Dale Harvey CV Summary

Dale Harvey
International Environmental Consultant

Dale Harvey is an International Environmental Consultant, Journalist and Writer, Television and Radio Host and Presenter, Public Speaker, Photographer, Garden and Landscape Expert, Social Scientist and Community Development Officer.

Dale Harvey is Owner of the Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens in South Auckland, New Zealand:
A botanical education garden and international tourist attraction in the traditional market garden district of South Auckland. Site of numerous magazine and television features including T.V.3 Nightline Gardener; Living Earth television series T.V.3 and many network affiliates; CNN World Report; Woman's Day Magazine; ACP Publications, Radio I; Radio Pacific National Garden Show and many more

Dale Harvey carries the title of the ‘Garden Guru of New Zealand'. The Gardening Public of New Zealand affectionately honoured Dale Harvey at the 1990 Gardenz Garden Festival in Christchurch, the Garden City, with this title for his exemplary and inspiring contributions to the community and world at large and his exceptional knowledge and understanding of gardening, Nature and the natural environment. It is a title he cherishes and honors to this day.

Awards and Titles:

Environmental Initiative Fund Award for Community Development, Auckland, New Zealand 2002

Full Fellowship from National Endowment for the Arts united with the US Japan Friendship Commission, Washington, D.C. and Bunkacho (Japan Cultural Agency) Tokyo, Japan. 1979-1981

Environmental Initiative Award for Community and School Environment Development, Auckland Regional Council, Auckland, New Zealand 2002

Cincinnati Institute for the Arts Award, Citizens Committee on Youth, Cincinnati Parks:
Special Grant Recipient for Community Projects: Creative Artist and Craftsman Award Cincinnati, Ohio 1976-1977

4-H Service Award for Community and Youth Development, Cincinnati, Ohio; 1976-1977

International Citizenship Award, for Flower Power Projects, Cincinnati, Ohio 1977

Kentucky State Creative Writing Award, Owensboro, Kentucky 1966.
Organic Gardening and Farming Magazine Award, Magazine Feature Story Writing, Owensboro, Ky.1964-1966

Kentucky State Science Fair Awards Grand Prize Award 1966; Third Prize 1964

First Prize Winner of more than 30 other awards for arts, community development, music and sciences,
Lexington and Owensboro, Kentucky 1964-1976

Certified Water Safety Instructor, American Red Cross since 1964 to present.

Education:

University of Kentucky 1966-1972
Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A.
Bachelor of Arts and Sciences May 1970
Sociology/Psychology/Arts/Social Sciences/Pre-Medical B.A
Master of Arts and Sciences May 1972
Double Major MA Degree: Community Development MA; Education MA

EMPLOYMENT:

Community (Comprehensive) Care Centers
Lexington, Kentucky
April 1972-April 1975
Community Development Officer:
Responsible for delivering outreach community programs, mental health assistance and assessment, counseling and support plus crisis intervention for families, individuals and schools in Lexington-Fayette County.
Major focus: on-going school and youth programs plus outreach Drop-In Centers.

John Sawyer Estate
Indian Hill, Ohio
Gardener Artist in Residence
April 1975 to October 1976
Help develop what was intended to become an elaborate and extensive botanical garden/park and vegetable gardens over a large acreage for the private estate of Mr. & Mrs. John and Ruth Sawyer.
These gardens were meant to enhance the estate grounds as well as uplift the community development and profile of the Village of Indian Hill, Ohio to the east of Cincinnati.
The Sawyers, especially with the guidance of Ruth, graciously opened their home and provided everything that was needed to produce the best gardens possible. They were the most caring, considerate and finest employer that I have ever known. With their encouragement and support, the gardens produced on their property were largely responsible for my future success in all gardening and horticulture projects around the world.
I will always remain in gratitude for the kindness and great opportunities offered by the Sawyers. May they be Eternally Blessed for what they did.

