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Featured
Speaker
Jon
Carloftis
photo
credit Christopher Hirsheimer
Kentucky
native Jon Carloftis, award-winning designer, garden
writer, television guest, author and lecturer, is a
great American gardener. His 23-year career in
gardening began far from home in New York City, where
he became one of America's pioneers in rooftop/small
space gardening.
Jon
is the recipient of a landscaping design award, given
for his overall body of work, from the Museum of the
City of New York City. The Lauder family (of Estee
Lauder fame); actors Julianne Moore, Mike Myers and
Edward Norton; producer Jerry Bruckheimer and wife
Linda Bruckheimer -- these are a few of Jon's
recognizable clients.
"But
whether you have a rooftop or balcony in the city, a
small backyard in the suburbs, or 100 acres in the
country," he explains, "it's that small
space right outside the back door that everyone uses
the most." Editors and producers of America's
favorite garden publications, and home and garden
programming agree, and look to Jon as a constnt source
of inspiring ideas for readers with diverse backyard
challenges.
Jon
regularly contributes to national garden and lifestyle
publications, contributing to more than 200 feature
stories throughout his career. His garden designs and
editorials have been featured repeatedly in Architectural
Digest, Better Homes & Gardens, Country
Home, Country Living, Garden & Gun,
Garden Rooms, House Beautiful, Martha
Stewart Living, Metropolitan Home, Oprah
at Home, Outdoor Rooms, Renovation Style,
Rodale Organic Gardening, Southern Living
and Town & Country.
Jon's
television career includes appearances on The Style
Channel; The Home and Garden (HGTV) Channel (The
Secret Gardens of New York); ABC's Good Morning
America; and Martha Stewart. In 2004/2005, Jon was
selected by HGTV as a member of HGTV's Trend Advisory
Board designed to direct their future programming.
Jon
has written a wide variety of garden books: First a
Garden (published 2005); Beyond the Windowsill (2007);
Beautiful Gardens of Kentucky (2010); and The
Container Look-Book (2010).
Jon
speaks regularly to garden and landscape enthusiasts
from coast to coast. As a speaker, Jon charms
audiences with his elegant down-home manners, soft
Kentucky accent, and good humor. Jon shares common
sense solutions to some of the most common garden
problems. His spirited presentation leaves guests of
all ages with a can-do spirit.
Jon's
garden designs and installations continue to attract
national attention. In 2005, he partnered with Alice
Waters (owner of Chez Panisse) to recreate on the Mall
in Washington the Edible Schoolyard, a one-acre garden
at the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in
Berkeley, California. This installation was part of
their collective efforts to improve the eating habits
of schoolchildren and promote sustainable agriculture.
In
2009, Jon partnered with 21C Museum/Hotel to design
and install a rooftop garden atop their maiden
Louisville hotel. Conde Nast awarded their efforts as
Louisvill'es 21C Museum Hotel was named best hotel in
the United States in 2009 (#6 in the world). Later
this year, Jon was honored by President Obama and Better
Homes & Gardens, as he was asked to decorate
the Blair House courtyard garden for the holidays. No
other gardener has been so honored in the history of
this institution.
In
2010, Jon was selected by Alltech and the Governor of
Kentucky to design and install the Alltech Experience
and Kentucky Experience gardens, to be featured at the
2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington,
Kentucky. Before 2010, this event had never before
been held outside of Europe.
Jon
grew up on the banks of the Rockcastle River in South
Central Kentucky, in the foothills of the Appalachian
Mountains. It was there he began a love affair with
nature. He attended the University of Kentucky,
graduating in 1986 with a B.A. degree in
communications. He returned to study horticulture,
landscape architecture and art history. Jon is the
owner of the Rockcastle River Trading Company, a
popular home and garden store located on his family's
property in Livingston, Kentucky. The beautiful
gardens, designed by Jon, that surround the Carloftis
home and store have been featured in BMW Magazine,
Country Home, Garden & Gun, Outdoor
Rooms and Southern Living.
In
1988 Jon moved to New York City to start his business.
His first clients were noted art collectors Barbara
and Eugene Schwartz. Word of mouth became his
advertising vehicle, and demand for his services grew.
In 1993, Jon moved to picturesque Bucks County,
Pennsylvania, his current residence. His home and
gardens have appeared in Country Gardens, Country
Living, Garden Design, Martha Stewart
Living, and Metropolitan Home.
Visit
www.joncarloftis.com
for more information.
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