Horticulture enthusiasts can attend educational presentations, workshops and tours during the Mississippi Master Gardener State Conference May 14-16.

The event is sponsored by the Lincoln County Master Gardeners and the Mississippi State University Extension Service. The conference is open to Master Gardeners and the public.

Three local tours kick off the event May 14. Participants can choose from a visit to a local nursery, a tour of MSU’s Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs, or a tour of historic downtown Brookhaven. Participants can tour a local mulch plant on May 15 beginning at 4 p.m. Transportation is not provided to the tour sites. Detailed information will be mailed to tour participants once conference registration is complete.

All other activities will be held at the Lincoln Civic Center in Brookhaven.

On May 15, educational sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 6 p.m. Participants can choose from multiple classes offered on the topics of flowers, vegetables and trees.

On May 15, Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Cindy Hyde-Smith will speak during lunch at 11 a.m., and former Southern Gardening columnist and TV host Norman Winter will speak at the Master Gardener Awards Ceremony at 7 p.m.

On May 16, educational sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 11 a.m.

Vendors will sell plants and other gardening-related merchandise throughout the conference.

To register online, print a mail-in registration form, or view the complete agenda, go to http://www.msmastergardener.org. Deadline to register is May 2.

Registration includes meals and is $95 for Mississippi Master Gardeners and $115 for others. Group registration is also available.

On-site check in is available from noon to 5 p.m. May 14 and from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. May 15.

Those without Internet access can call Barbara Breaux at (601) 669-6202 or Cathy Ivy at (601) 754-1512 for more information.