Deep Rooted Wisdom

Columbia Green and McKissick Museum will present a special lecture by noted horticulturalist Augustus Jenkins Farmer on November 12, 2014 at the Columbia Museum of Art. Based on Farmer’s book Deep Rooted Wisdom, the program will investigate the ways in which local history and folklife sustain our culture. SC Humanities supported this program with a Mini Grant in August 2014.

Augusta Jenkins “Jenks” Farmer is a renaissance plantsman who is noted for his work in establishing two major South Carolina botanical gardens: the Riverbanks Botanical Garden and Moore Farms. At his farm in Beech Island, SC, Farmer maintains a mail order nursery specializing in organically grown plants of the genus Crinum. Deep Rooted Wisdom was published in March 2014 and is a handbook of traditional gardening methods mixed with storytelling.

Jenks Farmer’s presentation on November 12, 2014 will examine the role of gardening within the everyday culture of the South and the transmission of plant knowledge within community settings. A scholar-led discussion will follow the lecture. For more information about the event, contact Columbia Green at 803-254-7595.

The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. SC Humanities programs and initiatives are balanced, reflecting sensitivity to the diversity of ideas, encourage open dialogue, demonstrate integrity, and are ethical in operations.