Gardening in the Era of Climate Change? I'm There!

Suffering from a bad case of winter garden-deprivation and hankering to hang out with some of the coolest hort people in the U.S., I'll be trucking down to Richmond for an awesome-looking event.  Y'all come, too!

WHAT:  "Gardening in the Era of Climate Change" Symposium.  Here's the agenda [pdf].

WHO: 

• Rant Contributor/lively speaker Allan Armitage on the confusing landscape of consumer preferences and industry trends
• Outrageous garden writer/photographer/raconteur Felder Rushing on how to get more people hooked on gardening and the current challenges facing gardeners and pros
• Lots more experts on soil, urban trees, living roofs, woody landscape plants, natural hydrology, etc.  Great stuff for gardeners and geeks alike.

WHEN:  Feb 4-6 (I'll be there Feb 4 and 5)

WHERE:  Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, VA

COST:  Only $40/day - a bargain.

A WHOLE YEAR OF THIS STUFF
And to celebrate their 25th year, look what else they have coming up this year:

• In February, Urban Trees
• In April, No  Child Left Inside
• In August, Urban Gardening for Health and Wholeness
• In October, Sustainable Design

WHAT ELSE, NEAR YOU?
Public gardens and Master Gardener groups everywhere are offering terrific events teaching good gardening to beginners and old hands alike, and I want to help fill 'em up.  Send me links to winter educational opportunities and I'll post 'em here on the Rant.

Comments

[Linda Brazill]

Susan — Is there a way to contact you that's not tiger mail?

For those who live in the upper midwest:

OLbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wi is offering a great one-day symposium since Hort magazine cancelled the one they usually host here. The "Midwest Gardening Symposium: Incredible, Edible Gardens" will feature Fritz Haeg of Attack on the Front Lawn among the presenters. It's on Feb. 19. Visit olbrich.org for details.

[Susan Harris]

Linda, what's tiger mail? I'd email you directly if you'd left an address.

[chuck b.]

The winter symposium at the San Francisco Botanical Garden is Water-Wise Gardening which sounds terribly dull and uninspired to me. And it's expensive. They're going through a rough patch over there, and I might go anyway because I like all the speakers.

http://www.sfbotanicalgardensociety.org/sfbgs_course_template.cfm?s=4909

Much snappier and cheaper, a few blocks away at the Garden for the Environment they have this for $15:

HERBAL MEDICINE-MAKING FOR WINTER HEALTH
"Are you tired of that runny nose and sore throat? Do you want to feel empowered around your own health this year? In this workshop you will learn how to create two simple herbal remedies for the common winter bug. We will be making one herbal vinegar and one herbal infused honey for cold care. We will talk about the basic actions of the plants we use and how they work in combination. You will leave with a jar of each remedy for your medicine cabinet, plus handouts with copies of the recipes. This workshop is open to all levels of experience."

and

I HEART FRUIT TREES a Valentines’s Day Workshop
GROW APPLES, PEARS and PLUMS in SAN FRANCISCO

"WE HEART FRUIT TREES! Learn the basics of organic fruit tree care for apples, pears and plums in this workshop diving into the world of fruit trees and organic fruit tree care. You will learn the basics of fruit tree planting, irrigation, fertility, pest management, and winter pruning with Orchard Keepers, ecological fruit tree experts. This workshop will cover both pome fruits and stone fruits (apples and plums) and will discuss apples, pears and plums best suited for San Francisco." ($10)

http://www.gardenfortheenvironment.org/pages/calendar.html

[Jessica]

What a bummer! Feb. 6 is the only day I could make it, and the agenda doesn't look nearly as interesting that day. Thanks for posting this, though ... I always thirst for garden-related learning opportunities in the winter.

Linda, I wish I lived closer to Olbrich. I visited over the summer and it was amazing!

[commonweeder]

Here in the Berkshires in Mass. the Berkshire Botanical Garden (www.Berkshirebotanical.org) in Stockbridge has a whole roster of great lectures and workshops including the famed Daniel J. Hinkley on Sat, Feb 14 talking about Plants for your 21st Century Garden. Only $35 for a 2 hour lecture.Many other programs - organic vegetable; perennials; small fruit and berry; pruning; hardscaping and info about a Horticulture Certificate program.

[Susan Cohan]

Next week at the Morris Arboretum PA: Native Design-Exploding into the Mainstream http://snipurl.com/8mosn

[Vicki]

Ken Druse will be giving his first talk based on his newest book, Planthropology at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, NJ on Jan 22 (snow day Jan 29)
http://www.arboretumfriends.org

[Elizabeth]

I WISH I had a great Buffalo event to announce. As it is, Tracy Sabato-Aust is coming this month, but it is for the landscape association members only. Our garden show never brings in speakers (just local vendors) and is seemingly unaware of the sustainability movement. We are having a Field to Fork conference in February, about the local food movement.

[greg draiss]

Cooking and gardening classes Jan and Feb at Adams Fairacre Farms

http://adamsfarms.com/events.htm

Al seminars are FREE!

Happy Gardening New Year!

The TROLL

[Jer]

Anyone near Pittsburgh might want to check out the Phipps Conservatory 2009 Western PA Gardening & Landscaping Symposium at Chatham University featuring, among others, Tracy DiSabato-Ausk talking about high impact low care garden plants. Also, talks on Green Roofs by Dr. Robert Berghage, and Water Sustainability by Marcus de la Fleur. This has become an eagerly awaited affair, a true harbinger of spring in this area. And by March 14, people in this area are in severe cabin fever, believe me. More info at www.phipps.conservatory.org

[Linda Brazill]

Susan— my blog is eachlittleworld.com and my email is lbrazill@gmail.com.

Thanks.

[Jonah]

Susan,
Thanks again for the mention. I can't wait to meet you.
It is going to really be a wonderful event, and an incredible year as the Garden celebrates its 25th anniversary. The comments above are making me really appreciate that we have such great opportunities here at Lewis Ginter.

[Jon]

Susan, Some helpful hints for gardening in the age of "Climate Change"

Dress warmly, eat well, drink warm liquids (coffee, tea, cocoa). At the first sign of waxy white on any skin get to shelter and warm gradually, if skin has turned markedly white immerse in warm (very mildly warm, 100 degrees F or so). Do not attempt to warm quickly with hot air (fireplace or campfire) or hot water as damage to the flesh will occur. In the case of severe frostbite skin will be deep red or purple. In this case a doctor's care is required.