October 17 Conference

Public Invited to Garden with the Masters.

Atlanta, Georgia, August 17, 2009 – Announcing the celebration of 30 years of Master Gardening in Georgia and an October 17 conference, Planning Chair Regina Lorenz extended an invitation to the public to join veteran gardeners at Gwinnett Tech in Lawrenceville for “Autumn Harmony: In Tune with Nature”.

“Georgia began the Master Gardener program in 1979 in response to the need of county extension agents to respond authoritatively to homeowners’ everyday gardening questions, “ Lorenz commented. “Master Gardener Conferences provide us with education and networking opportunities. The conference on October 17 is not just for Master Gardeners or even experienced gardeners; it’s for everyone who wants to plant and grow… trees, bulbs, perennials, vegetables…in a manner that preserves the earth for future generations.”

During the conference expert speakers from across the region and the country will address topics of “birds in our landscapes”, “organic gardening”, “rain gardens” and “garden pollinators”. Vendors will offer gardening tools, plants and books. The conference fee is $75 per person and includes Continental breakfast and a buffet luncheon. A “meet and greet” with the speakers and organizers will be held the evening before the conference, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Duluth.

“We look forward to having more than 300 enthusiastic amateur and professional gardeners with us at this conference,” Lorenz concluded, “and urge everyone to register as soon as possible.”

The 30th anniversary conference of Georgia Master Gardeners will be held October 17 from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM at The Busbee Center at Gwinnett Technical College on Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. Registration information is available on the organization’s web site, http://www.georgiamastergardeners.com/ or may be requested from the Master Gardener coordinator at County Cooperative Extension Offices.

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About the October 17 conference
The 30th anniversary conference of Georgia Master Gardeners will be held October 17 from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM at The Busbee Center at Gwinnett Technical College on Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. Registration information is available on the organization’s web site, http://www.georgiamastergardeners.com/ or may be requested from the Master Gardener coordinator at County Cooperative Extension Offices.

About Georgia Master Gardeners Association
Georgia Master Gardener Association, Inc. is a non-profit organization that acts as an umbrella for local Master Gardener groups across the sate. Its mission is to stimulate interest in and increase knowledge of gardening, and to voluntarily, enthusiastically and responsibly share this knowledge with others. GMGA’s 2009 President is Brenda Beckham of Clarke County.

About the Master Gardening program
In 1972, a Cooperate Extension Agent in Washington State came up with the idea that trained volunteers would be able to respond authoritatively to many homeowners’ everyday gardening questions and thus free him and his colleagues up to deal with more difficult or technical questions. The program caught on, first appearing at land grant universities across the country and has since spread all over the United States and Canada. Georgia became part of it in 1979; it is a program of the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, coordinated from its Griffin campus. (770-228-7243).