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February 26-March 1, 2020

Washington State Convention Center

705 Pike Street, Seattle, WA

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2020 Speakers at a Glance

Name: Northwest Flower Show
Start: 2020-02-26
End: 2020-03-01
Location: Washington State Convention Center

Here are all of the gardening luminaries coming from around the U.S., U.K., Canada and Japan who will be appearing at the 2020 Northwest Flower & Garden Festival.

Want to know more about a speaker? Simply click on their name to find their biography, website, seminar description, date(s) and time(s).

The speakers are listed below alphabetically by last name. All seminars are FREE with your ticket!

James Alexander-Sinclair 2020 Show Judge

James Alexander-Sinclair—2020 Show Judge; Award-Winning Designer, Writer, Speaker, Radio & TV Star

James Alexander-Sinclair is one of the foremost garden designers in the United Kingdom. In addition to his garden design business, he is an award-winning writer, a compelling speaker, frequent broadcaster and an elected member of the Council of Royal Horticulture Society. He has had a regular column in Gardeners World magazine for eleven years, and has written features for The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, The Garden, Gardens Illustrated and many others. He was also a regular blogger for Fine Gardening magazine. James is one part of the hugely popular “Three Men Went to Mow” film series that covers many aspects of gardens and gardening, described as “not terribly serious.” A lively speaker, James regularly serves as host for awards ceremonies for the Society of Garden Designers, The Garden Media Guild, and the RHS, along with the BBC Gardeners’ World Live. James is an accredited Gardens judge for the Royal Horticulture Society (judging all RHS Flower Shows), and internationally, James helped set up the Moscow Flower Show in 2012 and continues to chair their judging panel. www.jamesalexandersinclair.com

James Alexander-Sinclair’s appearances

sponsored by the

A Life in Five Gardens

Join 2020 Show Judge, James Alexander-Sinclair, on a journey through James’ thirty-year career as a garden designer. He’ll be strolling you through five gardens that he has designed and all the stories—and all the lessons—he has to tell. And, of course, all about the plants. Each garden exemplifies James’ life philosophy: “to leave the bits of the world upon which I am let loose a little more beautiful than they were before I arrived.”

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 10:00 am / Rainier Room

Garden Design Is Not Witchcraft!

James uses his years of experience as a garden designer, columnist, TV and radio broadcaster, blogger, garden judge and more to unravel and explain how good design can change your life. Or, at least, your garden. He will share a few tricks of the trade along with some good case studies. There should be something here for everybody no matter how large or how small your garden or how long you’ve been digging in the soil.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 1:00 pm / Rainier Room

Ashley Allan

Ashley Allan—Urban Aquatic Area Program Coordinator at King Conservation District

Ashley Allan is the Urban Aquatic Area Program Coordinator at King Conservation District. Ashley joined KCD in December 2017 with a background in stream restoration and environmental education. Native to Washington, Ashley grew up in Kent and later moved to Bellingham to attend Western Washington University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science with an emphasis in marine ecology. Outside of work, Ashley enjoys hiking, biking, traveling, and caring for her pets. Visit the Puget Sound Conversation Districts display garden and the King Conservation District booth #2828 at the 2020 festival.

http://www.kingcd.org

The Benefits and Beauty of Landscaping with Native Plants

Do you want to try using native plants in your garden but are not sure which ones to use? King Conservation District resource specialists will help you discover how to best use native plants and their many benefits. Explore how to make the best decisions for your landscape and reduce plant mortality, save money, and improve your landscape’s aesthetic and wildlife habitat. Special focus will be given to planting with native bareroot plant stock and plant selection to support pollinators and salmon recovery.

Sunday, Mar 1 at 4:00 pm / Rainier Room

Anne Bikle

Anne Biklé—Biologist and co-author, The Hidden Half of Nature

Anne Biklé is a biologist, science communicator, and public speaker. She writes about connections between people, plants, food, health, and the environment and finds the botanical world particularly enthralling. A bad case of plant lust draws her into the garden where she coaxes plants into rambunctious growth or nurses them back from the edge of death using mulches and microbes. Her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, and radio and her soil-building practices have been featured in independent and documentary films. She co-authored The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health with her husband and geologist, David Montgomery. They are at work on another book about the connections between soil health and the well-being of people. Anne holds Bachelors’ degrees in Biology and Natural History from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley.

www.Dig2Grow.com

Regenerative Gardening: Key Principles for Plant (and Human) Health

Whether seasoned pro, or just starting out, every gardener wants answers and secrets for how to cultivate a thriving, beautiful garden. The key lies within your hands—in how your gardening practices influence the soil microbiome. Regenerative practices boost and maintain the soil microbiome, and thereby overall soil health. And not only does a solid foundation of soil health lead to thriving plants, the garden as a whole will be more resilient in the longer, hotter summers that have become common in the Pacific Northwest.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 11:30 am / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Marianne Binetti CONTAINER WARS HOST

Marianne Binetti writes an award winning syndicated garden column for over a dozen newspapers, has a degree in Horticulture and is the author or co-author of 15 books on gardening, landscaping, vegetables, perennials and other gardening topics. She has appeared on HGTV, and has been a host on various local and TV and radio stations. She gardens on two acres in Enumclaw, WA.
binettigarden.com

Container Wars

Once again we’ve lined up leading garden designers and writers to “battle it out” in our highly acclaimed “Container Wars.” Containers can go virtually anywhere—patios, decks and balconies or even in the garden! Drawing from identical plant materials, horticultural luminaries will each create three gorgeous containers—all in under an hour! Working against the clock, and with fun “challenges” thrown at them by Master of Ceremonies Marianne Binetti, see how they pull together plants and share their tips for designing luscious container gardens. Learning about plants has never been so fun!

Every day at 11:30 am / Main Stage in the North Hall

Garden Jeopardy Game Show Round 2: The Rematch!

ANSWER: An outrageously fun time! QUESTION: What is “Garden Jeopardy?” Jeopardy fans rejoice! Back by popular acclaim, Ciscoe Morris is taking your favorite game show to a whole new level with “Garden Jeopardy Round 2,” live and only on the NWFGF seminar stage! He’ll be challenging 2 teams with 3 knowledgeable plant geeks, to answer garden-related questions in the usual Jeopardy format. So be prepared for Ciscoe’s usual hijinks as he tries to stump local garden luminaries Lorene Edwards Forkner, Sue Goetz, Marianne Binetti, Greg Butler, Jim Fox and Karen Chapman, and learn about gardening at the same time!

Saturday, Feb 29 at 4:30 pm / Rainier Room

Jessi Bloom

Jessi Bloom—Owner, N.W. Bloom EcoLogical Services and author of Practical Permaculture and Creating Sanctuary

Jessi Bloom is a best-selling author, award-winning ecological landscape designer, and speaker. She is the founder N.W. Bloom EcoLogical Services, based near Seattle, which is known as an innovator and leader in the field of permaculture design, sustainable construction and land management. More recently they have opened a nursery at South 47 Farm in Redmond. Jessi has 2 new books out: Creating Sanctuary: Sacred Garden Spaces, Plant-based Medicine, and Daily Practices to Achieve Happiness and Well-Being, and its companion book, Everyday Sanctuary (both Timber Press, 2018). Her first best-selling book, Free-Range Chicken Gardens (Timber Press, 2012) has been praised for being informative and inspiring, changing the way people integrate animals into their landscapes. She also co-authored best-selling Practical Permaculture (Timber Press, 2015) and The Wetland Handbook: A Community Guide to Growing Native Plants (King Conservation District, 1998). Her work has appeared nationally in Better Homes and Gardens, Sunset, NY Times, Fine Gardening, PBS's Growing a Greener World TV, Martha Stewart Living, Mother Earth News and many other large media outlets. Recognition and accolades for her work includes awards from the Washington State DOE, the AHS, Pacific Horticulture and Sunset magazines, the WSNLA, and WALP. Her work as a designer and teacher is also shared with non-profits, schools and includes teaching wellness for the body, mind and soul. She lives near Seattle with her two sons on their permaculture homestead, which is full of functional gardens and rescue animals. Jessi has built many popular display gardens at the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival, winning Gold medals. Visit the Puget Sound Conversation Districts display garden designed by Jessi Bloom at the 2020 festival.

www.nwbloom.com

Combating Climate Change in Your Garden

Many gardeners are faced with weather and pest related challenges that have simple solutions. Jessi Bloom will share beautiful and inspiring ideas for tackling climate change challenges—from plant choices to simple maintenance tricks and permaculture concepts to implement in your garden for more success in this unpredictable climate.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 9:30 am / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Bess Bronstein

Bess Bronstein—Educator, horticulture consultant and ISA-Certified Arborist

Bess is a horticultural consultant, educator and ISA Certified Arborist® based on the Kitsap Peninsula in Kingston, Washington, with over 30 years’ experience in arboriculture, landscape management and garden design. She was an instructor for the Edmonds Community College horticulture program for 28 years, with a focus on courses in pruning and tree care, plant identification, plant pests/diseases and diagnosis, and soils. Bess was an Education Coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (PNW-ISA) for 10 years and received the Volunteer of the Year award in 2017. She frequently teaches public and professional arboriculture and horticulture courses throughout the Puget Sound, does training for WSU Extension Master Gardener programs, and speaks to garden clubs on a variety of horticultural topics. She holds an A.T.A. degree in Ornamental Horticulture, and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree from the University of Washington. Bess is proud to be a lifetime member of Plant Amnesty and supports ongoing education in sustainable landscape management practices and tree care.

Garden 101: Perfect Your Pruning

Pruning ABC's for Healthy Trees and Shrubs

You’ve bought new tools and are ready to prune! How hard can it be? It’s not that hard once you learn pruning techniques and timing guidelines for common trees and shrubs. The results of your labor will be healthy and beautiful plants. Bess Bronstein starts off this 3-part series with an overview of pruning techniques and timing guidelines to get you started. Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott thinks the whens, wheres, hows, and whys of pruning woody plants is littered with conflicting information and just plain bad advice, so she will focus on the science of pruning. And Christina Pfeiffer will show you how to prune an overgrown garden to bring renewed vitality to your garden without having to tear everything out and start over.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room

Changing Times, Changing Gardens

As Bob Dylan noted, “the times they are a changin’”. The impacts of climate change are visible in our landscapes. Plants are under stress due to rising temperatures, less typical rainfall, and increased pest and disease problems. It is clear that we need to make modifications in how we garden into the future, including changes in plant selection, irrigation and landscape management. Find out what you can do to make this transition successful in your garden.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 6:30 pm / Hood Room

Greg Butler

Greg Butler, BLA, ATA—Designer, educator, and owner Design of the Times

Greg has been educating and entertaining gardeners of all levels of interest as a teacher, lecturer, writer, and garden coach for over two decades. As owner of the design and consulting firm Design of the Times, he puts an emphasis on helping his public and private clients create beautiful, functional, and easy-care gardens and landscapes that don’t depend on pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or any other kind of synthetic tom-foolery for success. Greg is a former Edmonds Community College Landscape Renovation instructor, a frequent guest on the “Gardening with Ciscoe” radio show, and a guest blogger on the website for Swansons Nursery. He also spends an enormous amount of time arguing with his wife (also a landscape professional) about what to do in their own garden, which they have dubbed “The Garden of the Shoemaker’s Children.”

