Flower, grass and tree experts will teach classes at Central Virginia Community College on March 14. The event, a new extension program called Green Conference, is open to the public.
Participants will gather in CVCC’s Merritt Hall to view some commercial exhibits set up by local retailers at 9 a.m. The rest of the day’s schedule:
10 a.m. New and Underused Perennials for the Landscape. Paul Westervelt. This self-described “plant freak” will share his passion for perennial flowers and enthusiastic opinions about what works and what does not in our region. He is a Virginia Tech graduate currently employed by Saunders Bros. Orchard and Nursery.
11 a.m. New and Old Annual Friends to Cultivate in Your Garden. Elissa Steeves. She is a retired horticulture teacher and Virginia Tech graduate, who has had her gardens featured in Southern Living magazine.
1 p.m. Grass is Green. Dr. Mike Goatley. He will discuss lawn care, along with the role of turfgrass in improving and protecting the environment. Goatley is a professor of turfgrass science at Virginia Tech, the creator of www.vtturf.com and author of books on sports field maintenance.
2 p.m. A Talk and Walk with Jay. Dr. Jay Stipes. This retired Virginia Tech professor of tree pathology will discuss tree health care and some of his more famous patients. His lecture will be followed by a walking tour of the trees on campus. Stipes is known worldwide for his work in control of Dutch elm disease.
Conference registration is $20 before March 11, and $25 at the door on March 14. Please make checks payable to VCE-Lynchburg, and mail them to Green Conference c/o Lynchburg Extension Office, 301 Grove St., Lynchburg, VA 24501. Lunch and refreshments are included.
If you have a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate, please contact the extension office at (434) 455-3740 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. within five business days of the activity.
So noted
St. Patrick’s Day is a popular time in our area to plant Irish potatoes, and that is less than a month away. You begin with “certified” seed potatoes, which are certified to be free of viruses and are sold strictly for planting. They grow better than the potatoes you get at the grocery store.
A warming up period with 65- to 70-degree temperatures for two to three weeks is recommended to make seed potatoes sprout rapidly after planting. Kennebec and Yukon Gold are among the varieties, which produce well around here.
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