MONTH

SPRING GARDEN FESTIVAL

'Diggin It' Spring Garden Festival
Saturday, March 23 - Festival is free with garden admission. Important Note: Guests who come to "Diggin It" will receive a bounce back voucher for FREE admission April 13 -14 when we have our Plantacular Sale.

Passionate gardeners and those who just like to occasionally play in the dirt will find something useful and interesting at this year’s spring garden festival. Sara Millar, Brookgreen’s Vice President of Horticulture said, “We try and bring something new each year to the garden festival. Our goal is to engage our guests to make gardening an adventure and make learning about it fun.”

This year’s event will feature horticulture expert, author, and speaker, Helen Yoest. As a award winning lifestyle garden writer, Helen’s work has appeared in Better Homes and Gardens, Country Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Fine Gardening, Carolina Gardening, Triangle Gardener, and is the author of a new book, Gardening with Confidence. As a lifelong outdoor enthusiast, Helen says she, “Would much rather spend a day in a garden than anywhere indoors.”

Another well-known speaker, Kari Whitley Crolley will talk about gardening for wildlife with a focus on birds.

More Speakers Include:

• Danielle Daum and Darlene Phypers, the owners of Happiness Farms Caladium Nursery will speak about ‘Behind the Scenes of the Caladium Industry and How to use them in the Garden

• Jenks Farmer designed and built Riverbanks Botanical Garden, Moore Farms Botanical Garden and two of his own plant based companies. Jenks has written for Fine Gardening, Horticulture and Botanic Gardens Conservation International among others. He has designed gardens in the US and Caribbean.

• Dr. Robert Polomski is Professor of Horticulture and Urban Forestry and Extension Horticulturist at Clemson University and author of ‘Month by Month Gardening in the Carolinas’ and 'Carolina’s Resource', will be available for purchase.

• Anne Malarich is Brookgreen Gardens’ photographer and will speak on ‘The Art of Garden Photography. She is an award winning photographer with over 35 years in the marketing and photography industry.

• Amber Dendy is the owner of Nitty Gritty Nursery and Edible Garden in Murrells Inlet will speak about ‘Creating Edible Container Gardens and Selecting Heirloom Vegetables for the Southeast’

Informational booths from the Native Plant Society, Master Gardeners, and many others will be open all day and we will also have a tent managed by the Brookgreen horticulture staff where you can ‘Build Your Own Terrarium.’

Russell Unger, co-owner of R&R Edge, will have three special tool sharpening devices set up for a demo and tool sharpening session from 1:30-3:30 p.m. You can bring your clean tools (pruners, shears, knives, shovels, spades, axes) to be sharpened for free by Russell and his unique portable machines.

New this year, two ‘Propagation Workshops’ in the greenhouse. Advance registration is required for the propagation workshops and space is limited. To reserve your space please call (843)235-6016. Workshops are $50 each in addition to garden admission. Workshop One 11a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and Workshop Two 2 - 3:30 p.m. Learn how to produce your own plants using various vegetative propagation techniques,including division, stem cuttings, leaf cuttings, root cuttings, and air layering. Take home the plants you propagate today. A pair of pruners is included in workshop fee. Workshop one is given by Viki Richardson, Brookgreen Horticulturist and workshop two is with Christine Todd, Greenhouse Manager and Curator of Plants.

The festival will be held rain or shine. (Speaker schedule subject to change.)

Speaker Schedule

Lowcountry Center Auditorium

11 a.m. - 12 noon - Helen Yoest "Gardening with Confidence"

1 - 2 p.m. - Jenks Farmer "A New Look at Old Gardening"

2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Kari Whitely Crolley "For the Birds: How a Fledgling Blue Jay Changed the Way I Garden"

Lowcountry Center Learning Lab

11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. - Dr. Robert Polomski ‘Month by Month Gardening in the Carolinas’

1:15 - 2:15 p.m. - Danielle Daum and Darlene Phyper ‘Behind the Scenes of the Caladium Industry and How to use them in the Garden"

3 - 4 p.m. - Anne Malarich ‘The Art of Garden Photography"

Demonstrations Lowcountry Center Program Shed

10 - 11 a.m. Donald King – owner of King’s Florist in Myrtle Beach ‘Creative Floral Design’

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Amber Dendy – owner of Nitty Gritty Nursery and Edible Garden in Murrells Inlet ‘Creating Edible Container Gardens and Selecting Heirloom Vegetables for the Southeast’

1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Russell Unger – owner of R&R Edge in Myrtle Beach. Tool Sharpening Station: Visitors can bring their clean tools to be sharpened for free by Russell and his unique portable machines. You can bring pruners, shears, knives, shovels, spades, axes, etc.

Other Activities

Terrarium Building Activity
From 10 a.m. - 12 noon and 1 - 3 p.m., You will have an opportunity to build your own terrarium with the assistance of Brookgreen Gardens Horticulturists. Bring your own containers or use ones provided by Brookgreen. (Cost will be determined based on materials and plants selected.)

Horticulture Information Station
From 10 a.m. - 12 noon and from 1 - 3 p.m,. you can stop by and ask Brookgreen Gardens Horticulturists questions about your gardens, lawns, and find out what goes on behind the scenes in the gardens at Brookgreen, including plant selection, favorite products, and proper horticultural protocols. Selected handouts and reference materials will be handed out and available for use.

Information Booths
From 10 a.m.- 3 p.m., at our informational booths you can learn about different local gardening and environmental groups and receive free handouts and other materials.

Audobon Society & River Keepers
Lowcountry Herb Society
Grand Strand Surfrider Foundation
Native Plant Society
Orchid Society
Master Gardeners
South Carolina Environmental Law Project
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Grand Strand Master Gardeners
Georgetown Area Daylily Club