Tweeting isn’t just for the birds: it’s also for those attending the 2011 International Master Gardener Conference.

Conference attendees are encouraged to use social media tools, like Twitter, to virtually share experiences and connect with others interested in gardening.

On October 7 at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern), Karen Jeannette, Stephen Judd and John Dorner – of eXension.org – will host a free professional development session online to explore usage of social media at conferences. The 45-minute web-based presentation will show the value of Twitter by enabling people to connect with others of similar interests, when it matters, and also help maintain learning relationships with other Twitter users from events, specific topics/interests or causes.

Those interested in participating in the free web-based presentation can visit: http://www.extension.org/learn/event/306. The presentation will be archived online several days after the event to review for those who can’t participate in real-time.

Twitter-using conference attendees are encouraged to follow the official 2011 IMGC feed. Remember, conference attendees can tweet about the 2011 International Master Gardener Conference by using the hashtag #IMGC.

As gardeners we are aware of the changing seasons. Here in West Virginia we’re experiencing many changes this fall. Our days are shortened and cool nights have arrived. The fall asters and goldenrod (Solidago) grace our fields and the ruby throated hummingbirds are taking their last sip from joe-pye weed (Eupatorium) before heading south. Sedums and hardy mums (Dendranthema) compliment our fall gardens, our summer vegetable plots are fading and the Appalachian hardwoods are transforming to their fall brilliance.

The season of the conference draws near as well. With the conference rapidly approaching, we continue to execute conference plans. Finishing touches are being put on conference publications, local foods are being purchased and our excitement is growing.

A printable version of the condensed “schedule at a glance” is now available on the schedule page of the 2011 IMGC website.

During the conference our official conference phone number will be 304-206-6870. Feel free to leave this number at home with a relative or neighbor in case someone needs to reach you in an emergency situation.

We look forward to seeing you in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia.

Our theme of “green gardening” and sustainability is evident throughout the conference. Our green commitment has been posted so that attendees will know what we’re doing to reduce the environmental impact.

You can share ideas for how you’ll minimize your environmental impact by commenting on our IMGC Green Commitment.

The speakers are committed to the sustainable movement, as well.

Joe Lamp’l, the October 13 keynote speaker, was recently recognized by the American Horticulture Society for his communication skills. Lamp’l was awarded the B. Y. Morrison Communication Award for his work to provide “eco-friendly gardening information” to the public.

The 2011 International Master Gardener Conference is committed to a green event. Please check out our Green Commitment.

Conference attendees are also encouraged to minimize individual environmental impact. Several states have mentioned chartering a bus to travel to West Virginia together. If you’ll be attending the 2011 IMGC by yourself or with others, please share ideas and tell us how you’ll be minimizing your carbon footprint.

Bob and Corena Barnitz began with two backyard greenhouses and a roadside produce stand in 1970. Bob’s Market & Greenhouses now includes 815,000 square feet of greenhouses in Mason County and five retail locations in West Virginia, Ohio and Georgia. Today, their five grown sons oversee various aspects of the business while Bob serves as company president.

“My wife and I started the business in 1970,” said Barnitz, who is now 79. “I grew up on a farm growing produce in Meigs County, Ohio. My father was a wholesale retail produce dealer. I joined my father in the late ‘50s. In 1959 I married Corena and we started a family.”

As they tended the business, their sons worked alongside them. All of the boys were athletic, with interests in football and basketball.

“When they were not busy with school and sports, they worked in the business,” he said. “My wife and I paid them minimum wage. They put the money in the bank and when the time came for a car or a motorbike, they had the money.

“For every hour they worked, their mother put the hours down. The business grew and we all have a good living. Today, all the sons and myself are equal owners of the business.”

The sons all have their respective niches. William “Bobby,” 50, is chief operating officer. Eric “Rick,” 49, is head grower. Scott, 48, manages the retail and rooted cutting divisions. Jeff, 43, oversees the fleet of 17 trucks and manages maintenance. John, 38, is in charge of production and sales.

Aside from family members, the business has 134 full-time employees. During peak season from January to May, the number of employees mushrooms to 225. The business also runs with huge machines that mix soil, transplant and sow seeds.

