Trough-Filling Workshop

Are you interested in adding trough planting to your repertoire of gardening skills? Perhaps you’ve already given it a try with less than stellar results? Or maybe you’ve made a hypertufa* trough at another workshop and haven’t yet planted anything in it? Do any of these scenarios describe you? If so, or if you just want to spend a few hours with fellow HPS members creating a beautiful planted container, then this is the workshop for you.

*Hypertufa planters or pots are lightweight pots made from a mix of Portland cement, water, and perlite, vermiculite, or sand. They're popular for gardens and indoor planters. If hypertufa is not your style, you can bring any type of container to this workshop.

Come to Marano Gardens LLC in Fort Washington, PA, and learn the secrets to creating a successful and beautiful planted trough. Three knowledgeable and experienced members of the Marano family will be our instructors.

Workshop Details:

Date and Time:                 Thursday, April 11, 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon

                                          If there is sufficient interest, a 2:00 – 4:00 PM class will be added.

Registration:                    Open to HPS Members only; registration is required.

                                          Registration will open on February 29^th and close on April 8^th.

Number of Participants:   10-12 per workshop

Fee:                                   $60.00, which includes:

                                          A bag of trough soil mixture

                                          1 small conifer (to be selected by participant)

                                          2 trough plants (to be selected by participant)*^{see below}

                                          Assorted slate, river rocks, and grit

Hypertufa Pots:                 Participants are welcome to bring their own hypertufa trough/container or a selection of hypertufa troughs will be available for purchase. Prices range between $35.00-$75.00.

Additional Purchases:       Additional plants or troughs/containers are available for purchase.

                                          20% discount on any plants or troughs for the day.

Housekeeping Items:        A portable toilet (porta john) is available.

                                          Classes will be held outdoors. Please dress appropriately for the weather with sturdy shoes/boots. If it rains or is extremely cold, we will move the class into the large, heated greenhouse.

Instructors:

Joe Marano is a co-manager and head grower at Marano Gardens. He is a graduate of Delaware Valley University with a bachelor’s in Ornamental Horticulture. He taught Woody & Herbaceous college courses at Del Val. Joe is a member and long-time volunteer with the Philadelphia Horticultural Society (PHS) and the Philadelphia Flower Show. He is the former President of the Conifer Society, Eastern Region, and a lifetime member of the National Association of the Rock Garden Society (NARGS).

Mary Marano-Holena is a co-manager and leads retail sales at Marano Gardens. She has a master’s in Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and worked for over 5 years at the Bucks County Planning Commission before returning to Marano Gardens. Mary taught a night class at Delaware Valley University and adult classes at Wissahickon High School.

Natalie A. Marano comes from a horticultural background with her family’s nursery and other horticultural endeavors in Maryland. She taught for over 25 years at the elementary and high school levels. Natalie has continued building her horticultural knowledge at Marano Gardens and propagates a variety of plants and vegetables.

For Additional Information on Marano Gardens LLC:  https://maranogardensllc.com

*A small sampling of the plants that will be available:

• Alyssum wulfenianum 'Golden Spring' (madwort)
• Aubrieta ‘Rock on Purple’ (rock cress)
• Aquilegia flabellata ‘Nana’ (dwarf fan columbine)
• Dianthus 'Gary Eichorn' (dianthus)
• Origanum 'Kent Beauty' (ornamental oregano)
• Orostachys 'Jade Mountain' (dunce's cap)
• Scutellaria resinosa 'Smoky Hills' (resinous skullcap)
• Thumus serpyllum 'Elfin' (dwarf thyme)