Abra Lee is a horticulturalist who studies U.S. gardening history. She fondly remembers her own relatives’ gardens as holding a special place in horticultural history.
Carlos Alejandro/Abra Lee
hide caption
toggle caption
Carlos Alejandro/Abra Lee
Abra Lee is a horticulturalist who studies U.S. gardening history. She fondly remembers her own relatives’ gardens as holding a special place in horticultural history.
Carlos Alejandro/Abra Lee
When Abra Lee became the landscape manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, she sought some advice about how to best do the job. The answer: study the history of gardening. That led to her uncovering how Black involvement in horticulture in the U.S. bursts with incredible stories and profound expertise, intertwined with a tragic past. She’s now teaching these stories and working on a book, Conquer the Soil: Black America and the Untold Stories of Our Country’s Gardeners, Farmers, and Growers. Abra Lee talks with former Short Wave producer Eva Tesfaye about uncovering Black horticultural history and several of the hidden figures who shaped it.
We’d love to hear of any unsung horticulturists or gardeners in your life – write us at ShortWave@npr.org.
This story was edited by Gisele Grayson and produced by Chloee Weiner. Kathryn Sypher checked the facts. The audio engineer was Stu Rushfield.