The Gardening in the Valley Educational Symposium will be March 11, 2023. Proceeds from the symposium benefit the NSVMGA Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Symposium 2022 Sponsors and Donors
Follow the link above to see a list of the sponsors and donors in 2022.
Topics and speakers for the 2022 Gardening in the Valley Symposium were:
Attracting Beneficial Pollinators Throughout the Seasons, Carrie Whitacre, Assistant Curator, Herbaceous Gardens, Blandy Experimental Farm, State Arboretum of Virginia—The different areas of the magnificent Blandy Farm provides space for native plants, meadow gardens, and gardens along the ponds to entice pollinating insects and wildlife while incorporating trees planted at the arboretum over decades. Whitacre will present ideas home gardeners can use to attract beneficial insects to their gardens.
Reclamation of a Quarry, Bernice Thieblot—This speaker, from Schuyler County, Virginia, will take you through the process of reclaiming 40 acres that included an old mining quarry, streams and woodlands. The area has been reborn into an environmentally friendly garden enclave. She will share how, with many years of hard work, she and her husband changed the man-made environment back into a beautiful garden and wildlife area.
Educational Public Gardens, Perry Matthewes, Deputy Director Museum Operations and Director of Gardens, Museum of the Shenandoah Valley—Matthewes oversees a historic garden area and develops new areas of the Educational Public Garden at the museum. His talk will focus on how his planning and gardening must align with goals of the original owners and how, as caretaker of the grounds, he must ensure continued growth and sustainability.
Role of Natural Remedies in Pet Health Care, Dr. Wendell Combest, Adjunct Professor of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Shenandoah University—Often, “plant lists for pets” focus on what is hazardous and toxic to pets making pet owners wary of having plants in their homes. Combest will talk about medicinal plants, herbs, and other plants that have a positive effect on animals.
Contact us with any questions.
