NACOGDOCHES – 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 12.
Titled “The Wonders of Deciduous Azaleas,” the symposium will be from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 12, in the Ag Building at Stephen F. Austin State University. Registration is $40 per person, $30 for SFA Gardens members and includes lunch, tips on pruning and propagating azaleas, and a guided tour of the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden – the largest azalea garden in Texas. Barbara Stump, the Mize garden’s primary designer, said the symposium will provide information on the unique features of deciduous azaleas. 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 share insights on these beautiful flowering shrubs including their bright colors and fragrance and how to use them to best effect in home landscapes. Melissa Sanford, executive director for the Convention & Visitors Bureau says, “We are so lucky to have such an experienced and renowned speaker for this year’s Azalea Trail Symposium and who better to speak about azaleas than the person in charge of the largest azalea garden in Texas!” In addition, the guided tour led by Barbara Stump and Dr. Creech will let you in on design secrets of SFA’s own Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden.
The Azalea Symposium is part of the thirteenth annual Nacogdoches Azalea Trail, which will be held March 12 through April 2. The annual event will also feature a floral-design exhibit, a sidewalk sale, and little princess garden party and 25 miles of self-guided driving tours.
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 @ Nacogdoches Azalea Trail.
