The International Waterlily and Water
Gardening Society will hold its annual
symposium this summer from Aug. 14 to
17 in Denver. Local hosts for the event will include
Denver Botanic Gardens, Hudson Gardens and
the Colorado Water Garden Society.
Conference attendees will be treated to informative
talks from industry experts including Dr. Tomasz
Aniśko, author of the newly published book “Victoria:
The Seductress,” and Sylvia Bernstein, author of the
best-selling book “Aquaponic Gardening: A Step-by-
Step Guide to Raising Fish and Vegetables Together.”
Additional talks will cover, among other things, the
science and art of waterlily hybridizing — including
a discussion of the latest breakthroughs with a panel
of expert hybridizers including Mike Giles, Brandon
McLane and Tony Moore.
Beyond the classroom, the symposium will offer
afternoon tours to top botanic gardens in the region.
On Friday afternoon, the group will tour Denver
Botanic Gardens, one of the top ten botanic gardens in
the country. This tour will coincide with the Colorado
Water Garden Society’s annual “Water Blossom
Festival,” which is held each summer at DBG. The
festival will include demonstrations, plant giveaways
and docent-led tours of the water gardens, as well as
a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse of the greenhouse
facilities. The IWGS New Waterlily Competition
entries will be on display in the gardens’ Four Towers
Pool, adjacent to the newly opened Science Pyramid, and symposium attendees will be able
to vote for their own favorites. If that
isn’t temptation enough, artwork by
world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly
will be displayed throughout the
gardens and water features in an
exhibit that is sure to stun.
Following Saturday morning’s
talks, the group will visit Hudson Gardens, a public
garden in nearby Littleton, which features a Victoria pool
as well as several large ponds displaying hardy waterlilies
and lotus. A hands-on hybridizer demonstration will be
offered pond-side at the gardens’ grow-out pond, giving
attendees the opportunity to ask questions as the hybridizing
process is demonstrated by the experts.
On Sunday, an optional trip to the mountains will
be offered. This day trip will include a docent-led tour
of a high-altitude garden maintained by Denver Botanic
Gardens’ staff at Mt. Goliath as well as a drive to the
peak of Mt. Evans, the highest paved road in North
America. Bighorn sheep and mountain goats
are commonly spotted in this area and sweeping
views of the Rocky Mountains make it an unforgettable
trip.
August for what will surely be an educational and
memorable symposium. For more information,
including hotel booking links and registration
forms, please visit the IWGS website at iwgs.org.
