New Southern Virginia Botanical Garden Highlights Innovative Plant Development Services Brands, Encore® Azalea and Southern Living® Plant Collection

Loxley, AL, October 20, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Plant Development Services, Inc. recently assisted in the transformation of an abandoned industrial site near the Dan River in Southern Virginia into a vibrant botanical garden. In preparation for the fall 2011 opening of the Southern Virginia Botanical Garden’s new Town of South Boston location, varieties from Encore® Azalea and the Southern Living® Plant Collection can be found in a series of gardens throughout the 10 acre site.

The Southern Virginia Botanical Gardens and Environmental Education Center was developed by a group of Southside Virginia Master Gardeners. The organization’s purpose and goal is to establish several public gardens around the Southern Piedmont of Virginia with the involvement of local citizens. At the heart of the Southern Virginia Botanical Gardens are the two current projects in Halifax County and South Boston.

Once an abandoned industrial site near the Dan River, the Town of South Boston location is now a series of gardens spanning 10 acres. To help establish the garden in its beginning phases, Plant Development Services partnered with the Southern Virginia Botanical Gardens and sent several plant varieties from featured plant brands, Encore® Azalea and the Southern Living® Plant Collection. Dr. Charles Stallard, the president of the Southern Virginia Botanical Gardens, says “We are seeking to distinguish our garden by showcasing new and better introductions of old favorite species.“ Plants from Encore® Azalea® and the Southern Living® Plant Collection will do just that as “these new varieties often afford better growth, longer bloom periods, and are less prone to disease and insect damage,” he says.

Within the gardens, plants from Encore® Azalea and the Southern Living® Plant Collection are featured in their own areas. All of the Encore® Azaleas are mass planted together for dramatic cross-seasonal impact while the Southern Living® Plant Collection is part of the “New Introductions” section. According to Stallard, “This large area will be dedicated to plants that have been tested and proven suitable for the climate of the mid-south.” Furthermore, Stallard says “the Southern Living® Plant Collection will be featured at the entrance to our Beautiful Gardens Research Acre [where] we have designed a series of beds into concentric rings with a garden sculpture at the center.”

Other features of the gardens include wide paths for visitors to comfortably stroll and view both sides of the garden as well as educational kiosks. Stallard explains, “We are building kiosks for each section of the garden to contain literature on each species. These will be free for visitors who might want to incorporate the plants into their landscape.” A mission of the Southern Virginia Botanical Gardens is to help visitors learn more about plants and their environment so they can be more successful in their home gardening. Stallard believes “It is one thing to read about a plant in a magazine or look at it in a nursery container, but seeing it in a garden with companion plants around it is the best way to envision how it will look in your own setting.”

The Southern Virginia Botanical Gardens Town of South Boston location is scheduled to open fall 2011. For more information, visit their website at www.svbg.org.

PDSI specializes in bringing new and innovative plants to the marketplace and owns and/or licenses more than 100 patented plant properties, including the Southern Living® Plant Collection and the number one azalea brand in the world, Encore® Azalea. The Southern Living® Plant Collection was first introduced in Spring 2008 through a partnership between Plant Development Services and Southern Living® magazine. Find additional information about Encore® Azalea, the Southern Living® Plant Collection, and other featured brands at www.plantdevelopment.com.

###