Dale Harvey

Dale Harvey

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John Newton

 

International Environmental Consultant, Writer, Photographer, Lecturer, Television and Radio Presenter, Community Development Officer, Gardener

Dale Harvey is an International Environmental Consultant, Journalist, Television and Radio Presenter, Public Speaker, Photographer, Garden and Landscape Expert, Social scientist and Community Development Officer.
 
Dale Harvey is well known as a Presenter for the highly successful garden and environmental show Living Earth on TV3. For a decade he was also the Host and Presenter for the Art of Gardening and Joy of Gardening on Auckland’s Radio I plus Environmental Watch on Radio Pacific. For the next five years he hosted and wrote The National Garden Show for Radio Pacific, The Power of Free Speech.
 
During this time Dale wrote spectacular weekly garden features for New Zealand Women's Day magazine (Australian Consolidated Press) that were among the most widely read in the country. Dale wrote the feature copy for publication also designed and grew the gardens and plants he then photographed, researched and documented them all for his media work. Dale wrote three editions of the Yates New Zealand Garden Handbook that sold out. His photography and consultancy was a major contribution to the books Fragrant Garden and Colour In Your Garden published by ACP international.

Mr. Harvey’s diverse and fascinating botanical career inspired and guided the botanical progress of New Zealand. For his contribution to botanical knowledge, the people affectionately honored him at the Christchurch Gardenz Garden Festival with the title, ‘Gardening Guru’ of New Zealand. Soon afterward, Christchurch was awarded the international prestigious title as the World's Number One Garden City. While New Zealand became known as 'New Zealand, Godzone Garden Country' and then moved onward to expand this beautiful, magical amd mystical reputation.  Today environmental and garden tourism to New Zealand has become one of the top sources of revenue and best reasons to visit here. Gardening has become the top leisure pastime and botanical/horticultural commerce is a major monetary resource for the country.

Singaporeans respect Dale as a botanical resident who researched tropical plants while visiting his Family in the city. Dale's enthusiastic and innovative environmental / tourism consultations enhanced the focus of Singapore's environment / tourism plans and projects that ultimately did transformed Singapore into the image of a true 'Garden City'. Today Singapore has expanded greatly in many remarkable directions that have continued to embraced the theme of beautification with an exotic botanical theme.

He frequented Singapore because his father, Gilman Clifton. Harvey, was a Vice President for General Electric Corporation,  who was managing the Electronic Component Plant based there. The contributions of G.E. in Singapore profoundly uplifted the entire standard of living for the Country. Their innovative products were instrumental in the success of NASA, and the development of advanced jet engine technology that today allows us to fly anywhere in the world. G.E. Singapore technology produced many products that helped propel our World into the  Computer Information Age. This provided Dale with rare opportunities to become knowledgeable in a diverse range of exotic gardening practices; experience and interact with diverse cultures; gain a keen understanding of creative international corporate affairs; witness first-hand the advancement of technology and perhaps most importantly embrace an awareness of how to transform dreams into practical reality.
 
   
The Japanese Government remembers Harvey for his years of service to Premier Ohira’s Bunkacho, Japan Cultural Agency administered through the International House of Japan as an International Garden Artist, Environmental Craftsman and Botanical and International Environmental Consultant 1979-1981. This was an esteemed Full Fellowship position awarded to a single top individual demonstrating outstanding excellence in their field. The Fellowship was a united grant from the Japan-United States Friendship Commission; National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C. and the Bunkacho, Tokyo, Japan. This included a year of cultural and language training so that Harvey could most  successfully interact with top Artists, Craftpersons, Business and Community Leaders plus Government Dignitaries and Officials he would meet while working in Japan. Once Harvey became established in Japan, he influenced Japanese Leadership and the Public as much as they enlightened him. This resulted in a  mixing of Asian and Western botanical concepts and garden practices that produced a unique new garden style. The concept was introduced to a broad audience of Leaders and Professionals at a special lecture presentation held at the International House of Japan Lecture Hall. It was widely acclaimed. The Asahi Shimbun, Japan's most esteemed newspaper, praised Harvey as the 'John Lennon of Plants'. The news of this exciting  gardening concept quickly spread.  Soon this  became the basis for the ‘green revolution’ which is presently transforming Japanese garden culture today. Mr. Dale Harvey became legendary. Japanese Gardeners, Government and Media officials and Personalities still follow his progress to this day. A few years ago a delegation flew from Japan especially to consult and visit Harvey in his "New Zealand Paradise Gardens".

