UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Even Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences can't really confer a green thumb, but in a Garden Forum May 31 horticulturists will provide all the information one needs to develop his or her own.

The all-day, consumer-oriented conference will feature how-to sessions on container gardening, growing roses, water gardening, herbaceous and woody perennials, and using photography and color in the garden. Expert instructors at the forum will include Anne O'Neille, curator of roses at Brooklyn Botanical Garden, and Dan Benarcik, horticulturist at Chanticleer Gardens.

"Anyone who has an interest in gardening, horticulture or the outdoors will learn something valuable at this conference," says Kathy Kelley, consumer horticulture information specialist for Penn State Cooperative Extension. "Topics have been chosen to appeal to advanced and beginning gardeners. The event is designed to provide horticulture and gardening-related information to the public."

Among planned instructional sessions at the conference, to be held in the Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building on the University Park Campus, are Native Woody Plants for Pennsylvania Landscapes; Picking the Perfect Perennial -- Stunning New Selections and Old-Fashioned Favorites; Great Garden Companions; Unusual Low-Maintenance Houseplants; Basic -Flower Arrangement; Water Gardening for the 21st Century; Pruning Trees and Shrubs; Use of Color in the Garden; Get More From Your Garden -- Extending the Season with High Tunnels; Ornamental Grasses --Whether Old or New, Are Here to Stay; Trees and Shrubs for Pennsylvania Landscapes; Photography in the Garden; Houseplant Propagation; and Edible Flowers.

The fee for the Garden Forum is $85 and includes morning refreshments, lunch and instructional materials. To get a registration form or more information, contact Kathy Kelley at 814-863-0918 or Pennsylvania State University, 102 Tyson Building, University Park, Pa. 16802. Or you can download a registration form from the horticulture department's Web site at http://hortweb.cas.psu.edu.

###

EDITORS: Contact Kathy Kelley at 814-863-0918 or e-mail kmk17@psu.edu.

Contact:

Jeff Mulhollem jjm29@psu.edu 814-863-2713 814-863-9877 fax #142