FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

New England Wild Flower Society

Gardeners Day with Free Demonstrations and Garden Advice

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Saturday, June 7, 2008 — New England Wild Flower Society announces a Gardeners Day from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Rain or Shine. The Society’s Horticulture experts give free talks for the gardening public. Bring your toughest gardening questions to the "Plant Professor" with office hours throughout the day, and attend gardening demonstrations all free of charges. Find garden book treasures at the Used Book Sale running throughout the day. With regular Garden admission, take a wildflower walk at 2 p.m. with a fee for adults of $8.  Meet Rolf Schilling, Greg Lowenberg, and Scott LaFleur. all ready to share advice. The Garden features 1,500 kinds of native plants on 45 acres, including 200 rare and endangered species. View mature examples in the living museum, and select from hundreds of nursery-propagated unusual native varieties for sale at the Society's native plant nursery. Take a guided tour and admire the peak of the bog garden, find insect-eating plants in bloom and look for the last of rare native orchids in bloom. Gain inspiration for a host of sustainable garden ideas to bring home at the Idea Garden area. This is a great time to plant for summer and fall interest, and expert Society staff members help the public with custom choices of rare and unusual hardy varieties for the home garden. Become a member of the Society at the Gardeners Day Festival and receive two discount coupons good for one adult for David Rogers’ BIG BUGS Sculpture Exhibit and Web-of-Life Extravaganza arriving July 12.  All purchases and memberships support the health of New England's natural areas and the award-winning plant conservation programs of New England Wild Flower Society.  Garden in the Woods,180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, MA. 508.877.7630, www.newenglandWILD.org.

It's Like a Workshop and Plant Festival Rolled into One.  The "Plant Professor is IN” to answer your own plant questions until 4 p.m, no appointments required. At 11 a.m. New England Wild Flower Society Horticulturist Rolf Schilling leads a workshop of Container Gardening with Native Plants.  At 1 p.m. learn about Lawn Alternatives from Scott La Fleur,  Horticulture Director of New England Wild Flower Society and Garden in the Woods At 3 p.m. Discover Tree and Shrub Planting Techniques for Urban Gardens with Dr. Greg Lowenberg, Education Director of the Society.

Garden GREENER: Learning more about native plants is a great way to create a greener and more sustainable lifestyle, and a more beautiful and dramatic garden. Native plants are important for the health and biodiversity of critical habitat and wild spaces. In the garden, wildflowers and native woody plants are uniquely beautiful, creating a "sense of place" for homeowners while providing food and shelter for wildlife. Once established in the garden, native plants can require minimal resources because they are well adapted to tolerate normal regional conditions. Selecting native plants avoids the use of invasive plant species in home landscape that otherwise could escape and harm natural areas. New England Wild Flower Society is the region's leading plant conservation organization, with more than 1,400 volunteers in the field helping to protect native flora. Find out more at www.newenglandWILD.org.

Special Plants for Superb Gardens   Beginning at 9 a.m.,  shoppers may select from an amazing array native plant species and cultivars of nursery-propagated wildflowers, grasses, perennials, and woody plants. Find a remarkable selection of native plants for the wildlife gardener to attract birds and butterflies. Design a garden, consult with our expert horticultural staff for advice, and get the right plant for the right spot in your garden. Enjoy a selection for multi-season interest, spectacular beauty, ecological-appropriateness, and just plain green and colorful fun.

Get First Pick of BIG BUGS Events + a Discount   Become a member at Gardeners Day, and receive two discount coupons good for $2 off adult admission for the BIG BUGS sculpture exhibit. Treat your friends to David Rogers’ acclaimed exhibit and Web-of-Life Extravaganza arriving at New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods July 12-October 31. See 13 giant sculptures including a 1,500 lb. praying mantis, surrounded by fabulous summer and late-season wildflowers. Mark calendars now for the BIG BUGS Grand Opening Day featuring live music by Beatles Tribute Band HELP!  Gardeners Day visitors will be the first to learn of many new events, including the premiere of the Wild Nights Concert on August 8, featuring Bill Staines. with picnics available. Register for a choice of more than a hundred gardening and naturalist classes and field trips in spring and summer.  

Gardeners Day Festival includes free talks, garden advice, and a used book sale running all day with hundreds of garden and nature books yielding treasures for sharp-eyed literati. In addition take a wildflower tour at 2 p.m. with admission. Become a member and receive your BIG BUGS discount coupon. The Society’s enormous native plant nursery is open with staff on hand helping the public choose the right plant for the right place. Hours:  Now through Labor Day: 9 a.m.– 7 p.m daily; Sept 2-Oct 31, 9-5 daily.  Admission; Adults $8; Seniors and Students with ID $6; Children and Youths (3–18yrs); $4, Members and Children under 3: Free. Guided tours at 2 pm, no reservations required. Exhibit and Gardeners Day Festival included 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Rain or Shine, with regular garden admission. www.newenglandWILD.org.       

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