It’s The Opening Chorus Of Spring At The Morton Arboretum’s Midwest Gardening Symposium
Work Magic On Your Garden Site With Symposium Tips
LISLE, IL (February 5, 2007) – Let springtime greet you with new ways to create exciting, interesting gardens. Make new friends and learn new techniques during the annual Midwest Gardening Symposium at The Morton Arboretum, March 9-11, at Thornhill Education Center.
The course line-up is carefully crafted to help gardeners “find the meeting point between your preferences, and the possibilities of your site” says Jan Little, Arboretum Assistant Director of Education.
Noted authors and leaders in their fields will bring together a wealth of design, horticulture and garden-building ideas.
One featured lecture, “Specimen Trees To Know and Grow,” will reveal a variety of trees that are less often used, but are reliable performers, and would provide new interest and beauty to your garden. One such tree is Seven-son flower.
“This is one of the latest introductions into this country from China. Although it’s a member of the honeysuckle family, it is a small tree. It produces white fragrant flowers in late August. Within each cluster, flowers appear in whorls - seven flowers apiece, which is how it got its name,” says Kunso Kim, Arboretum Curator of Collections, who will present this lecture.
“Creating Sanctuary In Your Garden,” describes seven practical design elements to create an outdoor space that is honoring of nature, and is peaceful, celebrative and regenerating to the soul.
Often, gardeners imagine what they’d like to change, but don’t know if they’ll like the outcome, once they make changes. In “Visualizing Change in Your Garden or Landscape,” we learn how to try out ideas, without spending the money to do so.
“Rain Gardens” gives us the skills to create beautiful gardens while we help our communities, by conserving rainwater on our own properties.
In “Patio Water Features and Gardens,” we learn to bring greater tranquility to decks or patios by introducing a water feature that fits our lifestyle perfectly. Learn to use water as “white noise” and art as well.
“Gardens in the Spirit of Place” will teach us how to create gardens that are best suited for our garden’s environment: its ecology, topography, climate and the culture and history of the place. Page Dickey, author of the award-winning Breaking Ground: Portraits of Ten Garden Designers, will present this lecture.
In “Ornamental Grasses to Know and Grow,” we learn about the four-season interest of certain grasses, and the lovely “white noise” they can produce.
Back by popular demand is John Ball, Ph.D. from South Dakota State University, who is fun and engaging, according to previous symposium attendees. Dr. Ball will discuss “How Trees Can Affect the Microclimate of Your Garden,” including how trees can affect wind and sun patterns – and reduce your energy bills at the same time.
For Friday and Saturday lectures, fees are $219 ($199 for Arboretum members), and include continental breakfast, lunch, afternoon break refreshments, and all presentation handouts.
For either a Friday or a Saturday lecture series, fees are $123 ($113 for Arboretum members), and include continental breakfast, lunch, afternoon break refreshments, and all presentation handouts.
The Friday, 5:30 p.m. Garden Gourmet Dinner Option is $59 ($55 for Arboretum members), and includes a four-course meal and beverage.
On Sunday, March 11, the Arboretum will host a bus tour to Garfield Park Conservatory. Fee is $69 ($59 for Arboretum members).
Fees for Sunday workshops that correspond with lectures are:
- Visualizing Changes to a Garden or Landscape: $109 ($89 for Arboretum members)
- Personal Considerations in Creating a Garden or Outdoor Sanctuary: $59 ($48 for Arboretum members)
- Practical Rain Gardens: $59 ($48 for Arboretum members)
The Midwest Gardening Symposium is presented by the Arboretum and Fine Gardening magazine. To register, either call 630/719-2468, or visit this website.
The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized 1,700-acre outdoor museum with collections of more than 4,057 kinds of trees, shrubs, and other plants from around the world. The Arboretum's beautiful natural landscapes, gardens, research and education programs, and year-round family activities support its mission – the planting and conservation of trees and other plants for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world. Conveniently located at I-88 and Rte. 53 in Lisle, Illinois, the Arboretum is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or sunset, whichever is earlier, Central Time. The Children's Garden is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CDT) and 9:30 to 4 p.m. (CST). Visit www.mortonarb.org or call 630/968-0074 to learn more.
Media Contacts: Gina Tedesco, 630-725-2103,
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Marty Cusack, 630-719-5768,
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