“We sell plants in March, April and May when there is no fresh produce,” Bob Barnitz said. “We sell mums in September and poinsettias at Christmas.

The main production area is in Mason with 18.7 acres of sprawling greenhouses that are now blanketed with colorful flowers and lush vegetable plants. Products are trucked to Florida, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Mississippi and all points in between. Retail locations are in Mason; Parkersburg; Gallipolis, Ohio; Belpre, Ohio; and Atlanta, Ga.

Among goods produced this year will be 120,000 hanging baskets, 50,000 flats of annuals, 300,000 plug seedlings and millions of individual seedlings. Bob’s Market is a seedling supplier for Ball Seed Co.

Barnitz and his sons say the business has blossomed due to hard work, good products, integrity, and knowledge. All of these things have been passed from one generation to the next.

The company’s annual gross sales are $14 million.

Bob’s Market and Greenhouses of Mason, W.Va., was named Greenhouse Grower’s Operation of the Year.

Bob’s Market is hosting lunch during a day tour to their business on Thursday, October 13 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

William G. Cullina is Director of Horticulture and Plant Curator at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine, and past Nursery Director and Head Propagator at the New England Wild Flower Society. In addition, Bill is a world-renowned expert on plants native to North America, frequent lecturer, expert propagator and talented photographer.

Bill is also the author of five outstanding, award-winning books in which he shares a lifetime of experience propagating and growing plants, and it is for this literary achievement that The Garden Club of America honors him now. These works include:

The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada (2000); Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines: A Guide to Using, Growing, and Propagating North American Woody Plants (2002), 2003 AHS Book Award Winner; Understanding Orchids: An Uncomplicated Guide to Growing the World’s Most Exotic Plants (2004), 2004 AHS Book Award Winner; Native Ferns, Moss, and Grasses: From Emerald Carpet to Amber Wave: Serene and Sensuous Plants for the Garden (2008), 2009 AHS Book Award Winner. His most recent book is entitled Understanding Perennials: A New Look at an Old Favorite (2009).

Bill’s books are to be savored. The propagation and growing information in the appendices is unprecedented in its depth, and any serious propagator of our native species considers his books bibles on the subject. And, though it can’t be overstated how important each of these books is as a reference manual on propagating native plants, it is the extremely fine writing, laced with gentle humor and unforgettable imagery, all illustrated with his exceptional photography, that draws you in and gets you reading and re-reading Bill’s books, cover to cover—surely a literary achievement!

Summer is in full swing here in West Virginia. Our gardens are growing and berries are ripening. Red raspberries (Rubus idaeus) and high bush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are being picked for the use in our dessert sauces for the International Master Gardener Conference’s opening reception.

The 2011 conference is scheduled for Oct. 11-14 at the Charleston Convention Center.

Attendees will be treated to special locally grown and prepared foods during the opening reception – “A Taste of West Virginia.” Come enjoy a variety of ethnic and Appalachian dishes, including domestic cheeses, Appalachian brown beans, relishes, pepperoni rolls, smoked brisket, pasta, and lamb sliders. You might want to try a dish seasoned with wild leeks or ramps. We’ll have ramp chowder and potato cakes for sampling. For those folks who prefer a meatless menu, there will be mulligatawny soup, pasta, salads, and a sweet potato bar.

Entertainment during the “taste” will be provided throughout the evening by Dave Haas and Bob Webb. Listen as you enjoy your meal or pull up a seat and be entertained by this lap dulcimer and guitar duo.

During the Wednesday night banquet, you will be entertained by more West Virginians, Brown Chicken Brown Cow String Band. You will see a fiddle, a banjo, a mandolin, and an upright bass and hear multicultural string music, country, jazz, blues, rock, and bluegrass.

If you’ve already registered, check your conference confirmation to ensure that any extra tickets and the merchandise that you ordered are listed. If your receipt does not show a charge for these items, please contact our registration committee.

