Instagram post 2189757701943377988_2948394427 Countdown to Christmas! My favorite time of year (and how cute is this circa 1950 pic 😩🎄🎄)
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Left to right my Dad (Buddy), his sister (Auntie Lady), his sister (Auntie Dimples), and his brother (Uncle Boy) posing in front of the Christmas Tree in cowboy/girl outfits that Santa dropped off. @1boss_lady13 @iamsimplimi @ctlfromatl
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#ConquerTheSoil #VintageChristmas #ChristmasIsComing
Instagram post 2186515040700601974_2948394427 As Thanksgiving approaches I give thanks for all those who work with their hands—yesterday and today. Especially Mr. Henry Kirklin...
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According to the State Historical Society of Missouri, Kirklin was a former slave, prize winning gardener, horticulturist, entrepreneur, and pioneer in sustainable gardening practices. Most notably he was THE FIRST African American to teach at the University of Missouri (UM.) He did so in an “unofficial capacity” as UM didn’t allow blacks to hold official teaching positions during his lifetime.
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Kirklin joined UMs horticulture department as a gardener and greenhouse supervisor. He taught hundreds of students how to graft, prune, and propagate plants and trees.
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On a trip to the East Coast, he noticed use of overhead irrigation and built a system of his own. Instead of paying to use the city’s water he created a small pond collecting rainwater to irrigate his garden at no cost. P.S. I dare you to say the child in this photo isn’t one of the cutest shots ever 😩 (pic f/historic missourians)
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#ConquerTheSoil #BlackHistory #GardenHistory #BlackGardeners #Gardening #Horticulture #Sustainability
Instagram post 2151582537145903099_2948394427 File this under: plants you take for granted that others are willing to pay top dollar for. I saw these Magnolia clippings in the store and this emoji 👉🏾😧 was literally my face...
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To be clear I am not knocking the hustle. I’m a Southerner temporarily living in the North so this was shocking to me. There are plenty of plants/food I pay a pretty penny for down in Georgia. Also, I grew up on two acres in Southwest Atlanta filled with—you guessed it Magnolia trees! So the question is what (if any) plants make you say “nah bruh” when you see them for sale?
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#ConquerTheSoil #Magnolia #Trees #NahBruh
Instagram post 2149493603909726272_2948394427 Hot 🔥 or Hmmmm 🤔 For me it’s hmmmm. I generally love adidas everything and think it would be cool to see something less literal of the stereotype of what garden apparel “looks like.” It would be fun to see something more exciting and original because—adidas. Lemme see what these clothes look like in real life before rendering my final judgement. What y’all think?
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Posted @withrepost • adidas Originals introducing the adidas Gardening Club. A range of apparel, accessories and footwear that is inspired by lawn-based activities, resulting in ‘horti-couture’ that can move effortlessly from the lawn to the streets. Arriving in Consortium stores globally from October 12th.
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#ConquerTheSoil #GardenFashion #GardenClothes #Adidas
Instagram post 2145107131806842950_2948394427 Bonsai (pronounced bone-sigh) is an ancient art of growing plants in containers to represent mature plants found in nature. Bonsai originated in China, was further developed in Japan, and is now popular throughout the world.
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This looks to be a plant in the Juniperus family. Dare we say a bonsaied Eastern Red Cedar? And its name is Yeezy—cause Lil Nas X said so.
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*Bonsai info / Longwood Gardens 🌿
*Face-mask & pic /  Lil Nas X 🤠
*Plant ID / @laughinggarden who doesn’t miss when it comes to her horticulture game y’all 💅🏼
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#Bonsai #ConquerTheSoil #LilNasX #Plants #PlantInYourTruth #Juniperus
Instagram post 2129528420877498357_2948394427 More garden fashion pics in honor of New York Fashion week. This is Booker T. Washington the first president of Tuskegee University in 1916 (looking fresh to death) with his garden and picket fence “sorting in his lettuce bed.” Bonus points because the first black landscape architect David August Williston designed this landscape.
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📸 & source (Emmett J. Scott at Schomburg Center/NY Public Library)
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#ConquerTheSoil #BlackHistory #GardenHistory #GardenFashion #BookerTWashington #Tuskegee #Fashion #GardenFashionWeek
Instagram post 2128805712460207507_2948394427 A gentleman on twitter said Cam is wearing a “Goth Gardening Outfit” and now I can’t unsee it 😩
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Just so you know:
A) I’m an ATLien
B) I’m an Auburn Tiger ...which means
C) yes I love me some Cam 🤷🏾‍♀️
...and most important
D) I’m showing up to your Halloween party this year as a Goth Gardener, periodt.
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#ConquerTheSoil #GardenFashion #GothGardening #Gardening
Instagram post 2127925594472710466_2948394427 @crescentgarden from the bottom of my heart thank you for sponsoring our talk at @GardenComms 2019.
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Perla @agrochic thank you for being such a fabulous co-presenter! Last but not least thank you to everyone that attended you could’ve been anywhere in the world today but you were here with us and I appreciate that 🙏🏾💚🌿 (pic by: Crescent Garden)
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#GardenComm #ConquerTheSoil #UtahOwesMeNothing
Instagram post 2127636232140890695_2948394427 It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And we aren’t talking Christmas (though who am I fooling? I’m a sucker for Christmas) but I digress.....
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The real reason we celebrate is New York fashion week has arrived along with the stylish September issue. Today we will dive into the horticultural art of topiary as exhibited in this cover photo from Vanity Fair of Spanish actress Ana Belén serving us a whole couture garden lewk!

