…but tho’ an old man, I am but a young gardener– Thomas Jefferson
Nestled in the foothills of the majestic Blue Ridge, historic Charlottesville is a vibrant city filled with charm and quaint beauty. In the surrounding countryside Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe cultivated the land as they built a new nation. Farmsteads and vineyards are lush, and gardens are beautiful and plentiful. May is the ideal time to visit these gardens at the height of bloom and seasonal interest.
The Tradition Continues
Larry and Lee Newlin invite you to the gardens of Charlottesville and its idyllic countryside. The Newlins were original planners and sponsors of these tours with Howard and Gloria Covington, founding publishers of Carolina Gardener Magazine. When the Covingtons retired last year, they asked the Newlins to take over the symposium and tour. Last year’s participants at the Raleigh symposium were enthusiastic about the prospects of keeping this tradition alive and pointed towards Charlottesville as our next destination – a great choice for avid gardeners wanting to enjoy an extended weekend immersed in beauty and history.
This year's symposium and garden tour includes these new features:
*A group travel option for those wanting to enjoy the convenience of modern motorcoach travel.
*A pre-tour option on Jefferson Thursday to the University of Virginia Pavilion Gardens, Monticello, and Jefferson Vineyards.
*A group breakfast and garden talk at the host hotel on Friday.
*More time on Friday to enjoy inspirational private gardens.
Speakers
Don Haynie
Our wonderful friend Don Haynie of Buffalo Springs Herb Farm will present a slide lecture on “Texture: Fabric of the Garden”. A floral designer for 25 years and a teacher of floral design, Don with Tom Hamlin restored a 1790's farm that they named Buffalo Springs Herb Farm located in Raphine, VA. They presented workshops, led garden walks of their herbal theme gardens, offered homemade herbal luncheons and afternoon teas, and ran a wonderful gift shop. Don is a nationally acclaimed speaker and has written several books including The Seasons of Advent: Herbal Symbolism, Projects, Garden Designs and Recipes. Don is at his best when teaching about herbs and gardens with enthusiasm, incredible humor, and inspiration. What you will appreciate most is that Don truly loves what he does.
To read more about Don Haynie, please visit www.hgtv.com/decorating/easy-to-make-holiday-wreath/index.html.
Pam Beck
Pam Beck, garden author, lecturer, photographer, teacher, and writer as well as our dear friend, returns by popular demand to present “Le Quatrro Stagioni ... Four Seasons”. Her slide presentation will show ways to create a harmonious garden that is beautiful, sustainable, and enjoyable throughout the year.
Pam, who will also serve as our ebullient bus captain with husband Mike again this year, wrote for Carolina Gardener Magazine for over 16 years and is co-author of Best Garden Plants for North Carolina. She is a recipient of the Silver Trowel Award for garden magazine writing from the Garden Writers of America, the national organization she helped host this year as 700 members gathered in Raleigh enjoyed garden visits and talks.
Pam currently serves on the Board of Advisors of the J C Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, North Carolina and is a local garden scout and stylist for Better Homes & Gardens Magazine.
To read more about Pam Beck, please visit www.pambeckgardens.com.
Lee Newlin
Lee Newlin, organic kitchen gardener, garden tour leader and culinary educator of healthy cooking classes, will present "Great Potager Gardens”. Lee’s own kitchen garden in Greensboro has received hundreds of visitors, but she is still gleaning creative ideas from garden tours she has helped to lead with husband, Larry, to England, New England, the Pacific Northwest, and the Philadelphia Brandywine area. What Lee loves most is creating and sharing delicious meals from her own garden which improve health and help fight disease. Edible landscaping is the hottest trend in gardening, and designers and gardeners are developing aesthetically beautiful ways to showcase vegetables, fruit, and herb plantings.
Lee hosted "How Does Your Garden Grow" on WGHP-TV a few years back and has shared recipes and growing tips in Carolina Gardener Magazine articles. She is in the process of writing her first book focusing on her passion in bringing to others this connection of delicious, healthy cooking and great health. Visit her new web site for more information.
