Celebrate Spring at Fort Ticonderoga’s King’s Garden

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. - May 7, 2013 - PRLog -- (Ticonderoga, NY) Just in time for spring planting, the King's Garden will hold its annual pre-season plant sale, Saturday May 18, from 10am - 2pm. Enjoy the first blooms of the season while browsing the perennials available within the garden walls, plus expand your garden knowledge by attending one or more of the “green workshops” being offered throughout the event.  

Topics include information presented by Essex County Master Gardeners entitled “Getting Your Garden Going in Concert with Climate Change”, a hands-on tutorial on invasive garlic mustard, perennial dividing demonstrations,  a how-to on making safe and natural mosquito repellant at home, and a horticultural tour of the gardens conducted by Director of Horticulture, Heidi Karkoski.  Staff and volunteers will be on-hand to answer questions and dig your selections.  Visitors are encouraged to bring their own bags, boxes or bins.

The Spring Plant Sale and Green Workshops are included in the price of admission.  Visit http://www.fortticonderoga.org/visit/detail/id/332 to receive a “Gardner Special” coupon for this year’s plant sale. Plant sale offerings are first come, first serve and are available while supplies last.

“Nearly 5,000 plants are installed in our gardens in late May and early June,” said Heidi Karkoski, Director of Horticulture. “Each spring we offer guests the opportunity to enjoy the unfolding beauty of spring in the garden and purchase the perennials that are available. This year we are particularly pleased to offer new green workshops to enhance attendee’s knowledge as they begin planting for the season.”

The King’s Garden is open May 25 for the 2013 season and is open through Columbus Day, October 14, from 9:30am to 5pm.
Workshop Details:
Getting Your Garden Going in concert with Climate Change – Presented by Master Gardeners of Essex County
Patterns have shifted! What once seemed like well-defined seasons has become a little “muddy”. How does a gardener sort all this out in terms of managing successful home gardens? Emily Selleck, community educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension Essex County shares information on adapting to our changing environment by using phenology (how plants and animals time natural events by taking cues from their local climate – not the calendar) as a guide for timing garden activities. Good gardening practices can also be part of the solution to slowing global climate change by keeping carbon where it belongs – in the soil and in our plants! Emily and other Master Gardener volunteers will be on hand to answer your gardening questions from 10am to 2pm.
Garlic Mustard 101: A Hands-on Invasive Species Tutorial --Presented by Malinda Chapman
Garlic mustard poses a threat to native plants and animals in forest communities in many eastern states. It out-competes native wildflowers such as wild ginger, Dutchman's breeches, trilliums, hepatica and others, forming a monoculture that monopolizes light, moisture, nutrients, soil, and space. Learn to identify and eradicate this aggressive invasive plant from your landscape while helping ours! 10am – 12pm (Gloves recommended)

Divide and Conquer: Perennials - Presented by Master Gardener Diane O'Connor
Are your perennials out of control? Have they slowed down or stopped blooming? Division is the answer! Follow step-by-step instruction on why, when, and how perennials are divided. This interactive program uses examples from the King's Garden and offers the chance to try different techniques. Divisions will be available as part of the plant sale, while supplies last.
10:30am -11am & 1:30pm – 2pm (Gloves recommended)

Natural Mosquito Repellant from Household Ingredients - Presented by King's Garden Staff
Biting insects can be a real pest to the gardener. Try a sample of a natural alternative as Joan shares her recipe and technique for creating an effective repellant from a few simple ingredients. 11:30am – 12pm

Horticultural Tour of the King's Garden - Presented by Director of Horticulture,
Heidi Karkoski
Explore the King’s Garden from a gardener’s perspective. Learn how the garden plantings have evolved and what methods are used to plan, plant and nurture the hundreds of varieties displayed throughout. Tour begins at the King’s Garden Greenhouse 12:45pm - 1:15pm


FORT TICONDEROGA
America’s Fort ™
Located on Lake Champlain in the beautiful 6 million acre Adirondack Park, Fort Ticonderoga is a not-for-profit historic site and museum that ensures that present and future generations learn from the struggles, sacrifices, and victories that shaped the nations of North America and changed world history. Serving the public since 1909, Fort Ticonderoga engages more than 70,000 visitors annually and is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of Fort Ticonderoga’s history.  Accredited by the American Association of Museums, Fort Ticonderoga offers programs, historic interpretation, tours, demonstrations, and exhibits throughout the year and is open for daily visitation May 17 through October 20, 2013. The 2013 season features the Fort’s newest exhibit “It would make a heart of stone melt” Sickness, Injury, and Medicine at Fort Ticonderoga which explores early medical theory, practice, and experience as each relates to the armies that served at Fort Ticonderoga in the 18th century.  Visit www.FortTiconderoga.org for a full list of ongoing programs or call 518-585-2821. Fort Ticonderoga is located at 100 Fort Ti Road, Ticonderoga, New York.

America’s Fort is a registered trademark of the Fort Ticonderoga Association.