a poetry garden
In Person
2024 — Present / 3 Seasons
Join Black literary artists and horticulturists as they discuss their creative and historic connections to the gardens in our communities.
In 2024, a series of featured discussions centered on the Trinidad, Anacostia, and Mount Pleasant neighborhoods across Washington, DC. In 2025, the series launched in Georgetown Heights with the DC Preservation League.
Guest speakers often live and create work within ten miles of the event’s location. Also, to increase the collective exchange between the speakers and our beloved community, a seed discussion precedes the presentations. A seed discussion, developed by executive producer of Season 1 and 2 María Fernanda, is a brief ten-minute conversation open to the audience.
The love we have for our city, I could feel it.
— Season 3 attendee
Season Three
Launches
Special guest founder of BLK FLWR MRKT Kehmari Norman and Historic Preservationist Imania Price converse with a poetry garden founder María Fernanda to celebrated Nannie Helen Burroughs and honor the Deanwood neighborhood.
This experience was hosted by Eaton Wellness and presented in collaboration with a poetry garden and Eaton Hotel. This conversation launches the third season of a poetry garden, a series honoring Black people who engage with the literary arts and horticulture.
I really enjoyed the discussion. […] I am seeing the world in a whole different way. We only get one life! What will we do, and with whom?
— Season 2 attendee
Season Two Highlight
Special guestMatthew B. Kelley was in conversation with a poetry garden founder María Fernanda to discuss Georgetown Heights and its relationship to Tudor Place Historic House & Garden.
This experience was hosted by Tudor Place Historic House & Garden and presented in collaboration with a poetry garden and the DC Preservation League. This conversation launches the second season of a poetry garden, a series honoring Black people who engage with the literary arts and horticulture.
DC Preservation League Event Page
dcpreservation.org/event/in-the-garden-part-of-the-poetry-garden-series/
2024 Season
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gardener talk + poetry reading
a poetry garden aims to honor DC’s history, gardening communities, and poetry traditions by featuring Black gardeners and poets.Enjoy an evening with DC award-winning poet María Fernanda to discuss gardens, creative practices, and more!
This event is open to all and is preceded by a seed discussion, which is a brief ten-minute open to audience members to share their own experiences with gardens, history, or poetry. Audience members are not required to participate. The seed discussion was developed by María Fernanda to deepen a collective exchange.
RSVP at rewilddc.com/products/a-poetry-garden-with-angelica-ames-and-maria-fernanda
This event is presented by Rewild and is ticketed at a sliding scale. To request a reasonable accommodation for this program, please contact (202) 758-3251 or danielle@rewilddc.com.
AGE GROUPS: Adults | Senior |Teens | Youth with Adults
THEMES: Gardening | Writing | Health | Food | Author Talk | History |
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District of Columbia Public Library
A poetry recital + seed discussion. Due to inclement weather this program will be held inside at the Mt. Pleasant Library.
Enjoy a sunny evening outside while listening to the work of D.C. poet Tatiana Figueroa Ramirez and gardener Tamara M. Ashton. Moderated by award-winning poet María Fernanda (she/her/hers), artists will speak about the literal and figurative gardens that inspire them and their writing practice. Preceding their presentations, there will be a seed discussion and a brief ten-minute conversation open to the audience.
This event is sponsored by the Mt. Pleasant Library Friends and is intended for ages 13+. Due to inclement weather this program will be held inside at the Mt. Pleasant Library.
For more information, call (202) 671-3121 or email mtpleasantlibrary@dc.gov. To request a reasonable accommodation for this program, please contact DCPLaccess@dc.gov or call (202) 727-2142.
AGE GROUP: | Seniors | Adults | 13 - 19 Years Old (Teens) |
EVENT TYPE: | Writing | Lecture | Health | Discover Summer | Author Talk | Age-Friendly DC |
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Anacostia Arts Center
The debut of a poetry garden featuring Crochet Kingpin — new in-person literary series. Listen to poets share their work, preceded by a seed discussion between the poet and the moderator award-winning poet María Fernanda. Several future events will include a gardener,🪴thank you to @SwapDC for inspiring this.