Bling on the Wing: 12 Months of Flowers for Hummingbirds

Everybody loves hummers. They’ve got the dance moves of those overly choreographed gangs from West Side Story and sport more bling than a limo full of bar-hopping drag queens. Taking advantage of our mild maritime climate makes it possible to turn your garden into a year-round hummingbird feeder just by choosing the right plants. You’ll also get tips on life cycles, behavior, enhancing habitat, and more. Discover how you can accessorize your garden with tiny flying jewelry all year round!

Sunday, Mar 1 at 3:00 pm / Hood

Garden Jeopardy Game Show Round 2: The Rematch!

ANSWER: An outrageously fun time! QUESTION: What is “Garden Jeopardy?” Jeopardy fans rejoice! Back by popular acclaim, Ciscoe Morris is taking your favorite game show to a whole new level with “Garden Jeopardy Round 2,” live and only on the NWFGF seminar stage! He’ll be challenging 2 teams with 3 knowledgeable plant geeks, to answer garden-related questions in the usual Jeopardy format. So be prepared for Ciscoe’s usual hijinks as he tries to stump local garden luminaries Lorene Edwards Forkner, Sue Goetz, Marianne Binetti, Greg Butler, Jim Fox and Karen Chapman, and learn about gardening at the same time!

Saturday, Feb 29 at 4:30 pm / Rainier Room

Dr Linda Chalker-Scott

Dr Linda Chalker-Scott—WSU Asso. Professor and author, Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific NW and How Plants Work

Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott has a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Oregon State University and is an ISA certified arborist and an ASCA consulting arborist. She is WSU’s Extension Urban Horticulturist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture, and holds two affiliate associate professor positions at University of Washington. She conducts research in applied plant and soil sciences, publishing the results in scientific articles and university Extension fact sheets. Linda also is the award-winning author of five books: the horticultural myth-busting The Informed Gardener (2008) and The Informed Gardener Blooms Again (2010) from the University of Washington Press and Sustainable Landscapes and Gardens: Good Science – Practical Application (2009) from GFG Publishing, Inc., and How Plants Work: The Science Behind the Amazing Things Plants Do from Timber Press (2015). Her latest effort is an update of Art Kruckeberg’s Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest from UW Press (2019). In 2018 Linda was featured in a video series – The Science of Gardening – produced by The Great Courses. She also is one of the Garden Professors – a group of academic colleagues who educate and entertain through their blog and Facebook pages. Linda’s contribution to gardeners was recognized in 2017 by the Association for Garden Communicators as the first recipient of their Cynthia Westcott Scientific Writing Award.

www.theinformedgardener.com

Garden 101: Perfect Your Pruning

The Unkindest Cut: Pruning Myths

You’ve bought new tools and are ready to prune! How hard can it be? It’s not that hard once you learn pruning techniques and timing guidelines for common trees and shrubs. The results of your labor will be healthy and beautiful plants, which can increase your home’s value. Bess Bronstein starts off this 3-part series with an overview of pruning techniques and timing guidelines to get you started. Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott thinks the whens, wheres, hows, and whys of pruning woody plants is littered with conflicting information and just plain bad advice, so she will focus on the science of pruning. And Christina Pfeiffer will show you how to prune an overgrown garden to bring renewed vitality to your garden without having to tear everything out and start over.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Selecting Native Plants: A Curated Approach

The Pacific Northwest has thousands of native plant species—how can gardeners choose those that will succeed in their home landscape? This seminar will discuss how gardeners can use the newest edition of Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest to select the most appropriate species. Linda will examine some common home garden scenarios and discuss how to make smart plant choices for those conditions, always with an eye on garden science.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 5:00 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Garden 101: Facing the Future

Gardening in A Changing Climate

Gardeners know that the climate is changing—they can see evidence in their own gardens and landscapes. Drier, hotter summers and unpredictable swings in weather throughout the year are challenging plant survival and soil health. This 3-part seminar will provide management strategies and plant selection that can help your garden “weather the weather.” Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott will review basic strategies to help you make changes in your garden in anticipation of hotter, drier climate. Emily Murphy shares the basic principles for sequestering carbon in flower beds, vegetable gardens, and backyards, utilizing regenerative organics concepts. Last, Richie Steffen covers some of the best and most reliable plants that use water wisely and provide an attractive habitat for pollinators. Some of our most garden-worthy natives will be featured as well and eye-catching trees, shrubs and perennials that will add color and interest all year long.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Karen Chapman

Karen Chapman—Designer, Le Jardinet, author, Deer Resistant Design and co-author, Gardening with Foliage First

Born in England, Karen grew up with a trowel in her hand. After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 1996 she joined Molbak’s Garden & Home as a garden plant specialist before establishing Le Jardinet in 2006. While initially specializing in custom container gardens, Karen now applies that same attention to detail by designing functional and artistic landscapes. Her designs have been featured in many prestigious publications, including Fine Gardening, Sunset and Better Homes & Gardens. She is co-author of two popular books on foliage: Gardening with Foliage First: 127 Dazzling Combinations that Pair the Beauty of Leaves with Flowers, Bark, Berries, and More (Timber Press, 2017) and the award-winning Fine Foliage (St. Lynn’s Press, 2013). Her latest book, Deer Resistant Design: Fence-free Gardens that Thrive Despite the Deer, was just released by Timber Press. When not designing gardens or writing about them, Karen is usually teaching landscape and container design in workshops around the country, as well as through a number of online courses. Whether on the stage or the page, Karen’s aim is always to inspire, educate and share the fun of gardening with her audience.

www.lejardinetdesigns.com

8 Key Steps to Designing a Fence-free, Deer-Resistant Garden

Deer can quickly turn a vibrant garden into a sea of chomped stems and damaged tree trunks. Unfortunately, the most common suggestions for managing deer include pungent chemicals or unattractive fencing. Learn strategies, tips, and design tips including how to design your garden by re-routing the deer, distracting the eye from their indiscriminate taste-testing, creating innovative focal points, and layering deer-resistant plants in ways that are artistic yet practical.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 1:00 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Garden Jeopardy Game Show Round 2: The Rematch!

Saturday, Feb 29 at 4:30 pm / Rainier Room

Janice Cox

Janice Cox—Author, Natural Beauty from the Garden and Natural Beauty at Home

Janice Cox is an expert on the topic of natural beauty and hand-crafting your own cosmetic products with simple kitchen and garden ingredients. She is the author of three best-selling books on the topic: Natural Beauty at Home (Holt, 2002), Natural Beauty for All Seasons (Holt, 1996), and Natural Beauty from the Garden (Ogden Publications, 2018). She is currently the beauty editor for Herb Quarterly Magazine and a regular contributor to several national healthy living and woman’s magazines on the topic of natural beauty. Mrs. Cox has appeared on television and radio programs discussing natural and organic beauty treatments and garden herbs and flowers. She lives in Medford, Oregon with her husband. She is a member of the Herb Society of America, United States Lavender Growers, Oregon Lavender Association, and Garden Writers of America.

www.JaniceCox.com

Growing and Using Lavender for Health and Beauty

The fresh clean scent of lavender has been used in cosmetics and skin care products since ancient times. Lavender smells good, improves your circulation, attracts pollinators to your yard, and helps you sleep, to name just a few reasons the popularity of this fragrant plant has never been higher. Learn how to start a new plant from cuttings, air-dry flowers for year-round use, and create your own DIY body care products that can be used for hair care, skin care, and in the bath.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 6:30 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Garden 101: The Power of Herbs

Grow Natural Beauty Remedies in Your Own Garden

Get to know the best herbs to use in your landscape, including ones that add architecture and color for all seasons; plus, ways to mingle and combine herbs beautifully with other ornamental landscape plants. Designer and author Sue Goetz starts off with herbs that are low maintenance, water misers, pollinator attraction, big bloomers and fantastic foliage. Next Wildness Within herbalist Rachael Witt will share how to integrate native plant medicine into your garden to make it healthy and beautiful while optimizing your well-being. Finally, Natural Beauty author Janice Cox will help you discover new healthy uses for some of your favorite common garden plants, along with favorite useful herbs and flowers for home beauty recipes and treatments.

Sunday, Mar 1 at 2:00 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

David L Culp 2020 SHOW JUDGE

David L Culp—2020 Show Judge, designer, author, A Year at Brandywine Cottage and The Layered Garden, and VP, Sunny Border Nurseries

David Culp is the creator of the gardens at Brandywine Cottage in Pennsylvania which is listed in the Smithsonian Institution Archives of American Gardens. David has been lecturing about gardens nationwide for more than 25 years. Articles on David’s work have appeared in Gardens Illustrated, Horticulture Magazine, and other publications. He is the Principle of David L. Culp Designs and Owner of Brandywine Snowdrops. David is a former contributing editor to Horticulture magazine and served as chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Hardy Plant Society. David is Vice President for Sunny Border Nurseries in Connecticut, the largest perennial grower on the East Coast. He is author of The Layered Garden: Design Lessons for Year-Round Beauty from Brandywine Cottage (Timber Press, 2014), named Book of the Year by GardenComm International, and his latest book, A Year at Brandywine Cottage: Six Seasons of Beauty, Bounty and Blooms, will be published by Timber Press in early 2020. David is an herbaceous perennials instructor at Longwood Gardens and developed the Brandywine Hybrid strain of hellebores. His garden has been featured in Martha Stewart Living and on HGTV. He is a recipient of many awards including the 2014 Garden Media Award from the Perennial Plant Association and the Distinguished Garden Award from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. He has also been awarded the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Award of Merit, as well as others.

https://www.davidlculp.com/

Container Wars

Once again we’ve lined up leading garden designers and writers to “battle it out” in our highly acclaimed “Container Wars.” Containers can go virtually anywhere—patios, decks and balconies or even in the garden! Drawing from identical plant materials, designer, author and 2020 Show Judge David Culp and designer and author Renny Reynolds will each create three gorgeous containers—all in under an hour! Working against the clock, and with fun “challenges” thrown at them by Master of Ceremonies Marianne Binetti, see how they pull together plants and share their tips for designing luscious container gardens. Learning about plants has never been so fun!

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 11:30 am / Main Stage in the North Hall

A Year at Brandywine Cottage: Six Seasons of Beauty, Bounty and Blooms

We think of gardens as having only four seasons, but why stop at four? Designer David Culp believes there are six seasons, or more, if you extend peak bloom periods by curating a wider range of plants. These valuable early spring, late spring, summer, fall, and even early winter blooming plants are sure to boost your garden’s interest throughout seasonal changes. By blurring the lines between inside and out you can create a garden with biodiversity and wildlife habitat; a garden from which you can create floral arrangements and food for the table.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 4:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Making Meadows: Biodiverse Habitats to Support Pollinators and Wildlife

Sustainable, low grass meadows support many landscape purposes, from lawn alternatives on residential sites to larger scale, ecologically sound models that provide biodiverse habitats for a host of pollinators, birds and mammals. David will discuss practical and aesthetic considerations on how the design, installation and management of meadows complement the sites on which they exist and their many benefits to the environment and wildlife.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 11:30 am / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

JJ De Sousa

JJ De Sousa—Garden and interior designer and owner, Digs Inside & Out, Portland

JJ De Sousa is a garden/interior designer, certifiable plant geek, enthusiastic traveler and proprietress of Digs Inside & Out at Urbanite on SE Grand Ave. in Portland. She has written “The Latest Dirt”, a garden column for NW Renovation Magazine for the last 10 years and has appeared in Sunset Magazine, Garden Design, Better Homes & Gardens, Oregon Home, Outdoor Living and various other publications featuring her client projects, personal spaces and boutique. She also lives and gardens part time in France and leads gardening tours of the Loire Valley. Armed with an energetic design sense as well as a sense of humor, JJ offers unique and creative ideas for your outdoor and indoor spaces which are certain to encourage and inspire you to get up and start planting! Visit the Digs Inside & Out City Living garden on the skybridge at this year’s show.

www.shopdigsportland.com

Tillandsias—the Easiest Houseplants Ever!

