Join us at the Greenville Convention Center for the Greater Greenville Master Gardener Symposium. Featuring entertaining and informative speakers from near and far, the annual GGMG symposium is held on February 10th. Furthering their mission of educating the public, the symposium provides attendees with an inspiring and engaging day and an introduction to new ideas in the ever-changing world of horticulture.

Parking off of Eisenhower Drive.

Two days of educational programs, trade show featuring over 40 vendors and the annual meeting of the NC Tomato Growers Association

This is the largest commercial vegetable grower event in the region with a high quality educational program put together by vegetable extension specialist/agents at NC State University. We hope that you take advantage of this opportunity to learn about current issues associated with vegetables and take time with the representatives from agricultural companies and other businesses that support our industry during our 2-day trade show.

• New education track for small farms/direct market growers/organic production
• A sponsored lunch and awards program will be included at noon on Thursday.
• Pesticide credits will be available for attendees. (X,O, D, N)
• NC Private Applicator Recertification Class (V)
• Fumigation Recertification Class (Z)
• There will be a trade show again this year with a large number of sponsors and exhibitors setting up their displays for attendees to visit. Interested vendors should register early.
  

  SPONSORS/EXHIBITORS

  We welcome sponsors for our event. Sponsorships give you the opportunity to showcase your business and allow us to make this a special conference for attendees. Sponsorships also support scholarships. Details are included on the sponsorship ticket descriptions in the “get tickets” link above. If you need to be invoiced and send a check, please contact Ellen Moss at [email protected].

  SCHOLARSHIP DONATIONS

  This year we will be holding a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction to support our scholarship fund. Raffle prices are $10/each or 12 for $100. During the conference see the Registration Desk to purchase your raffle tickets or for more information. Drawing will occur at the Tomato Growers Association Luncheon on Thursday. You Must Be Present to Win! If you are not interested in purchasing a raffle ticket or bidding on the silent auction, but would still like to support the scholarship fund, donations are greatly appreciated! Your generosity ensures that NCTGA continues to support future generations of farmers with an endowment fund used to offer merit/need-based scholarships. You can make a donation through this Eventbrite page via the donations ticket button. Details are included in the “get tickets” link above. If you need to be invoiced and send a check, or need a receipt for a tax deduction please contact Ellen Moss at [email protected].

The Blood Connection will set up a mobile unit at the WNC Nature Center parking lot on Saturday, February 24, from 10am – 3pm. Blood donors will get $40 in e-gift cards, plus a free guest pass to the Nature Center. As a bonus, the Friends of the WNC Nature Center will receive a $10 donation for each person who gives blood. We recommend signing up in advance.

Late winter is the perfect time to start planning for summer gardens and what better way to start than with the Basics of Vegetable Gardening class! Come prepared to learn about what it takes to start growing your own vegetables in our area. Join experienced teacher and former director, John Murphy, as he guides you through vegetable gardening basics.

The Salvation Army Kroc Center is looking for donations of candy (no chocolate or peanut items), toys, youth experiences and more to make the annual Easter Egg Hunt a huge success for our community!

The Salvation Army Kroc Center is looking for donations of candy (no chocolate or peanut items), toys, youth experiences and more to make the annual Easter Egg Hunt a huge success for our community!

The Salvation Army Kroc Center is looking for donations of candy (no chocolate or peanut items), toys, youth experiences and more to make the annual Easter Egg Hunt a huge success for our community!

The Salvation Army Kroc Center is looking for donations of candy (no chocolate or peanut items), toys, youth experiences and more to make the annual Easter Egg Hunt a huge success for our community!

The Salvation Army Kroc Center is looking for donations of candy (no chocolate or peanut items), toys, youth experiences and more to make the annual Easter Egg Hunt a huge success for our community!

The Salvation Army Kroc Center is looking for donations of candy (no chocolate or peanut items), toys, youth experiences and more to make the annual Easter Egg Hunt a huge success for our community!

• ONSITE | Three Sessions: Wednesdays, March 6, 20 & April 3, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

  Instructor: Nina Shippen

  $145 Non-member Adult**

   (**Arboretum Members receive a 10% discount on all classes.)

  BREG – Core

  Limit: 30

  Ecological gardening is a way of thinking about the designed landscape in which gardens are no longer seen as a collection of plants, but as a community of complex interdependencies among plants, soils, environment and animals. Ecology-based methods used in design, site assessment, planning, planting and management are all covered in this comprehensive overview class. Gardeners of all levels of interest and ability will find this informative and interactive class valuable for learning ecologically-sustainable practices for adapting and applying in gardening in a variety of landscapes.

  The class is a core requirement for the Arboretum’s Blue Ridge Eco Gardener Certificate of Merit program. An asynchronous version of this class is open from March 6 through May 31 in 2024.

  Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West and Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard by Doug Tallamy are recommended texts. Available in the Arboretum’s Connections Gallery with student member discount.

  Nina Shippen practices residential landscape and garden design through her company Hidden Road Landscape Design, which focuses on coupling the principles of healing gardens with sound ecologic practices to create satisfying gardens for her clients. A graduate of the landscape design program at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies, she has lived and gardened in Transylvania County since 2005.

The Salvation Army Kroc Center is looking for donations of candy (no chocolate or peanut items), toys, youth experiences and more to make the annual Easter Egg Hunt a huge success for our community!

Learn about the basics of perennial and dahlia culture. What is a perennial and what makes them special in the garden? How can you get free plants from your current perennials? These questions and so much more will be covered. We will also have a demo on how to divide perennials. Presented by Isaac Wyatt, Agricultural Program Assistant with Henderson County Extension, will teach the basics of perennial and dahlia culture.