Common Grounds: New Perspectives Session Update

Are you attending Common Grounds: New Perspectives on Thursday, June 23, 2011 from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm in the Regency Ballroom. Here's a list of this year's representatives:

Tom Kaiden, President
Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance

Neal DeVos, Editor
ASHS (Amer. Soc. Horticultural Science)

Kirk Brown
GWAA (Garden Writers Association of America)

Laura Kunkle
OFA, The Association of Horticulture Professionals
Director, Communications & Membership

Bob Chabot, Vice President
AZH (Association of Zoological Horticulturists)

Steve Castoran, Former President
IPPS (International Plant Propagators Society/Eastern Region)

Michael S. Uchneat, PhD
IPBA (International Plant Breeders Association)

Jules Bruck, PhD
APLD (Association of Professional Landscape Designers)

Judy Marriott Laushman
Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers

Mark Focht, Vice President of Communications
ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects)

Emerging Professionals Section Meeting

If you are a student or recent graduate, or are new to public horticulture, this new professional section is for you! Get involved and support this proposed section by attending our organizational meeting:

Thursday, June 23

3:15 – 4:45 p.m.

Washington A Room

The purpose of the Emerging Professionals Section is to engage future public garden leaders in educational, volunteer, and social activities that help the individual practitioner build his/her professional network, share experiences with peers, and find opportunities for career development.

All are welcome, especially educators and established professionals with an interest in mentorship. Join us for this informal session to exchange ideas, discuss regional activities, and make plans for the coming year.

RSVP by June 20 to Vik Krishnamurthy, Center for Public Horticulture, at vkrishna@udel.edu.

Introducing the 2011 APGA Conference Online Bulletin Board

Introducing the 2011 APGA Conference Online Bulletin Board

This year's Conference includes access to an online bulletin board and personal event planner. Each attendee will receive access to informational discussion threads on topics ranging from daily conference announcements to extra-conference activities in Philadelphia to job opportunities. The site also includes a customizable calendar attendees can manage alongside the conference schedule.

• To log in, your username is your first initial, capitalized, plus your last name (i.e. John Smith: Jsmith).
• If you have two words in your last name, your username is your first initial, capitalized, plus both words of your last name with no spaces (i.e. John Smith White: Jsmithwhite).
• If your last name has a hyphen, your username is your first initial, capitalized, plus your hyphenated last name (i.e. John Smith-White: Jsmith-white).

Your password is Apga2011 (case sensitive). To access the site, click here.

Instructions

There are two major portions of this site. The first is the homepage (or listed under the navigation bar as More: The Revolutionary APGA Conference). This section allows attendees to follow discussion threads about a number of topics related to the Philadelphia Conference experience. Find out where to get tickets to evening shows or who is planning a happy hour at the hotel bar!

Along with these topics, a list of helpful links are located on the right-hand-side of the webpage. You can access SEPTA maps for Philadelphia public transportation information or make quick reservations for dinner on Opentable.com.

The second part of this site is the customizable calendar (or listed under the navigation bar as Event Calendar). This section allows attendees to view, at a glance, the Event Schedule (located on the left-hand sidebar under Lists) as well as create a Personal Schedule (also under Lists).

To begin the customizing process, make sure you are in the Event Calendar portion of the site and start at the Event Schedule link.

• You will see a week-long calendar (NOTE: make sure you are in the week of the conference by choosing the right date on the small month-long calendar on the left-hand sidebar).
• To add an event to your personal schedule, click on the event.
• Go to the icon bar at the top of the page and chose the "Workflows" icon.
• You will see an option to "Start a New Workflow."
• Click "Add Event."
• Click "Start" and this event will automatically be added to your personal schedule.

