Gardens & Tonic: Marigolds and Mortality: The Thanabotany of Autumn

The autumn season brings with it a high concentration of holidays, rituals and events connected to death, dying, and the great beyond. Join Cole Imperi , the thanatologist who pioneered the field of thanabotany, for a discussion about thanabotanical plants and this very special time of year. Thanatology is the study of death, dying, grief, and loss; Thanabotany is where all of that intersects with plants.

 Gardens & Tonic is a series of virtual webinars about plant-related topics, including adventures, stories, art, and garden design. Grab your favorite beverage and join us to explore the world of plants from a new perspective. Presentations are generally 30 to 45 minutes long and with time at the end for questions and answers.

Registration is free, but required to receive the Zoom webinar and recording links.

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Program Details

• Registration is free, but required to receive the Zoom webinar and recording links.
• The webinar link will be included in the confirmation email received after registering online.
• This webinar will be recorded and available for 2 weeks after the presentation.
• Recording link will be available 2 days after the webinar.
• Participants must download Zoom.
• Email us  if you have accessibility needs for this program.
• For more information, review our program and event policies or call the Scott Arboretum office at 610-328-8025. 

Help keep these virtual programs free! If you would like to help fund the Gardens & Tonic series, we invite you to donate online or with a check for your desired amount to: the Associates of the Scott Arboretum with a note on the memo line “For G&T series.” Thank you!

About the Presenter 

Cole Imperi is an author, speaker, triple-certified thanatologist, and founder of the School of American Thanatology. She has been described as one of America’s leading experts on death, dying and grief. 

She is best known for her work pioneering the fields of Thanabotany™ and Deathwork™ (which includes Death Companioning) and through her development of Shadowloss™, Shadowlight™ and Dremains™. Cole is the founder of the School of American Thanatology, which has students from 29 countries across 21 timezones. 

Cole has worked as a chaplain-thanatologist in one of America’s 25 largest jails, mortuary college professor, crematory operator, hospice volunteer, grief support group leader for children as young as 3 to adults, and served on the board of a green burial startup. She traveled the US and Canada for 5 years training funeral directors, and co-founded a deathcare startup.

Cole served as Board President of a historic cemetery and arboretum, works with death-related businesses through her consulting firm, Doth, and publishes death and loss-related resources. 

Her book, A Guide to Your Grief, will be published by Kids Can Press in September 2024.