Harmons is deeply involved in our community, and so is Red Butte Garden, so the fact that we partner with them is pretty much a no-brainer. In today’s episode of the Taste of Harmons Podcast, Eddy Dawson, director of programs at Red Butte, joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young to talk about something a little different from the food we eat—but it’s still related. Red Butte Garden is a museum of living plants, according to Eddy. And its history is long and storied. You’ll definitely want to tune in to learn the history of the Garden along with a lot of interesting stories and sidenotes.

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Eddy shares the interesting story of Dr. Cottam and how his beginnings led to the eventual forming of Red Butte Gardner, located in Research Park at the University of Utah.

The visitors center was opened in the 1990s and while more than 35 years old, it’s still young in the terms of arboretums around the country and world, Eddy says.

The Garden consists of 21 acres of highly maintained gardens, with another 78 acres of natural area and five miles of hiking trails.

Unique to many arboretums is its location in the foothills of Salt Lake City, and there is a lot of wildlife that also enjoys roaming around the garden, including moose, deer, bobcats, and turkeys. Eddy says they also saw some cougar tracks this past winter, but never did spot the wily cat.

Like most of us during the COVID-19, Red Butte Garden had to alter how they did things, including virtual classes and zoom lessons videography held with teachers and their classes. And like the rest of us, they are anxious to get back to normal, in particular, the very popular and oft-asked about Red Butte Concert series.

Eddy says the series is “brewing” this year, but he doesn’t have any information because he’s the plant guy. That said, he, too, is excited for some of the amazing talent that is in the lineup of performers at the Garden. The beautiful venue, in the amphitheater, is a one-of-a-kind experience, and one everyone should get a chance to enjoy. That said, the concerts usually sell out during the “presale” which is exclusive to members of Red Butte Garden, so along with supporting and donating to an amazing community partner, that’s another reason to join forces with Red Butte Garden.

Eddy Dawson has a passion for connecting people with the importance of plants in all aspects of life.  His life’s mantra is “everyone loves plants, not everyone knows it.” He has spent 20 years working at Red Butte Garden in a variety of roles, including Curator of Plant Records, Director of Information Technology, and currently serves as the Director of Programs.  In addition to his Red Butte Garden experience, he has 30 years combined experience in the plant science and horticulture industries and is a volunteer leader engaged in the national American Public Garden Association.  He strives to continue learning and making new connections with plants and people as part of the mission at Red Butte Garden. He has degrees in Horticulture and Botanical Informatics from Texas A&M University.