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New Jersey Flower & Garden Show Press

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Stop Dreaming of Summer - Sit in on Garden Seminars.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Fresh inspiration, new ideas and a hint of spring – there’s no better cure for the winter doldrums. That’s exactly what’s on tap when “Gardeners Go to School” in the springtime surroundings of New Jersey’s premier flower show.

An all-new program of talks and demonstrations is scheduled at the 8th Annual New Jersey Flower and Garden Show, running Feb. 18 – 21 at the New Jersey Convention Center in Edison. Baffled by lawn care? New to vegetable gardening? Need tips on battling the bugs? You’ll find the answers in nearly 30 free sessions led by top garden experts.

Designed to entertain as well as educate, these lively “classes” give gardeners a leg up on the new growing season. The show offers two ways to learn something new: In the lecture hall, in-depth talks explore topics in full detail; on the show floor, the “Bouquet of the Day” presents quick takes on gardening trends and techniques.

A new highlight of the “Bouquet” series is the daily Container Challenge, modeled after the popular Iron Chef competitions. Watch as two talented designers go trowel-to-trowel, whipping up tasty gardens-in-a-pot from the same collection of plant ingredients. The host of the match shares tips for effective container planting while the contestants work their magic. And the audience gets the last word by choosing the winner of each designer showdown -- cheering encouraged!

“Gardeners Go to School” proudly presents a faculty drawn from distinguished horticultural circles. Included are authors, TV show hosts and experts from such highly regarded institutions as the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the U.S. National Arboretum.
Mel Bartholomew, creator of the “Square Foot Gardening” method, and New Jersey native Ken Druse, author of 17 gardening volumes, are headliners this year.

Speakers’ biographies and a complete schedule of talks are posted at njflowershow.com. Here’s a preview of the curriculum:

Melinda Myers, sponsored by Birds & Blooms magazine, offers two takes on “green” gardening. The PBS garden show host and author covers eco-conscious pest control and affordable landscape makeovers.

Lynn Batdorf, curator of the boxwood collection at the U.S. National Arboretum and a leading authority on this versatile evergreen, reveals secrets of its culture and care.

Ray Rogers, founder of the international Coleus Society and author of the definitive text on these stunning foliage plants, discusses their use in containers and gardens.

Uli Lorimer, curator of the Native Flora Garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, introduces the true harbingers of spring, early-blooming wildflowers known as “spring ephemerals.”

There’s more advice tailored to growing conditions in the Garden State from such authorities as New Jersey landscape architects Nick Gakos and Dominick Mondi; Pegi Ballister-Howells, author of “New Jersey Gardener’s Guide;” Star-Ledger garden columnist Valerie Sudol; Tom Castronovo, editor and publisher of Gardener News and Bruce Crawford, director of Rutgers Gardens.

A separate program of hands-on learning is planned for little sprouts. “Growing Up Green” offers a roster of fun activities that help today’s tech-obsessed youngsters understand the mysteries of plants and nature.

Before and after class, take in the sights and scents of spring in lush display gardens, colorful floral displays and a marketplace of plants and garden accessories as the show, sponsored by Suburu, celebrates “Glorious Gardens, Great and Small.” Don’t leave without entering the drawing for a dream vacation to a world-famous gardening event – England’s Chelsea Flower Show.

Admission at the door is $14 for adults with a $2 discount offered for advance purchase at njflowershow.com or by calling (800) 332-3976 ext. 120. Tickets are $6 for children 12 through 17 (kids 11 and younger enter free), and $10 for seniors on Feb. 18 and 19 only. Discount rates are available for groups of 10 or more.

Show hours are 1 to 9 p.m. Feb. 18, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 19 and 20, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 21 at the New Jersey Convention Center, 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison. For updates on the show, a full schedule of events and directions to the site, visit njflowershow.com or see macevents.com and click on “Flower Shows.”

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