Re: IL Master Gardener Conference

Had an excellent time. Going to the state conference gives me a chance to get all my continuing education hours at one time, as well as enjoy the vendors, and participate in the silent auction that helps support the State MG office. The conference was in Effingham, IL, the east central region of the state. I arrived the day before to participate in the before conference tours: the morning tour was to a commercial grower's (wholesale) facilities - I had not realized how automated plant production had become. Our next stop was a retail nursery with a display garden, then on to the " Cross at the crossroads" a 198 ft cross at the spot where interstates 70 and 57 cross. The Effingham MGs are creating gardens there, and we toured them. My tour in the afternoon was to two wineries. The bus was full for that one! At both locations we got some insight into how dicey grape growing and wine making can be. We all shook our heads when one grower told us that his NW coast brother told him he had lost his "moral compass" because he sprayed his vines for fungal diseases. Both winemakers and nurserymen related the problems they have coordinating and negotiating with farmers re the farmers spraying of 2- 4 - D. Holly Shimizu, director of the US Botanic Garden did the keynote address. I took classes on up and coming perennials, overlooked ground covers, trees and shrubs for the landscape, perennials new in 2010, growing sweet potatoes in IL, and participated in a "field trip" to a local restaurant, the "Firefly Grill" to learn how two culinary entrepreneurs created an eco- friendly restaurant in an unlikely midwestern town. I cheered on the four award winners from our county, too. 

Cathy, west central IL, z5b

On Sep 13, 2009, at 1:59 PM, Daryl wrote:


So, how was the conference?
d
----- Original Message ----- From: "Catharine Carpenter" <cathycrc@comcast.net > 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 13, 2009 2:26 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Asclepias incarnata Cinderella



Just back from the IL MG conference.


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