Gardening with Hydrangeas

Gardening with Hydrangeas:

The Alabama Hydrangea Society 2013 Symposium

What to do on a warm day in early summer? How about a fun day of learning and celebrating our southern passion for hydrangeas! The Alabama Hydrangea Society will host a symposium about our beloved and versatile plant on Thursday, June 6, at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens from 8:30 until 3:30.

Tara Dillard, Atlanta-based designer, speaker, and author, will guide us in using hydrangeas in our landscapes and she will also surprise us with a special talk about the secret things the bees and their friends are up to!

Dr. Warner Orozco-Obando, from the University of Florida, will speak on re-flowering hydrangea cultivars and share new and exciting topics in plant research.

Fred Spicer, director of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, will discuss some of the more uncommon species in Birmingham Botanical Gardens' collections. Species that have proven very suitable for central Alabama, including shrub and climbing types, will be presented along with cultural information to aid in your gardening success.

We will end the day with short tours of the gardens highlighting the hydrangeas and/or the three beehives that reside above the Bruno Vegetable Garden.

Registration ($60.00) includes five lectures, a box lunch, a tour of the gardens, door prize drawings and a fun day spent with fellow gardeners at all levels of experience. Go to www.alabamahydrangeasociety.org for more details. To register, download and print your registration and lunch preference form. After completing the form, please mail, with your check, to the address provided on the form. You can also review and/or print a symposium brochure with more details on each presenter and a schedule of the day’s topics.