Topiary is the art of clipping plants (trees and shrubs) into decorative shapes. According to historian George Drower author of ‘Gardens and Villains’ topiaries beginnings may have started pre 38 B.C. There is debate over who should get the real credit of starting this art form. It likely goes to ancient enslaved people from Greece, Syria, and Egypt that did the gardening work in Ancient Rome.
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Thank you to the beautiful Perla @agrochic for sending me this pic 💚🌿
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#ConquerTheSoil #PlantInYourTruth #Topiary #Art #Horticulture
Instagram post 2116065623414121722_2948394427 “I began cautiously on a small scale...I found the soil fertile and willing to yield.” —Annie Vann Reid
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This headline and story made me think of my friend @erin_everyday. Erin I know you have a big vision of your future and want you to know ALL of it is possible. Want to know why? Mrs. Reid was an ex-teacher! She was sixtyish and in her 28th year of business when this photo was taken. May Mrs. Reid be an inspiration to us all.
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Thank you so much Eve @poodleblooms for sharing this with me 🙏🏾 my love for you goes without saying. Let’s continue to re-write garden history!
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@myslowflowers @dkprinzing Mrs. Annie Vann Reid is an absolute Slow Flowers x Flower Farmer ‘Hall of Fame’ inductee!
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#TBT #Greenhouse #PlantNursery #ConquerTheSoil #PlantInYourTruth #BlackHistory #GardenHistory
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Conquer The Soil

Abra Lee

January 5, 2018 By conquerts

About

Abra Lee

I’m a self-proclaimed horticulturist extraordinaire that is half country bumpkin, half bougie, occasionally extra, and inherently Southern. The opportunities I’ve been fortunate to experience during my career in the garden industry have far surpassed my ancestors’ wildest dreams! And I’ve been taking notes on plants + pop culture.

Hire me to partner with your brand for television, speaking, writing, keynote, or whatever cool project we can create together. I am uniquely qualified to educate and inspire your audience.

How so? Glad you asked–here are just a few of my receipts:

Education

-Auburn University College of Agriculture, Auburn, Alabama – B.S. Horticulture

-Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania – Leadership in Public Horticulture Fellowship

Career Highlights

City of Atlanta Department of Park – Municipal Arborist

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – Landscape Manager

George Bush Intercontinental Airport – Grounds Superintendent

Conquer The Soil, LLC – Horticulturist Extraordinaire

University of Georgia – Extension Agent

Northside Woman magazine – Contributing Writer

Media

Atlanta magazine

CNN

Southeastern Flower Show

Ag Illustrated

Peachtree TV Atlanta

Lawn and Garden Show with Walter Reeves

Cultivating Place NPR

Garden Comm Career Next

Garden Comm 2019

“Abra Lee delivered an amazing presentation at our GardenComm Career Next event.  She spoke from the heart sharing her life journey.  She shared not only the victories but also the challenges and how those have not only built her character but her career. Abra was insightful, inspiring and I would highly recommend her.”

Aimee Coker, PR/Marketing
Encore Azalea
Southern Living Plant Collection
Sunset Western Garden Collection

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