PEOPLE, PLANTS, AND THE ART OF THE GARDEN

LISLE, IL (February 2, 2010) - Imagine a legendary artist, perhaps Monet, designing your garden. What incredible beauty would result!

Now, The Morton Arboretum hosts the 17th annual Midwest Gardening Symposium highlighting People, Plants, and the Art of the Garden, March 5-7.

"This year's theme focuses more on the garden as an artistic expression of the owner," says Karla Lynch, Arboretum Manager of Horticulture Education, "how to set up your space and select appropriate plants that support the flow of the garden."

The symposium features 20 presentations by national and local experts.

Landscape designer and author Gordon Hayward, Friday's opening speaker, presents "Art as Inspiration for Garden Design." He will show how to celebrate the visual language garden designers share with painters and artists such as Cezanne, Monet, and Matisse. Learn how, by looking at fine paintings, people can choose their garden style and take home a new understanding of how to bring it all together.

In "Let Art Inspire Your Garden: A Tour and Workshop," visit the Chicago Art Institute with Hayward to observe paintings that illustrate the principles of art composition. Then leave downtown via train and return to the Arboretum for a guided walk and slide presentation that illustrates the design concepts from artwork observed.

Wisconsin nurseryman, poet and plant propagator, Mike Yanny shows Saturday's attendees how to have fun discovering the latest tree and shrub selections in "Great Woody Plants for Discerning Gardeners." Always on the lookout for natives and exotic plants that can bring something new and special to a landscape, Yanny will share his observations and recommendations for plants that can fill important niches in today's smaller and more sustainable gardens.

New this year, the gardening symposium is customizable to the needs of the gardener. Now, there are more sessions than ever before, allowing all levels of gardeners to learn about design, garden care, plant selection or a little of all!

In other presentations:

Landscape designer Andrea Green introduces ways to create a rain garden that is beautifully unified with a more traditional and managed garden style. Abbie Rea, Arboretum Assistant Manager of Horticulture, will help participants gain a better understanding of certain plants' design characteristics in "Creating Beautiful Borders," while Research Librarian Rita Hassert teams up with landscape designer, Laverne Bohlin to lead a unique design adventure during "Garden History and Style: An Overview in Books and Pictures." Donna Danielson, Plant Clinic Assistant, will provide a list of do's and don'ts with "Plants You Love to Hate - A Plant Clinic Perspective."

Arboretum Head of Collections and Curator Kunso Kim delivers a talk on his favorite selections from the Dwarf Conifer Collection. Kris Bachtell, Vice President of Collections and Facilities, glimpses the future in looking at trees and other plants in the trade or under evaluation through Chicagoland Grows, a unique partnership involving the Arboretum and others that introduces regionally appropriate plant cultivars.

Finally, an expert panel of Arboretum horticulturists and growers will share their garden wisdom. And the symposium's organizer, Karla Lynch, will lead a "Behind the Scenes Tour of the Chicago Flower and Garden Show."

Register for one or two days of educational sessions and/or Sunday's tour and workshop. Costs range from $85-$256 depending on day, presentation and tour. To register or for more information, please call 630-719-2468 or visit the Arboretum's website at www.mortonarb.org under "Education/Adult Programs."

The Morton Arboretum is a world-renowned leader in tree science and education, working to save and plant trees. The 1,700-acre outdoor museum features magnificent collections of 4,117 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. Central Time until sunset. The Children's Garden is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., March through October, and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., November through February. Visit Press Room at www.mortonarb.org, call to learn more.

Media Contacts: Gina Tedesco, (office) 630-725-2103, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Allison Phelps, (office) 630-719-5768, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it