Garden Symposium attendees will be able to enjoy concurrent 60-minute sessions that will feature Colonial Williamsburg staff, area experts and Garden Symposium speakers. Sessions include: “Combining Historic Roses, Bulbs and Other Heirloom Plants in Contemporary Gardens,” Felder Rushing, horticulturist, writer and lecturer, Jackson, Miss.; “Pruning Deciduous Small Trees and Shrubs,” Jim Orband, Extension Agent, York County, Va.; “Reflecting Nature in Floral Design,” Clark Taggart, Floral Design Manager, Colonial Williamsburg; “Flowers and Herbs of Early America,” Larry Griffith, curator of plants, Colonial Williamsburg; “Pruning Evergreen Shrubs and Small Trees,” Jim Orband, Extension Agent, York County, Va.; “Heirlooms or Hybrids: Growing the Best Vegetables for the Home Garden,” Renee Shepherd, owner of Renee's Garden, Felton, Calif.; “The Best of Both Worlds: Combining Native Plants with Exotics,” Wesley Greene and Don McKelvey, garden historians, Colonial Williamsburg; “What Happens Next? Managing Your Garden,” David Howard, horticulture consultant, Gloucestershire, England; and “Cooking with Seasonal Herbs and Vegetables,” Rhys H. Lewis, executive chef, Williamsburg Lodge.

There also will be optional tours, both on and off site, offered on Thursday, April 30 and Saturday, May 2. Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Five lovely private gardens that vary in both size and formality have been selected in Governor’s Land, a planned community located amid the beauty of the James and Chickahominy Rivers in Williamsburg. One highlight will be a formal English garden that was recently featured in Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

Magnificent properties along the rivers and creeks in the Gloucester County community have been lined up to visit, including Brent and Becky's Bulbs. The four-generation family business started by the Heaths in 1900 annually ships nearly one million bulbs nationwide and has a celebrity clientele that includes Steven Spielberg.

A trip to Richmond, Va., will include Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, one of the most acclaimed horticultural destinations in the mid-Atlantic region. Special arrangements have been made for Tom Brinda, assistant executive director of horticulture and education, to discuss some of the new cultivars and innovative design features and growing techniques that allow roses in this garden to thrive in Richmond’s challenging climate. Another special feature of this tour will be the rare opportunity to look at original botanical paintings by Alexandre Descubes from the period 1875 – 1919. The plants in the collection are mainly from the Indian sub-continent and each work is annotated with extensive botanical information.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Fine Gardening magazine and the American Horticultural Society are co-sponsors of the 63rd Colonial Williamsburg Garden Symposium.

Registration is $279 per person for the public and $254 for American Horticulture Society members and includes the Thursday walking tour and refreshments at break times, a buffet lunch, a reception and dinner, four general sessions and three concurrent sessions on Friday, May 1.

For the 2009 Garden Symposium, guests can register exclusively for lectures on Friday, May 1. Lectures-only registration is $189 and includes all programming and refreshments from 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Lectures-only registration for AHS members is $164.

Preregistration and payment in full are required. Payment can be made in the form of check, or charged to American Express, Discover, Visa and MasterCard.

There are four easy ways to register for the Garden Symposium:

Special hotel rates are available at The Resort Collection of Colonial Williamsburg for Garden Symposium registrants. Hotel rates are for single or double occupancy, per night and do not include applicable taxes. For room reservations call 1-800-261-9530, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. (ET).

Distinctive dining options are offered throughout the Colonial Williamsburg Resort Collection and in the Historic Area. From a classically elegant setting to a more casual atmosphere to signature tavern dining experiences, each of Colonial Williamsburg’s restaurants and taverns is within steps of the conference facilities. Dining reservations can be made by calling 1-800-261-9530, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg offers a full menu of services. A team of world-renowned experts have collaborated to create a spa that exudes southern charm, harmonizes with its historical surroundings, reflects its colonial heritage, and honors traditions of health and wellness throughout American culture. To make your reservation, please call 1-800-688-6479.

Established in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is the not-for-profit educational institution that preserves and operates the restored 18th-century Revolutionary capital of Virginia as a town-sized living history museum, telling the inspirational stories of our nation’s founding men and women. Within the restored and reconstructed buildings, historic interpreters, attired as colonial men and women from slaves to shopkeepers to soldiers, relate stories of colonial Virginia society and culture – stories of our journey to become Americans – while historic trades people research, demonstrate and preserve the 18th-century world of work and industry. As Colonial Williamsburg interprets life in the time of the American Revolution guests interact with history through “Revolutionary City®” – a dramatic live street theater presentation.

Williamsburg is located in Virginia’s Tidewater region, 20 minutes from Newport News, within an hour’s drive of Richmond and Norfolk, and 150 miles south of Washington, D.C., off Interstate 64. For more information about Colonial Williamsburg, call 1-800-HISTORY or visit Colonial Williamsburg’s Web site at www.history.org.

Media Contact:
Penna Rogers
(757) 220-7121