Flower Power Projects
Cincinnati Institute for the Arts;
Citizens Committee on Youth;
Cincinnati City Parks:
Special Grants Recipient for Community Projects
Cincinnati, Ohio
April-November 1975 and March 1976-December 1977
A large collaborative team effort combining Cincinnati Institute for the Arts, Citizen's Committee on Youth, Cincinnati Parks and 4-H Youth Organization.
Create and develop extensive flower and vegetable gardens in Cincinnati Parks and many surrounding vacant lots around the Cincinnati (sub) urban community. Many of these gardens were created through special botanical celebrational events involving many artists, cooks, musicians and hundreds of interested members of the public. They dug and seeded special gardens created in public spaces. Then many weeks later took thousands of seedling plants from these gardens to create more gardens in their home sections and other public spaces that beautified and fed their communities.
The Flower Power garden projects also gainfully employed a large number of at-risk Cincinnati Youth who assisted in maintaining these gardens. These Youth also created many special flower and vegetable gardens of their own that became known as the Urb Growers Projects. These gardens collectively covered more than 44 acres of Public Park and vacant lot spaces. The focus was to educate and employ these urban Youth and give them the opportunity to improve and uplift the quality of life for their Families and themselves within their local urban environment. Collectively known as the 'Flower Power' Projects, this simple and workable community garden model later inspired the development of thousands more similar gardening projects through the U.S.A. and Canada.

Arts Resource Corp (ARC)
A Florida State and USA Federal Grant Position
Saint Petersburg, Florida
January 1978-December 1979
Administrative Cultural Supervisor Grants and Research of ARC Corp
This position involved planning and design working with ARC CEO Mr. Glen Anderson; Council; Local, State and Federal Government and the Mayor, Corinne Freeman (1976-1985) and her Staff; plus supervision of a large staff of creative and highly talented Professionals. ARC’s focus was to develop funding; research resources and writing grants to create and support special art and education programs. These funds and grants produced large public events, like the Main Sail Art & Music Festival; Art & Murals in Public Spaces; Open Classrooms for the Community; Publish Your Own Book and many more efforts that were designed to uplift community development; quality of life; public involvement, pride and spirit for all Residents living in Saint Petersburg and Pinellas County, Florida

International Environmental Craftsman and Consultant
A Full Fellowship Position provided through the united leadership of:
National Endowment for the Arts,
US Japan Friendship Commission,
Washington, D.C.
Bunkacho (Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs)
International House of Japan
Tokyo, Japan
USA Federally Funded Cultural Instruction and Language Training:
April 1979-December 1979
Residence in Japan: December 1979 to March 1981
A cultural exchange intended to inspire productive interaction between Eastern and Western Botanical and Garden Arts styles meant to educate, inspire and uplift the botanical knowledge and environmental development plus enhance the quality of life for the Japanese People. This momentous effort involved extensive interactions and involvement with a wide range of botanical, environmental and Garden Artists, Craftspeople, Experts, Government Officials, Masters and Japanese National Treasure Personalities. The focus was on learning and mastering Japanese arts, crafts and skills from an Asian perspective while also contributing extensive botanical garden arts and crafts expertise plus environmental scientific knowledge from a Western perspective.
The successful culmination of the USJFC/NEA/Bunkacho Fellowship Exchange produced a major presentation given before an audience of Japanese Dignitaries, Garden Masters, Educators, Journalists, National Treasure Personalities and special Gardening People in the Lecture Hall of the International House of Japan.
This introduced a new garden style to the Japanese Public that incorporated the finest concepts of Eastern and Western botanical cultural traditions.
The Asahi Shimbun widely regarded for its journalism as the most respected daily newspaper in Japan, so enthusiastically and positively reacted to this presentation that they labeled Dale Harvey as the “John Lennon of Plants”. This new garden style became an inspirational ‘seed’ that has quickly and most colorfully spread throughout Japan and Asia and is today known as the “Green Revolution”.

