Registration for Master Gardeners Conference is now open, expected to reach capacity
REGISTRATION FOR GARDENERS’ CONFERENCE NOW OPEN
The 2026 Gardeners’ Conference sponsored by the Extension Master Gardener SM Volunteer Association of Davidson County is slated to be held on March 20 this year at the High Rock Church in Lexington. This will be the 13 th annual conference presented by this organization.
The conference, which is open to the public, aims to provide educational opportunities for people interested in gardening in a fun and festive setting with food, fellowship, and shopping.
At least 10 local vendors decorate the entrance to the conference with their plants, gardening tools, handcrafts and supplies. The volunteers lay out a spread of morning refreshments for attendees to enjoy while they shop and visit with friends before the educational sessions begin. A hot lunch is also served.
The educational sessions consist of two main speakers and two breakout sessions where participants can choose from four different classes happening concurrently.
The main speakers this year are Jon Roethling, Director of Reynolda Gardens, and Carol Reese, former Horticulture Specialist with the UT Ag Research and Education Center. Jon’s subject will be “The Scent-ual Garden: Creating Four Seasons of Olfactory Delight” while Carol’s presentation will be entitled “Are We Doing It Wrong?”. She will explore some common gardening practices that may need to be rethought and suggest some things that may prove to be kinder to our wallet, our backs and our planet.
The concurrent sessions topics will include “Cultivating Resilience in our Gardens”, “Orchids 101”, “Safe Haven in a Pollinator Garden” and “Garden Design Secrets”. Participants may choose to attend two of these sessions.
Registration is open for the conference and can be done on-line through Eventbrite or through US mail. The cost to attend is $50. To get a registration form to mail in, you can go by the Davidson County Extension office at 301 E Center St. in Lexington. The link to register online is
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/13th-annual-gardeners-conference-at-high-rock-church-tickets-1476589552099?aff=oddtdtcreator
or go to Eventbrite.com and type “13 th annual gardeners conference” in the search bar. Make sure you are searching events in Lexington, NC. There is a $5.20 fee to process on-line registration.
The location of the one-day conference is 135 Lowe’s Blvd, Lexington. All who wish to attend are encouraged to register early as seating is limited and the conference usually sells out.
Questions about the conference can be directed to Sam Boring at extension, 336-242-2091, or MG volunteer Beth Leonard, 336-425-4777.
