event website at http://www.vagardenweek.org

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LZ-Grace (Landing Zone Grace) Warriors Retreat

Our second season of Plant Pop begins with a visit to LZ-Grace, a family farm that has transformed into a place of healing and transition for soldiers coming home.

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Spring Movement

Jane Magnolia, its blooms signify the Spring, leading the way for plants to awaken and welcome the new season. The second season of plantPOP is coming soon as we continue to explore the intersection of people and plants.

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We are Zone 8

We talk with John Prince, a 7th generation Norfolk resident that encourages the usage of plants native to southeast Virginia and the eastern Carolinas, Zone 8. John argues that instead of recreating formal gardens such as those in Williamsburg, Richmond, and Charlottesville, landscapes in southern Tidewater should find inspiration to the south, since we share the same climate and native flora as the eastern Carolinas.

Read more about John’s thoughts on our region. http://www.altdaily.com/features/news/121-opinion36/7041-letter-build-sense-of-place-in-norfolk-by-cultivating-and-promoting-our-unique-biome

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Nimmo Community Garden, Virginia Beach

We venture off to the southeastern region of Virginia Beach and visit a community garden that donates all of their harvests, well over 1000 pounds per year, through direct donations and distribution from many local area churches and organizations. Nimmo Community Garden, located at Nimmo United Methodist Church, is run by congregation members and many volunteers that provide their time, service, and labor. We met with John and Lecettie Simpson, Melody Jeffrey, and Marilyn Hallman as they described their roles in keeping the garden bountiful and beautiful.

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Volunteer Day, The Plot, Norfolk, VA

August 16, 2014 was Volunteer Day at The Plot in Norfolk’s Downtown Arts District. The corner of Granby Street and Olney Road has been transformed into a welcoming and social space through the use of reclaimed materials, landscaping, and the help of volunteers and donations. We take a quick look at how the folks in Norfolk are doing their part to create an inviting common space for everyone.

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Mixing Edibles and Ornamentals in Suburban Yards

Down in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina (about 20 minutes south of Raleigh) professional landscape designer, Brie Arthur lets us look at her personal garden that incorporates edibles along with the usual shrubs, perennials, annuals, and trees. Her main goals with the garden is to educate and inspire suburban dwellers to think beyond the traditional landscape. Brie's attention to design, use of repurposed objects, and focus on edibles turns her outdoor space into not only a beautiful garden, but a producer of fresh foods.

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East Ocean View Community Garden, Norfolk, VA

In the East Ocean View district of Norfolk, VA, an empty lot has been turned into a successful community garden. JoAnne Merinar from Bon Secours and Deborah Lutz, a landscape designer that lives in East Ocean View explain the strategies and hopes for the Community Garden, now in it’s 5th year. From an efficient hydroponics system to raised beds, and square foot gardening, The East Ocean View Community Garden ups the bar for community gardens.

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Horticulture at the Virginia Zoo, Norfolk, VA

Meet Marie Butler, Landscape Coordinator for the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk. Marie explains the progress of zoo horticulture and how landscape and environment give a more complete picture of the animals and their exhibits. Also covered is the zoo’s strategy of being able to maintain such a large area of grounds by focusing on strong hardy plants that thrive in our climate.

Visit the Virginia Zoo's website.

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A Student Center Takes Advantage of its Natural Landscape

At the Chesapeake location of Tidewater Community College, we see a student center that incorporates the outdoors and natural landscape in its design. Jeff Dunbar, Student Center Director, explains how an emphasis on green space, the use of large amounts of glass windows, and wetlands preservation has contributed to the overall goal of making a welcoming place for students, guests, and visitors.

Visit the TCC Chesapeake Student Center webpage.

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How Plants Transformed My Business

Bill Schlaht is the owner of Anderson Wright Rooms and Gardens in Olde Towne Portsmouth, VA. This is a look at his courtyard garden and how plants and landscape led to his antique business becoming a home and gardening treasure in the historic downtown of Portsmouth.

Read a Distinction article on Bill and his business/courtyard space.

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Inspirations for a Blog

Meet Les Parks, the author of A Tidewater Garderner, a blog about gardening in Hampton Roads, VA and travels abroad. Les talks with us in his own garden in a historic neighborhood in Norfolk, and explains what attracted him to blogging.

Visit A Tidewater Gardener's blog page.