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Tony Avent

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Tony Avent
BornAugust 20, 1957
Raleigh, NC, USA
Occupation(s)Plantsman, Author, Businessman
SpouseAnita Avent
Websitewww.plantdelights.com

Tony Avent is an American horticulturist and plantsman. He and wife and business partner, Anita Avent, own Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Garden in Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition, he is a well-known plant explorer, author and public speaker.

Early life and education

Avent grew up with a passion for plants and nature. Instead of playing games, he wandered the woods and fields near his home in Raleigh NC, studying wildflowers.[1] At eight years old, his parents built a greenhouse for him. There he grew and propagated plants and sold them as a hobby.

Tony Avent attended North Carolina State University and graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticultural Science.[2] He studied under the well renowned horticulturist J. C. Raulston. J. C. Raulston, instilled in him the quest for the newest and best garden plants from around the world.[3] In 1977, he married Michelle Morgan Avent (1957–2012).[2]

Career

In 1978, he began working for the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh as its Landscape Director.[2][4] He worked there for 16 years until 1994. In addition he worked as a volunteer curator of the Shade Garden at the J. C. Raulston Arboretum from 1985 to 1994. He also worked as a weekly garden columnist for Raleigh's News and Observer newspaper from 1987 to 1998. He established Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Gardens in 1988[4] and by 1994 the business had expanded enough for him to resign his state job and become a full-time nurseryman.

In addition to running the nursery, Avent is a plant breeder who is best known for his Hosta breeding program, but is actively breeding other genera as well. In addition, Tony Avent travels the world on plant hunting expeditions to search for new, rare, and unusual plants. He is also an avid plant collector with a large collection of rare variegated Agave. He is a prolific writer as well, having authored a book (So You Want to Start a Nursery – 2003, Timber Press) and dozens of newspaper articles, magazine articles, and web articles. Avent was featured in the book, Heroes of Horticulture by Barbara Paul Robinson, 2018; Beautiful Madness by James Dodson, 2006; The Plant Hunter’s Garden by Bobby Ward, Fall 2004, and The Collector’s Garden Book by Ken Druse, 1996. He is currently a contributing editor to Fine Gardening Magazine. In addition, every year travels the country, having given over 800 lectures on gardening topics. He also lectures each year at Plant Delights Nursery. In 2018, Avent was named a Distinguished Alumni at his alma mater, North Carolina State University.

Avent is married to Raleigh business woman and childhood friend Anita Avent, a B.S. and MBA graduate of Meredith College. Anita Avent is also a Mindfulness and Nonduality teacher as well as a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner. She established the Center for Mindfulness and Nonduality at Juniper Level Botanic Gardens in 2013. She is a former health insurance administrator, regulator, and director with Cigna, the State of North Carolina and a Preceptor and Faculty Associate at the Department of Health Policy and Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and mother to three adult children. She is also an independent business strategist and healthcare industry consultant appointed by Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. in 1996 to serve as a Rules Review Commissioner on the State of North Carolina Rules Review Commission.

Plant Breeding Efforts

Tony Avent has breeding and evaluation programs for dozens of genera. He started breeding Hosta in 1984 and has been expanding his palette ever since. Avent currently holds several US Plant Patents; Baptisia 'Blonde Bombshell' PP 26,828, Baptisia 'Blue Towers' PP 27,088, Baptisia 'Ivory Towers' PP 26,827, Hosta 'Tattoo' PP 11,603, Hosta 'Sun Mouse' PP 30,033, Dianthus 'Wicked Witch' PP 19,824. His plant breeding efforts focus on the following plant groups.[5]

Plant expeditions [6]

Inspired by the late J. C. Raulston, Tony Avent has made over 66 plant expeditions since 1993 and has traveled extensively around the world in search of new, rare and unusual plants.

