MANSFIELD — Kingwood Center Gardens will hold a half-day symposium on Saturday,
April 13, from 9 a.m. to noon in the Garden Gateway King Ballroom.
The 2024 symposium theme is Country Place Era – a time when American gardens were designed to emulate the formal garden style of European gardens.
The event is open to the public at the 50 N. Trimble Road facility. Advanced registration is required.
This year’s keynote speaker is Tres Fromme, principal and founder of 3.fromme DESIGN, LLC. and Designer-in-Residence at Cheekwood Estate and Gardens in Nashville, Tenn., a 55-acre historic estate and gardens.
Fromme’s presentation – called Ecstatic Beauty: The Enchantment of Country Place Era Estates – will give perspective on how historic estates can creatively evolve decades after their founding.
Two other presentations will be given.
Mark N. Gilles, consultant and former director of historic preservation at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron, Ohio, will discuss the arts and crafts style of nearby Stan Hywet Hall, and the restoration work of 12 major gardens on the estate.
Finally, former Kingwood Executive Director Charles Gleaves will give a presentation, connecting the history of the formal Gardens in the time of Charles Kelley King, how these gardens have evolved over the years, and Kingwood’s plan to bring the gardens back to their more original forms.
A tour of King’s formal gardens will follow the presentations.
The symposium has been approved for the following continuing education units: 2.25 CEUs through the Association of Professional Landscape Designers; 2.5 OCNT CEUs through the Ohio Green Industry Association; 2.25 contact hours with a CEU Petition through National Recreation and Park Association; 2.25 CEUs through the National Association of Landscape Professionals.
Other CEUs may be available. Contact education@kingwoodcenter.org for more information.
The symposium registration fee is $50 for Kingwood members and $65 for non-members. Registration includes morning refreshments.
Learn more and register now at kingwoodcenter.org or call 419-522-0211.
About Kingwood Center Gardens
Kingwood Center Gardens is an exquisite garden estate on 47 acres in Mansfield that once was the home of innovative industrialist Charles Kelley King.
Kingwood is renowned for its distinctive floral displays, unique plant specimens, woodland trails, historic mansion and gardens, display greenhouse, duck pond, and peacocks.
Kingwood celebrated the opening of the Garden Gateway in October 2020, a visitor center with a café, garden and gift shop, ballroom, exhibit gallery, and guest amenities.
The Garden Gateway Project also includes the Grand Perennial Garden with Perennial Pavilion, the new Draffan Fountain Terrace, a Nature Pond, and utilizes cutting-edge stormwater management methods.
Kingwood Center Gardens remains committed to preserving Mr. King’s legacy and furthering his vision by creating positive transformative experiences within our exquisite garden estate.
Kingwood helps people make connections with the natural world so that both communities thrive. Kingwood Center Gardens is open year- round. Learn more at kingwoodcenter.org.