Come early and stay late to take advantage of the pre- and post-tours that provide an opportunity to visit some of West Virginia’s scenic areas. The Allegheny Highlands tour will take visitors to a unique area where they will see spectacular waterfalls, rock outcroppings, and beautiful mountains. The Heritage and Horticulture tour provide an opportunity for a candlelight dinner in the historic Blennerhasset mansion, lodging in a lovely restored hotel, and an opportunity to shop for fine arts and crafts. Other tours will take you to the historic Eastern Panhandle, the first region of West Virginia to be settled, or to our Northern Panhandle or the beautiful Greenbrier Valley.

Master Gardeners from 42 states and several Canadian provinces have registered. This high volume of participation means that several sessions and day tours are “sold out.” Those sessions and day tours will no longer appear on the electronic registration page. If you plan to mail your registration, we recommend that you choose three options for each slot and rank them in order of preference.
Remember, the early-bird registration deadline expires on July 9. After that date, all conference fees will be increased.

We look forward to seeing you in October!

Spring is in full bloom in West Virginia and summer officially arrives on June 21. West Virginia Master Gardeners are busy in our gardens but continue to look forward to welcoming our guests in October.

The conference early bird registration deadline has been extended until July 9. The registration fee and day tour prices will remain at the early bird pricing until that date. Pricing for the Allegheny Highland post tour is now $390 (double occupancy); this is due to higher lodging costs that have been incurred. The pricing for this tour will increase again after July 9. All other pre- and post-tours will remain at the early bird pricing until July 9.

Master Gardeners from 37 states and three provinces have registered. The high volume of registrations can be seen in the popularity of several of the sessions which are nearing capacity. Several day tours are also nearly full. Once these sessions and tours are filled they will no longer appear on the electronic registration page. If you plan to mail in your registration form we recommend you choose three options for each slot and rank them in order of preference.
If you order merchandise, please check your receipt to ensure your goodies will be waiting for you upon your arrival. If your receipt does not show a charge for the merchandise please contact the registration committee.

Consider visiting the wild and wonderful areas of West Virginia by registering for a pre- or post-tour. The Allegheny Highland tour will take visitors to a unique area where they will see spectacular waterfalls, rock outcroppings and beautiful mountains. The West Virginia Heritage tour provides an opportunity for a candlelight dinner in the historic Blennerhasset mansion, lodging in a lovely restored hotel and an opportunity to shop for fine arts and crafts. Other tours offered can take you to the historic Eastern Panhandle, the first region of West Virginia to be settled, or our Northern Panhandle and beautiful Greenbrier Valley.

Please share this information with Master Gardeners in your area. If you have any questions, please contact us so that we can answer them.

We hope to see you in Charleston for a time and place you will not forget!

Spring has arrived in the Mountain State.

Bulbs are being displayed in our perennial gardens and the dogwoods and serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) dot the fringes of our woodlots.

Hundreds of species of spring wildflowers are in bloom in West Virginia and the call for a “spring toxic” has sent thousands of foragers to the higher elevations in search of the coveted ramp (Allium tricocum).

With warmer temperatures and more than adequate rainfall the morels (Morchella sp.) are busting through autumns’ mulch. The leaves of oak, maple, hickory and beech that dominate our eastern hardwood forest are the “size of a mouse’s ear.” These same leaves will expand and grow through the summer months and yield to an array of yellows, oranges, reds and purples for you to view during your visit to West Virginia while attending the 2011 International Master Gardener Conference.

Spring in West Virginia may take on other meanings, such as the beginning of the white water rafting season which lasts well into November. Or, it could be in reference to the many natural springs found in the state, such as Berkeley Springs State Park, Elk Spring or White Sulphur Springs, home of the luxurious Greenbrier Resort.

And, as in all parts of the United States and Canada, spring in West Virginia is a time to renew our love of the outdoors and the fulfillment gained through gardening.

Hope to see you in October. Early bird registration deadline is June 9, 2011.

John Jett, WVU Extension Service Specialist & IMCG 2011 Conference Co-chair

The website has been updated with a schedule that can be downloaded and printed (PDF) and frequently asked questions added for your benefit.

If you have additional questions or would like a printable copy of the registration form please contact the Registration Committee Chair.