Harvey was a frequent Botanical Consultant for the New Zealand Consulate in Tokyo helping to develop and plan their gardens.  Dale also was an active Botanical Consultant for the Australian Embassy. They had an impressive and large acreage of gardens on the Emassy grounds. While overseeing Japanese Arborists working to save a grove of heritage Zelkova trees in the gardens, Harvey discovered a partially buried marker stone and remants of an ancient buried garden on the Embassy grounds. It turned out to mark the actual birthplace of fabled Japanese Leader and Warrior Tsuna. This was a significant discovery that meant the Australian Embassy Gardens were of great historical importance enough to become a candidate as a National Treasure of Japan! And the Australian Government owned the site! Harveys's reputation spread!
 
Dale was invited by Ambassador Menadue and his Staff to become a "life-long" permanent resident of Australia for his contributions to the Embassy in Tokyo. The Australian Embassy was extremely helpful  and supportive to guide Harvey's move to a city of his choiice where he could help develop the Greening Australia programme. He took up their kind offer and moved to Melbourne, Victoria in March 1981. Very quickly Harvey began working with a highly creative and sophisticated team of Business Leaders to develop a commercially driven botanical educational nursery in one of Australia's most affluent communities. Soon Australians in Melbourne began to recognize Dale for his award winning retail garden centre, Toorak Jungles.. Toorak Jungles was created as an education showpiece with design assistance from Designer Mr. John Newton assisted by a special team of Botanical Professionals. The goal of the nursery was commercially driven with a focus to help inspire the earliest developments and community support for the Greening Australia Programme. The nursery was based on a large gravel car yard at the busy intersection of Toorak and Malvern Roads opposite the imposing Malvern Town Hall. This made it easy to alter spectacular botanical displays on a weekly basis to reflect seasonal changes. By the end of each week almost all of the displays were completely sold and new ones installed. People could actually buy a complete display or any part of one to suit their personal garden and landscape situation. The changing displays inspired much greater botanical appreciaion and interest plus uplifted the botanical knowledge of the Community which then also supported the Greening Australia programmes. Harvey was a strong advocate for gardening in schools as a most effective way to transform the Nation. School groups frequently toured the nursery and many went on to garden themselves. Today most schools in Australia are actively involved in greening their country and the world. Dale also introduced Australians to Asian botanical traditions through informative garden tours of Japan sponsored by Qantas and ANZ Bank..

During his fascinating career as an International Environmental Consultant, Dale has advised people of many nations, races, creeds, of all social classes from many walks of life. He has developed innovative community and school garden projects to uplift the health and quality of life for disadvantaged communities. He has been a consultant for government Consulates and Embassies. He has created spectacular gardens for business and private estates. He once advised H.RH. Charles, Prince of Wales in the development of his environmental projects and wildflower fields.
 
Dale is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, one of America’s leading schools of horticulture, where he completed a Double Masters Degree in Sociology (Community Development) and also in Education. Shortly after this he developed his innovative “Flower Power” projects that inspired the development of the modem-day community garden movement that has now blossomed into over 100,000 community gardens in the U.S.A. and Canada. Today community and school garden projects are fast becoming a standard requirement toward creating better, happier and healthier people, reducng crime and vandalism plus unifyng neighbourhoods
 
Awards for this botanical effort include: a USA National Garden Bureau Award for horticultural excellence; the 4-H Community Service Award; an International Citizenship Award for Cultural Integrity from Washington, D.C.; plus a U.SA National Parks and Recreation Award. Later Harvey also received a full fellowship from the Japan-United States Friendship Commission/National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C. as an International Garden Artist, Environmental Craftsman and Botanical Consultant based in Tokyo, Japan. More recently Harvey received an Environmental Initiates Fund Award from the Auckland Regional Council/New Zealand Government for Botanical Community Projects as well as 30 awards in arts, horticulture, music and sciences. His experience in horticulture alone spans 60 years and 16 countries.
 
