Garden meeting to be held this week

By Staff
Jason Houston Acting Publisher
The Alabama Master Gardener Conference will be held Thursday and Friday, April 27-28, at the Marriot Shoals Conference Center. Following the conference will be the Shoals Garden Tour on April 29-30.
For the first time in the 16-year history of the event, it will be open to non-member gardeners.
"This is a great opportunity for the public to listen to some great gardening speakers," said Bryan Miller, co-chair of this year's conference. "The keynote speaker is Steven Bender, garden editor of Southern Living, speaking on 'Great Gardens, Great Gardeners,' and there are many other noted speakers."
Bender will be speaking on Friday morning. To be registered in time to hear the first presentation or to attend a workshop on Thursday at 1:15 p.m., attendees should be registered by 12:45 p.m. The registration fee, which does not include lunch, is $65 for both days.
For more information about the state master gardeners conference, visit www.alabamamg.org or call Anne Smith at 757-4111.
The Shoals Garden Tour "Spring in the Shoals" is sponsored by the Shoals Beautification Alliance, which is comprised of the Shoals Chapter of the Alabama Wildflower Society, Men's Garden Club and the Shoals Master Gardeners.
Proceeds from this event are used for beautification projects in Colbert, Lauderdale, and Franklin Counties.
The cost of a two-day ticket is $12.
Tickets will be sold at each garden and a map will be provided showing the locations of all six gardens.
For more information about the Tour, visit the website
www.johnsshoalsplace.com/gardentour or call 740-4141 or 383-0783.