Registration for the Oct. 3 symposium is now open. This popular annual event, organized by Extension Master Gardeners volunteers from Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson and Polk offers a fun-filled day for all gardeners, with dynamic speakers, good food, great vendors, lots of door prizes and goodie-loaded gift bags. It is held at the Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock.

The theme this year is “Come Grow With Us!”  and Joe Lamp’l, Emmy-winning host of PBS’s “Growing a Greener World,” will start us off with a behind-the-scenes look at his popular program.  His second talk will be “The 5 Biggest Mistakes in Our Gardens and Landscapes and How to Fix Them.”  Harvey Cotten, author of “Easy Gardens for the South,” will discuss strategies for getting our future generations into gardening.  Matt and Tim Nichols of Nichols Nursery will show us the ins and outs of successfully growing Japanese maples.  Arthur Joura, Bonsai Curator at the North Carolina Arboretum, will take us through creating Bonsai from our own native trees.

Online registration is open until Sept. 20 and the  early-bird discount is available to those who register by Aug. 31.  Visit www.buncombemastergardener.org/2018-wnc-gardening-symposium to register and for more details on the program.

– Submitted article