Dale Harvey is American born, and has Permanent Resident status in Australia where he still maintains family and business interests. Harvey also lived in Japan and Singapore for extended periods and for the last 33 years has lived in Auckland, New Zealand, the Ancestral homeland of his Mother' Family.
 
Dale’s New Zealand connection dates from the mid 1800s. In 1864 his Grandmother Lascelles early ancestors moved from the United Kingdom to Christchurch. Later generations in her branch of the Lascelles Family helped settle Napier, Hastings, Thames and Otahuhu as they pushed steadily north. Grandfather Hughes side of the Family also moved from the U.K. a little earlier than his Grandmother's Family. They settled in Auckland shortly after it was founded in the 1840s where they built a general store on what would later be known as Shortland Street. Directly behind the Hughes General Store was where Arthur Yates would later build his first seed business in 1883  that faced onto Quay Street. Dale and Yates remain close friends to the present day. Later the Hughes Family built a home upon Mount Eden that is today a central part of Mercy Hopsital. Dale' Grandfather, Reverend Hebert B. Hughes was a noted Minister who developed churches in several New Zealand towns. His final church before retiring to his South Auckland orchard was Saint Anfrews Presbyterian Church in Otahuhu.

During the years surrounding World War II, when New Zealand underwent economic hardship, Rev. Hughes elected to suspend tithing within his church for those who were financially unable to contribute. Instead he offered the option for parishoners to substitute tithing for time spent working the land in Rev. Hughes orchard. In return, they could take whatever they produced on the land to feed their families and support the Church and their Otahuhu Community. The idea was a great success and largely contributed to the development of Otahuhu. Because there were no buildings on the orchard site, as the need arose, the Parishoners first built a work shed on the site; then a garage, toilet and washrooms and later a small sleep-out.
 
His grandparents, Rev. H.B. Hughes and wife Ruby Lascelles retired from St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Otahuhu to their South Auckland market garden district homestead in 1947. There they added to the original builds to create a modest homestead. This is the home of today’s famous Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens that Dale and John Newton developed.
 
During World War II Dale’s mother, Faith, met her Massachusetts-born husband-to-be Serviceman, Gilman Harvey in Auckland where they courted. After the war, the young couple immigrated to the USA where Dale was born. Dale, the first of four children, became a Kiwi-American hybrid like the hybrid flowers Dale loves to grow. The new family then returned to his Grandparents South Auckland orchard homestead.
 
Dale was deeply affected by his early “inspiring” garden experiences in New Zealand which were enriched and persistently cultivated well into his adult life by his Grandparents and Parents. These profoundly shaped the direction of his life.  Later, his family returned to the USA for Dale’s formal education. But these memories dramatically shaped his botanical and environmental perspective and future development as he kept in close contact with his New Zealand Family and their current affairs.
 
Dale returned to assume residence in his Grandparents South Auckland, New Zealand homestead in July, 1984 when the sudden death of his Aunt Beth left his Grandparent’s property vacant. As oldest Son, Dale assumed responsibility for maintaining the Family connection and the homestead.
 
With the help of his Australian Partner, International Designer, John Newton, the homestead was redeveloped into what would later be known as the ‘Quarter Acre Paradise’ Gardens, a working urban homestead  that often featured on his television programs, book and magazine features plus on their colourful and informative Websites and Face Book pages.
 
