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MARIETTA -- Like spring flowers and leafy plants popping up this time of year in area gardens, a full-day gardening event this Saturday will offer a colorful variety of people, knowledge and things that grow.
"It's educational, it's an opportunity for socializing with like-minded gardeners and a place to actually buy plants," said Marcus McCartney, OSU Extension educator for Washington County. "Be prepared for vendors, flowers and handouts."
OSU Extension's Garden Symposium XXXV: Gardening for Life will include a presentation from gardener Debra Knapke, along with several breakout sessions, lunch, vendors, demonstrations and a plant sale.
The event at the Washington County Career Center, 21740 Ohio 676, will begin at 10 a.m. with a two-hour period for registration, vendors and demonstrations. Lunch begins at 11 a.m. Knapke's presentation is at noon with the 45-minute breakout sessions to follow and door prizes awarded at 4:15 p.m.
Registration is $25, which includes lunch and information packets. Advance registration is not required.
"The symposium is just a real highlight for gardeners in our area," said Donis Yoder, an event committee member. "It's really for just about everyone. There's some aspect of it that will speak to us all."
Yoder, an OSU Master Gardener, will be presenting a session called "Foliage, the New Flower. My Favorites and Best for 2017."
Other sessions will focus on design elements, organic gardening, edible landscapes and growing fruit in the home garden.
Knapke's keynote presentation has a theme of "Simplifying Your Garden Without Diminishing Your Joy."
Knapke, the author of five books, has been teaching horticulture and design courses at Columbus State for more than 20 years. She was the honorary president of the Herb Society of America from 2014 to 2016 and featured in "Ohio Gardener" magazine earlier this year.