Peckerwood Garden Conservation Foundation

More Than Just a Garden to Experience

Peckerwood Garden is a place for collaboration—where artistic, cultural, and horticultural venues and research are fused to create an environment that stimulates all of the senses, including the most elusive of all, our sense of time. Established in 1998, it is also nonprofit organization whose purpose includes building of Meso-American relations and reestablishing a common heritage that lies in their shared ecological and cultural experience. To this end, education forum/symposia are an essential component of our work. Examples include:

November 2006 - ChrisWiesinger, "the Bulb Hunter," spoke at Peckerwood Garden.
November 2006 -The International Oak Society visited Peckerwood Garden as part of their international conference held in Dallas. For this event, the garden produced its first Collection Brochure on the Quercus of Peckerwood Garden, which contains over 170 oaks - 70 plus species and many hybrids.The brochure contains also map of the garden and marks the location of each oak and a description of the species.
October 2006 - Masterworks of Mexican Folk Art, featuring the work of Carlomagno Pedro Martínez, was held at the Texas Gallery in Houston, TX in October 2006.
October 2006 - John Fairey spoke at the Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, California in October of 2006. His talk covered Mexico's influence on Peckerwood Garden.
Page Dickey signed her latest book, "Gardens in the Spirit of Place" at Gardens in Austin. Renee Shepherd of Renee's Garden Seeds discussed the incredible world of sweet peas.

November 2004 - The Peckerwood Garden Conservation Foundation in cooperation with Rice University presented "Lynn R. Lowrey: A Legacy of Botanizing in Texas and Mexico, honoring the work of a founding member of the native plant movement in Texas."

March 2003 - The Peckerwood Garden Conservation Foundation, in conjunction with the Design Council of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Brazos Projects, Houston, presented Mr. Fairey's private collection of George Nakashima Furniture. Mira Nakashima was on hand to answer questions and to talk about the continued work at the George Nakashima Studio.

March 2002 - Peckerwood Garden Conservation Foundation presented its first ever home tour, "Private Collections, Private Views," which covered a diverse group of collections that ranged from Latin Colonial to English Porcelain to Pre-Columbian, and more.

October 2001 - As part of its ongoing program to foster cross-border understanding between the United States and Mexico, the Peckerwood Garden Conservation Foundation, in collaboration with the Garden Conservancy, will presented a one-day symposium titled "Vanishing Boarders, Gardens: Common Ground for International Understanding, focusing on the significant impact of Mexican art and architecture, culinary heritage and indigenous plant palette on the cultural landscape of the United States. Guests included Alma Guillermoprieto, an award-winning journalist, Alejandro de Avila B., Director of the Jardin Etnobotanico, Oaxaca, Diana Kennedy, the internationally respected cookery writer and author of numerous best-selling books, Carlos Jimenez, the much acclaimed Houston-based architect.

March 1998 - The Peckerwood Garden Foundation's first open house in collaboration with the Garden Conservancy, a national organization whose purpose includes preservation of gardens and furthering public awareness.

August 1998 - Symposium related to the house and garden focusing on John G. Fairey's exceptional Mexican Folk Art collection and the plant palette of the garden. Guest speakers included Porfirio Sofa Jimenez (Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico) and Tony Avent (Raleigh, North Carolina - Plant Delights Nursery).

May 1999 - Education workshop, "Micro-Propagation of Ornamentals," a collaboration of the Foundation and Yucca Do Nursery. Guest speaker Dr. Roberta Smith (Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas).

May 1999 - Garden Writers Forum in collaboration with Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Guest speakers Ethme Clark (Austin, Texas), Betsy Clebsch (La Honda, California), and Bobby Ward (Raleigh, North Carolina)

October 1999 - "A Celebration of the Day of the Dead". Guest speakers George and Virginia Gause (University of Texas, Pan American Library, Edinburg, Texas). Guest musical artist included Correro Aereo, An Austin Texas-based duo performing a selection of Mexican folk songs on a range of traditional instruments.

April 2000 - Our first "Art in the Garden" event, entitled "Elements in the Garden," relating art to the landscape. Guest artist Gertrude Barnstone (Houston, Texas), Lars Stanley (Austin, Texas) and John Walker (Bryan, Texas)

October 2000 - Symposium on fine art furniture and environmental design, entitled "Details, Inside and Out". Guest speakers Daniel Kagay (White Wind Woodworking, Austin, Texas), Brett Nave and Lori Ryker (Ryker/Mave Design, Livingston, Montana)