Greening Australia and Toorak Jungles Nursery
Melbourne, Malvern-Toorak, Australia
March 1981-May 1984
A special botanical assignment arranged by the Australian Embassy of Japan in Tokyo with the personal assistance of Ambassador Mr. John Menadue.
Dale Harvey was granted Permanent Residency into Australia for his services to Australia while working with the historically significant Australian Embassy Gardens in Tokyo. At the time he was given the understanding that he could come and go as he liked and was encouraged to contribute to the Greening Australia efforts to uplift Australia's environmental profile.
Dale was invited to select an Australian city of his choice to set up an extensive and unique community environmental education programme. This was designed to inspire a greater appreciation, caring and improvement for the natural environment. The target audience was the Australian Public and Schools.
To accomplish this Dale, with assistance from a fine group of Australian Professional Businessmen, set up and managed a unique commercial nursery called Toorak Jungles Nursery which was self-supportive and designed with spectacular display gardens that changed seasonally and were sold off weekly and replaced with a new theme.
Dale also conducted on-going consultations, education, garden class programs for the general public and schools. These were meant to educate and improve their botanical appreciation and knowledge plus uplift the quality of life of the Australian People through botanical and gardening arts and sciences.
The idea was to teach as many people as possible how to garden at home or at their place of business in an on-going and practical manner and thus gain greater appreciation that might motivate them to protect their natural environment. This was meant to produce Public involvement and support for further Greening Australia initiatives.
This ultimately would grow a Generation of caring, nature-loving Australians who would appreciate and improve Australia’s botanical and natural environment and ultimately ‘green’ their country.
Today Australia’s nature environment is much improved. The country supports a wide variety of excellent garden centers and an expanding and successful agricultural, horticultural and nursery trade that services a multitude of avid Gardeners amongst the Australian Public. World class gardens and fabulous garden attractions are now much more commonly found throughout much of the country. Victoria, Australia is known as the 'Garden State'. Melbourne is Australia's 'Garden City' and since 1995 features the Melbourne International Flower Show, amongst the world's finest.

Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens
Vine Street, Mangere East
South Auckland, New Zealand
September 1984 to present
Develop, with the assistance of Partner John Newton, beautiful, elaborate, practical and unique display gardens on the grounds of Dale’s historic Family homestead and orchard in the market garden district of South Auckland. The area had become profoundly disadvantaged so the establishment of this sort of garden project was particularly eventful and significant. The gardens are meant to inspire increased appreciation, knowledge and participation in botanical arts and sciences, especially gardening. The gardens and accompanying conservatories and facilities are used for: charity events; classes; club, group and society functions, meetings and (local, national and international) garden tours; special events and shows; floristry, floral art & design, and commercial floristry business; flower and food production; garden nursery and sales; photography; journalism and professional writing; radio and television presentations and series; anniversaries, birthdays, celebrations, seasonal group functions, weddings and other private functions; and as an inspirational destination and symbol of what botanical and gardens arts can mean to the community and one’s quality of life. The Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens were meant to inspire greater appreciation and participation in gardening to up lift the beautification of New Zealand communities; increase their happiness, health and uplift general quality of life.

Through the years from 1989 onward to the present,
Dale’s involvement with the Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens and his New Zealand Community became the basis for all the following high-points in his career:

Host, Media Personality, Presenter
T.V. 3, Radio I, and Radio Pacific
August 1989 – March 2004 (14 years 8 months) Auckland, New Zealand

Productions included:

Dale Harvey, The Night Line Gardener. T.V. 3: Garden Presenter, Personality & Writer, developed a cult following which resulted in his own television series. 1989-1992

Living Earth, T.V. 3: funded by New Zealand on Air and sponsored by New Zealand’s Number One Garden Company Yates International: Concept Development, Host/Presenter/Personality and Writer with Mark Everton for this top-rated television series. 1991-1993

Gardening with Alice, Radio I: Co-Hosted with Alice Worsley, fully sponsored; top-rated radio program.
1990-1998

Joy of Gardening, Radio I: Hosted and written by Dale; one hour fully sponsored; top-rated radio show.
1990-1998

Art of Gardening, Radio I: fully sponsored by New Zealand’s finest international nursery Duncan & Davies; one hour radio programs hosted and written by Dale, top-rated. 1994-1998

Environmental Watch, Radio Pacific: fully sponsored segment with Pam Corkery; all features presented, researched and presented by Dale; highly rated.1995-1998

The National Garden Show, Radio Pacific: Host, Personality and Writer for Radio Pacific's famous and top-rated talk back national garden show 1998-2004. Dale was honoured with a four hour celebrational presentation ushering in the First Light of the dawning New Millennium 1 January 2000: a most memorable moment.

