The Piedmont Landscape Association hosts an annual seminar (formerly called the Central Virginia Landscape Management Seminar) every February. This event strives to bring gardening enthusiasts and landscape professionals together in an educational setting.

Co-sponsors for this year’s event are:
Arboristry Associates, Inc.
Bartlett Tree Experts, Inc.
Virginia Native Plant Society – Jefferson Chapter (VNPS-JC)
Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association (VNLA)

Special Thanks to:
The Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (VA-ASLA)

Speaker Bios:

Tracy DiSabato-Aust | Author, Lecturer.
Dinner Reception Presentation (on February 20th): Behind the Scenes: The Creation of The Well-Tended Perennial Garden & 50 High-Impact, Low-Care Garden Plants
Tracy will share with you some of the insights into how these two books came about, interesting challenges along the way of their creation, and stories of their road to success. This is an opportunity to interact with Tracy in an intimate setting so please join us for a wonderful evening.

Lecture (Morning): 50 High Impact, Low Care Garden Plants: Tough but Beautiful Plants Anyone Can Grow.
Are you searching for plants that will be high impact but low care? Plants that will fit our sustainable landscape goals? Who isn’t? Finally a look at dynamic, artistic, outstanding plants that may also be long-lived, tolerant of heat and humidity, cold hardy, non-invasive, as well as drought, disease and deer resistant. Ones that don’t require frequent pruning, deadheading or division and don’t require heavy feeding or staking to perform their best. Plants that will soon become your favorites because they are fantastic and yet they give you time for your busy life…plants that your clients can actually have success with. Learn from a 33-year veteran gardening expert about what will look amazing without hours of work!

Lecture (Afternoon): The Art of Pruning Perennials- Revisited.
Are you new to the art of pruning perennials or could your pruning skills use sharpening? Then join the internationally renowned “Queen of Deadheading” for the first time, or for a refresher lesson, on the exciting and innovative techniques of pruning perennials for season long interest. Learn how to make your perennials flower longer and look their best when not in bloom. Garner innovative insight into fun ways to delay their flowering until you get home from a holiday, or time the flowering to coincide with an important garden party or tour! Impress your gardening friends with your knowledge about layering a planting, improving the habit, controlling pests or prolonging the life of perennials through cutting-edge pruning. Join us in this discussion that has helped new, as well as seasoned gardeners, from the United States and abroad enjoy their perennial gardens to the fullest.

Eric Toensmeier | Author. Lecturer.
Lecture: Ecological Edible Landscaping
The cutting-edge ecological landscape incorporates native species and habitat elements, provides much of its own fertility and pest control, and subsists largely on harvested rainwater. It produces food for the human residents and converts some of their household or business waste stream to vegetation and healthy soil. We will review edible landscaping trends and case studies from across the US, and discuss techniques to mimic ecosystem processes and functions to create healthy and productive landscapes. The Piedmont region offers a wealth of useful native plants, from pecans and muscadines to native species of passionfruit, bamboo, and wasabi. We will also touch on some key non-native food plants that can be grown with little care. Low-maintenance, largely perennial, mostly native edible landscapes are on the rise and represent a solution to environmental problems and an emerging market for landscape professionals. We’ll touch on customer types and how to reach them, and special management issues in edible landscaping, and resources to learn more.

C. Colston “Cole” Burrell | Author, Lecturer and Photographer.
Lecture: Native Plants and Ecological Design: Myths and Realities
Native plants are currently the height of fashion. Gardeners, restorationists and landscape architect are planting natives, but do we really know what is native, and where? When we plant a floodplain species in an upland, are we gardening ecologically? Are cultivars native? These are a few of the questions C. Colston Burrell will explore as he examines the current popularity of landscaping with native plants from an ecological perspective. He will focus on the possibilities, techniques and issues behind ecologically based sustainable landscape design using native plant communities and regionally native species as the basis for creating gardens and restorations.

Registration:
Registration is open now through the event date. “Early Bird” discounts run through 1/18/2013 followed by “Advance” sales between 1/19/12 to 2/8/12. After February 8th, all ticket sales/registrations are final and non‐refundable.

For additional information regarding our upcoming seminar and on our speakers please visit www.piedmontlandscape.org or email your questions to: vp@piedmontlandscape.org.

The Piedmont Landscape Association (PLA) has served central Virginia for over 30 years. Our mission is to unite all landscape-related professionals (i.e. gardeners, landscape architects, horticulturists, extension agents, arborist, designers, etc.); encourage members to maintain the highest standards of business ethics; provide our members with reliable information and educational programs; offer opportunities for networking; and provide service to the community through volunteer projects, scholarships and educational programs.

For more information on the Piedmont Landscape Association please visit us at www.piedmontlandscape.org.