The Garden Conservancy releases trailer to upcoming Louise Wrinkle Documentary

The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
·2 min read

Aug. 21—GARRISON, N.Y. — The Garden Conservancy is releasing a trailer to highlight its forthcoming film documentation of the southern woodland garden of Louise Wrinkle in Mountain Brook, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham.

This documentation presents a distinct opportunity to explore the nexus of historic preservation and conservation. It is also the first time the Garden Conservancy has been able to interview the creator of a garden it is documenting.

Wrinkle was a founding member and board member of the Garden Conservancy and a distinguished member of the Garden Club of America for over 40 years.

Her approach to garden design and plant care and penchant for communicating with wide-ranging audiences has contributed to an increase in appreciation of native landscaping practices across the country.

Wrinkle's self-published book, "Listen to the Land: Creating a Southern Woodland Garden," chronicles the evolution of her garden practices and philosophy at her family home and garden.

To illustrate the significance of Wrinkle's design philosophy, the Conservancy's documentation of this garden includes interviews with Wrinkle herself as well as Birmingham-area landscape architects and historians; leadership and writers from VERANDA magazine, Flower magazine and Southern Living magazine; and leadership from the Chicago Botanical Garden, Birmingham Botanical Garden, and Little Garden Club of Birmingham.

These interviews capture invaluable insights and perspectives about the importance of Louise Wrinkle's garden and design philosophy.

This documentation is part of the Conservancy's Suzanne and Frederic Rheinstein Garden Documentation Program.

It weaves the history and spirit of a garden together through film, photography, interviews, archives of original materials, and secondary sources to create a multi-dimensional portrait of a garden as a living work of art, and in many cases, a historic and cultural resource.

The story of each garden is put into historical context with information about the property, significant events and changes, and the life and legacy of the garden's creators.

This program infuses dynamism into the traditional documentation process to enhance understanding and appreciation for unique historic gardens and brings these places to audiences regardless of their location.

The full documentation will be released this fall.