The ASP Welcoming Reception will be held in the Omni Hotel’s James River Salon C & D on Friday evening, July 13, 2012 from 7-10PM. Our traditional third day off-site venue this year will be an evening at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, a 30 acre botanical garden, located just north of Richmond. Originally the hunting grounds of the Powhatan Indians called “Oughnum”, the garden encompasses a beautifully sculptured collection of gardens that feature native plants of the southeast. The Garden is one of the signature attractions for visitors to the Richmond area. The Garden includes the restored home of the Garden’s donor, Ms. Grace Arents, called Bloemendaal House, an English Garden, a Children’s Garden, a Healing Garden, and a Conservatory that houses a variety of orchid species. ASP members will have access to the Central Garden area adjacent to the auditorium where the meal is to be served and the Conservatory, but not to the other garden areas. Our evening at The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is destined to be another in a long line of exceptional offsite venues that ASP members have enjoyed in the recent past. A short program recognizing the contributions of the outgoing Journal Editor, Dr. Gerald (Jerry) W. Esch, will follow the meal.
