BETWEEN SOIL AND SELF - A CONVERSATION with JOHN SONNIER
- Jennifer Jewell
- Apr 24
- 4 min read
This week, Cultivating Place host Abra Lee explores diplomacy and gardens. She’s in conversation with John Sonnier, Head Gardener at the British Ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C. There since 2009, John focuses on organic and sustainable methods of care AND he has created one of the United State’s most significant historic orchid collections.
Orchids are known for their extraordinary forms, relationships, and resilience and John, a distinguished horticulturalist, artist, and self-taught orchidist, brings us into that world – sharing what it means to grow them, care for them, and stay curious about them over time. We consider how the environment we cultivate – from gardens to shared community spaces – shape our thoughts and our lives.
From Abra: Today I’m honored to welcome John Sonnier, whose work sits at the intersection of diplomacy and the environments we inhabit every day.
John’s work asks us to look more closely at the systems that shape our lives—from water and soil to art, history and orchids and consider how thoughtful cultivation can support healthier, more resilient communities. His perspective expands the idea of gardening beyond individual plots and into the broader landscapes we all share.
Cultivating Place family, please join me in welcoming John Sonnier as we explore the connections between art, plants, diplomacy and history and the ways we cultivate places that sustain us all.
Conversations like this remind us that Cultivating Place is about more than
what we grow—it’s about how we live, how we care for one another, and
how we shape the environments that shape us in return. Through his work in the art, history and science of horticulture, John invites us to think more broadly about stewardship, reminding us that healthy communities and healthy landscapes are deeply intertwined.
Listen in!
Follow John on Instagram:
All photos courtesy of John Sonnier, with various images via the American Horticultural Society’s American Gardener magazine, all rights reserved.
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JOIN US again next week, when Jennifer rounds out April, looking forward to May Flowers. She’s in conversation with Rosa and Gardner, Robin Jennings of Heirloom, formerly known as Heirloom roses, in Oregon. Whether you love roses or are skeptical about them, Robin is here to advocate for the possibility of at least one perfect rose in the garden of your dreams. That's right here, next week. Listen in!
Cultivating Place is made possible in part by listeners like you and by generous support
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in honor of Bailey Shaw
supporting initiatives that empower women and help preserve the planet through the intersection of environmental advocacy, social justice, and creativity.
Thinking out loud this week...
Hey, y'all, it's Abra—
Talking with John Sonnier has me reflecting on the idea that our environments shape us just as much as we shape them. The spaces we move through every day—our homes, our neighborhoods, our shared public places—quietly influence our health, our mood, and our sense of belonging.
This week, I invite you to notice the conditions of the spaces around you. What’s supporting your wellbeing? What might need a little more care or intention? It doesn’t have to be a big overhaul. Sometimes it’s as simple as improving a small corner, opening a window, planting something, or advocating for a better shared space.
Cultivating Place isn’t just about beauty—it’s about creating environments where life can truly thrive.
One thing I appreciate from my conversation with John Sonnier is the reminder that healthy communities don’t happen by accident—they’re cultivated through awareness, care, and collective effort. So this week, I challenge you to take a closer look at one shared space in your world. Maybe it’s your street, a park, a workplace, or even a community garden. Ask yourself: what small action could make this space healthier or more welcoming for others
It could be picking up litter, planting something, starting a conversation, or supporting a local effort already underway. Small actions, especially when multiplied, can reshape the environments we all depend on. Because when we care for our places, we’re also caring for each other.
WAYS TO SUPPORT CULTIVATING PLACE
Cultivating Place is a co-production of North State Public Radio, licensed to Chico State Enterprises. Cultivating Place is made possible in part listeners just like you through the support button at the top right-hand corner of every page at Cultivating Place.org
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, and regular hosting by Founder, Jennifer Jewell, as well as Abra Lee in Atlanta, Georgia, and Ben Futa in South Bend, Indiana. 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..
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