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Arboretum Hosts Top Garden Lecturers at "Speaking of Gardening" Symposium this Fall

"Gardening Opportunities in a Changing Environment" is the topic of this year's "Speaking of Gardening" symposium to be held at The North Carolina Arboretum, September 5 and 6. The program includes two days of garden lectures by five highly regarded garden designers, horticulturists and nurserymen. From various disciplines and experience, the speakers come together to share their perspective and approach to the challenges of weather and climate changes through design, plant selection and maintenance.

Mary Palmer Dargan will discuss "Timeless Landscape Design" and address how to maximize beauty and functionality of the home garden. In another presentation titled "Mountain Chic," Dargan will provide how-to methods for gardeners to rest lightly on the land with innovative water harvesting techniques and low impact paving. Dargan is a principle in the Atlanta-based firm Dargan Landscape Architects and is author of "Timeless Landscape Design: The Four-Part Master Plan." Her projects have appeared in numerous national publications and have been featured on CNN and HGTV.
Ted Stephens will speak about "The Ultimate Consideration: Climate Change" where he examines changes in temperature and rainfall patterns and how they affect gardening. Stephens is the founder of Nurseries Caroliniana, a retail garden center in North Augusta, SC that offers rare and unusual plants.
Jeff Jabco will first discuss history and background of the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania where he has worked since 1990 overseeing the gardeners, the College's 360 acres of property, and the maintenance and development of the plant collections, gardens, and sustainability/green design. He will then present "Gardening and Sustainability: Natural Partners for a Stunning and Environmentally-Responsible Landscape" highlighting projects and ideas that are attainable in the home landscape.
Fairman Jayne will add to the sustainability discussion with his talk titled "Resilient, Adaptable Plants to Nurture our Environment." He will address how plants can broaden the quest for lasting beauty and how they benefit all creatures and our landscape. Fairman is a life-long horticulturist who founded the Sandy Mush Herb Nursery, known for traditional and culinary herbs and scented geraniums.
Rita Randolph will present "Containers The Smart Way" where she promotes container gardening as the ultimate in water efficiency while using exciting colors, textures and forms to create long lasting tabletop centerpieces, large plantings and urns, and more. Randolph is a container gardening connoisseur, life-long horticulturist, international speaker and photographer, and has been featured in several national magazines for her exceptional flair and creativity.

The program fee is $98 for Arboretum Society Members and $114 for the general public. The fee includes seven lectures, plant giveaway, reference notebook, two lunches and snacks. Space is limited; pre-registration and pre-payment is required. To pre-register or for a detailed event schedule, call the Arboretum at 828-665-2492 (x317) or visit "Adult Education Programs" at www.ncarboretum.org.

The mission of The North Carolina Arboretum is to cultivate connections between people and plants.

The North Carolina Arboretum is located in Asheville, NC, next to the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance ramp at Milepost 393, 2 miles south of Exit 2 (Highway 191/Brevard Road) off I-26. Arboretum grounds are open 7 days a week, except Christmas Day. Property hours are 8 AM to 7 PM, November-March and 8 AM to 9 PM, April-October. The Visitor Education Center is open Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, and on Sundays from Noon to 5 PM. Parking Fees: $6 per personal motor vehicle, $25 commercial vans and $45 tour buses. No parking fee applies for NC Arboretum Society members. All day Tuesday, parking is free for all visitors. For more information call 828-665-2492 or visit their website at www.ncarboretum.org.

(Images provided by the NC Arboretum)