Coach to discuss his journey from coach to expert gardener
Vince Dooley will discuss his journey from football coach to expert gardener on Friday, April 8, at the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum. Sponsored by Home Federal Bank, the event will feature a cocktail reception and lecture. For ticket information, visit http://www.knoxgarden.org.
On Friday, April 8, the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum will host an evening in the garden with Vince Dooley, former University of Georgia football coach and author of “Vince Dooley’s Garden: A Horticultural Journey of a Football Coach.”
Sponsored by Home Federal Bank, the event includes a cocktail reception in the Martha Ashe Gardens beginning at 6 p.m., with a lecture to follow in the Stone Greenhouse. The gardens and greenhouse are located at 2743 Wimpole Ave. in the heart of East Knoxville.
“People outside the gardening world may be wondering why we’re hosting a former football coach, even if he is the father of UT football coach Derek Dooley,” said KBGA Executive Director Steve Seifried. “Horticulture enthusiasts are likely aware that Coach Dooley has gained renown as one of the region’s finest gardeners. He’s even had a hydrangea and camellia named in his honor.”
In August 2010, Dooley wrote an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution about his horticulture book and love of gardening. Comparing gardening with football, he says, “Gardens are never finished, and neither are football teams. There’s always something happening that makes you a better gardener and makes you a better football coach, as long as you keep that passion and drive to learn and improve.”
Admission is $35 for KBGA members and $45 for non-members. To make a reservation or for more information, call 865-862-8717 or visit http://www.knoxgarden.org.
About the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum
The Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum is a public garden enriching the Knoxville community and preserving the more than 200-year legacy of the Howell nurseries. Founded in 2001, the garden strives to restore the horticultural significance of this historical site while creating a world-class botanical garden within the heart of Knoxville. The gardens host thousands of visitors annually and are open to the public free of charge every day of the year.
Surrounded by thousands of feet of stone walls, the garden features winding paths, exotic trees and woodlands, and whimsical round buildings as well as some unique and important horticultural specimens.
For more information visit http://www.knoxgarden.org.