Today the Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens are a local landmark. They create a magical garden setting for charity events, seasonal garden shows, special functions plus wedding parties visited by a variety of local tour groups and international guests. The gardens have expanded to include the neighbor’s gardens built over more than 50 years by Braun and Joan Johnson. Now the gardens feature large conservatories, interconnecting covered walkways and shelters leading to many different themed garden rooms. Garden displays are meant to inspire ‘backyard’ Gardens how to create a lot by spending just a little and using their own skill and knowledge to inexpensively create a lot more. While other specially designed shows feature up to 100,000 fragrant blooms glowing through more than 100,000 fairy lights. The Quarter Acer Paradise Gardens are a favourite location used as backdrops for advertising and wedding photography.
 
These remarkable gardens have given Dale and John the opportunity to vastly expand their knowledge, understanding and careers in many directions inspiring beautiful botanical photography; very informative and practical garden books, many years of magazine and website articles; practical celestial forecasting (planting by the Moon and constellations); a landscape/nursery business; Garden Consultations; a worldwide Internet Florist Shop; over 25 years of radio and television appearances and shows; and several colourful and highly informative Websites plus Face Book pages, the most recent www.daleharvey.com .

In the late 1990’s Mr. Harvey and Mr. Newton solicited the assistance of the New Zealand Charities Commission, Inland Revenue, New Zealand Government, New Zealand Police, the local School System and Social Services Organizations, several creative Business Accountants and caring local Business Owners. Together they all have unite in an effort to educate, inspire and uplift the lives of as many people as possible to overcome the devastating effects of environmental misunderstanding and poverty in their communities.

Together they established THE H.O.P.E. TRUST (Healing of Planet Earth) TRUST. THE H.O.P.E. TRUST became a Registered Charitable Trust in 2000 overseen by the New Zealand Charities Commission. THE H.O.P.E. TRUST is authorized “to collect funds and to solicit receive enlist and accept financial and other aid subscriptions donations and bequests from individuals trust companies associations organization societies institutions local public bodies Government Departments and other organizations or authorities, and to conduct fund raising campaigns.”

THE H.O.P.E. TRUST is designed as a vehicle by which donations can be returned most effectively to provide assistance, education and support to promote environmental appreciation and awareness; uplift communities, private individuals, schools and special interest groups. Occasionally special grants are provided by sponsor’s donations to assist the development of Special Achievers.

This is accomplished for Global and local Communities through the botanical education gardening website www.daleharvey.com . The wonderful world of Nature embraces the entire World and all its’ People. Caring properly for the Natural World that supports and surrounds us insures a better quality of life for all People, now and for Future Generations. This website strongly embraces this understanding.

www.daleharvey.com  actively promotes gardening as a means to achieve that result. www.daleharvey.com  provides accurate botanical, environmental and gardening information to all interested people who would like to botanically and environmentally improve and uplift their communities and personal quality of life and the world around them through gardening. A botanically caring and informed World soon becomes a beautiful, bountiful, peaceful, productive and united World.

THE H.O.P.E. TRUST promotes knowledge as the power to change and uplift lives. Funds donated to the Trust often are used to contribute more information and knowledge to be uploaded to the www.daleharvey.com website so that an ever-expanding audience of people can learn even more to increase their appreciation of our Natural World and their proficiency as Gardeners. Sometimes special donations are used to support community (garden) projects designed to illustrate how to make this happen; research into ways to best overcome the devastating effects of poverty in the community; and spiritual development with a ‘green’ theme meant to broaden environmental appreciation, insight and understanding. All these aspirations are focused to create greater and sustained community and individual advancement which will heal and improve our local environment and ultimately our world. THE H.O.P.E TRUST has proven to be a remarkable success story in improving the lives of the surrounding community; reducing crime and inspiring a ‘green revolution’ both within New Zealand and in many other locations around the World.  Their efforts have been rewarded with two coveted Environmental Initiative Awards for community service.

The H.O.P.E. TRUST works toward continuing the advancement and appreciation of botanical beautification and knowledge plus enhancement of a clean, green image of New Zealand as well as uplifting the quality of our environment all around our World.

