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The mission of the Botanic Garden of Smith College is to foster education about the science, beauty, and importance of the plant kingdom through the use of outdoor and conservatory plant collections, gardens, displays, and exhibitions, and to preserve and maintain the historic Olmsted campus landscape.
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Connecting Natural and Human Worlds through Smith’s Mum Show and the Dream of the Red Chamber
Intro | Student Videos
Students in EAL 231: The Culture of the Lyric in Traditional China connect the natural world with human imagination through chrysanthemums, a signature flower for the autumn season in Chinese culture and literature. For their project, each student selected a poem from "Dream of the Red Chamber", composed by Cao Xueqin. Through the poem and the chrysanthemum of their choice, each student investigates how plant characteristics and growth habit contributes to multiple symbolic meanings in literary works, cultural significance, and philosophical traditions.
According to the college's policy in response to COVID-19, all buildings are closed to the public until further notice. Outdoor gardens and arboretum are open daily. Masks are mandatory on campus. No public restrooms available.
Please visit the Smith College COVID-19 page for current information.
Spotlight
Students connect the natural world with human imagination.
Students in EAL 231 The Culture of the Lyric in Traditional China were asked to choose one of 12 poems from Dream of the Red Chamber, composed by Cao Xuegin, and to select a chrysanthemum from past mum shows which they felt embodied the poem. Through the production of short videos, they analyze how the combination of mythical, philosophical, and cultural tradition shapes and reshapes the creation and interpretation of lyric expression, and in turn, how these poems influence and transform the philosophical and cultural tradition.
