‘Cultivate the Possibilities’ is theme of URI Master Gardener symposium, March 7

Featured speaker to discuss “Gardening as if the World Depends on It”

Todd McLeish

 Martin believes that every decision made as a gardener has a significant impact on birds, insects, deer and other elements of the environment, so she wants gardeners to rethink their gardens and their gardening practices.

That’s why she titled her upcoming presentation at the annual gardening symposium at the University of Rhode Island “Gardening as if the World Depends on It.”

“Every single thing that individual gardeners do has an effect on the world, and it’s very fulfilling,” said Martin, who has been gardening since childhood and is the author of Garden in Every Sense and Season. 

“I’ll be discussing things that I’ve discovered while working on my garden that have a much broader impact than you might imagine.”

The symposium, sponsored by the URI Master Gardener Program and designed for gardeners of all abilities, aims to inspire gardeners to take their gardens to the next level. It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at the URI Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences, 120 Flagg Rd., Kingston campus.

After her presentation, Martin hopes those in attendance will see their garden more like an ecosystem and feel as if they can break out of the traditional garden mold.

“I’m going to ask them to push the refresh button on their whole garden scene,” she said. “Your garden shouldn’t be about what the neighbors think or whether it’s really tidy. I want you to be liberated with your gardening.”

The symposium will also feature a panel discussion, marketplace, educational displays, and two additional featured speakers: award-winning container garden designer Deborah Trickett, whose topic is “Jaw-Dropping, Traffic-Stopping Container Gardens,” and author, designer and horticulturalist Matt Mattus, a former creative director and futurist at toymaker Hasbro, discussing “Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening.”

Registration for the symposium is $65 and includes morning refreshments, lunch and all resources and session materials.

See more information about the symposium at web.uri.edu/mastergardener/symposium or contact URI Cooperative Extension at 401-874-2900 or coopext@uri.edu.