Early-bird pricing ends Feb. 9
Those who are already thinking about
– and looking forward to – the spring gardening season should consider getting
a gardening motivation boost by attending the annual gardening symposium
presented by the University of Rhode Island Master Gardener Program.
The symposium, open to gardeners of
all levels, will feature keynote speakers, Q&A sessions, and a variety of
educational displays, all focused on the theme of “Creating a Resilient
Garden.”
It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 3 at the URI Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences in Kingston.
It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 3 at the URI Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences in Kingston.
Those registering by Feb. 9 receive
the early-bird price of $65, after which the price rises to $75. A limited
number of scholarships to the program are also available to those who apply by
Feb. 9.
Featured speakers at the symposium
are:
C. Colston Burrell, a garden designer, photographer and author of 12 gardening books who gardens on 10 wild acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. He will speak on “Beauty, Integrity, Resilience: Can a Garden Have Everything,” which will focus on garden sustainability, aesthetics and ecosystem functioning.
C. Colston Burrell, a garden designer, photographer and author of 12 gardening books who gardens on 10 wild acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. He will speak on “Beauty, Integrity, Resilience: Can a Garden Have Everything,” which will focus on garden sustainability, aesthetics and ecosystem functioning.
Linda Fleming, who has gardened in
Connecticut, Oklahoma and Utah, will discuss “Bloom Where You are Planted: A
Medley of Herbal Ideas.” She will share lessons about herb garden design, seed
starting, seed saving, growing, propagation and harvesting, including a
hands-on lesson about herbal vinegars.
Jeff Gilman, director of the
botanical gardens at the University of North Carolina/Charlotte, who has spent
most of his career investigating the techniques people have used to grow plants
and control pests. His topic, “The Truth About Garden Remedies,” will examine
the most common “cabinet cures” for what ails your garden – from beer
fertilizer to baking soda for plant diseases – and which work and which do not.
For more information about the
symposium, visit web.uri.edu/mastergardener/symposium or contact URI
Cooperative Extension at 401-874-2900 or coopext@uri.edu.