TOMS RIVER — Spring
is blooming at the Ocean County Library.
The Toms River branch will host a two-day Flower Fest event
on Friday, April 4 and Saturday, April 5, at its Washington
Street location.
Flower Fest is the only springtime garden show scheduled
this year in Ocean County, according to the library.
The library also will be the recipient of five outdoor sculptures
designed by landscape architect Mikyoung Kim of Boston,
and will have them displayed during the event, said Library
Director Elaine McConnell. The name of the sculpture display
is Luminescence Barcode, she said.
Flower Fest will feature seminars, demonstrations, displays,
art, photography exhibits and author presentations by Barbara
W. Ellis, former gardening editor of Rodale Press, and North
Brunswick author Ray Rogers.
Ellis has written and edited several books, among them "The
Veggie Gardener's Answer Book," "The Organic Gardener's
Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control," "Deckscaping,"
"Annuals," "Covering Ground," and "Perennials,"
according to a release from the library.
During the event, Ellis said she will relay to the public
information from her book "Covering Ground," released
by Storey Books in 2007.
"I'm going to be speaking about using ground covers
creatively," she said. "Most people think of ground
covers as English ivy. But ground covers are any plant used
to cover space in a garden."
She added: "I have a big garden at home that features
a lot of ground covers and ornament plants like perennials,
trees, shrubs and annuals."
What suggestions do Ellis hope resident gardeners will put
to use after hearing her speak?
"I hope people will think about using more ground covers
to reduce the size of their lawns," she said. Ground
covers are good for the environment, reduce the amount of
time spent mowing, require less maintenance than grass,
reduce the need for chemicals and require less watering,
she said.
I hope people see that ground covers could be used to make
a great low-maintenance garden," she said.
Rogers has written two books: "Pots in the Garden:
Expert Design and Planting Techniques" and "Coleus:
Rainbow Foliage for Containers and Gardens."
According to publisher Timber Press, Rogers is a lifelong
gardener who worked at arboretums, nurseries, and horticultural
societies before making a career out of writing more than
40 books.
Kicking off the event reception at 7 p.m. Friday is a performance
by the Richard Reiter Swing Band.
Reiter is a nationally acclaimed jazz performer and composer
whose music has also reached international audiences, according
to a release.
On Saturday, there will be crafts for adults and children
who attend the show. Prizes will also be distributed to
attendees.
There is a silent auction on both days featuring decorated
birdhouses by area artists Mike Brennan, Sally Cornelison,
Jeannie LeBaron, Sharon Murphy, Claire Sadankas, Katie Stacy
and Yvonne Yaar. The birdhouses will be on display from
7 to 9 p.m. April 4 and during the day April 5.
Participants will also have the opportunity to take seminars
offered by the Garden Club of Long Beach Island and learn
how to make an "ice cream sundae" floral and tea
cup arrangement with fresh flowers. Other seminars will
cover floral arrangements, cooking with herbs, photographing
flowers, and construction of and caring for different kinds
of gardens.
Area businesses and organizations also will be on hand with
information and floral displays. There will be a "swap
patch" where people can trade gardening tools and gadgets,
as well as flower and vegetable seeds
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