SHARING THE EARTH: Beneficial Pollinators and Wildlife

2019 Show Information

Gardeners are an essential resource for birds, pollinators and other wildlife—especially in urban areas where we are literally paving paradise. Simply put, plants are the primary food source for animals, and if gardeners foster more plant diversity through careful plant choices, wildlife will thrive.

Join some of the leading advocates for birds, wildlife and pollinators in these vital seminars and discover the simple steps that benefit wildlife in urban or suburban environments. Not only will you gain a more beautiful garden year round, but you’ll make the environment friendlier to our natural neighbors.

The Seminars by Category are listed in chronological order. Each of the seminars listed below will tell you the speaker name, seminar topic, seminar description, date, time, seminar location and if there is a book signing afterwards.

Please check the Seminar Schedule for a full list of ALL our seminars.

All seminars at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival are FREE with your ticket!

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Honey Bees Can’t Pollinate Tomatoes: What’s Really Going on in the Garden

Paige Embry—Author, Our Native Bees: North America’s Endangered Pollinators

Did a bee go extinct because of greenhouse tomatoes? Why is a bee nicknamed Cinderella? Tucked into stories where bees build turrets and paint walls are lessons on how bees live and how to use that knowledge to make our gardens better homes for them. Looking for an excuse to let flowers grow in the lawn or to leave an area un-mulched? This talk is for you!

Wednesday, Feb 20 at 10:00 am / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Eat, Drink and Be Merry…While Coping with Rabbits and Deer. Join the LIVE “Plantrama” Podcast!

C.L. Fornari—Author, Coffee for Roses and The Cocktail Garden Hour and co-host, Plantrama Podcast

Ellen Zachos—Author, The Wildcrafted Cocktail and Growing Healthy Houseplants and co-host, “Plantrama” Podcast

Join plant geeks C.L. Fornari and Ellen Zachos as they record a second live, NWFGF Plantrama podcast. They’ll talk about unusual edibles to cultivate or forage for, inspire you with plant-based cocktails and mocktails, and provide proven strategies for dealing with Thumper and Bambi. Bring your garden questions, and stay for some great giveaway products at the end of the talk.

Thursday, Feb 21 at 3:00 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife

David Mizejewski—Naturalist at National Wildlife Federation and author, Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife

One of the joys of gardening is creating a beautiful, natural space that you and the backyard wildlife can enjoy. David loves sharing about creating wildlife-friendly gardens. Discover the four components of habitat – food, water, shelter and places to raise young, how to observe and enjoy wildlife and avoid critter-conflicts, the vital role of native plants in the garden, and tips sustainable gardening practices. Learn how to have your garden recognized as an official “Certified Wildlife Habitat.”

Friday, Feb 22 at 4:15 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Mason Bees: Super-Pollinators!

Lynn Brunelle—Educator, Emmy Award-winning writer, and author of Turn This Book into a Beehive

Did you know that the mason bee pollinates as many flowers in a single day as 100 honeybees? And mason bees don’t sting, making them nature’s non-aggressive super-pollinators. Author Lynn Brunelle provides an early introduction to environmentalism and offers inspiration for burgeoning conservationists in her exploration of the mason bee. Learn how you can attract more industrious mason bees into your garden!

Saturday, Feb 23 at 5:00 pm / DIY Stage / Book signing to follow
Sunday, Feb 24 at 1:30 pm / DIY Stage / Book signing to follow

Native by Design: Reimagine Beauty with More Habitat, Less Lawn

Eileen M. Stark—Landscape designer, Second Nature Garden Design and author, Real Gardens Grow Natives

In the face of disappearing biodiversity, gardeners can play a crucial role in slowing the rate of extinction. Leave traditional plants behind to create a place that is vibrant, supportive, and rewarding. Learn how to garden with an ecological focus by utilizing the basic design principles of native gardening, by choosing and arranging plants in their natural associations and according to site conditions, and by maintaining with wildlife-friendly techniques. Discover, through stunning photographs, some of the wildlife—from little-known pollinators to beautiful birds—that native designs support.

Sunday, Feb 24 at 1:45 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Houses that Best Help Birds in their Nesting Season

Daphne Legg—Bird enthusiast and store manager, Wild Birds Unlimited

Have you wanted to encourage your local birds nest in your own garden? This seminar will get you started! Daphne will share which birds are cavity nesters and which are cup nesters or ground nesting birds, and how you can help all of those types. Discover the correct and specific entrance hole diameter and depth of nesting box for different birds, what steps you can take to minimize predators from stealing eggs or harming nestlings, and ideas for proper placement of bird houses for different species for best use.

Sunday, Feb 24 at 4:15 pm / Hood Room