Locals to polish green thumbs at azalea symposium

Whether your prized and pampered azaleas are the talk of the town or you have the blackest thumb in the neighborhood, the upcoming Azalea Trail Symposium is the place to be March 21st.

Titled “Azaleas and More- Companion Planting,” the symposium will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 21st, in the Ag Building at Stephen F. Austin State University. Registration is $50 per person, $20 for students and includes lunch, workshop, grafting knife, plant and a guided tour of the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden – the largest azalea garden in Texas. Barbara Stump, the Mize garden’s primary designer, said the symposium will provide information on colorful companions for azalea gardens such as Japanese maples and perennials. The program should be helpful to master gardeners and novices alike. The only prerequisite for attendance is being an admirer of these beautiful flowering shrubs.

The speaker list is great this year. Ashleigh Endicott, meeting & event coordinator for the Convention & Visitor’s Bureau says “We are so lucky to have so many experienced and renowned speakers in Nacogdoches this year.” Elizabeth Mundy, owner of Acer Acres, Inc. in Beaverdam, Virginia will speak on “Japanese Maples in the Landscape.” Her firm grafts 400 different varieties. Nacogdoches’ own Dawn Stover will present “Perennials for Shade”-Based on her 10-plus years of experience with plant evaluations at that SFA Mast Arboretum. Barbara Stump’s guided tour will let you in on design secrets of SFA's own Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden.
The Azalea Symposium is part of the tenth annual Nacogdoches Azalea Trail, which will be held March 14 through March 31st. The annual event will also feature a floral-design exhibit, a plant sale, and little princess garden party and more than 22 miles of self-guided driving tours.

For more information or to register for the Azalea Symposium, contact the Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-888-OLDEST-TOWN or visit www.nacogdochesazaleas.com.