Gifted artist, gardener extraordinaire Chrissie D’Esopo will host Tom Cox, past president, American Conifer Society, in her Avon, CT garden for an exclusive members only CHS fundraiser.
Mr. Cox is a frequent lecturer on the subject of conifers and other woody plants and is a member of the prestigious International Dendrology Society as well as Botanic Gardens Conservation International.
In 1990, when he and wife Evelyn purchased an undeveloped 13-acre parcel in Canton, Georgia, the Cox Arboretum and Gardens was started. Over the ensuing 24 years, this has evolved into one of the premiere collections of woody taxa in the Southeastern U.S. In 2002 and again in 2014, the arboretum was the host site for the American Conifer Society’s national meeting and is now a frequent stop for gardening enthusiasts as well as those involved in serious plant study. He is a pioneer in the evaluation of conifers for adaptability in the Southeast and is recognized as one of the leading authorities on growing conifers in the region. The arboretum received full accreditation in 2012 and is now a site for the preservation of rare and endangered plants from around the world.
Many of us are familiar with the extraordinary and colorfully flamboyant Avon garden of Chrissie D’Esopo. For years she was a gracious fundraiser for charitable causes raising over $175,000. Inspired by garden visits in the Pacific northwest, CD has developed a growing interest in conifers. The 3 acres behind her house is punctuated with spirals and weepers and feathery shapes of the evergreen kind. Not that this is new, but true to form Chrissie takes it to a whole other level. “When designing the hill garden, I try to treat it as if it were a painting,” she says. “I look out there at the hill and I try to get a good mix of the yellows, greens, blues, deep greens and reds.” “I try to have a contrast of color and texture. It’s the exact same thing I do with my painting.” Come see! Our Thursday Sept. 17 evening event includes time to wander the D’Esopo landscape; enjoy a talk by Tom Cox and Chrissie D’Esopo then dine with The Artist & The Expert. Members only: $55 (dinner and beverages included). Send  your check and call in your reservation  to the CHS office: 860-529-8713. Limited dinner seating- please call to reserve your space.