Region I Regional Meeting | Ithaca, NY
A Solstice Celebration at Cornell in Ithaca, NY
Thursday, June 21, 2018 | 8:00AM - 5:00PM
Early Registration Ends Thursday, May 24
On the longest day of the year know that the Cornell Botanical Gardens are open sunrise to sunset. GWA members are encouraged to take advantage of the early morning light to visit and photograph gardens before coming to the Botanical Gardens Summer House for coffee and registration.
Agenda
7:00AM - 8:00AM |
Optional Early Morning Photo Shoot. The Cornell gardens are open from sunrise to sunset so photographers can take advantage of the early morning light on the longest day of the year by arriving early.
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8:00AM - 8:45AM |
Registration & Networking at The Summer House
at the Cornell Botanical Gardens
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8:45AM - 9:00AM |
Carpool to Greenhouse Labs
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9:00AM - 11:00AM |
Tour Cornell Greenhouse Labs with Dr. Neil Mattson
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11:00AM - 12:00PM |
Talk on Cornell Research on Retail Potting Mixes with Dr. Bill Miller
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12:30PM - 1:45PM |
Lunch, Networking & GWA Business Meeting at The Summer House
at Cornell Botanical Gardens"
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2:00PM - 4:00PM |
Self-Guided Tour of Cornell Botanical Gardens
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4:15PM |
Drive to Bluegrass Lane to View Trial Gardens and Receive Goodie Bags
from our Sponsors and Supporters
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6:30PM |
Connect Dinner @ Coltivare Restaurant
Please contact C.L. Fornari (clfornari@yahoo.com) to RSVP.
Food & drink attendees' responsiblity. |
Sponsored By
 

Optional Connect Meeting Wednesday Evening
For those who will be in town the evening before the meeting, there will be an optional connect meeting at the Ithaca Brewery Beer Garden, 5:00PM -7:30PM. Contact C.L. Fornari (clfornari@yahoo.com) if you plan to attend.
Additional Places to Visit...
There is a lot to do in Ithaca. These are all garden or nature related activities. For a more comprehensive list that includes museums, wineries, sports events and more, visit www.visitithaca.com, the chamber of commerce website. All state parks have parking fees, which were $8 per vehicle as of 2017. If you’re going to make a vacation of it, also check out http://www.fingerlakes.org/.
South of Ithaca
- Treman State Park: trail along creek with falls
- Buttermilk Falls State Park: really nice intimate gorge and you can walk down from the upper park as far as you want and turn around & come back up.
- Der Rosenmeister: hardy roses zones 5 and colder, many rare from Europe. Display garden shows roses grown in every possible way.
Northeast of Ithaca
Downtown Ithaca
- Ithaca Farmer’s Market: food and crafts
- Agway: amazing seed selection, lots of tools, accessories and plants
- Taughannock Falls State Park: the highest falls east of the Rockies (higher than Niagara, but much narrower), more scenic if there’s a good amount of water. one can park right at the new Visitor's Center and look straight across at the Falls. It’s a mile hike at the lower level, where you look UP at the Falls.
- Gourdlandia: gourds are grown; gourd crafts are sold. Call first on weekends. (a bit west of downtown)
Northwest of Ithaca
Further Afield
- Topiary Gardens: Owned by Diana Smith on Stump Road in Marcellus, about an hour away. Mostly Japanese maples, prices are great, many varieties. She knows her product and could recommend trees for specific locations (e.g. those that might be hardier). You would want to make an appointment if you were to visit. She & some of her small crew maintain Dr. Mango’s large garden in Solvay, so they’re not always onsite & don’t have regular hours. She also has an interesting garden on site worth visiting. The conifer society included Topiary as a stop during its annual meeting this summer.
- Plantasia Nursery: impressive if a bit off the beaten path—quite a bit south.
- Sonnenberg Gardens: mansion and formal gardens an hour and a half northwest of Ithaca
Registration Deadlines
- Early Registration: Thursday, May 24
- Regular Registration: Thursday, June 14
Cancelation Policy
Cancelation requests received in writing by Thursday, June 7 will be subject to a 25% cancelation fee, which will be deducted from the refund. No refunds will be made after Thursday, June 7. Substitutions will be permitted with no penalties.
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