CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 10/16/19

Gardeners, industry professionals invited to Master Gardener conference

By Sharon Dowdy

The Georgia Master Gardener Association (GMGA) Conference will be held on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Museum of Aviation Century of Flight Building on Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For the first time, the conference is open to the general public as well as to GMGA members. This year’s conference is titled “Plants and Planes: Our Heritage, Our Future.”

Conference speakers include University of Georgia Professor Emeritus Michael Dirr, a globally recognized woody plants expert, and UGA Professor Kim Coder, a world-renowned expert on urban trees. Mary Lynne Beckley, executive director of the Georgia Tree Council, will present Georgia Landmark and Historic Trees. Matt and Tim Nichols, owners of Mr. Maple Nursery, will speak on Japanese maple selections and their travels in Japan. Mark Maher of Southern Living will share new plant introductions.

Master Gardeners and industry professionals can receive educational credits in the following categories: three credits for Forestry Category 23; three credits for Ornamental/Turf Category 24; and two credits for private pesticide.

The conference garden market will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Available for purchase will be Japanese maples from Mr. Maple Nursery; native trees, shrubs and plants from Ernest Koone, owner of Lazy K Nursery (the largest grower of native azaleas in the U.S.); camellias from Massee Lane Gardens; daylilies from Bell’s Daylily Garden; and other plant materials from Vincent Gardens and Flat Creek Native Nursery. Linda Fraser, renowned native plant artist, will show and sell native plant art and prints.

Registration is $115 for GMGA members and $125 for non-members. Register online at www.georgiamastergardeners.org/annual-conference.

On Friday, Oct. 18, the day before the conference, a free tour of the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences Native Plant Garden will be offered from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The garden received the Native Landscape Award at the South Georgia Native Plant and Wildflower Symposium. The museum is located at 4182 Forsyth Road, Macon, Georgia.

Master Gardeners of Central Georgia, including Master Gardeners from Bibb, Houston, Twiggs, and Crawford counties, worked tirelessly to lay out, label and map the garden beds, provide informative signage and address the natural landscape challenges to prepare the tour, according to Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program Coordinator Sheri Dorn.

A Friday reception, set for 5 to 7 p.m. at The Farmhouse in Warner Robins, is included in the conference registration.

The day after the conference, Sunday, Oct. 20, conference attendees will receive free admission to Massee Lane Gardens in Fort Valley, Georgia. A designated International Camellia Society’s Garden of Excellence, Massee Lane will be open from 1 to 4:30 p.m. The gardens are located at 100 Massee Lane, Fort Valley, Georgia.

Mary Royal, owner of Royal Gardens in Elko, Georgia, invites all conference attendees to tour the gardens at no cost on Sunday.  She will be on hand to answer questions about the gardens during self-guided tours between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Royal Gardens is located at 2541 Elko Rd. in Elko, Georgia.

Sharon Dowdy is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Authors:
Sharon Dowdy
Experts/Sources:
Sheri Dorn
For the first time, the Georgia Master Gardeners Association is opening up its conference to the public. The conference is set for Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Museum of Aviation Century of Flight Building on Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia. UGA Extension consumer horticulturist Bob Westerfield is shown teaching conference attendees during a past GMGA conference.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
HurricaneHeleneGreenhouseDamageCropped CAES News
UGA Extension supports resilience in Georgia farm communities after Hurricane Helene 12/19/24 Emily Cabrera
Hurricane Helene wrought sweeping devastation across Georgia’s agricultural sector in late September, leaving an indelible mark on both the land and the people who tend it, bringing focus to vulnerabilities in Georgia’s farming industry and the need for more robust safety nets. In addition to the physical destruction, the hurricane took an emotional toll on Georgia’s farmers. In response, UGA Extension has prioritized mental health support.
University of Georgia startup CytoNest Inc. released its first commercial product this year, a fiber scaffold that optimizes cell manufacturing and tissue engineering. (Photo by Lauren Corcino) CAES News
UGA again ranks No. 1 in new research-based products 11/04/24 Brandon Ward
The University of Georgia once again ranks No. 1 among U.S. universities for the number of commercial products to market based on its research, according to an annual survey conducted by AUTM. For nine straight years, UGA has placed in the top two and has never appeared out of the Top 5 in the 11 years the survey has been reported by AUTM. UGA industry partners and startups released a record 66 new products developed from the university’s research in fiscal year 2023, on which the AUTM report is based.
Combining data collection and analysis with plant pathology, precision agriculture and robotics, the UGA team will build a photographic library of the foliar symptoms caused by onion diseases and other physiological disorders, feed them into the AI software, and use machine learning to identify the diseases based on pattern and color recognition from the images. CAES News
UGA uses AI, robotics to improve Georgia’s Vidalia sweet onion crop 10/23/24 Jordan Powers
A multidisciplinary team of UGA researchers aims to enhance the competitiveness of Vidalia onion growers in Georgia by providing them with the ability to confidently detect onion diseases early, enabling them to make management decisions on their crop at a critical time. These abilities, researchers say, should result in increased yield and quality of marketable onions and an overall increase in efficiency and productivity.
Associate Professor Rhuanito Ferrarezi poses with a Gerber daisy grown by students in his 4050/6050 Greenhouse Management class in fall 2023. CAES News
Upcoming UGA plant sales bring color to fall 10/15/24 Maria M. Lameiras
Fall weather means fall gardening, and several groups at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will be offering the fruits of their labors at ornamental plant sales across campus this semester. On Friday, Oct. 18, the Trial Gardens at University of Georgia will hold its annual Fall Houseplant Sale, and on Wednesday, Nov. 20, greenhouse management students will offer their ornamental plant sale at the South Milledge Greenhouse Complex.
Although it may not fit the traditional image of a well-kept lawn, this landscape is the result of careful planning and a deep commitment to ecological stewardship. CAES News
Done with mowing? How to transform your lawn into a native, perennial landscape 09/12/24 Emily Cabrera
On a tour of her Blairsville, Georgia, home, Becky Griffin navigates a swaying maze of perennial grasses interspersed with pussy willows, switchgrass and boneset. Although it may not fit the traditional image of a well-kept lawn, this landscape is the result of careful planning and a deep commitment to ecological stewardship. As a native plant enthusiast and coordinator of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, Griffin hand-selected each of these native plants for the countless ecological services they provide year-round.
Master Gardener Carrots CAES News
Celebrating 45 years of Georgia Master Gardeners 09/03/24 Sheri Dorn
The Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer program is celebrating its 45th anniversary with signature events throughout 2024, culminating in the Georgia Master Gardener Association’s annual conference Oct. 4-5. Hosted on the University of Georgia Griffin campus, the event’s theme is “Think Globally, Grow Locally” and will feature research tours, presentations and workshops hosted by Master Gardeners.