Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
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Extension Communications |
10/14/03
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Cindy Haynes, Horticulture, (515) 294-4006, chaynes@iastate.edu
Lynette Spicer, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-1327,
lspicer@iastate.edu
Ames, IA---One of the world’s foremost gardening authorities will headline this year’s Herbaceous Perennial Conference Nov. 7 in Council Bluffs and Nov. 8 in Ames. Allan Armitage, well known writer, speaker, and researcher, is best known for his text, Herbaceous Garden Perennials, a Treatise of Identification, Culture and Garden Attributes. It is a standard reference for gardeners, professionals and students. He is a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia.
Armitage is one of five speakers at Iowa State University’s Herbaceous Perennials across Iowa. The program also features Mary Meyer of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum who will talk about ornamental grasses for the upper Midwest. Gary Whittenbaugh, an Iowa Master Gardener who specializes in dwarf and unusual conifers, will demonstrate how to plant a hypertufa trough garden. Pananyoti Kelaidis of the Denver Botanic Gardens will give an overview of ways to use alpines, the plants he calls “small on size but big on charm.” Old-time flowers are nearest and dearest to Sharon Barak’s heart and her topic. Barak owns Heirloom Gardens in Dallas County.
Armitage will share stories about legends in the garden--the people whose names appear on commonly known plants such as the Annabelle hydrangea and Frances Williams hosta. In his second talk “You Might as Well Buy the Good Stuff,” Armitage will describe new and not so new annuals and perennials.
The registration fee of $85 includes all program materials and lunch. The Council Bluffs program on Friday is in Looft Hall on the Iowa Western Community College campus. The Saturday program in Ames is at the Scheman Building on the ISU campus. The programs are identical at the two locations. The program begins at 8:15 a.m. and concludes at 5 p.m. The program schedule and registration are online at http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/1103/herb.htm.
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