Day-long conference on gardening set for March 14

Kitchen gardens, organic lawn care, and gardening in deer country are among the topics to be discussed during an all-day garden conference, to be held Friday, March 14 in the Rome Ballroom on the Storrs campus.

Keynote speaker Rick Darke, a noted garden designer, photographer, lecturer, and author of gardening books on sustainable design and ornamental grasses, will discuss “Livable Landscapes for a Changing Environment.”

Additional speakers include:

Jennifer Bartley, a landscape architect, author, and illustrator, who will speak on “Designing the New Kitchen Garden,” based on her new book; Kerry Mendez, a garden consultant, designer, writer, and teacher.

Her talk is titled “Don’t be a Deadhead! Surefire Maintenance Shortcuts for Showcase Gardens;” Ellen Zachos, lecturer, author, and proprietor of Acme Plant Stuff in New York City, will talk about “Gardening in Deer Country;” and

Scott Reil, certified Connecticut nurseryman and corporate trainer for SafeLawns and Landscapes LLC, will discuss “Organic Lawn and Garden Care.”

Early registration is $80 per person ($90 if post marked after March 7 or paid at the door), and includes an information packet with session summaries, parking, lunch, snacks, and beverages, opportunities to purchase selected autographed books, and a wide array of gardening books.

The conference is sponsored by the Department of Plant Science and the Cooperative Extension System.

Contact: Richard McAvoy at 860-486-0627 or richard.mcavoy@uconn.edu.

For more information, go to the gardening website.