Tillandsias, or air plants, are all the rage for people in apartments or condos, and for good reason! Learn about all the cool things you can do with a tillandsia. Since they don’t require soil to grow, they are able to live in ways and places that few other plants can. From aeriums to terrariums, grape wood plantings to wall hangings, discover how to create living sculptures, miniature living worlds and hanging vertical gardens, and how to take care of them for years of enjoyment.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 11:45 am / DIY Stage

Lorene Edwards Forkner

Lorene Edwards Forkner—Seattle Times Columnist and author, Handmade Garden Projects

Lorene Edwards Forkner is a Seattle-based author, speaker and editor whose work regularly appears in the Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine’s GROW column. A small city garden in Seattle is her canvas for color play and pleasing plant combinations as well as a living workshop for her many handmade projects. Lorene is the author of 5 gardening titles including Vegetable Gardening in the Pacific Northwest and Handmade Garden Projects, both from Timber Press. She is the former editor of Pacific Horticulture magazine.

www.ahandmadegarden.com

Fresh Ways to See Color in the Garden

Color is one of nature’s most sophisticated tools engineered to capture the attention of all living creatures. Since early 2018, Lorene has maintained a daily practice of capturing fresh botanicals in simple watercolor gestures and posting the studies to Instagram. Lorene will share her motivation, process and progress in exercising concentration and exploring the garden with fresh eyes. Slow down, discover hidden hues, and enhance your approach to designing with color.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 3:30 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Women at Work: Making a Living while Following Your Plant Passion

In writing The Earth in Her Hands, Jennifer Jewell learned how the women profiled creatively navigated the challenging ideal of work-life balance. The main lesson? Balance is not a destination but an ongoing and highly dynamic process. In this conversation, Jewell will map common challenges, coping mechanisms, and solutions through the womens' careers, and then chat with designer and author Christin Geall, of Cultivated; Lorene Edwards Forkner, author, artist, editor emeritus of Pacific Horticulture; and Debra Prinzing, founder of SlowFlowers.com and the Slow Flowers Podcast.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 12:30 pm / Hood Room

Garden Jeopardy Game Show Round 2: The Rematch!

Saturday, Feb 29 at 4:30 pm / Rainier Room

C L Fornari

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

C.L. Fornari is the author eight books including Coffee for Roses and The Cocktail Hour Garden. She runs a consultation service at Hyannis Country Garden, a family owned IGC, hosts GardenLine on WXTK every Saturday morning, and is the co-host of Plantrama, a podcast about plants. C.L. speaks to a wide range of audiences nationwide and writes articles for numerous publications. Her website and blog can be found at gardenlady.com. She grows vegetables and all types of flowers at Poison Ivy Acres on Cape Cod.

www.gardenlady.com

Organic Solutions and Great Plants for a Bountiful Vegetable Garden

One of the great delights of gardening is to walk into the vegetable patch at 5 PM and ask, “What’s for dinner?” In order to have the largest yields and successful harvests, however, vegetable growers need to have a few tools in their shed and tricks up their sleeves. Learn how to cope with fungi, insects, animals, and “operator error” organically and effectively. Come plan your edible garden for this season by discovering varieties that produce and are tasty, along with problem-solving strategies.

Friday, Feb 28 at 6:30 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Container Wars

Once again we’ve lined up leading garden designers and writers to “battle it out” in our highly acclaimed “Container Wars.” Containers can go virtually anywhere—patios, decks and balconies or even in the garden! Drawing from identical plant materials, authors and BFF’s C.L. Fornari and Ellen Zachos are back for a rematch! They will each create three gorgeous containers—all in under an hour! Working against the clock, and with fun “challenges” thrown at them by Master of Ceremonies Marianne Binetti, see how they pull together plants and share their tips for designing luscious container gardens. Learning about plants has never been so fun!

Saturday, Feb 29 at 11:30 am / Main Stage in the North Hall

Join the Plantrama Podcast: Flower Power and the Cocktail Hour

From dawn until nightfall, flowers make us happy. Join the “Plantrama” podcast team (plant geeks C.L. Fornari and Ellen Zachos) as they talk about great flowers to know and grow. From foraging to farming, Ellen and C.L. present flowers for cutting, cooking and cocktails. Bring your garden questions, and stay for some great giveaway products at the end of the talk.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 2:00 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Toni Gattone

Toni Gattone—Author, The Lifelong Gardener, Master Gardener, Speaker and Writer

Toni Gattone is an Adaptive Gardening Expert & Inspirational Change-Agent. Toni’s enthusiasm is contagious. She is passionate about empowering gardeners with practical, “how-to” ideas to grow their resilience. She has a special place in her heart for “seasoned” gardeners who are growing older yet want to live healthy and active lives. Everything Toni has done in her career brought her to where she is today. For seventeen years she was a sales executive in the corporate training industry and served on the board of directors for the National Speakers Association. Toni became an entrepreneur when she launched her manufacturers rep agency in the garden industry, representing garden tools and accessories to nurseries. After three decades, Toni is now exclusively focused on being a master gardener, a speaker, and an author. Her book, The Lifelong Gardener, Garden with Ease and Joy at Any Age, was published in 2019 by Timber Press, and features hundreds of empowering tips, techniques, and solutions that gardeners of all ages and abilities can use. Toni Gattone delivers programs that inspire gardeners to take action and she empowers them to embrace change. She believes there is always another way to get it done and her motto is: “Never Give Up!”

https://tonigattone.com/blog

You Can Garden for Life: Integrating Adaptive Gardening into Your Garden Routines

Adaptive Gardening gives gardeners of all ages and abilities unique strategies enabling them to continue gardening, even when their bodies say “no!” That’s when their new normal kicks in and some might think they have to give up their favorite hobby. Well, don’t throw in your trowel just yet! Toni delivers solutions-oriented thinking to help gardeners or all ages and abilities modify and adapt for greater comfort, safety and prevention.

Friday, Feb 28 at 11:00 am / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

The Ease and Joy of Growing Edibles in Containers

Whether you’re downsizing or want to raise your gardens up for greater comfort, you’ll love growing nutritious edibles in containers. Learn how to combine them with edible flowers for color and contrast. Think outside the pot with interesting containers to give your garden beds, patios, and balconies instant visual punch. Move them to catch the sun as the seasons change. Your body will love container gardening because you can maintain and harvest without bending over.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 5:00 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Christin Geall

Christin Geall—Floral designer, writer, gardener and author, Cultivated: Elements of Floral Style

Christin Geall is a Canadian floral designer, writer, gardener, photographer, and author of the book Cultivated: Elements of Floral Style (Princeton Architectural Press, 2020). Through her company, Cultivated, she teaches floral design in the UK, US, and Canada. Trained in horticultural at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, she completed a BA in Environmental Studies & Anthropology and an MFA in writing before becoming a gardening columnist for Gardenista, an adjunct professor, and designer. Her writing and floral work focuses on the intersections of nature, culture, and horticulture.

www.cultivatedbychristin.com

Foam-Free Florals: Artful Arranging the Old-Fashioned Way

The shift towards seasonality and foam-free designs is changing how designers work with flowers. Come delve into the pre-plastic period for this floral design demonstration: learn about the history of garden-style design, and how to make a lush romantic centerpiece and statement display.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 3:15 pm / DIY Stage / Book signing to follow

Women at Work: Making a Living while Following Your Plant Passion

Thursday, Feb 27 at 12:30 pm / Hood Room

Color Theory for Floral Designers and Gardeners

The nineteenth century changed how we see color in flowers, gardens, and art. This seminar will explore the ideas of the painters, chemists, gardeners, and floral designers of the age Impressionism and beyond, in order to lend shape to a discussion of color theory. Learn how to use tints, tones and shades for pleasing designs; what colors to place where; and how colors interact with one another in the garden or the vase.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 6:30 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Sue Goetz

Sue Goetz—Designer and owner, Creative Gardener, and author, A Taste for Herbs

Sue Goetz is an award-winning garden designer, writer, and speaker. Through her business Creative Gardener, she works with clients to personalize outdoor spaces-from garden coaching to full landscape design. Sue is also lead designer on staff with Father Nature Landscapes in Tacoma, Washington. Her garden design work has earned gold medals at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show and specialty awards including: The Sunset Magazine award, Fine Gardening magazine award and The American Horticultural Society Award. Writing and speaking are other ways Sue shares her love of gardening. Her motto “...inspiring gardeners to create” defines her talks and hands-on workshops with DIY how-to advice and ways to inspire creativity in and out of the garden. She has been named Educator of the Year by the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association and shares her love of the garden and herb growing with talks featured all over the U.S. Sue is a member of GardenComm and her work has appeared in numerous publications including APLD Designer, Pacific Horticulture and Fine Gardening magazines. She is the author of the books A Taste for Herbs (St. Lynn’s Press, 2019) and The Herb Lover’s Spa Book (St. Lynn’s Press, 2015).

www.thecreativegardener.com

Container Wars

Once again we’ve lined up leading garden designers and writers to “battle it out” in our highly acclaimed “Container Wars.” Containers can go virtually anywhere—patios, decks and balconies or even in the garden! Drawing from identical plant materials, designers and authors Sue Goetz and Jan Johnsen will each create three gorgeous containers—all in under an hour! Working against the clock, and with fun “challenges” thrown at them by Master of Ceremonies Marianne Binetti, see how they pull together plants and share their tips for designing luscious container gardens. Learning about plants has never been so fun!

Thursday, Feb 27 at 11:30 am / Main Stage in the North Hall

The Herb Lovers Garden: Making the Most from Herbs

Grow this, make that! Learn the nurturing, flavorful attributes of the herbs already growing in your garden and those you should be growing! Join Sue for a show-and-tell journey through the herb garden as she demonstrates how to blend delicious and healthful tea mixes, create flavorful seasoning salts, nurture skin with salt scrubs and healing salves. Learn attributes of herbs you can easily grow in your garden along with easy recipes to try.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 3:15 pm / DIY Stage / Book signing to follow

Garden Jeopardy Game Show Round 2: The Rematch!

