An international plant propagator, Proven Winners is an easily recognized brand at local garden centers for their ornamental plants. In 2011, Proven Winners brings its third Outdoor Living Extravaganza event to four North American cities; Atlanta, Seattle, Milwaukee, and Toronto.
At each day-long program, gardeners will hear plant experts from PW and national and regional garden speakers talk on plant information and innovative garden design ideas that can be used at home. The garden experts will hand out plant giveaways and mingle with attendees during an extraordinary sit-down luncheon.
Garden Experts with Plant Information and Design Ideas
Whether they are magazine editors, radio or television personalities, writers or horticultural professionals, each garden expert, speaking at one of the Outdoor Living Extravaganzas, will come prepared with plant information and design ideas attendees can take home and replicate this summer in their own backyards.
On March 4, at the Atlanta History Center will be garden experts, Rebecca Bull Reed, Associate Garden Editor for Southern Living magazine; Carmen Johnston of Nectar & Company; and Walter Reeves, The Georgia Gardener, radio and television host of “Your Southern Garden.”
In Seattle on March 18,The Golf Club at Newcastle hosts garden experts, Willi Galloway of her vegetable garden blog, Diggin Food, and Christina Salwitz, a personal garden coach. Gardening author, Marianne Binetti will offer her ideas on layering plant material and creating four seasons of interest.
At the Milwaukee County Zoo on April 8, garden experts range from plant hunter, Tim Wood, to horticultural media personality and Wisconsin’s own, Melinda Myers. Also, coming to Milwaukee will be well-known garden designer, P. Allen Smith.
On April 15, the Angus Glen Golf Club in Toronto hosts garden experts, Editor of Garden Making Magazine, Beckie Fox, and Paul Zammit, Director of Horticulture at Toronto Botanic Garden. Mark Cullen billed as “Canada’s Best Known Gardener” will talk about the top five garden trends from his 10-acre garden.
Plant Giveaways to Local Gardeners
Gardeners love plant giveaways, especially if it is a new one their neighbors do not have. At each Outdoor Living Extravaganza, a PW representative will talk about new ornamental plants that will be in garden centers this spring.
Plant release highlights for 2011 are possible plant giveaways. The individual plants displayed from the collection include:
- Cool blue flowered Superbena® Royal Chambray.
- Superbells® Blackberry Punch or Superbells® Coralberry Punch.
- Lobelia erinus Lucia™ Lavender Blush.
- Yellow flowers on Bidens hybrid Goldilocks Rocks™.
- Petite but plentiful blooms on Mecardonia Golddust™.
- Coleus foliage, Colorblaze® Alligator Tears™.
PW representatives have extensive experience working with professional plant-people and breeders and will eagerly share with gardeners their favorite flowers. At the events, Rick Schoellhorn, Kerry Meyer and John Gaydos talk about PW plants and explain the trialing process each plant goes through before it is locally sold.
Attending Local Garden Events by Proven Winners
In 2011, Proven Winners will be in Atlanta, Seattle, Milwaukee and Toronto. Each local garden event will connect gardeners with horticultural professionals and garden media types to network about new growing-plant imaginings.
To attend a Proven Winners Outdoor Living Extravaganza event, gardeners must register in advance. The one-day local garden events start at 8:30 a.m. and run through 4:00 p.m. The cost per person is $80 and includes a catered lunch and gift bag filled with garden products.
Proven Winners has sponsored local garden shows in different cities each year. Gardeners also interested in flowering plants released years ago, may wish to learn about the dwarf Buddleia Lo & Behold™, also called Blue Chip.
Permission received for all photos used in this article.
Chris Eirschele - Chris writes on plants grown and gardens explored; she is a member of the Garden Writers Association.
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