Elisabeth Miller was dedicated to the education of gardeners and relished the opportunity to share her insights with others and to bring knowledgeable horticulturalists to the Pacific Northwest to share their experiences. As a lasting gift to the horticultural community, the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation, the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden, the Northwest Horticultural Society and the Elisabeth C. Miller Library sponsor a free annual memorial lecture to remember the legacy of Betty Miller.

2024 Elisabeth Carey Miller Memorial Webinar Lecture

This free webinar, courtesy of the Pendleton & Elisabeth C. Miller Charitable Foundation is available to view until November 30th, 2024; if you are interested, please email info@millergarden.org to receive the link.

featuring Cole Burrell, speaking on Cultivar Wars: Are Native Cultivars Destroying Biodiversity

Do cultivars of native plants, often call “nativars,” have a negative impact on the biodiversity? Is it imperative that the native plants we add to our gardens be seed grown from local seed sources?

The current mania for pollinator gardens and native plants has created a culture where only local genotypes of regionally native plants are deemed acceptable for our gardens. This lecture explores the differences in the origins and naming of different cultivars, as well as the benefits and potential pitfalls of adding named selections of native plants to our gardens.

C. Colston Burrell is an acclaimed lecturer, garden designer, award-winning author, and photographer. A certified chlorophyll addict, Cole is an avid and lifelong plantsman, gardener, and naturalist. He has twice won the American Horticulture Society Book Award for Hellebores: A Comprehensive Guide and A Gardener’s Encyclopedia of Wildflowers. Cole received the Award of Distinction from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers for his work promoting sustainable gardening practices.

Cole is a popular lecturer internationally on topics of design, plants, and ecology. He has shared his love of plants and regional landscapes with professional and amateur audiences for 40 years. He is principal of Native Landscape Design and Restoration, which specializes in blending nature and culture through artistic design.