Saturday, Feb 29 at 4:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Garden 101: The Power of Herbs

Discover the Best Herbs for Northwest Gardens

Sunday, Mar 1 at 2:00 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Joe Grienauer

Joe Grienauer—Orchid expert and owner, Emerald City Orchids and 2020 Show Garden Co-Creator

Joe Grienauer started working with orchids professionally in 2004 at Baron’s Orchids in Morro Bay, California. He started his own company, Emerald City Orchids, in June, 2008. What started as a small operation in the garage of a rented house in Seattle’s Greenlake neighborhood has grown into a beautiful nursery in South Tacoma, open to the public six days a week. His plants have won multiple awards from the American Orchid Society and he received special recognition by the American Orchid Society for his work with the Northwest Orchid Society in Seattle, WA. Joe has presented several seminars at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, given presentations to regional orchid societies across the nation, helped create online educational orchid programming, and has been a repeat guest on KIRO radio’s Gardening With Ciscoe. He is currently working on his first book about orchids. Visit the Emerald City Orchids booth, #2228 in the Plant Market at the 2020 festival.

www.Emeraldcityorchids.com

No Garden Required! Discover Your Inner Orchid Expert

Joe will help you get orchids that you treasure with this great hands-on demonstration. He’ll cover basic orchid background, care, fertilization, and pest/disease control. He’ll review greenhouse vs. window vs. artificial light growing techniques, how to initiate flowers on a healthy plant, and which orchids are best for newbies. He’ll also demo the all-important orchid repotting. Even brown thumbs can grow orchids if you learn the basic techniques, and Joe is just the person to get you started!

Friday, Feb 28 at 3:15 pm / DIY Stage

Robin Haglund

Robin Haglund—Garden coach, speaker, writer and president, Garden Mentors® Inc.

Robin Haglund is the founder and president of pioneering garden coaching firm Garden Mentors®, which thrives on empowering everyone to cultivate a beautiful, sustainable, thriving garden world. Robin is an HGTV, NWFGS, WALP, and WSNLA award-winning designer, an avid herbalist and Etsy seller, a down-to-earth speaker, a popular writer and a frequent garden television and podcasting expert guest and contributor. In her free time, she leads nature walks, educating fellow hikers about wild and introduced local flora and fauna—always seeking the silver lining in each. Her popular articles, videos, and classes are infused with vibrant anecdotes derived from her childhood and middle age on farms and in city gardens around the world, her daily adventures with plants, pollinators, pets and wildlife in the natural world, and her garden coaching experiences teaching successful gardening practices to beginner and professional gardeners alike. Robin’s garden coaching methods, design insights, plant knowledge, tips for gardening with pets, and her experiences with urban beekeeping, garden restoration, and homesteading are featured in several media sources including The New York Times, PBS’s “Growing a Greener World”, Sunset Magazine, “Living HomeGrown” Podcast, HGTV’s “Landscaper’s Challenge”, The Seattle Times, Organic Gardening Magazine, Garden Mentors® Garden Help Blog, A Dry Rain Podcast, MSN, and several books.

www.gardenmentors.com

Container Wars

Once again we’ve lined up leading garden designers and writers to “battle it out” in our highly acclaimed “Container Wars.” Containers can go virtually anywhere—patios, decks and balconies or even in the garden! Drawing from identical plant materials, designers Robin Haglund and Rebecca Sweet will each create three gorgeous containers—all in under an hour! Working against the clock, and with fun “challenges” thrown at them by Master of Ceremonies Marianne Binetti, see how they pull together plants and share their tips for designing luscious container gardens. Learning about plants has never been so fun!

Friday, Feb 28 at 11:30 am / Main Stage in the North Hall

A Gardener’s Tour of Paris in the Spring

If you’ve always dreamed of visiting Paris, this armchair photo journey is for you! Robin will guide you through an array of Paris gardens, from the grandest to the tiniest. You’ll traverse ancient Roman ruins, stroll before-their-time lofty designs, uncover sunken escapes, gawk at architectural masterpieces, savor a peaceful picnic along the Seine and even explore a countryside hamlet fit for a queen. Plus, get travel tips to avoid Paris garden faux pas – dangereuse & otherwise.

Friday, Feb 28 at 3:30 pm / Hood Room

Herbalicious DIY: Homegrown, Foraged and Homemade

In this seminar, herbalist Robin Haglund will demonstrate crafting an array of herbalicious wonders from the garden. Using common, drought-tolerant “cooking” herbs, scented blooms & erstwhile weeds, she’ll show you how easy and cost-effective it is to make your own healing balms, tasty teas, flower-essence sippables and more using minimal ingredients. You’ll come away empowered to forage, grow, harvest, preserve and craft your own handmade goods and gifts right from your garden.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 5:00 pm / DIY Stage

Buy tickets early and save!

Lucy Hardiman

Lucy Hardiman—Educator, garden writer and designer, Perennial Partners

Lucy Hardiman was to the garden born –a fifth generation Oregon gardener. She is the principal of Perennial Partners, a garden design collaborative whose work is distinguished by innovative hardscape, playful and sustainable planting design and creative problem solving. She is a past president of the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon continuing her commitment to the organization as an obsessed volunteer. She is long time member of the Great Plant Picks Committee thriving on interaction with other plant nerds. For many years she was a contributing editor for Horticulture Magazine. Her garden is a testimony to her passion for plants having been featured in many books and magazines. She is a sought-after lecturer from coast to coast.

www.lucyflora.com

Gone to Pot: Integrating Containers as Design Elements in the Garden

Since ancient times containers have been an integral part of garden design. Today’s gardeners can select from an array of containers and plants as disparate as alpine troughs, hanging baskets, window boxes, vegetable gardens and bold seasonal compositions. Think beyond pots flanking the front porch! Consider a container as a focal point in a garden bed; a vertical accent to frame a view; or a group of pots used to screen a deck. No matter the size of your garden, containers can be colorful, therapeutic, functional and fun.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 1:00 pm / Rainier Room

It’s Time to Edit: How to Look at Your Garden with Fresh Eyes

In the life of any garden there are moments when the Goddess Flora dictates that is it time renew, restore, renovate or remake the space. There are myriad reasons to edit our gardens: unchecked plant lust so we run out of room; “life” interferes with our usual maintenance plan; a home remodel requires new hardscapes; or plants have grown to maturity and there’s now more shade. Gardeners are also known to change and suddenly decide out with the old and in with the new. Here’s how to plan for change.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 4:30 pm / Rainier Room

Dan Hinkley 2020 Show Judge

Dan Hinkley—2020 Show Judge, Director, Heronswood Garden and author, The Explorer’s Garden

Dan Hinkley is native to the Zone 4 highlands of Michigan, and his lifelong interest in plants lead him to receive his B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture from Michigan State University and his M.S. in Urban Horticulture from the University of Washington. In 1987 he and his husband, architect Robert Jones, established Heronswood Nursery. Devoted to introducing rare plants to the gardeners of North America, this endeavor led him into the wilds of China, South and Central America, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Nepal and Vietnam over the past 20 years. In 2012 the Port S’Klallam Tribe purchased the Heronswood property and restored the garden, and Dan remains as its Director. Dan has written for many periodicals, including Pacific Horticulture, The American Gardener, Horticulture, and The Gardener and has a regular column in Horticulture. He is the author of three award-winning books: The Explorer’s Garden: Shrubs & Vines (Timber Press, 2009), Winter Ornamentals (Sasquatch, 1993) and The Explorers Garden: Rare and Unusual Perennials (Timber Press, 1998). He is presently writing a new book, on the making of Windcliff, his private garden, to be published by Timber Press in late 2020. Dan has been awarded the Scott Medal, the Liberty Hyde Bailey Award, and the Veitch Memorial Medal, among others. He serves as horticultural consultant to Monrovia Growers and to several design firms, travels the world to find new plants, speaks to horticulture groups, weeds his garden and savors every moment of life with Robert and their pups at Windcliff.

www.danieljhinkley.com

Twenty Places, Twenty Plants (OK, Maybe More than Twenty…)

Dan Hinkley does a deep dive into his travels and all the plants he has discovered along the way. The twenty plants (or maybe a few more…) that made the cut are ones that achieved Dan’s highest benchmark: they have changed the way Dan gardens. Discover which plants made Dan’s list, why they made the list and why you just might need a few of them for your own garden. (OK, maybe more than a few…)

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 11:30 am / Rainier Room

Googling Dan’s Brain for the Best Trees, Shrubs and Vines for NW Gardens

When ordinary gardeners go to the nursery or plant sales, it can be overwhelming. So many plants to choose from! The entire world has been Dan Hinkley’s nursery for four decades, so narrowing down the choices is far more involved. What trees, shrubs and vines top the list when Dan “googles” his own brain for the best? He’ll share all when he talks about the many plants that he simply could not live without.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 10:00 am / Rainier Room

Robert Hobart

Robert Hobart—Electrician and owner, Britescape

Robert Hobart was born and raised in the Seattle area. Mowing lawns for his neighbors in the 1980s was his initial entry into the landscape industry. A growing client list provided the opportunity to put himself through college at the University of Washington. While working in his client’s garden, Robert saw something was missing—the garden needed lighting! He acquired his 06 Electricians license and his new venture, Quality Landscape Lighting launched in 1997. In 2014, the company was rebranded to include all company services under a single name, Britescape. Two years later, Britescape assumed the Garden Services division of Scot Eckley, Inc. Since then, Britescape has grown to over 18 employees servicing clients throughout the Greater Seattle area from their Northgate headquarters. Education is an integral part of keeping Britescape at the forefront of best practices and new ideas. Robert strives to keep on track with the latest in lighting trends and technology. Britescape and Marenakos Rock Center have partnered together to create an outdoor showroom using more than 125 lights highlighting outdoor lighting effects. Monthly meetings with local architects and designers at the Britescape lighting showroom also provide an opportunity to share the latest in lighting technology. When not in the garden, Robert enjoys spending time with his family and enjoying the beautiful Pacific NW. Visit the Britescape booth, #711 in the South Hall at the 2020 festival.

http://www.britescape.com

After the Sun Sets: What you Need to Know to Illuminate Your Garden…Beautifully!

Northwest gardens are as diverse and dynamic as anywhere in the world. By November, darkness sets in by 5pm eliminating the opportunity to enjoy your garden for half of the year! This seminar explores various ways to light up every aspect of your property including structures, trees, decks, docks, water and unique aspects of your garden. Discover how to approach a garden with illumination at the forefront through development of an effective and beautiful plan—all while observing the Dark Skies Initiative.

Sunday, Mar 1 at 1:30 pm / Hood Room

Barry Hoffer

Barry Hoffer—Arborist and owner, Maples for All Seasons

Barry started Maples for all Seasons, because, 21 years ago there was very limited information on Japanese Maples. The more he learned about them, the more he fell in love with them. After much trial and errors, much guidance from Masters in both Japan and England, he knew there was a need for Maples for all Seasons, which he started with his wife and fellow Japanese Maple expert, Sue Hoffer. His goal is to educate people, including casual gardeners, serious collectors and landscape professionals, on the correct cultivar, the care and pruning of Japanese Maples. Maples for All Seasons opened in a new location in Olympia, WA in 2018, and still maintains a presence in Northern CA and is now open in Eagle, ID. We conduct classes, seminars, tours at all three locations. Barry regularly conducts classes as “The Maple Guy,” teaching about gardening with Japanese Maples, the care and pruning of the Japanese maples as well as discussing the four seasons of the Japanese Maples. Barry has made many radio appearances, most recently Ciscoe Morris’ “Gardening with Ciscoe”; Bob Tanem’s “In the Garden”; Fred Hoffman’s “Garden Show" and does regular appearances at local garden clubs, home and garden shows, and nurseries throughout the U.S. Barry is also a visiting instructor at Heather Farms, Walnut Creek, CA. He is a member of the International Society of Arboriculture. Visit Maples for All Seasons, booth #2120 in the Plant Market, at this year’s show.

www.maplesforallseasons.com

Pruning Japanese Maples from an Arborist Point of View

Arborist Barry Hoffer will explain the philosophy of pruning and then demonstrate it on actual Japanese Maple trees showing each point as discussed. An Arborist point of view includes proper cuts, soil and the overall health of the tree we are pruning as well as planning for proper future growth. Diseases associated with the Japanese Maples are discussed, including how to repair, remove diseased branches and treatment. He will also discuss root pruning for up-potting of Japanese Maples in Containers.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 10:00 am / DIY Stage

Container Gardening with Japanese Maples

We are moving into homes with smaller gardens, but that doesn't mean we cannot have a beautiful garden with Japanese Maples. With proper care, Japanese Maples can live for years in a container on a patio. Barry will discuss picking the proper container, the best kind of Japanese Maple for containers, the best soils for best results and the importance of root pruning.

