Rick Darke
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An internationally recognized expert on ornamental grasses, Rick Darke’s career in horticulture evolved from a love of native American landscapes.
Rick began working at Longwood Gardens, Kennet Square, PA, in 1977—first as Assistant Taxonomist and then as Curator of Plants. Rick was responsible for all plant identification and played a major role in developing the Gardens’ indoor and outdoor displays. He selected the plants for and designed the ornamental grass display in their Idea Garden.
In 1983, Rick began a photographic study of a creek near his home in southeastern Pennsylvania. The near-daily photos and notes sharpened his awareness of the patterns of seasonal light, texture, and color that composed his local environment. Inspired by this intimate study, Rick created his award-winning book, The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest (Timber Press, 2002), a celebration of the life cycle of America’s native woodlands and a practical primer on woodland stewardship and gardening.
In 1997 Rick received the Professional Citation of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta (AABGA).
He left Longwood in 1998 to pursue his writing, lecturing, photography, and consulting on a full-time basis. Also in 1998, the American Horticultural Society honored Rick with its Scientific Award, which recognizes individuals who have enriched horticulture through outstanding and notable research—after which he wrote his landmark work, The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses (Timber Press, 1999), which won the prestigious AHS’s Book Award.
[edit] Publications
Darke, Rick. The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses: Sedges, Rushes, Restios, Cat-Tails, and Selected Bamboos. Timber Press: Portland, 1999. ISBN 978-0-88192-464-0.
Darke, Rick. The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forrest. Timber Press: Portland, 2002. ISBN 978-0-88192-545-6.
Darke, Rick. Timber Press Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses. Timber Press: Portland, 2004. ISBN 978-0-88192-653-8.
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