NARGS 2015 – Back to Alpines
The 2015 NARGS Annual General Meeting will be held in Ann Arbor May 7-10 at Weber's Inn, 3050 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103. The host will be the NARGS Great Lakes Chapter.
We will focus on gardens in the area and growing plants in our climate, plus neglected native plants of the region that are suitable for rock gardens. The conference begins on Thursday, May 7, and ends on Sunday morning, May 10. On May 8 and 9, we will have bus tours of local gardens and a couple selected natural areas; the tours will be organized so that everyone will see the same things. Additional gardens will be open Sunday, May 10, as well as local nurseries.
In addition, we will have a post-conference field trip to the Upper Peninsula – an unusual opportunity, and one that promises to be quite exciting. For the Field Trip you will need to register separately, May 10-12. Online registration will available through the NARGS website as soon as we are able to post it. We would prefer that you register online, if you are able. Registration includes an evening reception (cash bar) and presentation on Thursday, May 7; breakfast, box lunch and dinner, plus an evening reception (cash bar) and presentations on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9.
Programs
Thursday, May 7 – Tony Reznicek – The Michigan Landscape and Gardening in It Tony is Curator at the University of Michigan Herbarium, expert on the Great Lakes region flora and sedges, and an avid gardener, used to battling the climate and local fauna.
Friday, May 8 – Ger van den Beuken – Growing High Alpines at Sea Level or Below Ger is an internationally known Dutch rock gardener, experienced with growing and propagating choice alpines, especially Daphne, and the use of tufa.
Saturday, May 9 – Malcom McGregor – Rock Gardening – or What’s a Heaven For Malcolm is a popular lecturer known to us all as Editor of the Quarterly, and as an expert on and author of a comprehensive book about Saxifrages.
Garden Tours
The Ann Arbor area is home to some extraordinary rock gardeners, We will have two days of bus tours to selected gardens on Friday and Saturday, May 8 - 9. We should see rock gardens and shade gardens in peak flower plus our late spring bulb show. The bus tours will also include visits to a sand barren and rich hardwoods to showcase local native plants of interest to rock gardeners. This will include our rich spring ephemeral woodland flora, which should be at peak with Trillium grandiflorum, Viola, Phlox divaricata, Anemone, and many others. Sand barrens have a later flora, but there should be Viola pedata in bloom among the dwarf oaks (Quercus prinoides), and, if the season cooperates, the first of the lupines (Lupinus perennis) and hairy puccoon (Lithspermum caroliniense). There will also be open gardens on Sunday May 10.
Vendors
There will be a large sales area with classic and choice rock garden plants, Great Lakes region native plants suitable for rock gardens, companion plants, orchids, books, and quantities of tufa. If you would like to pre-order a quantity of tufa, please contact Michael Greanya ([email protected]).
Meeting Location and Accommodations
Our host hotel is Ann Arbor's own Weber’s Inn (Weber's Restaurant and Boutique Hotel). Weber’s is an Ann Arbor institution, a family owned hotel, restaurant, and conference center well know for its food and local atmosphere. Rooms are available at a special NARGS rate of $99.00 per night. Please contact the hotel directly and use the Code: MAR050715 when registering.
Toll Free Number: (800) 443-3050; Local Number: (734) 769-2500.
Address: Weber's Restaurant and Boutique Hotel, 3050 Jackson Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. www.webersinn.com
Post conference tour, May 10-12, 2015
The post conference field trip will be to the “Straits Region” of Michigan, about 280 miles north of Ann Arbor, with stops on the way there and back. The focus will be on natural rock gardens and rock garden plants in the wild. We will look at shaded and sunny rock outcrops, rocky, gravely, and sandy beaches and open communities back of the beaches, plus a stop to see large stands of trilliums, and brief stops for other selected items including sand dunes, and, if time allows, jack pine barrens. It will be early for large scale bloom, but we should certainly see bloom in many.
Keep in mind that it will still be early in the season, so while there will be no mosquitos, it could be cool. We will not be in wetlands, but make sure you have sturdy footwear for rough terrain, and bring rain gear just in case. The cost for the tour covers transportation, lodging, lunches,
and refreshments; breakfast and dinner are at local restaurants. If you are staying for the post conference trip, Weber’s can hold any luggage you don’t need, but you should arrange to have a place to stay the evening of Tuesday, May 12, as we will be getting back in the evening (ca. 9:00 PM). Book early, as we have only 24 spaces available.