All volunteers are cordially invited to attend a morning of garden-inspired talks hosted by Hillwood’s horticulture department on Monday, February 3. This program will be held in-person at the visitor center theater and light refreshments will be served. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. and the first presentation begins at 10 a.m. No RSVP is required. Presentations will be recorded and posted on the volunteer website for those who are unable to attend.

Please see details for both programs below:

Green Day of Horticulture
Monday, February 3, 2025

10:00 a.m. | Native Shrubs, presented by Drew Asbury
Native shrubs add color, form, and structure to our gardens while also creating valuable habitat for wildlife. From wet to dry and from sun to shade, there is a native shrub adaptable to virtually every garden condition and when selected wisely, native shrubs provide a rewarding and low-maintenance addition to our gardens.

11:15 a.m. | The Native Orchid, presented by Andrew Bedenbaugh
Learn more about one of our most common native orchids, Tipularia discolor, the Crane Fly Orchid, including its preferred growing environment, characteristics, and its relationship with pollinators, trees, and fungus.

11:45 a.m. | Erosion Control, presented by Matt Boyle
Building and maintaining your top soil by limiting erosion is essential to plant health and protecting our local watersheds. This talk will focus on what Hillwood is doing to stabilize and slow erosion in the formal gardens and woodland.

12:30 p.m. | Not Quite an Ocean – Water Use at Hillwood, presented by Kevin Beamer
With last fall’s Fragile Beauty: Art of the Ocean and this spring’s Setting Sail: The Story of Sea Cloud exhibitions in mind, this will be a look at the many ways that Hillwood’s horticulture department uses water. We will talk about where it comes from and all the ways it’s used from irrigation systems delivering thousands of gallons to tiny vials used to hold single flowers.