December 22, 2021

Virtual ‘Greenscapes Symposium’ to be Hosted by Montgomery Parks and Brookside Gardens on Feb. 18, with Early Bird Tickets Available Through Jan. 7


The 18th annual “Greenscapes Symposium” will be hosted virtually this year by Montgomery Parks and Brookside Gardens on Friday, Feb. 18. The day-long event will be held from 9:15 a.m.- 4 p.m. The symposium brings together experts in the field of landscape sustainability and the environment to provide timely information and solutions to environmental challenges.

This year’s theme is “Advancing the Natural Landscape in a Modern World—Solutions for Sites and Situations.”

Early bird tickets at special prices will be available online through Jan. 7 for $45.

The symposium will feature live online lectures about gardening for wildlife, leveraging native plants for specific environments and how to apply ecological principles for planting design.

The symposium will be hosted online on Zoom. To register, go to https://montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/brookside-gardens/greenscapes/.

Gardening for wildlife and designing landscapes that mimic nature are being embraced by homeowners and design professionals alike. But leveraging native plants for specific environments and design outcomes can often be challenging. Obstacles can range from tough site conditions to urban gardens with limited space for creating beneficial ecosystems. The symposium will address exciting and novel uses of plants, planting design and application of ecological principles to overcome these roadblocks and achieve high-impact, sustainable designs.

This year’s presenters include Kelly Norris, an author and plantsman; Janet Davis, owner of Hill House Farm and Nursery; Colston Burrell, lecturer, garden designer and award-winning author and photographer; and Nigel Dunnett, plantsman, designer and professor of planting design and urban horticulture in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Sheffield.

Continuing education credits are being offered for symposium attendees from various organizations. Details are available on the symposium webpage.