Woman's Day Magazine, ACP Publications
March 1992 – December 1998 (6 years 10 months) Auckland, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia
Media Personality, Journalist, Photographer, Writer. Designed and grew many of the gardens featured; then photographed them along with thousand of flowers, gardens and plants through several countries over many years; researched and wrote the copy and assisted with lay-out for the very successful feature double-page spread Garden Pages, Woman's Day Magazine. Also contributed numerous garden features to Cleo Magazine 1992-1994 (ACP Magazines). The spectacular Woman’s Day double page garden spreads soon combined with the rise of Lady Diana to push Woman’s Day Magazine to Number One Magazine in New Zealand selling many millions of copies.

Author, Contributor, Garden Writer ACP Magazines and Publications, Sydney, Australia:
Writer for garden books and magazines published by ACP Sydney, Australia
Books: Colour in Your Garden; The Fragrant Garden, Australian Consolidated Press (ACP)
Highly rated and still in print 1994-1996.

Weekend Gardener Magazine (ACP): Editorial conception and early development of this very popular do-it-yourself style gardening magazine; contributed numerous photographs and garden information1996-1998.

Yates New Zealand Gardeners Handbook, MOA Publications: Writer and Garden Personality 1992-1994; sponsored by Yates International and T.V. 3. Dale wrote three editions of this comprehensive, highly informative garden handbook packed full of essential gardening information which came complete with a garden calendar listing essential botanical planting dates. All editions Dales’ Yates Garden Handbooks sold out.

Garden Shows at Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens: 1989 to Present
Dale Harvey & John Newton have consistently created unbelievably spectacular garden feature events and seasonal shows at least several times each year in their South Auckland Homestead gardens. During most years the gardens are open continually for bus, club and private tours. Their efforts have featured in many magazines and television features, numerous charity garden festivals and are the focus of garden tours both throughout New Zealand and internationally.

Most notable event features include:

The Great Christmas Light Shows, 1989-to present
Brilliant and spectacular shows featuring more than 100,000 flowers twinkling through over 100,000 lights; continual choirs & music; delicious barbecues and Grandmas’ finest Christmas food treats; up to 12 sparkling and spectacular Christmas trees towering to 12-15ft/3.6-4.5m feature against a glitteringly background of brilliantly decked halls in high conservatories sparkling with fairy lights; amazing raffle prizes; more than 100,000 fairy lights set amongst nearly an acre of flowering gardens, shrubs and trees creates a magical ‘glow worm’ fantasy effect. Open to the Public for several weeks, 1990-2006; privately for special groups to the present day.

Child Cancer Great Christmas Shows, 1990-2005
Amazing charity events entertaining up to 720 Children and their Families effected by (terminal) cancer. The Quarter Acre Paradise gardens were transformed into ‘glow worm’ fantasy Christmas Gardens; includes visits from Santa & his Elves plus Fairies & Godmother (Star Ship Hospital Doctors and Nurses in disguise) with everyone receiving an impressive personally-named gift plus abundance of delicious Christmas food treats; fully sponsored mostly by the world’s largest toy company, Mattel.

Garden Romance Evenings, 1992-1998
Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens featuring remarkable High and Late Summer glorious and fragrant floral displays. The Gardens were transformed for the weeks around Valentine’s Day into a beautiful, romantic, sparkling indoor/outdoor garden cafe venue for Lovers of all ages; fully catered with continuous live music.

Spring Garden Shows, 1988-present date
Highly attended shows featuring mass displays of beautiful and fragrant Spring flowers. These spectacular shows start in late winter (August) and continue to December each year. Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens glows with thousands of delicate and often vivid spring flowers in outdoor beds which compliment more protected conservatory displays. The Gardens are famous for pre-season 'forced' Hyacinths, Narcissus and Tulips which are a specialty allowing the seasonal display season to be greatly extended.

