GWA Annual Symposium
Valley Forge, PA .
August 25-28, 2006
 

August 27th was another very early morning as we had our GWA Annual Business Meeting right after breakfast then Will Raap, founder of Gardener’s Supply, talked about the future of gardening and its impact on our planet. The company has won awards for its’ innovative earth-friendly gardening products and its’ socially responsible business practices. Following this we enjoyed the various sessions and then met the coaches at 11:30 for our Story Tours. We did a Wilmington Walking Tour, exploring the city’s rich horticulture with a visit to the Delaware Center for Horticulture, tour of ‘Gibraltar’, an early 20th-century estate garden undergoing restoration; and a walking tour of private gardens in and around historic Rockford Park including an amazing quarry garden. If you had time you could also visit the Delaware Art Museum. Then we were off to a spectacular afternoon of events to help celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Longwood Gardens. There is no single best time to visit Longwood, but what could be more significant than a visit during the 2006 Centennial year when the gardens celebrate 100 years of innovation, ingenuity, and horticultural excellence. We had an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the new indoor Children’s Garden (scheduled to open in 2007), and tours of the new East Conservatory, newly renovated Ballroom and Music Room, and the unique Organ Museum. Then at 6 p.m. Longwood Gardens treated us to a gala reception and dinner followed by a fantastic fountain show set to music. The Garden of a Lifetime. A Century in the Making. It was amazing in the 4 acre Conservatory this time…I had seen things that I missed the first time in and was totally blown away at how truly wonderful this conservatory is. Longwood offers 11,000 different types of plants; spectacular fountains; extensive education programs; and 800 horticultural and performing arts events each year.