25th Southern Gardening Symposium
Get some inspiration for next season’s “dream garden” at the 25th annual Southern Gardening Symposium, one of the nation’s premier gardening events at beautiful Callaway Gardens®.
Make your plans to attend this January 28-30 symposium where you can listen and learn about gardening from an outstanding group of experts. Designed for novice to expert gardeners, this jam-packed schedule includes lectures, presentations and demonstrations. Though content-rich, this event provides the unique opportunity for personal interaction with the speakers throughout the weekend. Some of the outstanding speakers slated for the 2011 SGS include Michael Dirr, legendary horticulturist and hydrangea expert will speak on “Thirty years of gardening in Georgia: The great woody shrubs and trees that have successfully traveled the garden path and those yet to come”; Kari Whitley, with Scout Horticultural Consulting, will speak about the Southern garden; Erin Weston will present “My Path to the Winter Garden”; Joe Lamp’l, a.k.a. “Joe the Gardener”; Bobby Green, owner of Green Nurseries in Fairhope, AL, will discuss new and unusual camellias; and Rick Darke, photographer, lecturer, consultant and author of The Wild Garden: Expanded Edition, will lecture on “The New Wild Garden: Dynamic, Livable, Ecological.”
In addition to these presentations, guests can indulge their passion at the SGS Marketplace offering one-stop shopping for the gardener. You’ll find an assortment of choice plants, many of which are touted by Symposium speakers as the new “must-haves”; a superb book selection including new releases by SGS speakers; and a delightful array of garden ornaments. Garden Delights, top supplier of native azaleas in the U.S., will be offering a selection of southern classic plants. Rocky Branch Garden Center will be selling plants highlighted by SGS speakers. Blooming Idiot will offer a wide selection of herbs, annuals and perennials. Garden Solutions will be selling special seasonal plants. Petals from the Past will have heirloom varieties of favorite fruit trees and flowers as well as the specialty camellias as discussed by Bobby Green.
SGS participants will have an exciting opportunity to participate in both silent and live auctions. The auction items include books and plants recommended by speakers; garden ornaments; botanical artwork by the late-Athos Menaboni; special plants provided by Callaway Gardens’ horticulture department, Hills & Dales Estate and Auburn University; items contributed by Marketplace vendors; and much more.
Preregistration for SGS is required by Friday, January 21, 2011. The program registration fee of $245 includes Friday’s opening reception; Saturday’s continental breakfast, programs with printed materials, box lunch and evening banquet; and Sunday’s continental breakfast and programs with printed materials.
The Southern Gardening Symposium is approved for seven contact hours for Georgia Certified Landscape Professional Continuing Education Units.
Callaway Gardens provides a variety of lodging options for SGS participants. The special rate of $79 per room per night is available in the Mountain Creek Inn® (based on double occupancy). This rate includes admission to Callaway Gardens per night of stay and day of departure. Nestled in the trees, the spacious Cottages and Villas are available for the choosing. Those looking to pamper themselves will love the luxury Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens.
Early–bird Specials! There are two great offers for those who register by October 31st, 2010:
1) Registration: Receive $25 off the program registration fee.
2) Lodging: Receive the second night FREE when reserving the special SGS lodging rate of $125* per room in Mountain Creek® Inn.
For further information about SGS or to request a brochure, contact the Education Department at 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292), 706-663-5153 or education@callawaygardens.org.
Callaway Gardens®, is in Pine Mountain, Ga., 60 minutes southwest of Atlanta and 30 minutes north of Columbus. For additional information, call 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292) or visit www.callawaygardens.com.
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