Sunday, Mar 1 at 10 am / DIY Stage

Jennifer Jewell

Jennifer Jewell—Creator and host, Cultivating Place and author, The Earth in Her Hands

Jennifer Jewell is the creator/host of Cultivating Place, an award-winning public radio program & podcast on natural history and the human impulse to garden. She has been a professional garden communicator since 1998, and a weekly voice for gardens and nature on North State Public Radio since 2008. Her worked has appeared in Gardens Illustrated, House & Garden, and Pacific Horticulture, among others. She was the Native Plant Garden Curator at the Gateway Science Museum, CSU, Chico for many years and has served on local and national horticultural boards, including the Pacific Horticulture Society from 2013 to 2019. Cultivating Place and Jewell won Best On-Air Talent and Best Broadcast Media from GardenComm in 2017, and best On-Air Talent in 2018. Her first book, The Earth In Her Hands, 75 Extraordinary Women Working in the World of Plants, centering women transforming horticulture around the world, is due out in early 2020 from Timber Press.

https://www.cultivatingplace.com/

The Earth in Her (OUR) Hands

Based on her book, The Earth in Hands: 75 Remarkable Women Working in the World of Plants, Jewell explores how women specifically around the world are re-imagining horticulture through innovative horticultural and cultural endeavors—making the many branches of horticulture more creative and viable career paths for a wider diversity of people. They and their work profoundly and positively impact the larger world: environmentally, culturally, economically—making them inspiring role models for all.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 12:30 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Women at Work: Making a Living while Following Your Plant Passion

Thursday, Feb 27 at 12:30 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Jan Johnsen

Jan Johnsen—Principal, Johnsen Landscapes and author, The Spirit of Stone and Gardentopia

Jan Johnsen is an East Coast-based landscape designer who has spent over four decades creating inspiring residential landscapes. In 2019 she was the recipient of the prestigious Award of Distinction from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. Jan’s award-winning landscapes have appeared in Garden Design Magazine, This Old House, Landscape Architecture, Wallpaper and more. She is a popular author and speaker and writes a blog called Serenity in the Garden. Jan encourages everyone to see the possibilities in their backyard, no matter the size, and emphasizes the vital benefit that the green world offers us. Jan studied landscape architecture at the University of Hawaii and brings a wide perspective to the art of garden making. She has worked in Japan, Kenya, Hawaii and throughout the U.S. She was awarded ‘Instructor of the Year’ by the New York Botanical Garden. Her books include ‘Ortho’s All About Trees’ (Meredith Publishing, 1998), Heaven is a Garden (St Lynn’s Press, 2014) and The Spirit of Stone (St Lynn’s Press, 2017). Her new book, Gardentopia– Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor Spaces (Countryman Press, 2019) is filled with unique ideas you can use in your garden.

https://johnsenlandscapes.com

Container Wars

Once again we’ve lined up leading garden designers and writers to “battle it out” in our highly acclaimed “Container Wars.” Containers can go virtually anywhere—patios, decks and balconies or even in the garden! Drawing from identical plant materials, designers and authors Sue Goetz and Jan Johnsen will each create three gorgeous containers—all in under an hour! Working against the clock, and with fun “challenges” thrown at them by Master of Ceremonies Marianne Binetti, see how they pull together plants and share their tips for designing luscious container gardens. Learning about plants has never been so fun!

Thursday, Feb 27 at 11:30 am / Main Stage in the North Hall

Serenity by Design: Simplicity, Sanctuary and Delight in the Garden

In this engaging talk, designer and author Jan Johnsen draws on ancient site planning traditions for creating serene outdoor settings that ‘feel good’. She describes how to identify a ‘power spot’ in a property and highlights the unique role that cardinal direction, shapes and color play in our outdoor spaces. Her seminar is a treat to look at and an interactive presentation that is a lot of fun.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 2:00 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Gardentopia: Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor Spaces

Garden lovers revel in being in an outdoor space where the feeling of well-being descends upon you. So how can you transform your backyard into a place where this happens? What changes can you make to create a ‘gardentopia’? This seminar shares intriguing design ideas that can be adapted for any garden. Learn the 'Principle of Three Depths’, ‘The Power of the Portal’ and ‘Hide and Reveal’ among many others.

Friday, Feb 28 at 10:00 am / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Bryon Jones

Bryon Jones—Horticulturist, Arborist, and Landscape Designer, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium

Bryon Jones has a passion for how plants interconnect with people, animals, and most everything in life. In travels both near and far Bryon seeks to understand the details of what makes specific plants work in their natural habitat, and then translate that into growing them successfully in our personal gardens. His never-ending sense of curiosity, coupled with a desire to share information and help others, became a perfect fit for a career in zoological horticulture. Bryon is currently the Horticulturist and Arborist for Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. He has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Washington, a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Portland State University and he is an ISA certified arborist. His landscape designs have been featured on television, in publications and websites. Bryon has presented talks for public agencies, garden clubs, and professional horticultural organizations. He has served over the years in various roles within the Association of Zoological Horticulture. In his spare time Bryon enjoys time with family and broadening his understanding of whatever group of plants has currently mesmerized him—for now they are cacti and succulents

https://www.pdza.org/

Bring Paradise Home: Create Your Own Lush Jungles and Desertscapes

So you never want that vacation to end? Then bring it back home! From ‘Jungles’ to ‘Desert’ landscapes, Bryon Jones, Zoo Horticulturist, will take you on a tantalizing visual journey of iconic plants to choose from to create your own vacation garden. Explore palm trees, bamboos, hardy bananas, cacti, succulents, and a multitude of flowering perennials. Learn expert tricks, strategies, and design tips to help you create a unique, magical destination of your own.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 12:30 pm / Hood Room

Theresa Knutsen

Theresa Knutsen—Propagations and Greenhouse Manager, Raintree Nursery

Theresa Knutsen has been employed at Raintree Nursery, a Washington based nursery specializing in plants that produce edible fruit and berries, since 1995. Since 2005 she has been the Greenhouse and Propagations Manager, overseeing greenhouse productions and the care of potted plants year round. She also helps with answering customer questions about plant selection, cultivation, and managing pests and diseases on their plants during our main sale season. Theresa writes the monthly “Growing Tips” for the Raintree website, and her articles have appeared in Fine Gardening magazine. Theresa has given demonstrations at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, made presentations for various groups around the Pacific Northwest, and teaches several classes at Raintree Nursery each year, including For the Beginner, Propagation, and Growing Fruiting Plants in Containers. Theresa has a B.S. in Horticulture from Washington State University, but the bulk of her expertise comes from her experiences growing fruiting plants has she has acquired over the last 20+ years at Raintree Nursery and at home. Visit Raintree Nursery, booth #2443 in the Plant Market, at this year’s show.

www.raintreenursery.com

Contained Bounty: Growing Fruit Bearing Plants in Containers

If you think you don’t have room to grow edible plants, think again! Fruit bearing plants can be grown in containers as successfully as ornamentals, including many varieties suitable for NW gardens. Some types of plants, such as citrus, blueberries, and apples have specific needs which will be addressed. Container selection, potting mix (or make your own), fertilizing, and how and when to water will be covered, along with helpful techniques for getting started with both potted and bare root plants, and re-potting.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 1:30 pm / DIY Stage

Backyard Fruit Growing for the Beginner

Before you can harvest fruit from your own garden you have to know what you want to grow, where to put it, how to plant it, and how to take care of it so it will happily grow. This invaluable demonstration will show you planting techniques for both sandy and clay soils, how to select a quality plant at the nursery, and provide you with enough back ground information to get you well on your way to enjoying the fruits of your labor!

Saturday, Feb 29 at 3:15 pm / DIY Stage

Laura LeBoutillier 'GARDEN ANSWER' GUEST APPEARANCE

Laura LeBoutillier grew up around her parent’s garden center in Eastern Oregon. She worked there for 10 years and in 2014 started making gardening YouTube videos as a hobby along with her husband Aaron. After 2 short years of creating online videos she amassed over 1 million followers. Today she has over 2.5 million followers on Facebook and approaching half a million on YouTube. Her videos have received nearly half a billion views with her most popular video at 62 million views. This easily makes her the most watched gardener on the internet. Laura’s appearance is sponsored by Proven Winners.
gardenanswer.com

Laura will be speaking on the Main Stage on Saturday, February 29^th and Sunday March 1^st at 10 am. She will have Meet & Greet sessions afterwards at Proven Winners booth, #2602 in the North Hall, for fans to snap a photo with her. Click here to learn more about Laura’s appearance at the Festival.

Eric Lee-Mader

Eric Lee-Mäder—Pollinator Conservation Co-Director, Xerces Society and owner, Northwest Meadowscapes

Eric Lee-Mäder is a pollinator ecologist, farmer, and meadow designer based on Whidbey Island, WA where he manages Northwest Meadowscapes, a native wildflower and seed business. Beyond the native seed business, Eric co-directs the Pollinator Conservation Program at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, working across the world with farmers, food companies, and agencies such as the USDA and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to enhance biodiversity in agricultural lands. Since 2008, Eric and his team have supported large-scale wildflower restoration for pollinators across more than 700,000 acres in the United States. Eric has a Master’s degree in commercial horticulture from the University of Minnesota and his professional background includes previous work as an extension educator, commercial beekeeper, and crop consultant for the seed industry. His work has been featured in major media, including PBS’ Growing a Greener World, cited in a 2016 White House report on pollinator conservation, and he is the author of many books including the best-selling Attracting Native Pollinators (Storey Publishing 2010), Farming with Beneficial Insects (Storey Publishing 2013), Milkweeds: A Conservation Practitioner’s Guide (Xerces Society 2014), Gardening for Butterflies (Timber 2016), and 101 Plants to Save the Bees (Storey Publishing 2016). He has a forthcoming book in development with Storey Publishing on gardening for monarch butterflies. www.northwestmeadowscapes.com

www.xerces.org

Garden 101: Protecting Pollinators

Restoring Urban Habitats for Pollinators

Bees, butterflies and other pollinators are on the decline worldwide, but you can make a difference for them right in your own garden. This 3-part seminar provides an accessible, easy to understand science-based framework for reversing the decline of pollinators. First, Eric Lee-Mäder will do an overview of native pollinators and the habitat systems that support them, including specific plant selection. James Ullrich will share information about what makes our native mason bees such super pollinators, and how to support these important bees in your yard. Finally, David Mizejewski will discuss the reasons behind pollinator decline, engage the audience with a fun, interactive quiz on bees, and give instructions on how to make your own garden pollinator-friendly.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Understanding Native Bee Biology to Support Pollinators

When people think of pollinators, too often they only think of the honeybee. But there are actually many native bees that are better pollinators then honeybees. Join Eric as he covers the important basics of understanding how to best support our overlooked native bees. He will present an overview of the basic groups, diversity, life cycles, and habitat needs of bumble bees, mining, long-horn and sweat bees, leafcutter bees, and more.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 6:00 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

The Art of the Meadow: Design, Installation and Management

Native meadows are the most biologically-rich landscapes in the Northwest, hosting rare pollinators, grassland songbirds, and stunning wildflowers such as camas, in an otherwise heavily forested region. However, less than 1% of these unique landscapes remain. Eric will explore the natural history of meadows along with their design, installation, and management; highlight some of the notable plants and animals of these critical ecosystems; and showcase examples of meadows as landscaping, including the half-acre meadow garden he recently installed at the Gates Foundation.

