‘Bio-Productive Gardens,’ With Tim Johnson of Native Plant Trust

IN A RECENT phone call, Tim Johnson used the phrase “bio-productive gardens,” and it stopped me.

“What does he mean by that?” I thought.

And then he explained: “There are ways to manage our landscapes,” he said, “so that everything that flows through them, from rainwater to birds, leaves healthier than when it arrived.”

“Tell me more,” I replied. And so that’s my topic today with Tim, the new leader of the longtime conservation organization called Native Plant Trust. We talked about the thought process he’s applying to making his own home garden, and about bigger projects at work.

In January Tim became chief executive officer at the non-profit, which was founded almost 125 years ago as the nation’s first plant conservation organization and the only one solely focused on New England’s native plants. Tim, with his extensive background in environmental horticulture and biological science, recently led the Smith College Botanic Garden.