A poet of the Harlem Renaissance, Anne Spencer was also an avid gardener who received creative inspiration and rejuvenating energy from her garden. What most would consider an ordinary plot of land in an urban setting, Spencer regarded as a natural extension of her artistic endeavors.

This episode explores in detail how Spencer designed her garden and how in turn it influenced the themes and language of her poetry. It also depicts the rich social and cultural life that centered in her garden, which served as an outdoor gathering place for family, neighbors, and visitors to the Spencer household.

Host Rebecca Frischkorn discusses the main features of Spencer's garden and recounts its use as a salon for major figures of the Harlem Renaissance, such as W.E.B. DuBois, James Weldon Johnson, Langston Hughes, and Paul Robeson. In this episode, Ms. Frischkorn is joined by several distinguished African-American poets and scholars who comment on the relationship between Spencer's garden and her poetry and discuss her achievements in the context of the Harlem Renaissance. The original score was composed by African American composer and performer Adrienne Penebre.