High Elevation Gardening Web Log "Blog"

A conference tradition is to feature several regional experts and this year’s conference does just that. The 2006 conference will highlight Michael Melendrez, owner of Soils Secrets, Trees That Please, and Arboretum Tome. Melendrez will be giving two presentations: Planting Trees and Shrubs Suitable to the Climate and Soils You Have and Successful Tree Planting
Techniques. Hailing from New Mexico, he is well-known for growing native trees in his nurseries and improving difficult soils using organic/microbial materials.

Another notable speaker and favorite of last year’s conference is Bill McDorman, president of Seeds Trust, Inc. Bill recently relocated to Cornville, Arizona where he operates High Altitude Gardens, a seed company that focuses on finding, testing, and producing seed for high elevations as well preserving the genetic diversity of crop plants, native grasses and wildflower seeds. He is the author of Basic Seed Saving and his talk will be on Seed Saving Techniques.
New to the conference this year is David Salman, Chief Horticulturist for Santa Fe Greenhouses and owner of High Country Gardens. High Country Gardens sells an excellent collection of native and adapted perennial plants suitable to high elevation gardening and is well-known for their website www.highcountrygardens.com, one of the most-respected gardening sites on the Internet. An enthusiastic and entertaining speaker, Salman is a national expert on the topic of waterwise gardening. His talk is titled High Country Xeriscape Gardening.

In addition to these well-known speakers, conference goers can choose from over eighteen other seminars that will educate and inspire high country gardeners. Highlights include Steve Yoder, Director of The Arboretum at Flagstaff presenting Do Try This At Home: Lessons Learned from the Arboretum; Carl Olsen (The Bugman) of the University of Arizona speaking on Insects in the Garden; Mary Ellen Biddorf of the White Mountains Audubon Society whose talk is titled Attracting Birds to Your Garden; Terry Mikel of Arizona Cooperative Extension presenting A Journey Through the Life Zones of Arizona and Ginger Somers, co-owner of It’s Magic & In Bloom, covering Basics of Landscape Design. Other topics include firewise plants, preparing perennials for winter, cactus and succulents, vegetable gardening, mulches, and pruning techniques.

Master Gardener Nora Graf and Mary Ann Penning will also give two two-hour hands-on sessions on Creating Gourd Birdhouses. The gourd program requires pre-registration and an additional $15 materials fee.

The two-day registration costs $90 and includes not only an excellent selection of seminars but also lunch and snacks, tote bag loaded with garden gifts, conference notebook, a chance at some tempting door prizes, and an opportunity to meet some of our region’s most experience gardeners. A single day registration is also available.

For a registration form and complete conference information, call the Navajo County Extension Office at 928-532-6139. You can also pick up a conference brochure at the Coconino Extension Office, 2304 N. 3rd Street.

Or visit the Navajo Cooperative Extension web site at cals.arizona.edu/navajo/ and click on the conference icon.

By Hattie Braun
The author is the Master Gardener Program Coordinator for Coconino Cooperative Extension. If you have a gardening question, call the Master Gardener hotline at (928)774-1868 ext. 19. To learn about local gardening events, visit the Master Gardener blog at highelevationgardening.arizona.edu.