LANCASTER — The Northern Neck Master Gardeners (NNMG) Association will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Gardening in the Northern Neck Seminar (GNN) on April 13. The seminar will be held at Lancaster Elementary School, 191 School Street, Kilmarnock.
The theme will be “Creating Outdoor Spaces—Defining Your Lifestyle.”
“We are proud to be hosting this very popular seminar for 30 successful years, and this year could be the best one yet,” said NNMG president Lynn Osborn. “We have three marvelous speakers who will delight, educate and entertain everyone who attends.”
Speakers will be Mary Palmer Dargan, an award-winning author, professor, botanist and landscape architect with more than 40 years experience; Barbara W. Ellis, freelance writer, editor, lifelong gardener and the author of many gardening books; and Lorrainne Ballato, professional horticulturist and the author of Success with Hydrangeas.
“This year’s program will be packed with just the right information at the right time as we look ahead to the 2024 gardening season,” said GNN chairman Fran Westbrook.
The fee is $50 with the option of a boxed lunch for $20. Payment at the door will be $60. Lunch registration is required by April 3. Proceeds from Gardening in the Northern Neck help fund the NNMG Scholarship program and other educational and outreach projects.
Registration forms are available at www.nnmg.org.
Mary Palmer Dargan
Dargan is chief executive officer of Dargan Landscape Architects Inc. Dargan, with her husband and partner Hugh Dargan, specializes in creating “utopias,” or energized, nourishing stress-free living environments that allow seamless flow between interior and exterior spaces. Their goal is to design places for people to flourish in their home environment.
She will present “Couture Garden Design – May Your Landscape Fit Your Lifestyle Like a Glove.”
Dargen has authored several books including Timeless Landscape Design: The Four Part Master Plan, and has been featured in many publications including Better Homes and Gardens, House Beautiful, and Garden and Gun. She has taught landscape courses at Clemson University, University of South Carolina and College of Charleston and has won numerous awards for her innovative landscape design approach.
Barbara W. Ellis
Ellis, horticulturist and lifelong gardener, will talk on “Fun with Plants: Creating Successful Container and Small-space Gardens for the South.” The author of Container and Small-Space Gardening for the South, Ellis will offer a look at how pots and small plantings make it easy to add flowers, foliage or tasty edibles throughout a property.
She will share creative and practical advice on topics ranging from easy-to-use techniques for building plant combinations and ideas for making low-cost containers from recycled items to keeping maintenance manageable.
Ellis served as publications director at the American Horticultural Society and editor of American Horticulturist, now The American Gardener. She also was managing editor of Garden Books at Rodal Press and a prolific freelance writer.
Lorraine Ballato
Ballato is a self-described plantaholic and hydrangea specialist. She is a professional horticulturist and an instructor at the New York Botanical Garden, where she is regarded as the resident hydrangea expert. Her talk, “Success with Hydrangeas in the Northern Neck,” will affirm that no garden is complete without this queen of American shrubs.
Attendees will learn about hydrangeas, including recent introductions that have hit the market, their proper care and the hardy cultivars that perform well despite over-enthusiastic pruning and finicky weather. They will hear essential growing tips that can make a huge difference in getting the most from hydrangeas.
Success with Hydrangeas – A Gardener’s Guide, written by Ballato, will be available for purchase at the event.
