Garden party
By BILL CARY
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: July 1, 2004)

The annual symposium of the Perennial Plant Association, a nationwide trade and education group, will be held next week in Manhattan.

The three-day symposium, which runs Tuesday to Thursday, will feature two days of lectures by national gardening experts, a professional tour of area gardens and nurseries and a two-day trade show. The meetings, lectures and trade show will all take place at the Grand Hyatt New York, which is connected to Grand Central Terminal. More than 1,000 people are expected to attend.

There are also optional garden tours, including Kykuit, West Point Military Academy, Mohonk Mountain House and Montgomery Place, and programs scheduled for Sunday and Monday, as well as tours set for July 9 and 10, including private gardens in Westchester and Putnam, after the symposium ends.

The trade show on Tuesday and Thursday offers a peek at the latest in plant materials, tools and gadgets and what will be appearing at nurseries and home centers in coming months, says Miriam Yekutiel, a horticulturist and the owner of Green Surroundings in Brewster.

"The trade show is a lot of fun," says Yekutiel, who is on the steering committee of the symposium. "It really draws a lot of people."

A number of local people are among the experts giving lectures, including John Mickel of Briarcliff Manor ("Staying Cool With Hot New Ferns") and Matt Horn, the owner of Matterhorn Nursery in Spring Valley ("Your Garden Center as a Destination" and "Water Gardening and Retail: Is It a Good Match for You?"). Mike Ruggiero, also of Matterhorn, is giving talks on day lilies, container gardening and forcing plants for flower shows.

The Wednesday professional tour includes visits to Nabel's Nursery in White Plains, Wave Hill and the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx and two private gardens in Rockland County. It ends with a dinner at Matterhorn .

Among gardeners, the Perennial Plant Association is known by its designation of one plant as the Perennial Plant of the Year. Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum' was the winner for this year; previous winners include Leucanthemum 'Becky' (2003) and Phlox 'David' (2002).

Registration for nonmembers of the association is $430 for all three days of the symposium or $170 per day. Or you can pay $25 to attend the trade show on Tuesday and Thursday.

For more information, visit www.perennialplant.org, which has a 32-page day-by-day description of what's planned, or call the association at 614-771-8431 in Hilliard, Ohio. Or call Miriam Yekutiel, who is also looking for volunteers to help with tours and other arrangements, at 914-879-1319.