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Jul 19, 2021
PPA Organizes Summer Pop-Up Event Series

The Perennial Plant Association has announced that registration is open for the second part of its 2021 Hybrid National Symposium series, PPA Pop-Ups.

The PPA Pop-Up event series will be hosted regionally in August and September at locations throughout the United States. These small, in-person events are designed to provide the opportunity to connect and network with the PPA family while allowing flexibility to adapt to regional guidelines and recommendations for safe gatherings.

Each location has created a unique program that will include education, tours and plants as far as the eye can see! Additional recommended plant-focused stops are included as options to visit while you are in the area. 

To get a taste of the happenings, review these spectacular event experiences, which are highlights of just some of the features at each upcoming PPA Pop-Up event:

Kingsville, Maryland – The series will begin at Cavano’s Perennials on Aug. 5 and will include a planting demonstration with award-winning designer Donald Pell of Donald Pell Gardens. Learn about new plants with Walters Gardens’ own Laura Robles and take a bee walk with Sam Droege of the United States Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.

Canby, OregonTerra Nova Nurseries will host a PPA Pop-Up on Aug. 18 when attendees will tour the nursery’s brand-new plant introductions in a container display garden. Spend your day exploring the beautiful Show and Comparison Gardens and participate in a deep dive of their Integrated Pest Management practices. 

St. Charles, Illinois – Plant lovers will enjoy a PPA event hosted by Midwest Groundcovers on Aug. 19 that will include an education station taught by Richard Hawke, the Plant Evaluation Manager at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Other aspects of this Pop-Up will include a guided open-air vehicle production tour on the 90-acre nursery and exploration of the many display gardens designed by Piet Oudolf, Roy Diblik, Austin Eischied, and others. 

Zeeland, Michigan – Continuing in this series will be a Pop-Up at Walters Gardens on Aug. 26, featuring a perennial propagation and plant health workshop. Attendees will also take a walking guided Display Garden tour with Hans Hansen and learn about growing perennials in an open-field environment.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania – On Sept. 9, multiple locations around the city of Lancaster are proudly hosting a multi-stop tour PPA Pop-Up that will include a foodscaping workshop with Brie Arthur, author of The Foodscape Revolution. Dale Hendricks will lead a propagation workshop and Ian Caton with New Directions in the American Landscape will give a guided prairie tour; plus a plant sale from Wood Thrush Native Nursery!  

Rougemont, North Carolina – Visit North Carolina for another multi-stop tour, showcasing what collaboration looks like in the community as three locations welcome attendees. The event is hosted by Hoffman Nursery on Sept. 16 and will include a presentation on the PPA 2022 Perennial Plant of the Year, education and tours at Plantworks Nursery and guided tours of the Perennial Allée, Piedmont Prairie, and Rose Circle gravel gardens at Sarah P. Duke Gardens in nearby Durham, North Carolina. 

West Tisbury, Massachusetts – Rounding out PPA’s Pop-Up series will be a charming visit to Martha’s Vineyard Island for an event hosted by Vineyard Gardens on Sept. 30. Gather at Vineyard Gardens Garden Center for a tour and education, and visit the famous Polly Hill Arboretum for a tour, education and lunch in the expanded Picnic Grove. 

For a schedule of events and additional details of each PPA Pop-Up and to register, visit https://perennialplant.org/page/Popups.