“Gardeners Go to School” is an all-new program of talks and demonstrations scheduled at the eighth annual New Jersey Flower and Garden Show, running Feb. 18-21 at the New Jersey Convention Center, 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison.
Designed to entertain as well as educate, these “classes” give gardeners a leg up on the new growing season. The show offers two ways to learn something new: In the lecture hall, in-depth talks explore topics in full detail; on the show floor, the “Bouquet of the Day” presents quick takes on gardening trends and techniques.
“Gardeners Go to School” presents a faculty drawn from distinguished horticultural circles. Included are authors, TV show hosts and experts from such highly regarded institutions as the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the U.S. National Arboretum.
Mel Bartholomew, creator of the “Square Foot Gardening” method, and New Jersey native Ken Druse, author of 17 gardening volumes, are headliners this year.
Speakers’ biographies and a complete schedule of talks are posted at njflowershow. com. Here’s a preview of the curriculum:
• Melinda Myers, sponsored by Birds & Blooms magazine, offers two takes on “green” gardening. The PBS garden show host and author covers eco-conscious pest control and affordable landscape makeovers.
• Lynn Batdorf, curator of the boxwood collection at the U.S. National Arboretum and a leading authority on this versatile evergreen, reveals secrets of its culture and care.
• Ray Rogers, founder of the international Coleus Society and author of the definitive text on these stunning foliage plants, discusses their use in containers and gardens.
• Uli Lorimer, curator of the Native Flora Garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, introduces the true harbingers of spring, early-blooming wildflowers known as “spring ephemerals.”
Adult tickets are $12 in advance at njflowershow.com or 800-332-3976, ext. 120, $14 at the door. After 5 p.m., “Date Night” admission is two for one. For updates on the show, a full schedule of events and directions to the site, visit njflowershow. com or see macevents.com and click on “Flower Shows.”
Hours are 1-9 p.m. Feb.18, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 19 and 20, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 21.