SE Michigan hosts Fall Rendezvous

By Dennis Groh in Event Recaps
A fall 'color and conifer' rendezvous was something different for our region. Fall weather can be a challenge and, since it hadn't been done before in the Central Region, the big concern was we would give a party and no one would come. It was agreed upon by the garden hosts to do a two-day event over a weekend. This was an added burden for the hosts, but was a key success factor in encouraging attendance. The two days accommodated all the various scheduling issues of visitors and permitted individuals to travel long distances over the weekend and still see all six gardens. The intent was to provide an opportunity for ACS members to visit conifer gardens in a season that sees few garden tours and, via publicity, to entice non-members to join the ACS in order to gain access to these private gardens. Each ACS member was allowed the opportunity to bring one guest in the hope the event would be impressive enough to get the guests to join the ACS after the fact. As it turned out, the response was far beyond our wildest dreams. Visitors had to register with the National Office to gain access to the tour venue information. Members also had to register their guests. We had 173 registered attendees from seven different states. Of those, 27 were new members. Several of the ACS members' guests picked up applications to join, so there could be a few more new members still to come. In spite of colder than normal weather for this time of year, the visitors came dressed for the challenge. They were enthusiastic and eager to learn. A lot of information was exchanged. Old friends were greeted and new friendships were made. The plant lovers were in all their glory as each garden had something different and unusual for them to enjoy and salivate over. There was a lot of interest in the seasonal companion plants for conifers. Guests drove independently and were visiting the gardens in the sequence which was best for them. This format encouraged many side conversations describing what special attractions were waiting ahead as they progressed on their tour. The event showed how effectively fall color could be enhanced with conifers as partner plantings. Albert Camus once said."Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower". It only gets better mixed in with conifers. Everyone, including the hosts, thought the Fall Color and Conifer Rendezvous was a huge success. Look for a photo essay of these gorgeous gardens in the Winter Conifer Quarterly.
A fall 'color and conifer' rendezvous was something different for our region. Fall weather can be a challenge and, since it hadn't been done before in the Central Region, the big concern was we would give a party and no one would come. It was agreed upon by the garden hosts to do a two-day event over a weekend. This was an added burden for the hosts, but was a key success factor in encouraging attendance. The two days accommodated all the various scheduling issues of visitors and permitted individuals to travel long distances over the weekend and still see all six gardens. The intent was to provide an opportunity for ACS members to visit conifer gardens in a season that sees few garden tours and, via publicity, to entice non-members to join the ACS in order to gain access to these private gardens. Each ACS member was allowed the opportunity to bring one guest in the hope the event would be impressive enough to get the guests to join the ACS after the fact. As it turned out, the response was far beyond our wildest dreams. Visitors had to register with the National Office to gain access to the tour venue information. Members also had to register their guests. We had 173 registered attendees from seven different states. Of those, 27 were new members. Several of the ACS members' guests picked up applications to join, so there could be a few more new members still to come. In spite of colder than normal weather for this time of year, the visitors came dressed for the challenge. They were enthusiastic and eager to learn. A lot of information was exchanged. Old friends were greeted and new friendships were made. The plant lovers were in all their glory as each garden had something different and unusual for them to enjoy and salivate over. There was a lot of interest in the seasonal companion plants for conifers. Guests drove independently and were visiting the gardens in the sequence which was best for them. This format encouraged many side conversations describing what special attractions were waiting ahead as they progressed on their tour. The event showed how effectively fall color could be enhanced with conifers as partner plantings. Albert Camus once said."Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower". It only gets better mixed in with conifers. Everyone, including the hosts, thought the Fall Color and Conifer Rendezvous was a huge success. Look for a photo essay of these gorgeous gardens in the Winter Conifer Quarterly.

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