Master Gardeners Symposium

Natchitoches Parish Master Gardeners Hold Annual Garden Symposium
 
For those of you who are hungry for a gardening event that will be informative and entertaining, then mark your calendar for March 31, 2012.  The Natchitoches Parish Master Gardeners are hosting their 6^th Annual Natchitoches Noisette Garden Symposium.
The theme of this year’s event is “The Right Plant in the Right Place”.  The first of our featured speakers is Dr. Bobby Fletcher who is the Southeast Regional Director of the LSUAG Center and Assistant Director of Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.  He holds a B.S. in Agribusiness from Southeastern Louisiana University and an M.S. in Vocational Education with minor in Horticulture from LSU.  He holds a Ph.D. in Human Resource Education with a minor in horticulture from LSU.  He is the Louisiana Yards & Neighborhoods program coordinator specializing in lawn and turf management and environmental horticulture programming.  Information presented will enable participants to plant the right plant in the right place.
The next speaker is Mark Carpenter, owner of The Lily Farm located between Nacogdoches and Center, Texas.  This is one of the largest and well known daylily farms in the USA.  With over 15 years of experience, Mark specializes in hybridizing full formed diploid and tetroploid daylilies.  He has lectured widely and will relate the story of how he became owner of the world renowned Daylily Farm and provide information on the latest daylily advancements to apply in your garden.
Our third speaker is Dr. Dave Creech, professor of Horticulture at Stephen F. Austin University since 1978.  He is currently Director of the SFA Mast Arboretum, the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden and the SFA Pineywood’s Native Plant Center, affiliated with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.  He received a B.S. and Ph.D. in Horticulture from Texas A&M and a M.S. in horticulture from Colorado State University.  Dr. Creech is a well known speaker who has authored numerous scholarly and trade articles and lectures widely.  He will tell us of the 50 plants you shouldn’t live without!
The event will be held at the Natchitoches Events Center, Saturday, March 31, with registration at 8:30 am.  There will be morning refreshments, lunch, silent auction, a raffle, book and plant sales, gardening-related vendors and three wonderful programs.
Seating is limited to 200 and there will be no ticket sales at the door.  Pre-registration is needed.  Admission is $30.00.  To pre-register, mail your checks payable to Natchitoches Parish Master Gardeners  to Ruth Anderson, P.O. Box 1358, Natchitoches, Louisiana 71458.  For additional information, call 318 354-2102 or Marilyn Laramy at 318 581-2273.
randm1959@suddenlink.net.