Greet Spring in America’s Greenest City!

There is still time to sign up for the Region III meeting at Navy Pier on March 14th in conjunction with the Chicago Home & Flower Show; the early bird registration has been extended to February 28th with a final registration deadline of March 6th.

There are 7 top-notch speakers and timely topics scheduled in addition to the continental breakfast, GWA business meeting and luncheon and access to the show floor.

Among the inspiring featured gardens, roses are back for the first time in more than 10 years! They will be stunning and a welcome distraction from the bitter cold and snow.

Join myself, fellow regional director Sue Markgraf and gardening colleagues for a day full of story leads and networking!

Plan Now to Attend!

July 11 – 15, 2015

Once again the GWA Association Outreach Task Force is planning on multiple events to be held during AmericanHort’s Cultivate’15 event, July 11-15, 2015 in Columbus, Ohio.

We will have a GWA booth on the trade show floor to educate growers, retailers, breeders and horticulture companies on the value a garden communicator can bring to their business.

There are plans for a Region III Connect meeting and an educational session hosted and moderated by GWA members.

Because of our partnership with AmericanHort, GWA members will receive complimentary full registration to Cultivate’15, a $295 value!

We encourage you to attend to see first-hand the national and international commercial side of horticulture in:

Annuals
Perennials
Shrubs
Vegetables
Garden Products & more!

Learn more about Cultivate’15…

On Shelves and In Mailboxes

Garden-pedia has hit mailboxes and bookstore shelves and my co-author Pam Bennett and I couldn’t be more proud!

This garden jargon dictionary is different due to its conversational style and its photo and graphics-rich format. No boring, hard to understand, technical language here!

We’re so excited to be receiving positive press, reviews and radio interviews! And you won’t believe what our colleagues are saying about Garden-pedia!

Maria and Harvey Cotton

Maria and Harvey Cotton, HRI President and co-author of Easy Gardens for the South.

It’s not too late to order your review copy. Simply contact Chloe or Paul at St. Lynn’s Press.

If you love or like it, please be sure to post a review on Amazon and/or send us a link to your mention of the book so we can cross promote!

#Fine Foliage #WhoNeedsFlowers #Foliage Rules

Flowers are fantastic but colorful foliage is a constant that bridges the gap between favorite flowering times.

Old Fashioned Smoke Bush is more compact in habit and provides purple flushed new growth in the spring followed by blue-gray mature leaves having a ‘Eucalyptus’ look before turning fluorescent shades of pink, orange and red in the fall.

Don’t Just Take Our Word For It!

“I am always on the hunt for easy care shrubs that cope with less than perfect soil, delinquent deer, full sun and only occasional watering. They also have to look fabulous for at least three seasons and – most important – have outstanding foliage. ‘Old Fashioned’ Smoke Bush PBR (Cotinus coggygria ‘Old Fashioned’ PP19035) does all this and much more.

This is no ordinary green leaved plant! The cool blue-green tones blend with every other color in the garden from fiery reds to cool silver. It can be a soothing note amid a riotous color scheme or a specimen in its own right. I planted mine where the evening sun can shine through the foliage adding a unique luminous quality to the garden. Simply breathtaking.”