To read more about Lee Newlin, please visit www.LeeNewlin.com.
The Gardens
One of the private garden highlights will be a tour of Whilton, a great example of America’s most impressive gardens. The gardens are the creation of the current owner, who serves on the Board of The Garden Conservancy. The gardens surrounding the 1914 home are a series of color themes – yellow, blue, orange, apricot, and silver in the style of 20th Century English gardens. The house gardens also include a cutting garden and a conifer collection. The extensive grounds include an arboretum featuring over 180 varieties of Japanese Maples. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the gardens feature over 100,000 plants. Whilton has also been featured in British House and Gardens and Southern Accents and is rarely open to visitors except avid gardeners.
The historic hills and valleys of Albemarle County are filled with beautiful farms and vineyards and some of the South’s most impressive estate gardens. We will visit some of the area’s most beautiful country gardens, which for the most part, have been designed, planted, and maintained by their owners. These gardens present an array of garden design and themes – boxwood parterre, cutting garden, vegetable garden, woodland garden, circle garden, heirloom apple orchard, succulent garden, and water garden.
On Saturday we will enjoy a shopping spree at the area’s favorite garden center, Ivy Nursery.
Hotel
Charlottesville’s Doubletree Hotel is a AAA three diamond rated hotel conveniently located off U.S. 29 north of downtown. Please make your reservations early as rooms and rates are limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Call the hotel directly at (434) 973-2121 to reserve your room(s). Symposium room rates are $119 plus tax for single or double occupancy rooms.
The Doubletree features 235 guest rooms, an indoor swimming pool and fitness center, complimentary wireless Internet service, TJ’s Tavern, and complimentary parking. The hotel is well situated for any additional sightseeing you would like to enjoy with the Shenandoah National Park nearby as well as Presidential homes, museums, and vineyards. Take a virtual tour www.charlottesville.doubletree.com and click on Tour Hotel.
Pre-Tour Option and Group Travel
We are adding the option of meeting a Holiday Tours motorcoach at their headquarters in Randleman, NC outside of Greensboro for a ride to and from the symposium host hotel. Travel time by car to Charlottesville from each of the major cities in NC (Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro) is from four to five hours, while your auto drive time to Holiday Tours is 20 to 90 minutes. The minimum participation is 20 for group travel, and the maximum is 45. The coach will leave Holiday Tours at noon on Wednesday, May 26th, and your auto will be secure in their parking lot during the duration. The coach will depart on Saturday afternoon following the last garden visit to return to Holiday Tours parking that evening.
The Pre-Tour begins on Thursday, May 27th at the University of Virginia Pavilion Gardens which were envisioned by Jefferson as part of his Academical Village at his beloved university. Head gardener, John Sauer, will be our guide through historic gardens of the campus as well as cutting-edge, sustainable gardens. Peggy Cornett, Curator of Plants at the Jefferson Center for the Study of Historic Plants will be our guide through the gardens of Jefferson's amazing Monticello.
Weekend at a glance
Friday, May 28th
7:00-8:15 am Breakfast -- Registration opens
8:15 Lee Newlin on "Great Kitchen Gardens"
9:15-4:30 Private garden tours and lunch
6:00 pm Reception
6:30 pm Dinner followed by Don Haynie on "Texture"
Saturday, May 29th
7:00-8:15 am Breakfast
8:15 am Pam Beck on “Four Seasons”
10 am - 4 pm Garden tours and lunch
Registration
- Registration fee is $369.00 per person and must be paid in full by May 7th, 2010.
- Full registration payment is due by May 7th, 2010.
TO REGISTER:
- To pay by credit card (MasterCard and Visa accepted):
- Register by phone at 336.288.1314
- Download the registration form and mail to Garden Discoveries, 1910 Strathmore Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410.
- To pay by check:
- Download the registration form and mail to Garden Discoveries, 1910 Strathmore Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410.