Virginia Garden Festival 2008 Schedule

9 a.m. - Early-Bird SPECIAL – first 25 Festival attendees receive a free 'Proven Winners' plant, www.provenwinners.com

9 - 11 a.m. - Viette live radio - “IN THE GARDEN”

9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Gigantic Plant Sale to benefit "GoGreen"
Over 50 educational exhibitors and vendors of green industry products and services

Featured Speakers - Plants that WOW!

Hostess - Sylvia Wright, www.TheWrightScoop.com

10:00 a.m. - Richard Nunnally, co-host of “Virginia Home Grown” PBS-TV, www.ideastations.org/vhg

10:30 a.m. – Tim Gwaltney of PDSI, specializes in innovative plants such as Encore Azalea, www.EncoreAzalea.com

11:30 a.m. - Mike Lockatell, www.rootsandblooms.us , founder of the Joyce Lockatell Memorial Garden

2:00 p.m. – Andre Viette, host of national radio call-in program “IN THE GARDEN”, www.viette.com

All Day Turf Clinic

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. - Michael Goatley, Jr., Associate Professor and Turf grass Specialist for Virginia Tech

 Green Living Exhibit Tours

10:00 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. lead by Bob Schubert, Associate Dean for Research College of Architecture and Urban Studies for Virginia Techs

Amphitheater I speakers –

9:30 a.m. - Eco-Chic Artist - Matt Cross

10:00 a.m. - Sustainable Landscape Design – Lisa Sanderson, www.vt.edu

10:30 a.m. - Alternatives to Conventional Garden and Lawn Care - Annette Pelliccio, www.thehappygarden.info

11:00 a.m. – Community Gardens - Lisa Taranto, www.tricyclegardens.org

2:00 a.m. - The Benefits and Pleasures of Building Green - Karl Bren, www.green-visions.com

 Amphitheater II speakers –

9:45 a.m. – Flip that Yard!, Barbara Schuler

10:15 a.m. - What's missing in our soil? The importance of fulvic minerals to plants, animals and people, M. Elizabeth Witkowski, Rich Earth™

10:45 a.m. – Fall Planting Perennial Herbs, Shaun, General Manager of A Thyme to Plant Herbs at Lavender Fields Farm, www.lavenderfieldsfarm.com

11:15 a.m. – The Gentle Gardener Way with Container Gardens, Virginia R. Rockwell, www.gentlegardener.com

2:15 p.m. – BayScapes – Chris French, www.acb-online.org

Children’s Green Zone –

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - special guest, Smokey the Bear

11:45 a.m. - Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra 

12:30 p.m. - Meet the Captain – that is, the one and only Captain John Smith! 

 1:15 p.m. - Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra

Recommended by

Richmond, VA…The Virginia Green Industry Council (VGIC) is challenging Virginians to GoGreen, ‘become a champion for the environment’, at their third Virginia Garden Festival held (rain or shine) September 20, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 West Broad Street in Richmond Virginia. Festival admission and parking is free.

Save this date and attend an event where art, magic, music and fantasy come together with expert ‘green living’ information that you can take home. Talented individuals from all facets of the Green Industry are on site to make the event an educational and fun-fill family experience.

VGIC, partnering with Virginia’s Green Industry professionals, is providing practical and fun activities for the whole family. Hear well-known speakers share their garden and landscape strategies, visit vendor display booths and receive their earth-friendly tips, stop by and “ask the experts”, watch tree care and lawn demonstrations, hear Andre Viette as he airs his radio show “IN THE GARDEN”, sample some of “Virginia’s Finest” foods, listen to music in the garden, purchase “rare and unusual” plants as well as garden décor’; and new this year, visit the Kids’ GoGreen and VA Farmer Market corners.

About the sponsor – VGIC, Champions of the Environment!  

As a Virginia coalition, the Virginia Green Industry Council provides outstanding industry and public sector services. These activities include consumer education, coordination and promotion of professional certifications, distribution of monthly news releases, maintenance of an online speakers bureau, promotion of Green Industry careers and scholarships, coordination of grant applications, “ask the experts” services, sponsorship of Arbor Day activities, consolidation of the economic impact of specialty crops, and sponsoring the third Green Industry VA Garden Festival held September 20, 2008. An umbrella group, VGIC strives to be proactive in its support and promotion of positive Industry values. 

How can you participate?

Join VGIC as an association or individual or make a sponsorship contribution. Contact VGIC’s executive director, Jeff Miller, at 540-382-0943 or info@VirginiaGreen.org and list events on VGIC’s Calendar of Events.  Provide information for the consumer website, www.VirginiaGardening.com, or professional website, www.VirginiaGreen.org.

Contact Mary Williams at info@VirginiaGreen.org to become a VGIC member. Participate in an organization committed to adhering to the highest level of environmental guidelines and horticultural practices.

Accept VGIC’s challenge -  GoGreen! Become a champion for the environment!