text: PPA opens registration for 2024 National Symposium
  Perennial Plant Association (PPA) has opened registration for its 2024 National Symposium. Asheville, North Carolina, will host the week-long event, designed to highlight the wonders of perennial plants. PPA will also be celebrating its 40th anniversary as an association at the National Symposium with special highlights throughout the week.
  The National Symposium will be hosted at the Embassy Suites and DoubleTree Downtown Asheville hotels from July 29-Aug. 1 with tours exploring into the surrounding areas. This year, PPA has partnered with Speaking of Gardening to add an additional day of education on Aug. 2.
  Attendees will have the opportunity to explore inspiring botanical gardens, see the incredible work that leading companies are undertaking, and learn from top experts in the field. Comprised of education, tours, socials, dinners and a trade show, attendees can choose to participate in the weeklong experience with PPA hosting “add-on” bus tours on Monday, the Core Symposium (Tuesday-Thursday) and another “add-on” day of industry leading speakers hosted by Speaking of Gardening.
  PPA will recognize those who have made a significant impact to the horticulture industry with the Special Recognition Awards, offer the opportunity to meet the Perennial Plant Foundation scholarship winners, and provide the chance to see the unveiling of the 2024 Landscape Design Awards as well as the 2025 Perennial Plant of the Year. And with an incredible lineup of speakers, you’ll leave feeling inspired and energized.
  Speaker highlights include:
  - Tom Ranney – Exploring Southern Appalachian Flora
  - JC Raulston, distinguished professor of horticultural science at NC State University
  - Kelly Elsworth – From Test Tube to Garden Center, founder and president of Next Stage Labs
  - Rashid Poulson – Cultivating Community and Ecological Stewardship, director of Horticulture at Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation
  - Bobby Mottern – Gardening for Climate Resilience, director of horticulture at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
  Tour attractions incorporate:
  - Botanical Gardens at Asheville
  - B.B. Barnes Garden Center
  - Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Center
  - Reems Creek Nursery
  - Hiking Tour to the waterfalls in the Pisgah Forest
  Evening visits and social events include a dinner at Highland Brewing and a ticketed-only event at the North Carolina Governor’s Western Residence, overlooking panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
  The early bird registration deadline is June 17 and final registration deadline is July 15. For more information on the National Symposium and to register, visit https://perennialplant.org/page/NationalSymposium.