The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Horticulturist to receive national award
MIDDLETOWN — Local author and horticulturist Thomas A. Christopher was recently recognized by the Garden Club of America for his outstanding literary achievement.
The Sarah Chapman Francis Medal is awarded to any aspect of The Garden Club of America’s interests. Christopher gives readers a “deeper understanding of the natural world,” according to a press release from the Middletown Garden Club.
Through his many books, podcasts, magazine and newspaper articles, and lectures, Christopher has “elevated the art of garden writing, the release said. “With a touch of humor in clear and crisp prose, he captures the attention of his readers,” it said.
From his first book, “In Search of Lost Roses,” to the award-winning “Garden Revolution: How our Landscapes can be a Source of Environmental Change,” to his most recent book, “Nature into Art: The Gardens of Wave Hill,” the co-author has instructed thousands of gardeners, the club said.
The Garden Club of America is one of the oldest gardening organizations in America, and consists of 200 garden clubs and approximately 18,000 members,
according to Middletown Garden Club member and arborist Jane Harris.
“His writing explores a wide range of topics — heirloom chickens, tropical plants, xeriscaping, making hard cider, and slow-growing fescues (grass) — expanding our understanding of the many facets of sustainable gardening,” the news release said. Christopher reaches a wide audience with his syndicated column, “Be a Better Gardener.”
“Christopher’s work expresses the joy we feel in nature, helping us become better gardeners and more conscientious ecological stewards,” Harris said in the release.