Whether your prized and pampered azaleas are the talk of the town or you have the blackest thumb in the neighborhood, the upcoming Azalea Trail Symposium is the place to be Saturday, March 10.
Learn about using wise watering techniques at this year's Azalea Trail Symposium on Saturday, March 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the SFA Agriculture Building. Also included is a guided tour of the SFA Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden.
Titled “May the Drips Be With You,” the symposium will be from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 10, in the Ag Building at Stephen F. Austin State University. Registration is $40 per person, $30 for SFA Gardens members, and includes lunch, a hands-on workshop by Dr. Creech on drip-irrigation, and a guided tour of the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden – the largest azalea garden in Texas. The program should be helpful to master gardeners and novices alike.
Dr. David Creech, Regents Professor of Horticulture and Director of the 68 acres of SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University, is the symposium speaker this year and will present ways to use state-of-the-art low-cost efficient watering systems. For a historical perspective, local azalea enthusiasts Brian Holt Davis and Bill Patton will also share colorful stories about propagating and growing azaleas in the 1950s without major irrigation. In addition, the guided tour led by Barbara Stump will focus on the unique features of deciduous and evergreen azaleas for home landscapes.
“Drought issues have been a major concern this past year all around Texas, and we know that everyone who attends the symposium will gain more knowledge about how to maintain their beautiful azaleas while saving water,” said Lindsey Mathews, meeting and event coordinator of the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The Azalea Symposium is part of the fourteenth annual Nacogdoches Azalea Trail, which will be held March 10 through April 7. The annual event will also feature a floral-design exhibit, a farmer’s market spring fling, a 10K race, a little princess garden party, and 25 miles of self-guided driving tours. More than 3500 people visit Nacogdoches during the Azalea Trail each year.
For more information or to register for the Azalea Symposium, contact the Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-888-OLDEST-TOWN or visit www.nacogdochesazaleas.com. Be our friend on facebook @ NacogdochesAzaleaTrail.
