Natural History Wanderings

The Regional Parks Botanic Garden (RPBG) and the NorthAmerican Rock Garden Society (NARGS), Western Chapter invites you to a special presentation by Christopher Gardner in memory of Ted Kipping (1945-2019), life member of NARGS and chair of the Western Chapter, who blessed us with monthly potluck slide shows on plants and natural history.

Christopher Gardner is a lifelong plant enthusiast and naturalist. Originally from Essex, England, he spent fifteen years as a professional horticulturist and garden designer. Twenty years ago he began guiding botanical and wildlife tours throughout Turkey, Central Asia, China, Chile, Morocco, Borneo, Australia, the Mediterranean. His photographic ability is extraordinary and has led to the publication with his wife, Basak, of the acclaimed Flora of the Silk Road (2014), a collection of 530 species of beautiful flowers from Turkey to China.

Travelling across five continents–Europe, North America, Africa, South America, and Australia–the authors of the newly published Flora of the Mediterranean: An Illustrated Guide, Christopher will reveal in this slide show the rich botanical profusion that makes up the flora of the Mediterranean regions of the world: a secret landscape populated by a dazzling variety of wild flowers and plants, from spectacular orchids and ancient olive trees to delicate snowdrops and cacti. This lecture will present a unique window into the floral wonders of the Mediterranean world.