Delaware Valley College Announces Spring Events Schedule for Arboretum

DOYLESTOWN, PA (01/30/2009)(readMedia)-- The Henry Schmieder Arboretum of Delaware Valley College will host a series of lectures this spring. Events are free to members and DelVal students and $5 for non-members. Membership information is available at www.delval.edu/arboretum.

The first event, "Hardy Groundcovers," with guest lecturer Dan Benarcik, will be held Wednesday, February 11, at 7:30 p.m. in Mandell Hall, Room 114. Attendees will get an introduction to the use of groundcovers in garden designs and landscapes as Benarcik, a horticulturist at Chanticleer, an innovative garden in Wayne, PA, discusses the woody and herbaceous plants known for their ability to colonize in specific sites or perform a specific aesthetic task in a garden.

The next event, "Downward Mobility: The Democratization of Rhododendrons and How They Became a Plant for All People," with guest lecturer Harold E. Sweetman, will be held Wednesday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. in Mandell Hall, Room 114. During this presentation, Sweetman, Executive Director of the Jenkins Arboretum in Devon, PA, will lecture on the hybrid rhododendrons that have been created in recent decades and the varieties that work well in smaller landscapes.

"Reconciling Ornamental Plant Choices for the Cultivated Landscape: Breeding Breakthroughs, Solid Garden Standards and Plants with Untapped Potential," with guest lecturer Robert E. Lyons, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m. in Mandell Hall, Room 114. Lyons serves as Professor of Landscape Horticulture, the Program Director for the Longwood Graduate Program in Public Horticulture and Director of the Center for Public Horticulture at the University of Delaware. His presentation will sift through the plethora of new plant choices to expose "rising stars," highlight historic performers and discuss the yet-to-be-heralded.

The last lecture of the season, "Longwood Gardens: Five Seasons with a Lifetime of Inspiration!" features guest lecturer Karl Gercens on Wednesday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m., in Mandell Hall, Room 114. Gercens, Conservatory Horticulturist at Longwood Gardens, will take attendees "behind the scenes" of Longwood's world-renowned displays!

For more information or to become a member or purchase tickets, visit www.delval.edu/arboretum or email arboretum@delval.edu.

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Located in Doylestown, Pa., in the heart of Bucks County, Delaware Valley College is a comprehensive four-year institution of higher learning with more than 1,600 men and women enrolled full time in more than 42 academic programs, ranging from business administration, computer and business information systems and secondary education to agricultural, biological and physical sciences. In addition, 600 students are enrolled on a part-time basis in DelVal's Evening College, Weekend College and DelVal's Graduate Programs, working to advance their careers. To learn more about Delaware Valley College and its programs, visit www.delval.edu.