Saturday, December 3, is the official 2011 Bazillion Blooms tree-planting day, when Dogwood Arts and its program sponsors and supporters will dig in for a day of restoration and beautification.

More than 2,000 bareroot dogwood trees will be planted this day, predominantly along the Dogwood Trails and garden byways.   A few groups getting together on Saturday, December 3 are:

• In honor of the 125^th anniversary of the Knox County Library, the Friends of Literacy are planting 125 dogwood trees at library branches all around Knox County
• Alcoa employees plant dogwood trees at Springbrook Park in Alcoa
• Halls Crossroads Women’s League is planting dogwood trees at the outdoor classroom at Hall High School and at the Halls Senior Center
• Volunteers will plant dogwood trees on Knoxville Botanical Gardens’ new Dogwood Walking Trail
• 4^th & Gill neighbors plant dogwood trees throughout their neighborhood  
• Cherokee Condos on Lyons View will plant 100 large ball-and-burlap dogwood trees
• UT Gardens further develops their dogwood collection by planting one of each species – Cherokee Brave and Appalachian Spring
• Blount Mansion volunteers and staff will plant dogwood trees on their historic site
• Knoxville College will plant 50 dogwood trees [of their 1,000 goal] symbolizing young students growing and blossoming. The “Planting Seeds and Building Dreams” celebration will start at Noon.

Bazillion Blooms is a collaborative effort between the City of Knoxville, Knox County, UT Institute of Agriculture, area garden clubs, and neighborhood associations.  Dogwood Arts established this three-year program to restore the former vitality of East Tennessee’s dogwood tree population in Knox and surrounding counties.  The dogwood tree is vital to East Tennessee’s economy, environmental health, and heritage –  and is a source of community pride and tradition.

The Dogwood Arts Bazillion Blooms program is sponsored by Wells Fargo agents Lisa Wiles, Judy Sehgal, and Jeff Tallman, Southeast Home Mortgage manager Samanda Knight, the Knoxville Garden Club, Alcoa Foundation, and the Knoxville News Sentinel. 

More information is available at www.dogwoodarts.com or by calling Dogwood Arts at 865.637.4561.

Dogwood Arts Festival is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to help support arts education in our schools, promote the visual and performing arts, and to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of our region.  ORNL Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of the Festival.