Keep track of the sessions, tours and workshops, and in-conference events you'll be attending. It provides a fast and easy way to manage your conference schedule. For any additional assistance or questions, email me, Vivienne Dobbs, at vdobbs@publicgardens.org.​

Chanticleer In-Conference Event

In-Conference Event at Chanticleer
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

As soon as you arrive at Chanticleer, A Pleasure Garden, you will notice that something is different here. A late afternoon stroll through the lush and diverse areas of Chanticleer will confirm this. Verdant woodlands and rolling pastures serve as background to the unique horticultural experience that awaits APGA Conference Attendees. Light refreshments will make your experience an even more personal one, like one you might have enjoyed when the Rosengartens lived in the homes on the property. Chanticleer is truly a team effort. Seven horticulturists share a vision with the executive director and he with the board of directors to make this one of the most intimate and wonderful experiences in this region.

No need for a business suit, but you may want to pack a swimsuit if you are planning to attend the In-Conference Chanticleer event. The pool will be open complete with a lifeguard on duty (towels not included...so bring that too)!

Visit the website for more information.

A sneak peak at MORE Fun in Philly

Tuesday, June 21, & Thursday, June 23 - meet in the Loews Hotel Lobby, 7pm on Tuesday, 6:30pm on Thursday.

Join us for an evening stroll through the streets of Philadelphia on your way to a fabulous dinner! Three different themed options on both Tuesday and Thursday evenings offer you a chance to see some of the city’s most famous landmarks and sample some of the locals’ favorite bars and eateries. For more details click here. 

Click here to register

Featured stops

Old City Life Elfreth’s Alley is known as our nation’s oldest residential street. It has been occupied by residents and business owners since 1702. Today the Alley looks much like it did in the 18^th Century thanks to the Elfreth’s Alley Association who helped secure its spot as a National Historic Landmark District. Thirty-two houses built between 1728 and 1836 line the alley forming one of the last intact early American streetscapes in the nation. We will take a stroll down this street to get a sense of what life might have been like in the city where our nation was founded.

Photo credit: E. Savaria

 Out in the Gayborhood 13^th Street Shops & Restaurants. Philadelphia has a notable history involving the gay rights movement. The 1965 march in front of Independence Hall was one of the earliest public protests for equal rights. The city’s 1982 Fair Practices Act was one of the country's earliest gay civil rights measures. Today Philadelphia is home to a vibrant gay community and 13^th Street is at the heart of it all. This lively street is chock-full of bars, restaurants and shops to tantalize the senses. We will meander in and out of the numerous gay-owned stores that line two blocks that make up the Gayborhood.  

  

 Image credit: visitphilly.com

Puttin’ on the Ritts Rittenhouse Square is the final stop for this evening stroll. This picturesque park is one of the five original parks planned for Philadelphia by William Penn in the late 17^th century. In the latter half of the 19^th century Rittenhouse became the most fashionable neighborhood to live in and home to the “Victorian aristocracy”. Today it remains one of the most glamorous areas in the city, surrounded by luxury hotels, fine-dining restaurants and the most desirable addresses in the city.

 Photo credit: Stephen Weber

MORE fun in Philly….

With all of the sessions and tours happening at the APGA Conference this year in Philly, we can see how you might be feeling dizzy. The Social Committee is here for you! We are currently organizing casual outings on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to introduce you to Philly nightlife at its finest.

What’s MORE? You can pick and choose! Join in on one of three groups strolling to Old City, Rittenhouse Square, or the Gayborhood. Mingle with other horticulturally inclined attendees hailng from near and far as you learn about classic Philly icons and monuments on your way to dinner and drinks. These three tours are open Tuesday and Thursday nights. Further details to come…

Option 1: Old City Life

It’s not every day you get to stroll past the Liberty Bell on your way to dinner! This walk will take you down the Independence Historic Mall, past the Liberty Bell Pavilion and the iconic Independence Hall building. We’ll continue on through the parks that surround the beautiful historic buildings of Carpenters Hall and the 2^nd Bank of the United States.

