11th Annual Garden Faire April 18, 19 and 20 at SVHE

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal">ABINGDON, VA:  When looking for ways to spruce up your outdoor space, the 11^th annual Mid-Atlantic Garden Faire is the place to be.  Mark your calendars for April 18. 19, and 20, because the Southwest Virginia Higher Education will be transformed into a lush oasis filled with unique plants, shrubs, trees, furniture, and everything under the sun for the gardener.  The Washington County Virginia Master Gardeners have been working to bring together the best of the best to enhance any gardening experience.

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal">This year’s theme “Along the Garden Path” epitomizes just what visitors will experience when they enter the garden.  Whether novice or master, you will stroll through aisles of unique and delightful garden accessories.  At each stop along the path, you will be able to find treasures and glean ideas to transform your outdoor space into a garden of delights.

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal">The Plant Clinic is just the place to meet friends and solve those nagging problems that plagued your garden last year.  You never know who you will meet as you pose your queries to the trained Master Gardener there ready to help.  After all that work solving your garden problems, follow the garden path to the sunny Tea Garden where you will find a delectable menu filled with treats to satisfy your hunger and thirst.   Finish your culinary experience at the Latte Loft where you can sip a cup of fresh brewed coffee or savor some homemade ice cream in your favorite flavor.

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal">If you are looking for fresh, creative ideas for entertaining, meander around to “Dinner Along the Garden Path.” There you will be inspired by causal and formal decorative table settings.  “The innovative table setting designs accentuated with exquisite floral arrangements would inspire anyone to entertain more,” said Susan Patrick a Master Gardener who eloquently explains each setting.

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal">Before you leave the garden to attend one of the educational workshops, don’t miss Frank Renault’s spectacular collection of floral photographs, or the breathtaking flower arrangements brimming with color that have been created by local garden club members and enthusiasts. 

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal">“The Mid Atlantic Garden Faire offers exciting opportunities for the novice as well as the expert.  This year we are fortunate to have Mike McGrath a nationally known author and NPR host as a featured speaker,” added Margie Munsey, Garden Faire chairman.   On April 18, 19 and 20, join the Washington County Master Gardeners at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center and get your garden off to a great beginning this year.

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt 1.5in; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in">Garden Faire Workshops

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Friday, April 28                                                                                Room 240                                                                        

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">10:15-11:30                                                                                                                                         What’s  Bugging You?

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Eric Day, manager of the Virginia Tech Insect Identification Laboratory, will help identify “the good, the bad, and the ugly” insects in the garden.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">11:45- 1:00                                                                                                                                  Pressed Flower Workshop

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Pat Smith, owner of Sonshine Crafts, founding member off the World Wide Pressed Flower Guild, and a judge for the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show, will help create an 8” X 10” leaf basket of pressed flowers in this hands on workshop.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">2:00-3:15                                                                                                              Bringing an Old Landscape Back to Life

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Robert McDuffie, landscape architect and Associate Professor of Horticulture at Virginia Tech will show examples of what can be done to revive an overgrown, neglected yard.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">3:30-4:45                                                                                                                                                       Top Ten Turf Tips

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Dr. Michael Goatley is a Virginia Tech Associate Professor and turfgrass specialist.  Learn how to have a great lawn from an expert.

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Friday, April 18                                                            Executive Auditorium

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">10:15-11:30                                                                                                   Gardens of the World: A Decade of Travel

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Robert McDuffie is a landscape architect and Virginia Tech Associate Professor.  Travel with Mr. McDuffie from Italy to New Zealand with stops in South Africa and Japan without losing your luggage.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">11:45-1:00                                                                                   Seven Secrets of Successful of Organic Gardening

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Mike McGrath, host of public radio’s “You Bet Your Garden,” will help you grow twice as much in half the space and half the time with these hints.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"> 2:00-3:15                                                                                                                                      Brilliant Color Containers  

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Beth Babbit, University of Tennessee State Master Gardener Coordinator and co-host of the “Garden Girls,” a Knoxville weekly radio show, will cover the fundamentals of container gardening.  Creative containers, color combinations, and plant selection will be discussed.

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">3:30-4:45                                                                                                                                              Flowering Shrubs

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Hugh Conlon, University of Tennessee Ornamental Horticulture Specialist will discuss the best plants for long flowering display, multi-season color, winter hardiness, and heat and drought tolerance.

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Friday, April 18, 3:30-5:00pm                                    Rain Garden Tour

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Tour rain gardens in Abingdon on this one and a half hour tour and discover how to add this landscape feature to your yard.  A rain garden is created in a shallow basin planted with native vegetation that soaks up rain water, reducing runoff from roofs and driveways.  The tour will feature gardens installed by the Upper Tennessee River Roundtable in partnership with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Town of Abingdon.  Transportation provided.  No additional fee for the tour.  Participation is limited-arrive early!  Please go to the Garden Faire information booth for directions.

