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In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the Mountain Ivy Garden Club is hosting “Prelude to Spring: a Garden Symposium,” on March 19 at St. James Episcopal Church, on 260 Warwoman Rd., in Clayton.
The event is from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m. with registration at 8 a.m.
Tickets, which will be sold in advance, are $50 per person and include lunch. For ticket information, contact Bess at 706-491-5577.
The day-long event will feature expert speakers, demonstrations and a variety of garden- related vendors and activities.
Garden presentations will include How To Plant a Cutting Garden by Victoria Carver, Rabun County resident and owner of Firmly Rooted Flower Farm.
Tori is well-known for her fresh cut flowers and bouquets, especially her tulips and dahlias, which are available for purchase seasonally in boutiques and shops in the Clayton area.
Also on the program is Adam Bigelow, noted botanist and horticulturist, who will share his expertise on native plants.
Bigelow, a resident of Cullowhee, N.C., has been studying plants and wildflowers of Appalachia for more than 20 years. He is the proprietor of Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions, an ecotour business that leads interpretive plant walks in Western North Carolina.
Dr. Laura Nye, Georgia agriculture and natural resources extension agent for Athens Clarke County, will speak about the importance of pollinators in the garden and how to cultivate and attract them to your garden and landscape.
Master gardener and Mountain Ivy Garden Club member, Gail Bell, will present Container Gardening — Thinking Outside the Box.
A passionate gardener and lecturer, with 25 years experience in landscape and floral design, Gail will demonstrate how easy, fun and gratifying it is to create your own containers.
The Club’s first-ever symposium, the event is dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Carol Watts Reeves. Joining Mountain Ivy Garden Club in 1997, Mrs. Reeves was a passionate gardener and a devoted member of the club as well as well as an iconic businesswoman and advocate for the Rock House and Gardens.
Upon her death the garden club received numerous donations at the request of her family, which helped enable the club to stage this event.
For tickets, contact Bess at 706-491-5577 or visit us on Facebook at Mountain Ivy Garden Club.