WWHEN I LEARNED I would be receiving the Scott Medal from the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, the arboretum’s director explained how the March 10 awards ceremony would work. I would give a speech, said Claire Sawyers, as part of the event – lasting perhaps an hour.
“What topic would be of interest to your audience?” I asked, thinking she meant the garden lecture. “No, talk about yourself,” she said.
“I’m talking about myself for one o’clock?” I thought, but I bit my tongue and kept quiet. Uh oh.
But I did, sort of, and it’s now available for those of you who didn’t attend in person or on Zoom that day to watch. I managed to weave in various examples of my slightly deranged sense of humor, but also more photos of frogs, of course.
A special treat for me: I was introduced by my friend Drew Schuyler of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy in Yonkers, NY, and I think you’ll enjoy his remarks, too.
It probably goes without saying that I was very grateful to be added to the list of award recipients since 1930 who have “made outstanding national contributions to the science and art of horticulture,” according to the arboretum’s website. A big thank you to everyone involved.