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Saturday, April 19                                                        Executive Auditorium

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">10:15-11:30                                                                                                                                  A Tour of English Gardens

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">You won’t need a passport!  Join Larry and Connie Dean, an award winning photographer and his Master Gardener Wife, on a musical photo-image tour through a dozen of England’s most beautiful, breathtaking gardens.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">11:45- 1:00                                                                                          Organic Answers to All Your Garden Questions

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">You bring the problems, and Mike McGrath, our featured speaker, will help with chemical-free answers in this lively Q & A session.  Weeds, disease, shade, invasive insects, malicious mammals, black spot on roses…whatever the problem……bring it to Mike McGrath.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">2:00-3:15                                                                       Mission Impossible: Avoiding Problems in the Landscape

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Wythe  Morris , Horticulture Specialist, Virginia Cooperative Extension.  Have you ever begun a landscape project to find out that things aren’t always like they are on Home and Garden TV?  This presentation will discuss the most important points in developing a successful landscape.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">3:30-4:45                                                                                                        Grow Your Best Tasting Tomatoes, EVER

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Tired of tasteless tomatoes?  Envious of the neighbor’s big juicy Love Apples?  Mike McGrath, author of “You Bet Your Tomatoes,” will reveal the tricks and tips you need to know.

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Saturday, April 19                                                                 Room 240

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">10:15-11:30                                                                                                         Lavender—More Than Just a Color

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Pat Osborne, owner of Scott County Lavender Farm, the largest lavender farm east of the Mississippi, will discuss the propagation, growing, harvesting, drying, and distillation of lavender, the “universal herb.”

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">11:45-1:00                                                                                                           Attracting bluebirds to Your Yard

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Anne Little, President of the Virginia Bluebird Society, will show you how to provide food and a safe habitat to attract these beauties to your yard.

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">2:00-3:15                                                                                                               Weeding Out Those Aches and Pains

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Moans? Groans?  Sore muscles and bones?  Join Don Campbell, exercise physiologist at Wellmont Holston Valley Regional Medical Center, and learn simple techniques that may help reduce the physical stress of gardening.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">3:30-4:45                                                                         Favorite Native Plants for Low-Maintenance Landscaping

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Christy Shivell of Shy Valley Native Habitat Nursery and Herbary of Fall Branch, TN, shares her favorite native plant “workhorses” for establishing beautiful landscapes with minimum effort.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Sunday, April 20                                                 Executive Auditorium

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">1:00-2:15                                                                                                                                                  Dried Flower Basics

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Deloris Linam, owner of Flower Hill Botanicals in Jonesborough, shares her 20 years of experience cultivating, harvesting, and preserving botanicals for year round pleasure.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">2:30-3:45                                                                                                                                 Pennywise Plant Propagation

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Jane Clark, horticulture and floral design teacher, will share plant propagation techniques.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Sunday, April 20                                                      Room 240

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">1:00-3:00                                                                     Floral Flair III: A Design Workshop

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Cindy Gentry and Dotty Stone, flower designers and accredited judges, will help participants focus on line and form while considering color and texture in floral design.  All supplies are included I the fee for this hands-on workshop.  Participants will take home their floral creation.  Limit 20.  Supply fee $20.  No charge for observers. April 20

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">FACT SHEET OF INFORMATION

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Event:                   The 11^th Annual Mid-Atlantic Garden Faire

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Presented by:    Washington County Virginia Master Gardeners

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Dates:                   April 18, 19, & 20, 2008

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Hours:                   10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Location:             Historic Abingdon, Virginia - take I-81- to Exit 14 -to Southwest  Virginia

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">                                Higher Education Center

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Ticket Price:       $5.00 per day; Run-of-Show $10.00; Children under 12 admitted free

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Lectures:             Included in price of admission

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">Description:       Patterned after the Chelsea Flower Show in London, this beautiful and

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">                                Multi-faceted garden event features:

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">·         A fabulous Garden Marketplace with an amazing array of gorgeous plants of all kinds, plus every nicety, necessity, and accessory imaginable for gardening, home landscaping and gracious outdoor living.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">·         Noted experts presenting lectures on a wide range of popular and up-to-the minute topics.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">·         Workshops and demonstrations vary from teaching special skills to inspiring new venues within the garden

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">·         Featured speaker, Mike McGrath, noted author and host of NPR’s “You Bet Your Garden”

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">·         A sunny Tea Garden with delectable pastries, signature sandwiches, luscious soups and beverages for a quick, light snack or a full meal with friends.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">·         A Plant & Soil Clinic staffed by Master Gardeners to help visitors solve problems, identify pests and diseases, and find ways to make gardening easier and more enjoyable.

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">·         A friendly reception and gracious Southern hospitality in a charming, historic Virginia town.

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"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in">Contact :              Washington County Virginia Master Gardeners

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">                                Telephone :        276-676-6309

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">                                Mail:                      234 West Valley Street

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">                                                                Abingdon, VA 24210

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">                                Email:                   wcmg@vt.edu

"MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt">                                Website:             http://www.gardenfaire.net

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