The 28th Gardening in the Northern Neck, hosted by the Northern Neck Master Gardeners, will be held March 26 at the White Stone Church of the Nazarene, 57 Whisk Drive, White Stone. The theme will be “Landscape, Viewscape, Escape!”
Featured speakers will include Joseph Tychonievich, C. Colston “Cole” Burrell and Bryce Lane.
The seminar has been structured with safety in mind. In addition to the three featured speakers, there will be vendors and book sales. Pre-packaged snacks and coffee will be available in the morning. Doors open at 8 a.m. for vendor and book sales. The program will begin at 9 a.m. There will be half-hour breaks between speakers so attendees can browse the vendor displays and book sale. Masks are required indoors.
The seminar fee is $50. Registration forms are available at nnmg.org/gnn or call the Northumberland County Extension Office 580-5694.
Rock gardening
Tychonievich’s topic will be “Rock Gardening: Reimagining a Classic Style for Today’s Garden,” reported Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener coordinator William A. Bell.
Tychonievich will show how rock gardens can be created in a space that would otherwise be wasted and bring additional beauty to the garden. Rock gardens are also a way to create sustainable, drought-tolerant plantings in a water-wise garden, often offering great color and texture.
A garden writer, plant breeder and self-confessed passionate lover of plants, he is known on the horticultural speakers’ circuit for his engaging presentations which, as he states, combine rigorous science-based information with lots of silly jokes. Tychonievich says his goal for each presentation is for everyone to laugh and learn something new and useful.
After studying horticulture, plant breeding and genetics at Ohio State University, he worked as nursery manager at Arrowhead Alpines, a rock garden nursery in Fowlersville, Mich. He is editor of Rock Garden Quarterly.
Details in design
Burrell’s topic will be “Finishing Touches: The Power of Details in Garden Design.” A native Virginian, he has been a self-described chlorophyll addict and birding enthusiast since childhood. He is a garden designer, lecturer, photographer and naturalist. He has spent a lifetime studying native plants in the wild and in gardens. He uses this knowledge to blend nature and culture through artistic design.
Almost all gardens have well defined spaces and good plantings; however, great gardens stand out because of details. From paving patterns to stonework, fencing, containers and sculpture, the details in both functional and artistic elements make a garden personal and magical. Burrell’s presentation celebrates spaces of various sizes that combine form, color and texture in hard scrapes and plants to fashion memorable places.
“With his knowledge of both plants and landscape design, I know that Cole will teach us a great deal about the steps we rarely get to in the making of our own gardens—the finishing touches,” said NNMG vice president Lynn Osborne.
Burrell has degrees in botany, horticulture and landscape architecture. He is a lecturer with the UVA School of Architecture’s Master of Landscape Architecture program.
In 2008, Burrell received an Award of Distinction from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers for his work promoting sustainable gardening practices. More recently, Burrell has embarked on a new venture, Garden and Nature Tours with C. Colston Burrell.
Two of Burrell’s books won awards from the American Horticultural Society, A Gardener’s Encyclopedia of Wildflowers in 1997 and Hellebores, co-written with Judith Knott in 2007. Perennial Combinations, revised in 2008, is a best-selling title on Amazon.
Biodiveristy in the garden
Lane’s topic will be “Landscapes That Save the World: The Importance of Biodiversity in the Garden.”
“Bryce will explain how gardeners can use the principles of biodiversity to help solve the gardening challenges of today—climate change, stormwater runoff, invasive plants, pest control, and more,” said Osborne.
A speaker and author, Lane was a national award-winning instructor in the Department of Horticultural Science at N.C. State University.
“Bryce taught both large and small courses, for majors and non-majors. He taught more than 20,000 students and received numerous local, regional and national teaching awards,” said Osborne. “He frequently speaks at workshops and other venues about teaching as well as horticulture and gardening.”
Lane hosted and produced the three-time Emmy winning PBS North Carolina television show “In the Garden With Bryce Lane” which aired for 11 seasons.
