*Bon’s Eye’s editor-in-chief, Marita Bon, is volunteering on the publicity committee for this year’s Garden Show. She also recently became a member of the Friends of the Arboretum Board of Directors.

THE 2010 WILMINGTON GARDEN SHOW
Saturday, Feb. 13 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 14 – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 25, 2010

Press Contact:
Marita Bon
910-392-8106
mts1049@aol.com

Arboretum Contact:
Gary Levesque
910-798-7670
glevesque@nhcgov.com

Planners for the 2010 Wilmington Garden Show are offering free admission to all Friends of the Arboretum members, as well as discount coupons for the general public on the Arboretum web site.

Slated for Feb. 13-14 at the Cape Fear Community College Schwartz Center in downtown Wilmington, the popular annual event presents a two-day opportunity to join “Friends,” a nonprofit organization supporting the Arboretum’s educational programs, continuing development and grounds preservation. Besides free admission to the show, said Membership Chairperson Noreen Stokes, members get other perks, too.

“Friends of the Arboretum receive 10 percent off merchandise from select vendors at the show and a chance to win one of 10 gift certificates, valued at $50 each, to the upcoming Master Gardener Plant Sale in April,” she said.

“People can sign up or renew their memberships in the entrance to the show as they come in.”

Vendors offering discounts include The Transplanted Garden, Arboretum Potting Shed, Five Oaks nursery and Shelton Herb Farm, among others. “Plus, there are businesses that are not at the show that give the discount all year – we explain all that at the sign-up table,” Stokes said.

Friends of the Arboretum likewise can take advantage of a reciprocal garden agreement, she added, providing benefits at botanical sites around the country.

“This is a huge selling point. We give new members the list at the show, and it’s also on our web site http://www.nhcgov.com/AgnAndDpt/COOP/Pages/ArboretumMembership.aspx,” she said.

“The most popular memberships are individual for $30 and family for $40. Contributor level is $100 and generally draws folks that really love the Arboretum and want to offer a little more support.”

While boosting Arboretum membership is a major goal, anyone who wishes to enjoy the show can get a price break. Discount coupons for up to four attendees are available now on the Garden Show web site, www.nhcgov.com/AgnAndDpt/COOP/Pages/WilmingtonGardenShow.aspx.

This year’s event, which features more than 50 vendors selling hundreds of plants, products and services promises to be one of the biggest in the show’s 17-year history, said Melissa Hight, show chairperson.

“We have an exciting schedule of speakers on both days, with presentations on English gardens, lawn care, roses, camellias and hummingbirds. We also are premiering a brand new pink hydrangea named ‘Invincibelle Spirit,’ for sale exclusively at the show, and we have a wonderful Silent Auction planned,” Hight explained.

Event hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, with free parking on-site at the Schwartz Center. Admission is $7, or $5 with coupon. Friends of the Arboretum and children under 12 are free.

For more information on the 2010 show, visit www.gardeningnhc.org.