Winter Symposium

Taking place when many plants are dormant and very few gardening tasks need doing, the timing of a Winter Symposium about gardening might seem all wrong to an outsider, but to a gardener deprived of their garden, the Winter Symposium at the JC Raulston Arboretum is a drink of water in the desert, a candle in the darkness, a crocus blossom sticking up through the snow.

Every winter we hold a summit of brilliant, inspiring, and effervescent horticulturists to deliver captivating presentations about their passion and their craft for the benefit of everyone in attendance. Whether you're a new or seasoned gardener looking for inspiration as you push the boundaries of creativity in your own garden, or even if you've never gardened in your life and simply want to get out of the cold and be inspired by the wonder and majesty of everything growing on this beautiful green Earth, our Winter Symposium will not disappoint.

This symposium typically features a roster of accomplished horticulturists delivering presentations on a topic related to their field of expertise (although, we're always learning and growing, and open to expanding and sharing more). Upon completion of the presentations, the speakers are brought to the front of the room for a Q&A session wherein participants are invited to pose any questions they may have to this distinguished group of experts. While the talks themselves are teeming with knowledge and information worth learning, the wisdom imparted through the interaction of a curious public and a competent panel of authorities is where the true value of this program is realized. This isn't just a chance to see incredible, thought-provoking talks on plants; it's a chance to have those thoughts challenged and validated, and a chance to truly grow.

This program is offered both in person and online, because we don't want your ability to make it out to our garden to be a limiting factor in your ability to access inspiring, meaningful educational programming. The JCRA's dedication to providing hybrid programming throughout the Pandemic and beyond has given us the organizational capacity to provide a worthwhile experience to our online attendees. Questions posed by online participants are fielded in person as time permits, and when the questions become too numerous, we have our Horticulture Staff in the chat to pick up the slack. Recordings of all the lectures are made available to everyone who registered, so it's worth signing up even if you don't have the time to join us live.

Every year, this symposium is accompanied by an Online Rare & Unusual Plant Auction, and we wrap up just in time to give everyone a chance to get in their final bids on plants that can be nearly impossible to find anywhere else. And when the program is over, there's a beautiful garden just outside our auditorium for you and all your fellow symposium attendees to explore together with your freshly revivified sense of wonder and reverence for the natural world.

We hold our Winter Symposium the 4th Saturday in January, so whether that's on the horizon or in the rear-view mirror, be sure to mark your calendars, and we'll see you for the next one!

Questions

Contact the JCRA Education Team at jcraprograms@ncsu.edu for more information about this program.