THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 19, 1997 TAG: 9701140103
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: GARDENING
SOURCE: ROBERT STIFFLER
LENGTH: 58 lines
A PREVIEW OF SPRING will be the main event at the Virginia Flower & Garden Show this coming weekend at the Virginia Beach Pavilion.
Visitors will enter through a long series of arches and columns to find 13 landscaped gardens of flowering plants and trees. In addition, there will be more than 100 booths of plant societies and vendors selling everything from good health treatments to new trowels.
This show is the largest assembly of gardening information and expertise for the Hampton Roads homeowner. It has developed from a modest two-evening symposium in 1992 put together by Virginia Tech's Dr. Bonnie Appleton, to a full-fledged flower show. The 1997 show will occupy the entire Pavilion.
The theme is ``Gardening for the Environment,'' which will be carried out in landscape exhibits, plant society displays and lectures.
The landscapes will be judged by a panel of landscape design and gardening experts. Last year, the first place winner was All Thumbs Garden Designers of Norfolk, and the People's Choice award went to the Norfolk Botanical Garden's children's garden. Those attending the show will be invited to vote for their favorite landscape.
Leading speaker is Felder Rushing, a Mississippi extension agent, known for his far-out opinions, ponytail and baseball cap. Rushing brings much common sense, splashed with humor, to his talks on ``Getting Wet and Wild in the Garden'' and ``Pass Along Plants.'' Both of his lectures are Saturday and are included in the admission. Rushing is co-author of a book titled ``Pass Along Plants.''
Other speakers scheduled include Buddy Spencer, a landscape architect for the city of Norfolk; and Appleton and Dr. Robert Lyons, from Virginia Tech. Additional speakers are from the Norfolk Botanical Garden and local garden suppliers.
A first for the show this year is a judged standard flower show sponsored by the Tidewater District of the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs.
Show sponsors include the Professional Horticulture Conference of Virginia, HQ, the Norfolk Department of Utilities, Continental Airlines, Virginia Beach Beautification Commission, The Weekend Gardener and the Tidewater Orchid Society. Other local suppliers have contributed plants and materials to the show.
Door prizes include a pair of round-trip Continental Airline tickets and a 12-by-12-foot greenhouse. A donation from HQ of two tractor trailer loads of plants will be sold to help finance the show's educational efforts. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
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Photo
ROBERT STIFFLER
A raised garden and special greenhouse built by the Virginia
Zoological Park in Norfolk was among the displays at the 1996
Virginia Flower & Garden Show at the Virginia Beach Pavilion.