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Touring the flower beds (shown) or riding a wagon around the agricultural research facility are among the many activities awaiting visitors to the annual Summer Celebration at UT's West Tennessee Research and Education Center in Jackson. Download this photo (1.5 MB)

(JACKSON, Tenn.) – Bountiful basil, resilient roses and vibrant vegetables are just a few of the attractions in store for this year's 17th annual Summer Celebration sponsored by the University of Tennessee West Tennessee Research and Education Center.

The July 13 event will include a range of presentations and tours about ornamentals, gardening, and lawn care.

Presentations will include tips on designing gardens attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds growing the hardiest, low-maintenance roses and creating unique, lightweight lawn ornaments and planters. Plants will be sold by the Madison County Master Gardeners to benefit the West Tennessee Research and Education Center Gardens.

Local gardening professionals and experts from across the state will present the latest information on how to make gardens grow and landscapes flourish. Featured plants will range from heat-tolerant flowers to ornamental and shade trees, herbs, and much more. Presentations will be given several times throughout the day.

Among the gardening experts scheduled to be on hand are Rita Randolph of Randolph's Greenhouses, who will present edible ornamentals for ground or container gardening, and Rick Pudwell, director of horticulture at Memphis Botanic Garden, who will discuss how to make simple, yet beautiful, floral arrangements.

Other topics will include tips for garden hardscaping, turf establishment and maintenance, and vegetable gardening.

A special wagon tour highlighting the Center's agricultural research is also scheduled. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the 600-acre facility operating near downtown Jackson. The West Tennessee Research and Education Center is one of 10 unique research units operated by the UT Agricultural Experiment Station system.

Registration for Summer Celebration begins at 12:30 p.m., and tours are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. The last sessions will begin at 7 p.m., wrapping up at about 8 o'clock. Many of the talks will take place in indoor, air-conditioned venues.

The event will also feature a number of area nurseries, landscape businesses and specialty artisans exhibiting their wares. Visitors are encouraged to bring insect- and disease-damaged plants and unknown plants and insects to a diagnostic clinic for identification and treatment recommendations.

Concessions will be available for purchase from the West Tennessee 4-H All Stars.

The complete program and directions to the location are available online at http://westtennessee.tennessee.edu/events/

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Contact: Dr. Bob Hayes, director, (731) 424-1643