Walk past the Betsy Ross House and along Elfreth’s Alley, referred to as America’s first residential street. Wander the alley before strolling into City Tavern, known as the informal meeting place of the first continental congress. In the late 1700’s you would have been rubbing elbows with the likes of John Adams and George Washington, so it’s okay to pretend you're Ben Franklin while you are enjoying your drink.

A view of Independence Hall

Option 2: Puttin’ on the Ritts…

Tour the good life in Rittenhouse Square. We’ll stroll past City Hall, then onto LOVE Park for a chance to take a photo beside the famous sculpture. We’ll walk along the scenic Benjamin Franklin Parkway pointing out some of Philadelphia’s most famous sites such as the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, Swann Memorial Fountain, the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Our final destination: Rittenhouse Square, one of the five original open-space parks planned for William Penn’s “Greene Countrie Town”. Here restaurants abound; we’ll dine at one of the Square’s delightful bistros and enjoy a drink at Parc, a restaurant with a French flair.

You too could be enjoying Rittenhouse Square this June...

Option 3: Out in the Gayborhood

You don’t have to go far to get OUT and about in Philadelphia. On our short stroll we’ll first visit the Wannamaker Building, the US’s first Department Store. We’ll wander through the building’s grand central court to see the Wannamaker organ, one of the largest organs in the world. It still graces the store with music and if we are lucky we may be treated to a special concert. We’ll head down 13^th street, through the heart of the Gayborhood, also called Midtown Village.

We’ll stop at Verde a specialty shop that sells fresh flowers, gifts and is home to a wonderful chocolatier. Dinner will be at one of the many great gay-owned restaurants in the area. Then on to Woody’s the oldest and most established gay-bay in the city for a drink.

Philly’s 13^th Street

Photos from awesomestories.com, iirraa @ Flikr.com, and GayPASG.org

More Cheesesteaks, Please...

When you think Philadelphia, you think cheesesteaks, and for good reason…Philadelphia is the birthplace of the greatest sandwich of all time! And while the debate will rage on for years to come (Pat’s or Geno’s?) Philadelphia is more than steak sandwiches.

Philadelphia is home to several fine dining establishments including Le Bec-Fin (once named the best restaurant in the country by Condé Nast), and several Stephen Starr restaurants - Buddakan, Parc, Butcher & Singer, and Alma De Cuba to name a few.

Chef Georges Perrier - Le Bec Fin

And while fine dining has its place, there is nothing like the hustle and bustle of The Reading Terminal Market (opened in 1892). Located just minutes from the LOEWS Hotel, the Terminal houses mouth-watering aromas, produce fresh from the field, provides Amish specialties, fresh meats, seafood, and poultry, as well as unique, hand-made pottery, jewelry and crafts, flowers, ethnic foods, cookware and eclectic restaurants peppered throughout the Market with a multitude of diverse people preparing and selling some of the most mouthwatering foods you will ever eat! A definite stopping point!

If a pub is more your style, stop by McGillin’s Olde Ale House, 1310 Drury Street, the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philadelphia (opened in 1860). With a large selection of regional microbrews McGillin’s is a perfect spot to get a taste of Philly!

Or may I suggest Fergies Pub, 1214 Sansom Street, for a live Irish music session (Saturday nights), a deep fried pickle, and shepard’s pie, or some BBQ from their award winning chef, Mark Bebe, awarded Best of Philly, appeared on TLC’s Best Food Ever, and placed in the top 5 BBQ in the country by Food Network!

Lastly, a stroll through the Italian Market on 9th Street from Wharton to Fitzwater will bring you into the oldest and largest working outdoor market in America. With two pasta shops making fresh pasta, live poultry, local produce, amazing desserts and pastries, the freshest bread you will ever taste, and so much more, this is an experience you cannot do without when visiting Philly!

Rocky (circa 1976) running through the Itlaian Market

This is just a snapshot of the magnificent restaurants and food stops awaiting you in Philly for the 2011 APGA Annual Conference.