In Darkened Rooms Looking at Plant Pictures

I spent most of last week at the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Horticulture Short Course (sponsored by the Virginia Horticultural Foundation), which as I mentioned last year is usually just referred to as the Hort Conference. Despite the efforts of Felder Rushing, last year's conference left me with a feeling of climatic dread with all of the talk of drought and dire changes in the garden due to global warning. There seemed to be no one major theme to this year's conference, unless of course you count the state of the economy. Business or the lack of it was the talk of the attendees, and as I expected attendance was down from previous years. Most people in the green industry are generally optimistic and the consensus was that we are all hoping that nesting instincts will guide people's buying habits in the next year - or perhaps it is just wishful thinking.

Two of the most interesting classes had to do with shoreline restoration along the Chesapeake. New methods involving the use of two species of Spartina grass and other native plantings are creating living shorelines instead of bulkheaded or rip-rapped no-grow zones. One of these restoration classes followed the efforts at the Hermitage Museum here in Norfolk, which has long been one of my favorite local destinations. I also got to attend classes led by horticultural celebrities like Buddy Lee, the breeder of the Encore Azalea and Dr. Robert Lyons of Longwood Gardens and formerly of the J.C. Raulston Arboretum. I was introduced to some new plants (always a good thing) by Steve Owens the owner of Bustani Plant Farm in Oklahoma. Several of us at work have been pouring over his catalog ready to place an order. Robert McDuffie of Virginia Tech took us along on an armchair tour his recent trip to Irish gardens. There were many other classes well worth attending and the event was a great way to network and meet up with old friends as well. I have already asked if they will have me back next year.

This was the second year the conference was held at the Founders Inn in Virginia Beach and overall it is a very nice facility. I do have an aversion to the architecture of the place. - high colonial on steroids. I don't think the smaller scale of traditional colonial buildings lends itself to larger scale, modern uses, but that is my uneducated opinion. I am sure it was all part of the vision Pat Robertson had when he built the adjacent and affiliated CBN. The landscaping around the inn was put in with meticulous detail, but it is not to my taste - there are too many straight lines and there is way too much pruning going on. Just look at the poor Hollies in the pictures.

(In the spirit of the new code of ethics for garden bloggers, I must disclose that I have not received any compensation for my mention or placement of any person, business or organization in the above post - but I am open to bribery.)