Saturday, January 19, 2008
Fire yourself up for summer gardens
Libba Wolfe
Libba Wolfe's column appears twice monthly in Extra.
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If you're feeling a little dull -- and who doesn't when it's 25 degrees -- there's nothing like a room full of chattering garden nuts getting a head start on the season. New ideas flying, boasts about rare plants, tips on plant sources -- FUN.
The Winter-Spring Seminar Series at Virginia Tech offers all that and expert advice from well-known gardeners, writers and photographers. I promise you, whether you're just beginning to garden or you have years of experience, you'll take home buckets of new ideas. Call some friends and make a day of it -- lunch, tour the Hahn Horticulture Garden and scope out all the plant stores you have time for. You'll be fired up and ready for the first vaguely warm day.
The folks at Tech have invited speakers we are lucky to be able to hear and question. The topics are timely and relevant.
Water is becoming an issue of increasing concern. Many areas of the Southeast are still on water restrictions and if we have another dry summer we could be in the same fix. Even without a drought, growing populations mean that per-household allocations of water for personal and yard use may become stricter. Why not make plant material choices that don't bring garden agony in August?
On Feb. 9, Mark Weathington, assistant director of the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., will give us some ideas on "Tough Plants for Tough Times." Although he will present ways to use agaves and yuccas in the home garden, he's not advocating a desert landscape of cacti. He'll have a list of old and new perennials, shrubs and trees if you're looking for plants that will thrive in our clay soil through a long, hot summer. He'll share tips from his experience in achieving colorful, lush borders with smart planting and efficient watering.
Details: Saturday, Feb. 9, 10 a.m. to noon. Fralin Auditorium. $20 general public, free to Friends of the Garden members.
We've all had experience with misguided, misinformed pruning -- shrubs that don't bloom, stumpy, skimpy trees, and foundation plantings that never look like what we had in mind. Eric Weisman, an ISA-certified arborist, knows the scoop on when to prune and how. I know you have to start with very sharp clippers. After that ... well, I'll be taking lots of notes.
Details: Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m. to noon, Fralin Auditorium. $20 general public, $15 garden members.
I've enjoyed Pam Baggett's articles in Horticulture magazine for years. I can't wait to meet her when she speaks on tropical plants for temperate gardens. You know how a big clump of black elephant ears can punch up a blah border. Pam's going to show us how to bring the razzle-dazzle color and texture of the tropics to our backyards. And don't forget, these are plants that love high humidity and heat.
Details: Thursday, March 27, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Fralin Auditorium. $20 general public, $15 garden members.
I learned one of my most valuable garden lessons from my husband and, trust me on this, he's no gardener. His close-up shots last spring of a columbine bloom stopped me cold. His photographs focus on the tiny details of buds, the delicate shades of color and the intricate textures and patterns of foliage that are easy to miss in the hustle of yard work. Stopping to pay attention is something everybody needs to pay attention to. Photographers know how to do it.
Even if you've never gotten your hands dirty and don't have any plans to, you will enjoy Robert MacDuffie's workshop on digital horticulture photography. He'll help sharpen your compositional eye and technique. Bring your camera because you'll be taking photos and critiquing them. He even has tips for improving your shots in Photoshop.
Details: Saturday, April 12, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Peggy Lee Hahn Garden Pavilion. $25 general public, $20 garden members. Fee includes light lunch. Must preregister, class limited to 30 participants.
Native plants are a big buzz subject in the garden world. But just because a plant thrives in the woods in our area doesn't mean it'll be a snap to grow in the back yard. William Cullina, the director of horticultural research at the New England Wildflower Society, will visit Tech in May to talk about how to nurture lovely, slow-growing woodland wildflowers in our gardens. You won't want to miss this nationally known expert.
Details: Thursday, May 1, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Fralin Auditorium. $20 general public, $15 garden members
Directions, maps, details, preregistration for all the lectures are at www.hort.vt.edu/hhg or call (540) 231-5970. See you there!
