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March 09, 2007=20
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Designer's PBS show gives different perspectives on gardening
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By Julie Robinson
Staff writer=20
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The grass doesn't grow under garden designer Rebecca Frischkorn's =
feet. A former Charleston resident, Frischkorn lives in Charlottesville, =
Va., where she hosts and produces GardenStory, a 10-part public =
television series.=20
She'll be back in town at 7 p.m. Saturday to introduce two of the =
episodes at the West Virginia Garden Film Festival at the La Belle =
Theater in South Charleston. The festival features episodes on the =
gardens of black poet Anne Spencer and on environmental stewardship in =
Upper Shavers Fork Nature Conservancy Preserve in Randolph County.
In each episode, Frischkorn explores the importance and role of =
gardens from different perspectives, including as a sanctuary, =
classroom, artistic realm and preserve. As a garden designer, Frischkorn =
wanted to share gardens that have changed lives with a broad audience. =
Her favorite episode, which is on the healing power of gardens, hasn't =
been released, yet.
"We feature HIV and senile-dementia patients and seriously ill =
children, whose lives are so dramatically enriched by the gardens they =
tend," she said. "Their caregivers get tearful when they speak of the =
garden's role in the patients' lives."
Her green thumb was nurtured at an early age. Growing up in Maine, =
Frischkorn and her family lived on her grandparents' estate. Years =
earlier, the elder couple hired a then-rare female landscape designer to =
create gardens. With nine children, Frischkorn's parents didn't have =
much leisure time for the gardens they inherited, so they became a bit =
ramshackle during Frischkorn's childhood.
"If you've read 'The Secret Garden,' you know that a deteriorating =
garden is much more magical than a well-maintained garden," she said. =
"When you explore and read a garden, you get to know the choices and =
values of the people who created them. I got to know my grandparents =
better through their gardens."=20
She studied the classics in college and was a young mother in =
Charleston when she decided to take a semester of landscape design =
courses with a friend from her book club. She professionally designed =
her first garden in 1977, a poolside landscape for Gov. Gaston Caperton. =
"When I began, I didn't know much more than some of my clients," =
she said. "I probably designed hundreds of gardens in the Charleston =
area. I was designing about 20 or 30 a year."
One of her favorites is the stone-walled garden on the corner of =
Dickinson and Quarrier streets. Bill and Ann Cooke commissioned her to =
create the garden in memory of their son, Will. Its semi-espaliered =
trees, hellebores, tulips and grape hyacinths provide restful green =
space in a busy downtown area.=20
She moved to Charlottesville in 1998, and shared her gardening =
passion through various courses she taught. A friend in London told her =
about a nun named Sister Wendy, an art connoisseur, who hosted a series =
of television programs on the BBC in which she walked through museums =
and shared her expert perspective. Her down-to-earth commentary made the =
art accessible to everyone.
Her friend suggested Frischkorn host a similar program on gardens. =
Another friend suggested the name "GardenStory," and Frischkorn began =
working on topics and funding for the series. Each episode costs about =
$80,000 to produce, so Frischkorn donned yet another hat - fundraiser.
"Raising money is part of my job now," she said. "Through the =
GardenStory crew, it's been my privilege to learn about filmmaking while =
I teach them about gardens."=20
Film festival attendees will see "The Garden as a Muse," the first =
episode Frischkorn produced. The garden in Lynchburg, Va., was created =
by the poet Spencer, who designed it as a private sanctuary where she =
wrote poetry and as a salon for literary and visionary dignitaries of =
her time.
Spencer grew up in Bramwell, then moved to segregated Lynchburg in =
1901.=20
Frischkorn also will introduce "The Garden as Environmental =
Stewardship," detailing the efforts to preserve the Upper Shavers Form =
Nature Conservancy. Local photographer Steve Payne and landscape painter =
Susan Poffenbarger talk about landscapes from artists' perspective.
The nature preserve pushes the traditional definition of a garden =
to include natural space in which people act as caretakers to preserve a =
rare and endangered place.
"I believe it holds a powerful message," she said. "Gardens are =
not superficial adornments, but rather a way of reconnecting us with our =
environment."=20
The first four GardenStory episodes will air on PBS in June. =
Frischkorn finished producing three more episodes this year and just =
secured funding for the final three episodes. During a recent early =
morning walk with her dog, she noticed that thousands of crocus, =
snowdrops, witch hazel and hellebore were in full bloom, which usually =
happens later in the year.
"When I was talking to a friend about how early spring came this =
year, she commented that our gardens help us understand the big picture =
on global warming," she said.=20
Hmm. "GardenStory: The Garden as a Global Petri Dish" might be a =
good episode.
If you go
The West Virginia Garden Film Festival also will feature a film by =
Jim Surkamp of Jefferson County, "Immortal Essence: The Life of Danske =
Dandridge." The program begins at 7 p.m. Saturday at the South =
Charleston Museum in the La Belle Theatre; 311 D St. Admission is $4, or =
$2 for museum members.=20
To contact staff writer Julie Robinson, use e-mail or call =
348-1230.
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