Friday, Feb 28 at 11:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Mary-Kate Mackey

Mary-Kate Mackey—Award-winning garden writer, speaker and author, Write Better Right Now

Mary-Kate Mackey is a dynamic speaker and a five-time GardenComm writing award winner. She co-authored Sunset’s Secret Gardens—153 Design Tips from the Pros and contributed to both the Sunset Western Garden Book and Sunset’s Gardening in the Northwest. Hundreds of her articles have appeared in numerous publications, such as Fine Gardening, Horticulture, Sunset, and Country Gardens. Online, her writing can be found at The Christian Science Monitor, Encore Azaleas, and for the past ten years, her monthly garden column, “Rooting for You,” has been featured on the U.S. Hartley-Botanic greenhouse website: https://hartleybotanic.com/magazine/author/marykatemackey/

Winter is Coming: Help Your Garden Recover from Winter's Disasters

In recent years, snow, ice, and wind have not been kind to Pacific Northwest gardens. Garden writer Mary-Kate Mackey discusses recovery strategies, such as when to prune, when to call an expert, and when to throw in the shovel. And when it comes to replanting, she’ll offer practical tips to avoid some common gardening errors, and a sampler of trees and shrubs that can survive nature’s abuse—plus a few that won’t.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 11:00 am / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Brian Minter

Brian Minter—Co-owner and president, Minter Country Garden Store

A recipient of the ‘Order of Canada’ and the ‘Order of B.C’ and with an ‘Honorary Doctorate of Technology’, Brian Minter, B.A., is a horticulturist, entrepreneur and co-owner with his wife, Faye, of Minter Country Garden, an innovative destination garden center and greenhouse growing operation in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. Brian is well known from his magazine articles, syndicated newspaper columns and TV and radio programs. Brian is in demand internationally as a speaker by industry and by gardening and tourism groups. In 2014 he was awarded the highest honors given by the Perennial Plant Association and by the Garden Writers Association. Brian has sat on and chaired many boards. He served two terms as the first Chancellor of the University of the Fraser Valley.

www.mintergardening.com

The Fascinating Connection Between Plants, People and the Environment

There’s a revolutionary new understanding of the relationship and connection between plants, the environment and the many health and wellness benefits for both people and wildlife. Designing gardens to be more sensory and pollinator and bird friendly, especially in urban environments, is the way of the future. This presentation looks at the key elements of more environmentally friendly and healthy garden spaces.

Friday, Feb 28 at 4:30 pm / Rainier Room

Jay Mirro

Jay Mirro—Senior Resource Planner at King Conservation District

Jay Mirro is a Senior Resource Planner at King Conservation District. Jay has served the people and resources of King County as a resource planner since 2000. He has visited thousands of farms and has written over 500 farm plans. Jay has practical and academic expertise on conservation practices and enjoys helping landowners meet their goals while protecting the environment—"saving the world, one farm at a time." He grew up in rural New Jersey, working on horse and llama farms, and then studied Livestock and Range Management at the University of Idaho. Jay and his family own a 34-acre farm in Maple Valley. When not working on his own or other farms, Jay enjoys remodeling his home, reading, travel, gardening hiking and helping his two boys grow up into young men. He looks forward to sharing with you what he has done around his farm on his next farm tour. Visit the Puget Sound Conversation Districts display garden and the King Conservation District booth #2828 at the 2020 festival.

http://www.kingcd.org

Soil Health 101: Evaluating and Managing Your Soil for Healthier Plants

What’s the difference between healthy soil and just so-so soil? King Conservation District staff will discuss the physical, biological and chemical indicators of soil health, including the role of soil structure, soil organisms, plant essential nutrients and pH. They will also cover management factors that impact soil health, and actions you can take to improve you soil’s health. Discover how you can assess your own garden’s soil with the segment on taking, submitting, and interpreting soil test results.

Sunday, Mar 1 at 12:00 pm / Hood Room

David Mizejewski

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

David Mizejewski is a naturalist and television host with the National Wildlife Federation. He holds a degree in Human and Natural Ecology from Emory University and is an expert on restoring wildlife habitat by creating wildlife-friendly gardens. David works to promote the National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife program, which encourages people to plant native plants, to garden naturally, and to Certify their yards and gardens as wildlife habitats. He is the author of the how-to book Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife, which won the Publisher’s Marketing Association Benjamin Franklin Award. He has also contributed many articles to Birds and Blooms and Garden How-To magazines and HuffPost.com. David has hosted series on NatGeo WILD and Animal Planet and he regularly appears on television shows such as Ellen, Martha Stewart, Today Show, Conan O’Brien, HGTV, The Wendy Williams Show, Inside Edition, Hallmark Home and Family, Weather Channel and NPR. Originally from New Jersey, David now lives in Washington, DC. He is dedicated to using his knowledge and his enthusiasm to help others understand and protect wildlife. Visit the National Wildlife Federation booth, #2834 in the North Hall at this year’s show.

https://naturalist.nwf.org/

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.”

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 6:00 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Garden 101: Protecting Pollinators

Saving Pollinators One Garden at a Time

Thursday, Feb 27 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Ciscoe Morris

Ciscoe Morris—Radio, TV host, columnist & author, Ask Ciscoe

Ciscoe Morris directed the gardening and landscaping at Seattle University for 24 years. During his tenure, the University won several prestigious environmental awards including the EPA’s highest national environmental award. The program he developed led Seattle University to be the only University campus in Washington designated as a wildlife sanctuary. In 2001 he was awarded the King County ‘Earth Hero Award.’ Ciscoe has been a longtime WSU Master Gardener, an ISA Certified Arborist and a WSNLA Horticulturist. He has a distinguished media career. ‘Gardening with Ciscoe’ is on KIRO Radio 97.3 every Saturday from noon – 1 pm. Ciscoe wrote a weekly column in the Seattle Post Intelligencer followed by the Seattle Times for over 17 years, and his book, Ask Ciscoe— Oh La La! Your Gardening Questions Answered (Sasquatch, 2006) was a national bestseller. His sequel, Oh La La! Homegrown Stories, Helpful Tips and Garden Wisdom, will be released by Sasquatch in January, 2020. Ciscoe’s home garden has been featured in local and national publications. Despite giving close to 100 garden talks a year, Ciscoe regularly leads garden tours to countries all over the world.

https://www.ciscoe.com/

Garden Jeopardy Game Show Round 2: The Rematch!

Saturday, Feb 29 at 4:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Emily Murphy

Emily Murphy—Designer, expert gardener, author, Grow What You Love and blogger, PassthePistil.com

Emily Murphy is the author of the best-selling book, Grow What You Love (Firefly Books, 2018), and is an organic gardener, photographer, and cook. She studied ethnobotany, environmental science, and garden design, and pursues a plant-driven life fueled by inspiration from the simple act of growing. Emily is the creator of the celebrated blog PassThePistil.com, and dedicated the last 10+ years to garden education. Emily has appeared on NBC’s TODAY Show, The Marilyn Denis Show, and her writings can be found nationally and internationally in publications such as Reader’s Digest Canada, Pacific Horticulture Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post, Mother Earth News, The North Coast Journal, and Better Homes & Gardens. https://passthepistil.com/

Grow a Better Garden That Supports Pollinators with Companion Plants

Thoughtful planting can lead to big change. In this inspiring seminar, you’ll discover a host of methods for pairing flowers with vegetables. In the process, you’ll also discover simple solutions for supporting the health of your garden while supporting pollinators and other wildlife. Emily Murphy shares companion planting techniques, discusses edible garden planting design, how to choose the best plants for you, and offers thoughtful insight on how you too can make a difference.

Friday, Feb 28 at 6:00 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Grow What You Love: Grow a Food Garden That’s Right for You

When you take time to grow what you love, wonderful things happen. But where to begin and what to plant? Emily Murphy shows how to select, grow, and harvest the right plants for you, starting with 12 sets of seasonal ingredients that are both the gardener’s and chef’s choice along with inspiration from garden-to-table recipes. Gardening has never been healthier—and delicious!

Saturday, Feb 29 at 9:30 am / Hood Rood / Book signing to follow

Garden 101: Facing the Future

Sequestering Carbon in the Garden

Gardeners know that the climate is changing – they can see evidence in their own gardens and landscapes. Drier, hotter summers and unpredictable swings in weather throughout the year are challenging plant survival and soil health. This 3-part seminar will provide management strategies and plant selection that can help your garden “weather the weather.” Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott will review basic strategies to help you make changes in your garden in anticipation of hotter, drier climate. Emily Murphy shares the basic principles for sequestering carbon in flower beds, vegetable gardens, and backyards, utilizing regenerative organics concepts. Last, Richie Steffen covers some of the best and most reliable plants that use water wisely and provide an attractive habitat for pollinators. Some of our most garden-worthy natives will be featured as well and eye-catching trees, shrubs and perennials that will add color and interest all year long.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Charlie Nardozzi

Charlie Nardozzi—Radio, TV host and author, Gardening Complete, Foodscaping and Urban Gardening for Dummies

Charlie Nardozzi is a nationally recognized award-winning garden writer, speaker, radio, and television personality. He has worked for more than 25 years bringing expert gardening information to home gardeners through radio, television, talks, on-line, and the printed page. Charlie delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun and accessible to everyone. He has spoken at national venues such as the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, Philadelphia Flower Show, Master Gardener conferences, and trade shows around the country. He has a Master’s degree in Education and Bachelors in Horticulture. Charlie co-hosts “In the Garden” tips on the local CBS affiliate television station (WCAX-Channel 3), a weekly, call-in radio show, and the GWA award-winning “Vermont Garden Journal” on Vermont Public Radio. He also is the host of the weekly “Connecticut Garden Journal” radio show on Connecticut Public. Charlie has written for national magazines such as Organic Gardening and contributed to many of the “Gardening for Dummies” titles, authoring Urban Gardening for Dummies (Wiley Books, 2013) and Vegetable Gardening for Dummies (IDG Books, 2009) along with Foodscaping, (Cool Springs Press, 2015)and Gardening Complete: How to Best Grow Vegetables, Flowers and Other Outdoor Plants, (Cool Spring Press, 2018). His latest book on No-Dig Gardening will be released in winter, 2020. Charlie is also the former host of PBS’s “Garden Smart”, reaching more than 60 million households. He has also been a gardening expert on many national syndicated television and radio shows such as HGTV’s “Today at Home,” Discovery Channel’s “Home Matters,” Sirius Radio’s “Martha Stewart Living,” and “Garden Life Radio.” Charlies also runs international garden tours to locations such as Italy, France, Cuba and Great Britain. Charlie Nardozzi’s appearance sponsored by Gardeners Supply Company and Velcro USA.

