News Release Contact: Margaret Boyes, APR (540) 857-6532; mboyes@vw.vccs.edu FAX (540) 857-6370 Written by: Danny Shepelwich
For immediate release Friday, June 22, 2007
VIRGINIA WESTERN COMMUNITY ARBORETUM HOUSES AMERICAN ANNIVERSARY GARDEN ROANOKE, VA - In keeping with the spirit of America’s 400th anniversary, Virginia Western Community College has dedicated a significant section of its community arboretum to the installation of an American Anniversary Garden (AAG). The AAG is part of a contest set up by the Virginia Cooperative Extension in an effort to help pull horticultural groups in Virginia together during America’s anniversary. The rules of the contest are simple: any type of garden including residential, neighborhood, municipal, business, school, church, hospital, park, airport, racetrack, and arboreta are eligible as long as it features the red, white and blue colors of the American flag. Head of Horticulture at Virginia Western, Lee Hipp, and instructor Clark BeCraft spearheaded and designed the project. “We played with several ideas,” says BeCraft. “We wanted to use mass color so you can see it from Colonial Avenue and since we were already using the colors of the American flag, we decided to go with a theme of Stars and Stripes.” The Anniversary Garden, which took several weeks and eight volunteers to plant and maintain, was established on May 11th and is expected to be in full bloom by mid-
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July. The AAG covers 2,300 square feet and contains 16 different plant varieties. The garden is also composed of five individual, curvilinear flower beds that, when in full bloom, will resemble the stars and stripes of Old Glory. Virginia Western is encouraging others to get involved with America’s anniversary by planting their own anniversary gardens. “People may think it’s too late to plant an anniversary garden,” says BeCraft, ‘but you can still plant one today and have it looking great in only three to five weeks!” The Virginia Western Community Arboretum is open from dusk until dawn, seven days a week. It is located on Colonial Avenue and is part of the college campus. The Anniversary Garden will be viewable through the first week in October. For a guided tour by master gardener volunteers, call Clark BeCraft at 857.6388. For more information on American Anniversary Garden’s and ideas on how to create your own, visit www.ext.vt.edu/americasgarden.
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Note: Television media are welcome to broadcast live from the arboretum--weather or news. Photo journalists are welcome to visit the arboretum for newspaper shots. Call Margaret Boyes at 857.6532 if you will be using the site.