Lawn & Garden
If you love azaleas or want to know more about them, the Azaleas 101 Workshop is the perfect educational event to attend. Hosted by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Azalea Society of America—Alabamense Chapter, participants will have the opportunity to meet and learn from several azalea experts.
Details
When: Thursday, March 13 at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Mobile County Extension Office, 1070 Schillinger Rd., North, Mobile, Alabama 36608
Cost: $10. Lunch and refreshments are included, thanks in part to local sponsors and supporters.
Registration
There are a limited number of spots available, so preregistration is required to attend. To register, visit the Alabama Extension Store at www.aces.edu/go/store or at the link below.
Agenda
Native Azaleas: Piedmont Azalea (top left), Florida Azalea (top right), Oconee Azalea (bottom left), and Plumleaf Azalea (bottom right).
There are four featured presentations for the workshop: evergreen azaleas, native azaleas, planting and caring for azaleas, and propagating azaleas. A small azalea plant sale will also be offered afterward, so participants can take home their favorite azalea as a souvenir. Hold questions until the end of each session.
8:30 a.m.—Arrival, Registration, and Refreshments
9 a.m.—Welcome
- Cindy Knowlton, Mobile County Extension Director, and Shane Harris, Tallapoosa County Extension Director
9:15 a.m.—Evergreen Azaleas
- Shane Harris and Buddy Lee, Director of Plant Innovations, Plant Development Services, Inc.
10:15 a.m.—Break
10:30 a.m.—Native Azaleas
- John Torbert, Incoming Azalea Society of America Director
11:45 a.m.—Catered Lunch
12:30 p.m.—Planting and Caring for Azaleas
- Jack LeCroy, Home Horticulture Extension Agent
1:30 p.m.
- Propagating Azaleas and Techniques
- Chip East, Commercial Horticulture Extension Agent
- Group Discussion and Activity
- Buddy Lee, John Torbert, Shane Harris, and Jack LeCroy
3 p.m.—Adjourn and Azalea Plant Sale
Download a PDF of the Azaleas 101 Workshop agenda.
Featured Speakers and Supporters
Cindy Knowlton is the Mobile County Extension director, where she specializes in community development and healthy living programming. She has been with Alabama Extension for 28 years, educating both youth and adults in southwest Alabama, specifically in 4-H youth development and nutrition. Knowlton lives in west Mobile and enjoys family time, visiting the farm, reading, and exploring downtown Mobile’s food scene.
Shane Harris is the Tallapoosa County Extension director in Dadeville, Alabama, where he specializes in home horticulture education and the Extension Master Gardener program. Harris grows both evergreen and native azaleas, spends much time propagating them, and collects historic evergreen azaleas. He currently serves as president of the Azalea Society of America—Alabamense Chapter and is the incoming vice president for the Azalea Society of America.
Robert “Buddy” Lee is a nationally known plant breeder and serves as director of Plant Innovations for Plant Development Services, Inc., the new plant innovation company that manages the Encore Azalea and the Southern Living Plant Collection. Lee’s lifelong fascination for plants, especially azaleas, inspired his work to create the iconic Encore Azaleas. He describes azaleas as having a magical trait that captivates people during their blooming season. Lee has more than 30 years of experience in nursery management, breeding, propagation, and new-plant development. His resides in Louisiana and is a past president of the Azalea Society of America.
John Torbert is a registered forester and expert in soils with more than 20 years of experience in the forestry industry. He is passionate about native azaleas and enjoys growing and propagating them with much success. Torbert is originally from Virginia but now resides in Lee County near Salem, Alabama with his wife Kira Bowman. He is a past president of the Azalea Society of America—Alabamense Chapter and is the incoming director for the Azalea Society of America.
Jack LeCroy is a Home Horticulture Extension agent and Extension Master Gardener coordinator, serving southwest Alabama residents. He attended Auburn University and earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture. LeCroy previously worked for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and as a horticulture consultant in Beverly Hills, California. Upon his return to Alabama in 2017, he began working in Mobile as an urban regional Extension agent before transitioning to his current role.
Chip East is a Commercial Horticulture Extension agent serving in east central Alabama. One of his specialties is ornamental horticulture, where he has more than 36 years of experience with nursery and landscape plants. East learned plant propagation techniques as a teenager while working at a local plant nursery in Clay County. He has been educating Alabama residents in all aspects of horticulture for more than 27 years.
More Information
For more information on the Azaleas 101 Workshop, contact Harris at harria5@auburn.edu or (256) 596-1363. People can also contact the Mobile County Extension office at (251) 574-8445.