www.gardeningwithcharlie.com

Prune Like the Pros

Pruning your trees, shrubs and vines can be an intimidating process for many gardeners. But fear not! You can prune like the pros with some guidance and confidence. In this demo, Charlie will show the basics of pruning trees, shrubs and vines, and the different types of pruning tools needed. He will cover various types of pruning cuts, how to prune a young tree, how to renovate an overgrown shrub and when to prune different plants so your plants have beautiful flowers and fruits. Charlie Nardozzi’s appearance sponsored by Gardeners Supply Company and Velcro USA.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 1:30 pm / DIY Stage / Book signing to follow

Latest Raised Bed Innovations for Veggies, Flowers and Herbs

Discover how to enjoy the benefits of raised bed gardening, including less weeding, watering, fertilizing and more productive vegetables, herbs and flowers! Techniques for raising the soil up have been improved, with new materials and solutions to make them attractive. Charlie will review the various materials used for making raised beds, matching various plants and garden situations with these materials. Discover innovative, raised bed designs, such as lasagna gardening, Hugelkultur, straw bale gardening and polyculture beds. Charlie Nardozzi’s appearance sponsored by Gardeners Supply Company and Velcro USA.

Friday, Feb 28 at 12:30 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Headmaster Hiroki Ohara

Hiroki Ohara—Headmaster of the Ohara School of Ikebana, Japan

Born in Kobe City in 1988, he became the Fifth Headmaster of the Ohara School of Ikebana at the age of six in 1995. The Ohara School has main offices in Osaka and Tokyo, and 146 Chapters in Japan as well as 69 Chapters and 43 Study Groups out of Japan. As of April, 2018, the Ohara School is proud of over one million students throughout the world. Headmaster Ohara strives to promote the Japanese traditional art of Ikebana and activities as an artist at home and abroad. He was appointed to President of the Council of Ohara Professors, Executive Director of the Japan Ikebana Art Association, Director of the Hyogo Ikebana Association, visiting Professor of Taisho University, and President of the Beginners’ School Aoyama Headquarters of the Ohara School. Headmaster Ohara has lectured and demonstrated at West Point in New York, US; supervised ‘Ohara School’s 120th Anniversary Exhibition ‘Inochi-no-katachi BIRTH AND REBIRTH’ at Nihonbashi Takashimaya in 2015; displayed arrangements at the International Media Center for the G7 Ise-Shima Summit; lectured and demonstrated at the commemorating event for ‘the 150th Anniversary of Japan-Belgium Diplomatic Relations’, hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Belgium; displayed arrangements at Omote Sando Hills for VOGUE ‘FASHION’S NIGHT OUT TOKYO’; and most recently in January, 2019, he exhibited arrangements and made a presentation for symposium together with Headmasters/Headmistresses of four other ikebana schools (Ikenobo, Sogetsu, Ichiyo-shiki, Misho) for Japonismes 2018, sponsored by the Japanese Government.

https://www.ohararyu.or.jp/english/index.html

Snow – Moon – Flower: The Serenity of Ikebana

Manyoshu is Japan’s oldest anthology of classical Japanese poetry, compiled around the 7th century. In the following poem, that can be found in that collection, the poet Otomo no Tabito likens plum blossom petals scattering in his garden to snow that flutters from the distant skies.

waga sono ni
ume no hana chiru
hisakata no
ame yori yuki no
nagarekuru ka mo

Drawing inspiration from this verse, Headmaster Hiroki Ohara of the Ohara School will create ikebana arrangements in Seattle that will be serene and imaginative, using floral materials that convey the changing of seasons from winter to spring.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 11:45 am / DIY Stage

Christina Pfeiffer

Christina Pfeiffer—Horticulturist, arborist and co-author, Pacific Northwest Gardening Month-by-Month

Educated in landscape horticulture at Michigan State University and the University of Washington, Christina has enjoyed a long career working in public gardens, horticulture education, and consulting. She has taught courses in pruning, arboriculture, and landscape management at local colleges, and for a variety of public and professional seminar programs. In addition to her work as a garden writer and educator, she is a consulting associate with Urban Forestry Services, Inc. Earlier in her career, Christina led landscape management efforts for the Holden Arboretum and Washington Park Arboretum. Horticulture is her vocation, hobby, and passion. She says that for her, the next best thing to gardening is teaching and writing about gardening. Her book, "Pacific Northwest Gardening Month by Month" (Cool Springs Press, 2006), co-authored with Mary Robson, provides practical information on essential horticultural practices that are the key to success. Sustainable and practical techniques for greater results with less effort are the foundation of the approach. In this way, the process of gardening becomes less of a battle and more of a pleasing journey.

Garden 101: Perfect Your Pruning

How to Prune the Overgrown Garden

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Flowering Shrubs: Pruning to Maximize Bloom and Beauty

It can be more than disappointing when flowering shrubs don’t bloom as we expect them to. In many cases, well intentioned pruning gone awry may be the culprit. Pruning too severely, pruning at the wrong time of year or not pruning enough can all lead to poor bloom performance. This demonstration offers some simple techniques that can help take that confusion out of maintenance pruning for established flowering shrubs.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 1:30 pm / DIY Stage / Book signing to follow

Dr JJ Pursell ND

Dr JJ Pursell, ND – Naturopathic physician, owner, The Herb Shoppe and author, The Herbal Apothecary and The Woman’s Apothecary

Dr. JJ Pursell has been working in the field of natural health and wellness for over 20 years. Her dedicated focus turned to plant medicine in her early 20’s but her interest began as a child at her father’s flower farm. Working with her mentor, Linda Quintana of Wonderland Tea and Spice, she gained direct knowledge, master to student. Learning the ways of the plants from seed to harvest and processing into medicine changed her life as the knowledge awakened knowing that this was to be her professional path. As new experiences often do, this new direction opened up doorways and opportunities, one of which was attending and graduating from the National University of Natural Medicine in 2007 with a doctorate in Naturopathic medicine and masters in Acupuncture. During her course of study though, she missed working with the plant medicine day-to-day and decided to open The Herb Shoppe, the only herb shop in metro Portland, Oregon at the time. Over the course of 14 years Dr. JJ owned 3 different locations and welcomed hundreds of interns to offer the experience of working with the community and herbal medicine. In 2015 her first book was released, The Herbal Apothecary (Timber Press, 2015) and has written 2 additional books since then, The Woman’s Apothecary (Fair Winds Press, 2018) and Master Recipes of the Herbal Apothecary (Timber Press, 2019). Always working on a project and ready to support others on positive missions, Dr. JJ is currently working on her latest product, Restoration Gel, supporting others in success and spending as much time as she can on her farm with her family and furry friends of all kinds.

www.drjjpursell.com

Growing a Garden for Your Personal Health and Wellness

Having a medicinal garden at your fingertips can prove invaluable when you don’t feel well. This seminar will be fully inclusive of the array of medicinal plants that one can grow for your well-being, as well as understanding how to use them. Dr. JJ, a certified naturopathic physician, has been fascinated by the healing power of herbs for over 20 years. She will help you discover how you can grow, process and turn herbs into helpful healing medicine.

Friday, Feb 28 at 1:00 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

A Woman's Garden: Medicinal Plants to Support a Woman's Health

Join certified naturopathic physician Dr. JJ Pursell, owner of the acclaimed Portland apothecary, The Herb Shoppe. Dr. JJ will share many easy-to-grow medicinal herbs that you can use to support a woman’s body. In this seminar she will discuss medicinal plants, harvesting techniques and how to make home remedies to naturally support a woman’s body as it changes over the years.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 10:00 am / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Nobuko Relnick

Nobuko Relnick—Instructor of Sogetsu School of Ikebana in Seattle

Nobuko Relnick received her teaching certificate from the Sogetsu Ikebana Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, in 1966. She is the owner and teacher at the Woodinville Sogetsu School of Ikebana. After moving to Seattle from Japan, she has been promoting Sogetsu Ikebana and making it available in the Northwest. She realized that since there was so much abundance of materials here in Northwest, just like Japan, it is a shame not to make use of plant materials to create Ikebana Art. She is a past president of the Seattle Chapter of Ikebana International, the retired director of Sogetsu Seattle Branch and holds the highest teaching certificate from the Sogetsu School. She also teaches Ikebana as a healing art for cancer survivors at the Cancer Lifeline Center and Evergreen Hospital in Seattle and also teaches at the Pottery Northwest near Seattle Center. She gives ikebana demonstrations and workshops to various garden clubs, schools and festivals. Visit the beautiful Ikebana exhibit, located in the Conference Center, at this year’s festival.

https://www.sogetsuikebana.com

Branching Out: Using Your Garden for Ikebana Design Inspiration

When you create ikebana, or “Japanese Floral Arrangement,” you use live plant materials. Most florists do not carry branch materials, which are very important structural elements in ikebana. Learn how to observe your own garden and how to notice the abundance of plant materials in the Northwest. This demonstration will show the kinds of plant materials that are most suited for ikebana, and how they work together with floral stems for a beautiful ikebana arrangement.

Sunday, Mar 1 at 3:15 pm / DIY Stage

Renny Reynolds

Renny Reynolds—Award-winning designer and lifestyle expert and co-author, Chasing Eden

Renny Reynolds is the founder of Renny & Reed in New York City, one of the nation's most renowned entertaining, gardening, and lifestyle experts. His definitive book, The Art of The Party, from Gibbs Smith Publishers, is known widely as the “party-planners bible” and his event and garden designs have been featured in all major shelter, garden and lifestyle magazines, including Architectural Digest, W, House & Garden, House Beautiful, New York Magazine, Horticulture Magazine, Town & Country, and Garden Design. Clients have included Presidents Ford, Nixon, Reagan and Clinton, with events in the White House, luminaries of stage and screen, leaders of industry, countless brides, and the country’s largest and most prestigious corporations and non-profit institutions. Following his graduation from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in landscape architecture, Renny opened his first shop in New York City and got his first leg up when he was asked by Bill Blass to design his terrace garden. He then expanded into event design when Yves St. Laurent asked him to design the introduction of his Opium fragrance in a fabled event at South Street Seaport featuring a Chinese junk with golden sails. He then went on to orchestrate all the nightly extravaganzas at the legendary Studio 54, including events for Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, Andy Warhol, Elizabeth Taylor, and Liza Minnelli, and putting Bianca Jagger atop that white horse in the iconic photo. After leaving the event design business to his nephew, Reed McIlvaine, in 2005, he returned to his first love, garden design, with current projects across the country. In 2008, he was awarded the prestigious “Great American Gardener” Award, their highest honor, by the The American Horticulture Society. Renny has served on the boards of P.S. 1/ MOMA, The Brooklyn Botanical Garden, The Royal Oak Foundation, Bucks Beautiful, Fisherman’s Mark, and Heritage Conservancy of Bucks County, PA.

www.hortulusfarm.com

Container Wars

Once again we’ve lined up leading garden designers and writers to “battle it out” in our highly acclaimed “Container Wars.” Containers can go virtually anywhere—patios, decks and balconies or even in the garden! Drawing from identical plant materials, designer, author and 2020 Show Judge David Culp and designer and author Renny Reynolds will each create three gorgeous containers—all in under an hour! Working against the clock, and with fun “challenges” thrown at them by Master of Ceremonies Marianne Binetti, see how they pull together plants and share their tips for designing luscious container gardens. Learning about plants has never been so fun!