Awards and Honors[2]

  • Don Shadow Award of Excellence, Southern Nursery Association - 2019
  • Distinguished Alumni/ NC State University College of Ag and Life Sciences - 2018
  • Millstream Award for Outstanding Gardens/ North American Rock Garden Society - 2017
  • Eunice Fisher Distinguished Hosta Hybridizer Merit Award/ American Hosta Society - 2015
  • Award of Merit – Perennial Plant Association - 2013
  • J.C. Raulston Distinguished Leadership Award, NC State University - 2012
  • Retail Award/ Perennial Plant Association - 2011
  • Certificate of Recognition - Garden Writers of America - 2009
  • American Horticultural Society Outstanding Commercial Award – Individual – 2002
  • D. H. Copeland /North Carolina Association of Nurserymen Award – 2002
  • Robert Balentine Horticulture Award/ Southeastern Flower Show – 2001
  • Marcel Le Piniec Award – North American Rock Garden Society – 1999
  • Nursery Innovator of the Month Award – GM Pro Magazine – 1998
  • Outstanding Alumni Award/ NCSU Dept. of Horticultural Science – 1997
  • NC Nurserymen Award for Landscape/Beautification of NC State Fairgrounds – 1990
  • Outstanding Journalism Award – Men's Garden Club of America – 1986, 1987, 1988
  • Outstanding Senior, NCSU Dept. of Horticulture – 1978

Writing[2]

Traditional Media

Books/Chapters Written by Tony Avent:

  • The Roots of My Obsession (one chapter) - Timber Press, 2012
  • Bizarre Botanicals (Foreword) by Larry Mellichamp, 2010
  • My Favorite Plant (one chapter) compiled by Jamaica Kincaid 1998
  • So You Want to Start a Nursery – Timber Press (July 2003)

Web Articles Written or Co-written by Tony Avent[7]

Organizations and committees

Avent is an active member of many gardening and plant organizations and serves on several committees including:[2]

Programs / Articles About Tony Avent or Plant Delights Nursery[8]

Newspapers

Magazines

Books

  • Heroes of Horticulture by Barbara Paul Robinson, 2018
  • Beautiful Madness by James Dodson, 2006 [19]
  • Bizarre Botanicals by Larry Mellichamp and Paula Gross, 2010 [20]
  • The Collectors Garden Book by Ken Druse 1996 [21]
  • The Plant Hunters Garden by Bobby Ward, Fall 2004 [22]

TV shows

References

  1. ^ The Martha Stewart Show
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Tony on the Road | Tony Avent Speaking Schedule". Plant Delights Nursery. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  3. ^ Tony Avent Author Bio from Timber Press
  4. ^ a b "About Plant Delights Nursery, Inc. and Juniper Level Botanic Garden". Plant Delights Nursery. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  5. ^ "Plant Delights Introductions". Plant Delights Nursery. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  6. ^ Tony Avent's online expedition logs
  7. ^ "Perennial Plant Articles". Plant Delights Nursery. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  8. ^ "In the Media". Plant Delights Nursery. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  9. ^ Gardener's fantasy and a reality check Chicago Tribune – Ken Druse, Sept 14,2003
  10. ^ N.C. nursery's plant catalog always fun, Houston Chronicle, Georgia – January 9, 2010
  11. ^ When Plant Fans Gather, a Harvest of Obsessions, The New York Times – February 2, 1997
  12. ^ The Global Backyard: Weird Is In , The New York Times – February 20, 1997
  13. ^ A Gardener Grows Balmy In Winter, The New York Times – September 12, 2003
  14. ^ You Want a ursery, Here's a Reality Check, New York Times – September 12, 2003
  15. ^ In the Plant Game, Some Bets Are In, The New York Times – April 2006
  16. ^ The Plant Hunter, New York Times – April 28, 2010
  17. ^ Some myths worth busting, New York Times – April 29, 2010
  18. ^ Nursery owner plants delight in growers by making gardening fun, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – February 10, 2001
  19. ^ Beautiful Madness, by James Dodson
  20. ^ Bizarre Botanicals, by Larry Mellichamp and Paula Gross
  21. ^ The Collectors Garden Book, by Ken Druse
  22. ^ The Plant Hunters Garden, by Bobby Ward
  23. ^ "UNC-TV ONLINE: Video On-Demand: Almanac Gardener". flash.unctv.org. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  24. ^ "UNC-TV ONLINE: Video On-Demand: Almanac Gardener". flash.unctv.org. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  25. ^ Martha Stewart Living TV Show Web Site
  26. ^ Martha Stewart Living TV Show Web Site

External links

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