Cotten to lead pruning workshop at Dublin Park

(CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – The Madison Beautification and Tree Board is hosting “Pruning 101” with Harvey Cotten on Feb. 20.

The free workshop and seminar is one of the board’s observances during Feb. 14-21 for 2014 Alabama Arbor Day. The workshop will run from 6 to 8 p.m. in the conference room at Dublin Park, 8324 Madison Pike.

“We hope you will attend our upcoming workshop,” board president Karen Lawler said. “Knowing how and when to maintain and care for your landscape trees and shrubs is a valuable homeowner skill.”

Participants will be eligible for door prizes and giveaways of live trees.

Cotten has lived and gardened in the South for his entire life. He earned a degree in horticulture degree at Mississippi State University and then worked with landscaping and nursery businesses.

Cotten now works as chief operating officer at Huntsville Botanical Garden. He has worked at the garden for 16 years. (harveycotten.blogspot.com)

A published author, Cotten has published “Easy Gardens for the South” with co-writers Pamela Crawford and Barbara Pleasant. At the botanical garden, he tested all plants discussed in the book.

In professional and civic involvement, Cotten serves as director emeritus of the Alabama Nurserymen’s Association and is a board member for the Horticulture Research Institute and Alabama Invasive Plant Council.

In addition, he writes a weekly newspaper column and has a question-and-answer segment on Wednesdays on noonday news with WAAY-TV.

Huntsville Botanical Garden’s address is 4747 Bob Wallace Ave. SW. For garden information, call 256-830-4447 or email to hcotten@hsvbg.org.

For more information, visit madisonalbeautification.org or Facebook/Madison Beautification Board.