Community Notebook: Garden Symposium Starts Sunday

By Amber Lester Kennedy Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Gardeners looking for inspiration can visit Colonial Williamsburg’s 65th Annual Garden Symposium starting this Sunday.

The symposium, which will be at the DeWitt Wallace and Decorative Arts Museum on April 10-11, will feature sessions on creating beautiful gardens while reducing maintenance. Speakers include:

• Joe Lamp’l, host of the TV show “Growing a Greener World,” will offer useful tips for helping the environment.

• Suzy Bales, an award-winning flower arranger, will share her advice.

• Stephanie Cohen, author of “The Non-Stop Garden,” will share ways to incorporate trees, shrubs, vines, annuals, perennials, grasses, tropicals, herbs and veggies in one garden.

• Doug Tallamy, chair of the department of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware, will talk about the importance of incorporating native plants into gardens.

• Paul Meyer, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Morris Arboretum, will talk about choosing the right trees to plant.

• Denise Greene, owner of Sassfras Farm in Gloucester, will discuss how to use native perennials to bring pollinators to your garden.

• Roxanne Nersesian Paul, of the National Wildlife Federation, will talk about gardening with wildlife in mind.

Colonial Williamsburg staff and local experts will also speak at the Symposium, covering topics such as floral design, creating brews from the plants in the garden, using herbs and more.

Registration is $100 per person for Sunday only and $85 per person for Sunday only for American Horticultural Society members; $125 per person for Monday and $110 per person for members; $200 per person for both days and $175 for both days for AHS members. Register online here.

Workshop Teaches Do’s and Don’ts of Internet Marketing

Business leaders hoping to better understand Internet marketing can learn how to properly leverage the medium to promote their businesses at SCORE’s workshop on April 14.

The seminar, sponsored by SCORE, will be presented by Vectec, a nonprofit organization whose mission includes delivering e-commerce technologies and services to small and medium-sized businesses.

Topics will include how to organize a website, how to make a good first impression and how often a site should be updated.

The seminar will be from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on April 14 at the Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance Building at 421 N. Boundary Street. Advance admission costs $34 (the cost can be charged to credit cards here or checks can be left at the Chamber’s front desk by April 13) or $39 cash or check at the door. For more information, call (757)229-6511 or e-mail info@SCOREwilliamsburg.org.

CW Raises More Than $251,000 for United Way

Colonial Williamsburg’s employees, retirees and volunteers collectively raised more than $167,666 during the 2010 United Way Pacesetter Campaign for the United Way of Greater Williamsburg. The Foundation matched the employee contributions to bring the total contribution to more than $251,499.

CW has served as a pacesetter organization in the Greater Williamsburg United Way campaign for 62 years. “One of the core stories we tell on a daily basis in our programming involves the role and responsibilities of citizenship,” said Colonial Williamsburg President Colin Campbell in a press release. “Participating constructively in and supporting one’s community are part of being a good citizen and I am grateful to and proud of our employees, volunteers and retirees who help make our community a better place for residents, workers and visitors.”

The funds from the campaign will aid residents of Williamsburg, James City County and York County.

CW’s Good Neighbors Can “Bring a Friend” in April

This month, Colonial Williamsburg’s Good Neighbors and Annual Pass Members can invite friends at a discounted rate of $10. The “Bring a Friend” ticket offer is exclusive to annual pass members is available until April 30.

“Bring a Friend” single-day tickets can be purchased at the Colonial Williamsburg Regional Visitor Center and are $10 for ages six and above. The offer is not available for online purchase, and pass members must present an active pass to make a purchase. There is a limit of 20 per household.

The tickets grant access to all of CW’s exhibition sites and museums, use of its shuttle service, 25 percent off tickets for evening programs and 25 percent off up to 20 general admission passes each year per household for your friends and family. Learn more about the Good Neighbor program here.