Special Events

2009 SPRING SYMPOSIUM Saturday, February 28, 2009 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Back to Our Roots: The Southern Garden Revisited A Perennial Plant Symposium and Silent Auction Presented by The Atlanta Botanical Garden and The Georgia Perennial Plant Association Held in Day Hall of the Atlanta Botanical Garden Registration fee $67(ABG/GPPA members $57) - Boxed lunch $10 To register by voice mail: (404) 876-5859 ext. 2558 To register by mail, click here to download the registration form. Registration Deadline is February 23, 2009 You can also read about this upcoming GPPA Event at: The Atlanta Botanical Garden Website Gardening in the South rewards the dedicated gardener with year-round satisfaction and beauty. As we seek to conserve resources and tend our gardens more efficiently, we are collectively rediscovering tried and true approaches to design and maintenance, as well as integrating fruits and vegetables with ornamentals. Join the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the Georgia Perennial Plant Association for a day-long exploration of time-tested techniques for creating a bountiful, healthy home garden. Symposium Schedule     8:00 a.m. Check in, Silent Auction bidding begins 9:00 a.m. Opening Remarks 9:15 a.m. Ann Armstrong : Beautiful at All Seasons 9:30 a.m. David Gavagnaro : Fork to Fork: From Garden Fork to Table Fork 11:30 a.m. Chris Wiesinger : Southern Bulbs: Best Investments for Your Garden 12:30 p.m. Lunch and Book Signings 1:15 p.m. Silent Auction bidding closes 1:30 p.m. Stephanie Van Parys : A Return to Healthy Gardens 2:30 p.m. David McMullen : Re-Imagining the Southern Garden 3:30 p.m. Symposium conclude; retrieve Silent Auction merchandise     Silent Auction We have a wonderful assortment of items up for bid at the Silent Auction to be held during our Perennial Plant Symposium. Some of the approximately 80 items are: Weekends at Callaway Gardens New plant introductions and other choice plants Gardening books Planted containers Gift certificates to nurseries, gardening classes, and restaurants Pottery and plaques Flower arrangements Plant installations Pruning services Framed plant photos Garden art A portrait session and painting Tickets to local attractions And much more! So, bring your checkbook or your American Express, Visa, or MasterCard, and be prepared to shop! Here are photos of a few of the many items that will be available: Christine Sibley Pot Two helleborus strains: Left: 'Golden Lotus' (lotus-like double yellow flowered form) Right: 'Carousel' (an anemone-flowered hellebore with a large center "boss" and picoteed petal edges) Two framed enlarged photos: Left: A gazania in a flower box Right: A shot from Penny McHenry's garden Featured Speakers Coming Soon! Beautiful at All Seasons Ann Armstrong learned long ago that gardening in the South was entirely different than her native upstate New York. Elizabeth Lawrence became her mentor, and the author's writings became her bible. Ann is a former garden columnist and well-known lecturer on the Southern gardening circuit. She is editor of Beautiful at All Seasons, a collection of Lawrence's works. Coming Soon! Fork to Fork: From Garden Fork to Table Fork David Cavagnaro is a photographer and gardener whose central focus has always been on nature. His photography is widely published in calendars and magazines, including Audubon, National and International Wildlife, Natural History, Ranger Rick and Life. He is the author of five books about the beauty of the natural world. Coming Soon! Southern Bulbs: Best Investments for Your Garden Chris Wiesinger is the owner of the Southern Bulb Company (SBC), a flower bulb farm in east Texas offering perennial bulbs for warm climates. Most SBC bulbs are time-tested heirlooms once forgotten in the trade and now rescued from old properties destined for development. A New York Times article on his life as a bulb collector and farmer made Chris known nationally as "The Bulb Hunter". Coming Soon! A Return to Healthy Gardens Stephanie Van Parys lives with her family, a dog, a mess of chickens and two rabbits. She gardens in Decatur with an enthusiasm for organic gardening. Stephanie earned a horticulture degree from the University of Georgia, but most of her knowledge comes from growing up gardening with her grandparents and mother. She serves as Executive Director of the Oakhurst Community Garden Project in Decatur and is a contributor to Organic Gardening magazine. Coming Soon! Re-Imagining the Southern Garden David McMullen was named by Elle Décor a "rising star in American garden design" and Garden Design magazine awarded David their prestigious Golden Trowel award. David has created award-winning displays at the Southeastern Flower Show and has designed magnificent gardens throughout Atlanta. He is the owner of New Moon Gardens. To register by voice mail: (404) 876-5859 ext. 2558 Registration is Open for the Symposium