Events - Event View

Cost is $40 for the entire day, including the keynote; there are additional service fees of $2 - $4 if paying by credit card. Preregistration is required as seating is limited. Register early to get first pick of workshops!

Make sure you select only ONE workshop in EACH SESSION (there is Session 1 and Session 2).

A service fee of $2.00 will be included in your final total, which covers the cost charged to WMMGA by the credit card company for paying with a credit card. Non-members of WMMGA will see an additional $2.00 fee charged to your credit card, which is the convenience fee charged by Club Express for using this online portal to register. There are no additional service fees if paying by check and registering by mail.

Choose the ONE topic you would like to attend in Session 1. If the session if filled to capacity, you will not be able to select it.

Dan Ziomek, Sugarloaf Gardens, Sunderland
The climate is changing without a doubt! What trees and shrubs will not only survive but thrive in this new environment? Come learn what will be your best tree and and shrub choices for your landscape in a future that is hotter, drier and wetter all at the same time.

Chris Ferrero, Cornell Master Gardener, Writer, & Consultant
THIS IS A 2-PART TALK! Even dedicated gardeners wonder how long they can maintain the perennial borders, foundation plots and vegetable gardens they created over the years. We can reshape our garden design, types of plants we use, the process itself.. and our attitudes too! This talk covers a lot of info, so be sure to register for both Parts 1 & 2!

Karin McGowan, Master Gardener
It’s time to get your hand tools in shape for spring! Sharp pruning tools make chores easier to finish and also make cleaner cuts, allowing plants to heal faster. Learn how to sharpen and care for your garden shears, pruners, snips, and knives using a variety of sharpening devices: traditional metal files, diamond files of various grits, and carbide sharpeners. Bring a tool or two to work on, plus your own sharpeners (if you have some). Tools and sharpeners will be available to practice with. This is a “hands-on” class, so space is limited.

Rachel Quimby, Hitchcock Center
Want to help kids fall in love with gardening? It's time to get creative! Ideas to engage eager hands and minds with scavenger hunts, plant dissections, worm investigations, taste tests and more. Learn lots of ways you and your little gardener can cultivate soil--and memories--together.

Rebecca Maillet, Many Graces Farm & Design, Northampton

Rebecca will talk about the methods she uses on her 5-acre farm to grow premium cut flowers, perennials, and woody plants. We’ll delve into 100% chemical-free growing practices, the benefits and how-to's of companion planting, and strategies for creating a vibrant, dynamic ecosystem in your own garden.

Choose the ONE topic you would like to attend in Session 2. If the session if filled to capacity, you will not be able to select it.

John Burns, Burns Environmental, Cummington
Burnsie will focus on the early detection plant species which have more recently arrived in the area or will be soon - with these we still have a chance. There will be some time to also discuss management options, tempered with realistic expectations of success, for some of the other common invasive plants. Better to get right at porcelain berry, mile-a-minute vine, and Japanese stiltgrass this year before they really take hold.

Chris Ferrero, Cornell Master Gardener, Writer, & Consultant
See the description for (B) in the morning session.

Alicia Houk, A Wild Garden, Thetford VT
Native self-seeding annuals bloom quickly, plant themselves year after year, and create dynamic garden compositions while helping to suppress weeds. We'll take a closer look at these long-blooming plants through photos and examples, exploring their important ecological roles, as well as practical strategies for incorporating them into your garden.

Rachel Gonzalez, Rachel’s Everlastings, Orange
Create a beautiful pressed flower picture to take home. Also learn what, when and how to press flowers, so bring a book and craft paper to also press some fresh flowers and leaves to take home. Space is limited. Materials Fee: $10. IF YOU PLAN TO MAKE A PRESSED FLOWER PICTURE TO TAKE HOME, BE SURE TO ALSO ADD THE MATERIALS FEE TO THE SHOPPING CART.

This materials fee of $10 is optional if you will be listening only and you don't want to make a pressed flower picture.

Walker Korby, Terramor, Montague
Learn how to prune your trees and shrubs properly so that they remain healthy and strong by understanding how trees grow, what holds them together, and what makes them fall apart. These general pruning concepts will be applicable to a wide variety of species and will be useful for deepening your relationship to plants with woody stems.

Please choose only ONE of the following choices if you would like to pre-order a lunch. Lunches must be pre-ordered; we will not have extras on hand the day of the symposium for purchase. You may also bring your own.

Fresh from River Valley Market, lunch includes cookie or fruit, and beverage. You may also bring your own lunch.

Fresh from River Valley Market, lunch includes cookie or fruit, and beverage. You may also bring your own lunch.

Fresh from River Valley Market, lunch includes cookie or fruit, and beverage. You may also bring your own lunch.