Horticultural conference next month in Bismarck

The North Dakota Horticultural Society’s 89th annual conference will be an ideal place to go to talk about, learn about, tour and see, flowers and plants grown in challenging conditions here in the state, and to get professional input on planting. The conference is July 26 through 28 at the Bismarck State College campus in Bismarck and Mandan.

Anyone planning to attend will need to add $10 for late charges to their application.

Information and a registration form can be downloaded by logging onto http://ndshs2012.wordpress.com/about/.

Breakout sessions speakers for Thursday through Saturday are: Eric Bergeson, keynote speaker from Bergeson Nurseries in Fertile, Minn., who will discuss fruits for northern climates; Brenda Newton, from Manitoba, who’ll speak on Plexiglas, hostas and huecheras; Sue Balcom, newspaper editor and master gardener, who will discuss composting; Ken Eraas, who’ll speak on plants that “hog” the garden; Jodie Fetsch, RN, who will address the dangers of too much sun and have a sunburn tester to help check for dangerous burns; and Chris Grondahl, from the North Dakota Game and Fish outreach, and will address water pollution and consumption.

Speakers also include: Vanessa Hoines, NDSU Extension Service for Morton County who will talk on food preservation; Tom Kalb, NDSU horticulture educator who will be discussing the Dragonfly Garden (which is on the tour), as well as bringing new technological discoveries to the audience; Marcy Pfliiger, a rose specialist, speaking on North Dakota’s climate for growing roses; Andy Schneider, who will discuss water gardening; Craig Strange, a forester with Natural Resources, who will speak on rain barrels; Tangula Unruh, a conifer specialist; Chuck Weiser, who will speak on landscaping problems; Rebecca Weisgerber, who will speak on permaculture growing mushrooms etc; Todd West, associate professor and director of the woody plant improvement program for NDSU, and finally, Kathleen Wiese, a master gardener, who will talk on companion planting.

There are auctions and tours, coffee breaks and meals as well as buses that will take everyone to the gardens. Thursday’s Rose and Dragonfly garden tour is free. If a member of the NDHS, registration for Friday and Saturday is $75. Nonmembers cost is $85. NDHS registration for Friday only is $45 and nonmembers cost is $50. Saturday’s registration only for members is $30 and nonmembers is $35. The Plexiglas workshop on Friday or Saturday is $15 each day for all. To join the North Dakota State Horticultural Society, the membership cost is $20.

Checks can be made out to NDHS and mailed to Jackie Buckley, Morton County Extension Office, 210 Second Ave. NW, Mandan, ND 58554.

Information on motels and restaurants is available online. Those attending are invited to bring old horticultural/arts/antiques magazines to donate, that will be sold to benefit the NDHS fund. I would also recommend taking along boxes/buckets and pitchers for water as well as coolers to bring home specimens of plants from nurseries toured while there. I know in the past members attending would have a trunk filled with perennials to give away or trade, so having a way to take them home is convenient.

If anyone has an item for this column, please send to Sharon Cox, PO Box 1559, Jamestown, ND 58402-1559.

Tags: sharon cox, diversions