Yates 125 Year Anniversary Celebration Gala, August 2008
Yates International held their fully catered and entertained 125 Year Anniversary Celebrational Gala event in these spectacular gardens. They chose the spectacular Spring Show period to host this international event attended by almost all of Yates top Administration, Celebrities, Dignitaries, Media and many Garden Personalities. Yates International is a long-time Sponsor and supporter of Dale Harvey and the Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens.

Summer Garden Shows, 1988-present date
This is one of the busiest seasons for group bus tours and International Tourist Groups. The longest of all seasonal displays. The Summer displays at the Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens feature the peak of High Spring displays transforming into the glories of Early Summer and Christmas displays. The heat of Mid Summer brings out remarkable subtropical blooms, drifts of Lilies and sweeps of glowing colour and fragrance. While Late Summer’s vivid sunset tones merge into Autumnal displays with great mounds of colour and fragrance at their peak. These gardens have gained great notoriety and have featured widely. NHK Japanese National Television referred to them as the “new green technology...’leading the green revolution.” A consortium of special united Pacific Island Elders and Leaders once came together to Blessed these gardens as “The Kingdom of Heaven returned”.

Autumn Garden Festivals, 1988-present date
Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens finishes their public display season with the glowing warmth of sunset-shaded gardens highlighted with autumnal ornamental foliage from deciduous trees and the first flush of winter flowers. These gardens feature a most unique local seasonal event known as the ‘Fifth Season’ where flowers of all four traditional seasons bloom simultaneously within a backdrop of vivid autumn foliage to create a brief but memorable ‘Fifth Season. This is followed by delicate displays of cool season flowers that continue in the large conservatories, covered shelters and sunny corners outdoors all Winter.

Trinity Garden Festival, 2000-2003
The Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens was honoured to be asked to participate and created most spectacular displays to enhance all three years of New Zealand’s largest charity and most prestigious garden festival. These brilliant garden show events raised sufficient funds to build the Auckland Cathedral in Parnell.

Heroic Garden Festival, 1997-2013
The Gardens and/or their Owners have participated in each of these most worthwhile charity events raising money first for the care of those battling AIDS and then raising funds in support of Mercy Hospice. Each year the Quarter Acre Paradise Gardens attracted well over 1,000 entrants who also bought a significant number of items with the funds supporting the Charity.

Environmental Initiative Fund Award for Community Development, 2002
Dale Harvey received a special award from the Auckland Regional Council for his personal development, participation, planning and service to the community of his Te Reo Maori Sutton Park School Projects and garden projects in other nearby schools and the surrounding highly disadvantaged neighborhoods. Simultaneously in tandem, Sutton Park School was granted a matching ARC grant to boost the funds received to an appropriately substantial award.
The projects started in Spring 1998 and continuing through 2004. Dale created a cooperative plan where dumped seedlings from New Zealand’ largest wholesale nursery were recycled through the community and schools to create great areas of beautiful flowers and food. For no charge or remuneration Dale personally rescued more than 25,000 boxes (1,500,000 seedlings!) that he hand-carried, a box or two at a time, often walking a considerable distance through the nursery and loaded them all into his van. He then distributed them to target schools, community and neighborhood gardens throughout the area. Sometimes he would Bless unsuspecting private Garden owners who were either needy or who had created beautiful gardens in spite of economic hardship with a free van load of beautiful mature seedlings and healthy vegetable plants as an incentive and reward for their efforts. Soon there were hundreds of gardens collectively making a noticeable contribution to the beautification and spirit of these neighborhoods.
Dale taught everyone involved from neighbors, school children, teachers and the elderly how to care-for and grow successfully what they had been given. He spent many hours each day involved in his passionate garden teaching. As a consequence of Dale’s actions, crime, tagging, vandalism and violence almost disappeared during that time in the gardening communities and schools; neighborhood beautification, involvement and quality of life profoundly increased. Almost every child involved in the school garden projects grew up to be well-adjusted and successful.
Today the garden projects at Sutton Park School and similar project in the area are permanently supported by the New Zealand Police and receive substantial sponsorship from Pacific Steel, a Fletcher Challenge Company. Dale conceived, created, directed, organized and taught all these projects throughout this period without remuneration.