Most of these objectives are achieved through the Botanical Educational Website:
www.daleharvey.com
 
To learn more about The H.O.P.E. Trust or to donate to this worthy cause please click here.

In 2004-2005, Mr. Harvey with assistance from Mr. Newton were commissioned  to create, design, implement and plan a massive botanical forest park and lakeside garden for a large events/function center and hunting lodge in Central Wisconsin. USA. They even assisted and trained the existing lodge staff with limited botanical knowledge how to successfully plant and maintain their botanical gardens. Many thousands of ornamental specimens were planted successfully in just 6 weeks and ahead of deadline! Today the gardens are still being maintained by the same staff and have already become a tourist destination and major commercial asset for the lodge and the greater regional community.
 
In late August 2008 The Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens hosted the special Yates 125th Anniversary Luncheon attended by delegates, dignitaries and celebrities from throughout New Zealand and Australia. Yates International is the finest, largest and oldest Botanical and Garden Corporation in the Southern Hemisphere and the major sponsor to Dale's highly successful Television series Living Earth. This celebrational event opened their special Spring Show at the Quarter Acre Paradise which continued from September-November 2008. The Spring Show featured thousands of flowering bulbs in spectacular on-going displays enhanced with annual and perennial plantings in their mature garden setting which were seen by many private garden group tours. The year ended with breathtaking Christmas and New Year designer and garden displays especially prepared for numerous private group functions. Group tours continue through 2009 and included the Heroic Garden Festival, March 2009.

The gardens have also featured in the Heroic Garden Festivals held in March 2010 and 2011 plus February 2012 whose charity funds went to supporting Mercy Hospice. The Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens has been a regular feature in all the prestigious Trinity Garden Festivals that helped build the Auckland Cathedral and almost all the 17 years of Heroic Garden Festivals. Throughout those same years, the gardens hosted many guided garden tours, private functions and special events for international and local clubs, commerciall and government organizations.

Mr. Harvey and Mr. Newton are presently collaborating on major improvements intended to significantly uplift their educational website www.daleharvey.com. The aim is to create a comprehensive Gardening Encyclopedia which includes a great deal of accurate, easily understood, informative, practice and reliable botanical, environmental and gardening information in a single website. It is meant to promote appreciation of Nature and gardening and speed the healing of Planet Earth. This includes knowledge gained from hundreds of Artists, Crafts People, Experts, Gardeners, Masters, National Treasures and a variety of Professionals through a life tiem of experience. To save  money and time, the Quarter Acre Paradise gardens are being used as the primary photographic source for  images uploaded into this important website. The purpose of this website is to educate and inspire Gardeners and Nature Lovers about a wide range of botanical, environmental, gardening and nature-related topics. This website features beautiful botanical images plus helpful and interesting garden-related articles. A monthly and weekly Garden Calendar Diary can be downloaded. It is possible to register as a regular subscriber and each month receive a helpful garden newsletter. Many products and services are available for purchase on line. This website should prove highly valuable to many clubs, garden organizations, societies, the Gardening Public and especially schools. Donations are welcomed. All donations are tax-deductable (within New Zealand) and go directly to The H.O.P.E. TRUST which administers the development of these goals and projects. Talented Web Master John Newton also provides beautiful Quarter Acre Paradise Face Book pages that gives Viewers the opportunity to take seasonal visual tours through the Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens and ask garden questions.

Dale Harvey continues to spread his environmental messages and practical, common sense solutions for the benefit of People everywhere. Dale’s life goal has always revolved around doing whatever is necessary to inspire and lead interested and passionate people toward an age of enhanced botanical appreciation and knowledge, in an attempt to bring environmental paradise and peaceful prosperity around the world.

"Just imagine if all 7 billion people on the Planet cared enough that everyone learned how to successfully raise a garden, our world would be almost instantly transformed into a worldwide gardening paradise."

Click Here to see a Full CV including Awards,Educational Background plus Past to Present Professional Positions.
 
 

Thank you for helping save our World !

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Dale Harvey

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John Newton

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