ARTOBER: TRACY QIU, ARTFULLY EXPLORING HOW PLANTS, STORIES, AND CULTURES INTERSECT
- Jennifer Jewell
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
This week on CP, host Abra Lee is joined in conversation by Tracy Qiu, a horticulturist, researcher, advocate, and artist who explores how plants, stories, and culture intersect. Tracy holds a masters in Public Horticulture from the University of Delaware, is a Longwood Fellow, and is finishing her doctoral thesis at Concordia University in Montreal.
Tracy's work explores the colonial roots of botanical gardens, and in this conversation, Tracy and Abra will follow Tracy’s journey from her family’s beginnings on a farm in China to studying ethnobotany. They will also unpack how, along the way, Tracy became an advocate, in both art and articulation, for greater diversity, access, and narrative justice in horticulture.
From Abra: Today I’m thrilled to welcome someone whose work reminds us that gardens are not only spaces of growth in soil but also sites of culture, storytelling, and justice — Tracy Qiu.
In her journey, Tracy has often confronted a lack of representation in horticulture. Her interests lie at the intersection of plants and narrative:
decolonizing plant stories, engaging diverse communities in garden spaces, and exploring how gardens and public horticulture institutions can become more inclusive and culturally responsive.
Tracy’s work and her art reminds us that every plant has stories and memories, and that part of caring for gardens is caring for the stories they hold and the communities they serve.
Tracy’s path from rural farm beginnings to the world of public horticulture and narrative justice shows us that gardens are never neutral. They are shaped by culture, memory, power—and who shows up to steward them.
Her commitment to making garden spaces more inclusive, visible, and reflective of multiple histories is a gift to all of us who love plants and want to learn better stewardship. We are so grateful to Tracy Qiu for sharing her story, insights, and vision here on Cultivating Place.
Cultivating Place family, please meet Tracy Qiu — gardener, storyteller, artist and advocate.
Follow Tracy Qiu online:
and on Instagram:
All photos courtesy of Tracy Qiu, all rights reserved.
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JOIN US again next week, when Jennifer is back and in conversation with our final Artist feature here for our Artober celebration., Mary Jackson, renowned Gullah Sweetgrass basket maker based outside of Charleston, SC. A MacArthur Fellow "Genius Grant" award winner, Mary's work demonstrates how Artist Gardeners can carry and nurture cultures across centuries, activate environments, and drive beneficial economies. That's right here, next week. Listen in!
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Thinking out loud this week...
Hey ,y'all, it's Abra—
One thing I’m reflecting on after this conversation is how much more there is to a garden than what meets the eye. Every plant, every pathway, every curation decision carries choices — about whose stories are centered, what histories are honored, and who feels invited in.
We often talk about biodiversity in our gardens, but what about the diversity of stories and perspectives? Which plants, people, and histories are missing from the picture, and why? What I love about Tracy’s work is how she invites us to see these gaps as part of her art and to imagine how we might paint them back in. If you’re near Atlanta, join me at Oakland Cemetery, where the garden is dense with memory and stories waiting to be unearthed. Let’s walk, observe, and ask: whose plant stories are present, and whose are missing?
One line that stayed with me from my conversation with Tracy is “gardens are sites of both flourishing and forgetting” It made me think, when we don’t pay attention to things like, people and plants their stories start to fade. What I love about Tracy’s work is how she gives voice to these hidden stories, weaving together botany, culture, justice, and care.
If you’re curious, take a moment this week to visit a garden, botanical library, or community green space and look for gaps — ask: whose story is being told here? Whose is omitted? You can also explore the Overseeding exhibition or programming near you (if available) or look up community horticulture or plant-story workshops. Slow down, pay attention, and invite a more inclusive plant story into your view.
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The CP team includes producer and engineer Matt Fidler, with weekly tech and web support from Angel Huracha, weekly communications support by Sheila Stern and Carley Bruckner, transcripts by Doulos Transcription, and regular guest hosting by Abra Lee and Ben Futa. We’re based on the traditional and present homelands of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of the Chico Rancheria. Original theme music is by Ma Muse, accompanied by Joe Craven and Sam Bevan.
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