Photo: Dr. Michael S. Dosmann, keeper of the Living Collections at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

The lecture is free and honors the gardening legacy of Anne Allen.

The third annual Anne Allen Memorial Horticultural Lecture will be held Thursday, March 31, 7:30 p.m. at the Waldorf High School, 160 Lexington St. It will also be streamed on Zoom, with the Zoom link available at www.belmontgardenclub.org.

This year’s speaker is Dr. Michael S. Dosmann, keeper of the Living Collections at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, sharing his experience and understanding of plant exploration in “Tales from the Plant Explorer: Adventures in Plant Collecting Around the World.”

The focus of the talk, plant exploration – going into the wild to document plant diversity – is not just a Victorian Era activity, but is very much alive and well in 2020. As a veteran plant explorer, Dosmann uses examples from his own expeditions around the world to compare the historic and modern plant hunter, and places these activities in the context of scholarship, global change, and the search for improved garden plants.

Anne Allen was an Honorary Member of the Belmont Garden Club. Like her mother before her, Anne gave the use of the family greenhouse to the Belmont Garden Club. Anne was also known for helping to initiate and provide guidance to the Chenery Middle School indoor garden. Anne’s family made a memorial bequest to the Belmont Garden Club to fund a horticultural lecture in Anne’s memory.