Discussion will include literal and figurative gardens in our lives and how the concept of gardening contributes to our writing practice, lifestyle, or both. A seed discussion, developed by poet María Fernanda, is a conversation taking place before the poetry reading to learn more about the artists and their work.
If unable to join, please come through for our next poetry garden on June 5 at District of Columbia Public Library at 6:00pm in Mount Pleasant.
Get to know our poets and gardeners:
Tamara M. Ashton
gardener
Tamara M. Ashton, a second-generation Washingtonian with ancestral roots in Alabama, Virginia, and Panama. With a rich background spanning diverse roles in education, wellness, and community engagement, Tamara brings a holistic perspective to her work, nurturing healthy relationships between people and the environment. As a community engagement specialist, she has spearheaded projects promoting cultural preservation and vibrancy in the city. She transitioned to food and land stewardship roles and embodied her dedication to sustainable practices and community engagement by working in local non-profit education and wellness programming.As a wellness and food educator, Tamara shared her expertise in health and nutrition, advocating for conscious consumerism and food access. Tamara's journey reflects her unwavering dedication to fostering connections between people, food, and the land, with a focus on cultural preservation, healing, and community empowerment. Through her varied experiences and roles, she continues to advocate for a future where all individuals have access to healthy food, sustainable practices, and thriving communities.
Matthew B. Kelley
gardener
Matthew B. Kelley is a writer from Atlanta, GA. He holds degrees from Morehouse College and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he was a Truman Capote Fellow in fiction. He has received fellowships from Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop and Kimbilio [Fiction]. He is an assistant professor of English at Emory & Henry University in Emory, VA.
Imania Price
preservationist
Imania Price is a Historic Preservation Specialist with the District of Columbia’s State Historic Preservation Office (DC SHPO). She holds a master's degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Maryland, College Park. She focuses her work on the importance of documentation and preservation of African American historic sites in and around Washington, DC. Passionate about making history relevant and accessible, she strives to highlight underrepresented narratives and connect communities to the stories embedded in the built environment through tours, digital story mapping, and other community engagement activities.
Tatiana Figueroa Ramírez
poet
Tatiana Figueroa Ramírez currently performs, facilitates workshops, and hosts events in the DC area, having previously done so across the United States and the Dominican Republic at venues including The Kennedy Center and New York University. Her work has been featured in MSNBC’s “Leguizamo Does America” and The Acentos Review, among other publications. Tatiana is the author of Coconut Curls y Café con Leche (2019) and Despojo (2020).
Dwayne Lawson-Brown
poet
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Dwayne Lawson-Brown, aka the Crochet Kingpin, is an author, playwright, and arts administrator for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Dwayne has performed and hosted at many venues including The Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth Theater, Keegan Theater, The Strathmore, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and Spit Dat DC. Crowned 2021 DMV "Male Poet Of The Year" - ultimately, Dwayne's goal is to invite folks to feel again.- ultimately, Dwayne's goal is to invite folks to feel again.
In addition to varying poetic accomplishments, Dwayne is a Helen Hayes nominated playwright, competitive karaoke champion, and CEO of Crochet Kingpin Designs.
Dwayne vends:
Breaking The Blank - Poetry Book co-authored with Rebecca Bishophall. Work about raising families, the changing face of DC, identity, and breaking the mold. Published with Day Eight Publishing.
twenty:21 - Poetry Book. Composed of poetry from Dwayne at 17 and poetic responses from Dwayne at 37. Self-published.
Some Crochet Hats and Scarves made by Dwayne for Crochet Kingpin Designs.
Kehmari Norman
gardener
BLK FLWR MRKT is a floral design company based in Washington, DC and founded in the budding winter of 2018 by native Washingtonian, gardener and floral artist Kehmari Norman. BLK FLWR MRKT provides floral design services for events and weddings, floral design education through workshops and training, and curates corporate gifts that bridge wellness and floristry. Some of our clients include National Women's Soccer League, Pinterest, and Groupon of many, and our work has been featured in TIME Magazine, ABC News, and more. Bloom with us online at www.blackflowermarket.com and on social media at @blkflwrmrkt.