Master Gardeners to hold seminar

Published 4:02 pm Thursday, July 23, 2015

The Alabama Master Gardener Association’s fall seminar will be held in Clanton this year, as the Chilton County Master Gardener Association received the honor of hosting the event.

The fall seminar, which is held in a different location in Alabama every year, includes speakers and a catered lunch, providing a fun and educational day for those interested in gardening.

The Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center, located on the Jefferson State Community College campus on Lay Dam Road, will be the site of this year’s event, set for Sept. 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Speakers will include Jason Powell with Petals from the Past, Florida Natural Resources Extension Agent William Sheftall, Alabama Regional Extension Agent Dani Carroll, and Urban Region Extension Agent Sallie Lee.

Subjects discussed will include growing and maintaining flowers, gardening insight, seed saving, propagation and pollination.

The seminar will also cover the relatively new practice of permaculture, a system of gardening that works with natural ecosystems.

CCMGA member Audrey Giles said she’s been to several seminars across the state, and she is expecting a good turnout for the event.

“Since we’re very centrally located, I’m hoping we will have a lot of people come,” Giles said. “There are usually close to 200 people at the seminars. I’m hoping we’ll have even more than that.”

Hosting a statewide event comes with a lot of responsibility, according to Giles, who said the association formed a committee to hire speakers who are knowledgeable on gardening subjects of interest.

“People who come will learn about a little bit of everything,” Giles said.

Last year, the event was held at Lake Guntersville in Northeast Alabama.

CCMGA member Pat Farmer said hosting the event would be good publicity for the county, as several local businesses have contributed door prizes and goody bags for the seminar.

The seminar is $25 per person, and registration forms must be received by Aug. 24.

The community is invited to attend.

Those interested in attending may register at the Chilton County Extension Office, located at 504 First Ave. in Clanton, register online at ccmga.aces.edu, or print out a registration form from the website and mail it to P.O. Box 30, Clanton Ala. 35046.

Checks should be made payable to Chilton County Gardener Association.

For more information, contact Farmer at 205-755-2879 or Sondra Henley at 205-567-3333.