Neighborhood Watch Coordinator, Vine Street, 1984-present
In response to the on-going community crisis which arose and eventually flooded and surrounded Dale’s peaceful Family heritage homestead, Dale took assertive action by becoming the Coordinator of the Vine Street Neighborhood Watch. This became essential in order to counteract the growing problem of crime, especially home thefts and violent crimes to neighbors as well as within the Family as well as the fencing of stolen goods and dangerous drug distribution. For a while it was necessary to set up a vigilante group of men to patrol the streets and intercept criminals that were slipping under the Police network but were easily spotted within the community.
Today the neighborhood has its own Mangere East Neighborhood Policing Team. Crime, tagging and violence have most considerably subsided.

Police Managers Guild Trust, 2009-to present
Board Member Mangere East Police Safety Panel 2012 to present
As a consequence of the success of Dale and his Community Helpers both at Sutton Park School and the surrounding Communities, Dale was invited to become a Member of the Police Managers Guild Trust and more recently was invited by the New Zealand Police to become a Board Member of the specially elected Mangere East Neighborhood Police Safety Panel.

www.daleharvey.com 2003 to present:
A botanical website dedicated to gardening. The website focuses on botanical education and gardening information; community, global and individual environmental issues; inspirational and spiritual development; research and vivid photographs all meant to uplift individual and community advancement, appreciation and caring of the Earth and the amazing world(s) around us.
Through over 60 years of nearly continuous botanical and gardening experiences, Dale has been gaining insights and learning from a great number of seasoned Gardeners, Botanical Masters and National Treasure Personalities and Nature itself. This learning and experiences have taken Dale through many different climates and countries. A common thread running throughout all of these teachings, insights and inspirations is a haunting realization: almost all of these great Botanical Master Minds felt that much of their knowledge and understanding would die with them and be lost to Humankind.
In response to this insight, throughout his career, Dale wrote down everything that all the other Great Minds and Nature taught him. He always accepted less money on his business contracts with the agreement that he owned copyright of what he produced. Dale figured that in order for him to remain employed, his Employer would expect the very best performance. And in every instance that is exactly what Dale produced: Number One, top-rated, sell-out success in his performances, photographs, research and writing. And Dale owns all the materials: many decades of knowledge and manuscripts.
Now with the assistance of highly creative Designer and Web Master, John Newton, they are collaborating to upload all this invaluable botanical and garden information to their botanical educational website www.daleharvey.com

Over time this will become the focus of a large website Garden Encyclopedia and comprehensive botanical/environmental information resource available to the World Community.

Garden Guide and Garden Consultant 2015 to present:
Employed by Dulux Australia tonrepresent long-time sponsors Yates New Zealand and Bunnings Warehouse to provide relevant botanical, environmental and gardening information to the General Public and Gardening Community.

Mr. Harvey's passion is giving back all the vast body of knowledge that he has learned in his lifetime through observation and interactions with Nature and mentoring from many great Garden Masters who have taught him throughout his lifetime. While most of them have passed on, by freely giving this information to others and uploading their knowledge onto this website, everything they learned and taught him that made them so great and special lives on through all others who are willing to access this website and gain this knowledge for themselves.

"Imagine if all 7 billion Human Beings cared enough to learn how to successfully grow a garden. Our World would be almost instantly transformed!"

Like a sprouting seed, may the knowledge from www.daleharvey.com grow through learning to create a beautiful, bountiful, botanically caring Generation that greatly improves their lives. May they in turn pass on this knowledge as their gift so that future Generations reap bountiful harvests and ultimately become a 'greener' world.

Dale Harvey CV Summary

Dale Harvey
International Environmental Consultant

About us

Media & Publications

Awards & Credits

Contact Us

Dale Harvey International Environmental Consultant

Dale Harvey
International Environmental Consultant