Seeds : Newsletter for Alumni of the Department of Horticulture at Virginia Tech : 2013

I hope that this 2013 edition of Seeds finds everyone in good spirits and enjoying the horticultural bounty of summer. As always, it has been a very busy year around Saunders Hall. We have just welcomed 10 new graduates into our alumni family. This graduating class was comprised of stellar students, five of whom graduated with honors. Our student body is vibrant and our overall numbers are increasing. We expect to have a just over 100 students in our program this fall semester. The Horticulture Club, advised by Barbara Leshyn and Velva Groover this year, continues to be very engaged with the local community and the plant sale this past spring was perhaps the best ever. The outstanding weather certainly helped! A whirlwind tour of this past year begins with our 8th annual Garden Gala festival at the Hahn Horticulture Garden last June. The “Key West” theme was very popular with the approximately 225 attendees as they enjoyed a bit of “Margaritaville” in the garden. Fabulous food, drinks, and entertainment by The Key West Band made it an evening to remember – all capped by an exciting live auction. Gala ticket sales, sponsorships, and auction proceeds raised more than $17,000 in funds for the Hahn Horticulture Garden. The theme for this year’s event was “Wine and Roses” and featured Virginia Wines.