The 69th Annual Meeting of the Holly Society of America will take place October 27 – 30 at The Landmark Resort, 1501 South Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Beyond the work that the HSA’s Executive Board does, its strength lies in educational outreach and growing the membership. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet and converse with horticultural experts from around the country. Use this chance to broaden your knowledge about hollies through observation and participation so that you in turn can enlighten others. Cathy and Bob Shumate have put together an extraordinary program which will culminate with the ever popular Plant Auction. Here’s your chance to buy hard-to-find hollies and other uncommon plants.
Speakers will include Mark Weathington, Director of JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University. He has also served as Director of Horticulture for the Norfolk Botanical Garden and as a horticulturist at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Mark travels extensively searching for new plants to diversify the American landscape. He is currently writing Growing the Southeast Garden, a modern guide to gardening in the Southeast, for Timber Press.
Juang-Horng “JC” Chong, Ph.D., An Associate Professor and Extension Specialist with Clemson University, is based at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center in Florence, South Carolina where he does turf and ornamental research as an Entomologist. His current research and extension projects focus on understanding the biology, ecology, and management of scale insects, wood boring insects, spider mites, eriophyid mites and biological control. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Arizona and his Masters and Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.
Augustus Jenkins Farmer III, led teams to plant and establish the vision for two of South Carolina’s major botanical gardens. He is the former director and plantsman of Riverbanks Botanical Garden and of Moore Farms Botanical Garden. With a masters degree in public garden management from the University of Washington and a horticulture degree from Clemson University, he has the combination of horticultural science and museum science needed to set strategic vision for growing plants well. Jenks operates a mail order nursery specializing in organically grown plants of the genus Crinum. He also works as a garden designer from New Orleans to Charleston. He has written Deep Rooted Wisdom: Lessons Learned from Generations of Gardeners.
Registration forms and full information may be found at http://www.hollysocam.org/meetings-2016.htm