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 11:30 am / Main Stage in the North Hall

Chasing Eden: Design Inspiration from Hortulus Farm

Hortulus Farm, one of the most celebrated private gardens in America, is known as for its opulence and evocative mix of classical design and modern sensibilities. In Chasing Eden, Jack Staub and Renny Reynolds use their Pennsylvania-based garden to teach home gardeners the principles of garden design. More importantly, how and when to break those rules to create a unique, attention-worthy landscape. You will learn about vistas and focal points; hardscape; garden furnishing and decoration; plant palette and more.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 2:00 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

English Inspirations in the Garden

Celebrated lifestyle expert and landscape designer Renny Reynolds draws inspiration from all over the world for his extravagant events and luscious landscapes. In this colorful seminar he shares the many ways that gardens from the U.K. can serve as a source of vision for Northwest gardens. Renny will give an overview of classic British garden tenets and how to apply them to any garden situation. Take an armchair tour of many British gardens at their finest.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 11:00 am / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Dr Gary A Ritchie

Dr Gary A Ritchie—Biologist, research scientist, Master Rosarian and author, The Rose Doctor

Gary A. Ritchie earned his PhD in 1971 from the University of Washington, where he majored in forest biology. After graduation he joined the research and development staff of a forest products firm, where he served as a research scientist in plant physiology and ecology for 29 years. He retired in 2001 as Senior Scientist. During that time, he published over 150 scientific papers, invited conference lectures and book chapters. He also served as a referee for seven international plant science journals, and as Affiliate Professor of Forest Resources at the University of Washington. As an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Congressional Science Fellow, he served as a Science Advisor in the U.S. Senate in 1976-77. Over the past 40 years he has been a dedicated gardener, specializing in growing roses, shrubs, flowers and vegetables. He has written more than 50 articles on gardening and rose culture in several magazines, including Mid-Columbian and The American Rose. He is in demand as a lecturer at various west coast gardening venues and recently received the Outstanding Consulting Rosarian award by the Pacific Northwest District of the American Rose Society and both the Bronze and the Silver Honor Medals from the American Rose Society. His two recent books are Inside Plants: A Gardener’s Guide to Plant Anatomy and Physiology (CreateSpace, 2017), and The Rose Doctor: A Key for Diagnosing Problems in the Rose Garden (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2019).

Mystery Solved: Diagnosing Problems in the Rose Garden

If you grow roses you have no doubt encountered pests, diseases and other problems that mar the beauty of your beloved roses. Before you can address the real problem, you have to know what it is. “The Rose Doctor” will help you in a step-by-step process of elimination that will empower you to correctly diagnose rose problems. The process, called a diagnostic key, will be photo-illustrated with a series of common and not so common rose problems.

Sunday, Mar 1 at 12:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Stephanie Rose

Stephanie Rose— Award-winning author, Garden Made and Garden Alchemy; founder of

GardenTherapy.ca

Stephanie Rose is an award-winning author, freelance writer, instructor, and international speaker who aims to encourage healing and wellness through gardening. For over ten years she has been both a student and teacher of organic gardening, permaculture design, herbalism, and natural skin care formulation. Stephanie is a member of Garden Communicators International, the Permaculture Institute of North America, the International Herb Association, and volunteers to develop children’s gardens as a Vancouver Master Gardener. She shares stories, recipes, and projects on her inspiring website, GardenTherapy.ca. Stephanie has written several books including Home Apothecary (Leisure Arts, 2018), The Natural Beauty Recipe Book (Rose Garden Press, 2016), and Garden Made: A Year of Seasonal Projects to Beautify Your Garden and Your Life (Roost Books, 2015), which was a Gold Medal Winner from the 2016 Independent Publishers Book Awards (the “IPPYs”). Stephanie’s latest book, Garden Alchemy: 80 Recipes and Concoctions for Organic Fertilizers, Plant Elixirs, Potting Mixes, Pest Deterrents, and More (Cool Springs Press, 2020), will be released in March. Stephanie spends her time as an organic gardener, writer, and artist in Vancouver, BC, Canada. She is passionate about organic gardening, natural healing, and art as part of life. Stephanie lives with her family and a motley crew of animals, which provide her with inspiration and delight both in and out of the garden.

https://gardentherapy.ca

Garden Therapy: The Power and Beauty of Creating Garden Art

Looking for artistic ideas to add something fabulous to your garden? Gorgeous containers, clever garden art, and showstopping outdoor décor is just some of what you’ll see. These DIY projects are easy and accessible with no fancy tools or skills needed. While many of these ideas can be done in an hour, crafting with plants will provide enormous benefit to your well-being. Stephanie will open up the creative vault that will make it simple to include a little Garden Therapy in your busy days.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 3:30 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Garden Alchemy: Natural Organic Recipes FOR Your Garden’s Health

Calling all do-it-yourself gardeners who want to grow a better garden, naturally. It’s time to cook up concoctions and blend up elixirs! It’s just like cooking but these recipes are FOR your garden (not FROM your garden). Discover how to test your soil, blend organic fertilizers, make great compost, and manage pest and disease problems. Recipes for weed tea, garden smoothies, potting mixes, and vermicompost are some of the many ideas that will nourish your garden and comfort your pocketbook.

Sunday, Mar 1 at 11:00 am / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Patrick Ryan

Patrick Ryan—Garden writer, radio host and education specialist, Alaska Botanical Garden

Patrick Ryan is a garden writer, a radio talk show host, an Alaska Master Gardener, and the Education Specialist for the Alaska Botanical Garden, where he has worked for 20 years. Patrick trained as a Junior Master Specialist at Texas A&M and started a Summer camp in Anchorage in 2004. A retired elementary school teacher, Patrick is a regular contributor to the Alaska Botanical Garden newsletter and his articles have also been featured in the Anchorage Daily News and Alaska Home magazine. He has presented his engaging and practical horticultural talks around the country. He has offered his expertise to gardeners, to those who teach gardeners, and most important—to the children who will be gardeners in the future. Patrick has been a consultant for Alaska Agriculture in the Classroom for the past five years, and has been a member of the GWA since 2009. In 2018 Patrick was honored with the Alaska Conservation Foundation’s Jerry S. Dixon Award for Excellence in Environmental Education.

www.alaskabg.org

Set in Stone: Making Hypertufa Troughs

Learn how to make a simple hypertufa trough for showing off your garden treasures. Alpines, dwarf hostas, dwarf conifers, mosses and more look great in these rugged, yet classic containers. A “cooking show” format will be utilized, with an actual trough being made right before your eyes, and a finished trough to give away to a lucky audience member! Complete instructions will be provided in a handout including the recipe and suggested containers to use.

Friday, Feb 29 at 5:00 pm / DIY Stage

Saturday, Feb 29 at 10:00 am / DIY Stage

Jacobus Saperstein

Jacobus Saperstein—Senior Research Specialist at King Conservation District

Jacobus Saperstein is a Senior Resource Specialist at King Conservation District. Jacobus has been with KCD since April 2008 working with landowners and farmers to control invasive species and plant thriving native communities. He brings fifteen years of experience and effort towards restoring healthy rivers and forests of the Puget Sound. His primary responsibilities at the District are planning and implementing restoration projects and managing the annual bareroot plant sale. Degrees in Environmental Studies and Biology from the University of Oregon kick-started his call towards improving the land we live and depend on. At KCD, Jacobus enjoys running volunteer planting projects and inspiring landowners to protect and enhance their streams almost as much as throwing his boomerangs or backpacking through the Cascade Mountains. Visit the Puget Sound Conversation Districts display garden and the King Conservation District booth #2828 at the 2020 festival.

http://www.kingcd.org

The Benefits and Beauty of Landscaping with Native Plants

Sunday, Mar 1 at 4:00 pm / Rainier Room

Becky Sell

Becky Sell—Sedum expert and nursery owner, Sedum Chicks, Salem, Oregon

Becky Sell is the owner and operator of Sedum Chicks, LLC in Salem, OR, a family-owned nursery specializing in outdoor hardy succulents for the Pacific Northwest. Starting 18 years ago this hobby nursery grew limited varieties of hardy succulents and specialized in handmade hypertufa planters. Over the years Sedum Chicks has become a family run nursery carrying over 85 varieties of hardy succulents & specializing in the art of repurposing unique finds to showcase the plants. In 2017 and 2018 the Sedum Chicks exhibit at the NWFGF won “Outstanding Visual Award;” in 2015 Sedum Chicks booth took 2^nd place for the Metropolitan Productions award, at the YGP show in Portland, and in 2009 she took 1^st place from the ONA for Best Booth Space. She has also won two awards at Sorticulture in Everett, including 1^st place (2014) and 2^nd place (2013). Becky has appeared on “In the Garden with Make Darcy” on KEX radio, and on “Garden Time on KPTV, as well as in the Portland Oregonian, the Salem Statesman Journal and the Registered Guard in Eugene, OR. Visit Sedum Chicks, booth #2250 in the Plant Market, at this year’s show.

http://www.sedumchicks.com

Make Your Own Charming Birdhouse Succulent Planters

When is a birdhouse more than a birdhouse? When it’s a planter too! Succulent expert Becky Sell shows you how to create a charming birdhouse succulent planter. You will love them so much you’ll want to make more than one. Becky will show you how to create a beautiful roof garden on the top of a usable birdhouse. With birdhouses being so popular in the Northwest this idea of 2-in-1 works amazingly.

Friday, Feb 28 at 11:45 am / DIY Stage

Do’s & Don’ts for Successful Succulents

Succulents are enormously popular these days and for good reason. They come in many different sizes, shapes and colors but all have low water needs, are great for pollinators, and are low maintenance. Succulent expert Becky Sell will show you how to work with, take care of and divide up succulents. Along the way she will be putting together a beautiful centerpiece of succulents to show how easy they are to handle and use for indoor décor.

Sunday, Mar 1 at 11:45 am / DIY Stage

Nicholas Staddon

Nicholas Staddon—Horticultural Consultant, former Director of New Plants for Monrovia Growers

Unabashed plant geek Nicholas Staddon served as the Director of New Plants and national spokesperson for Monrovia Growers for over 27 years. Working with professional plant breeders, hybridizers, and explorers, he scoured the globe for new discoveries in the plant world. Currently he is a Horticultural Consultant working with nursery growers and their new plant and marketing programs. Born in England, Nicholas attended Otley Agricultural College, dividing his time between farm and school and receiving his accreditations in Agricultural Sciences. Nicholas is proud to be professionally affiliated with the RHS, the California Association of Nurserymen, and AmericanHort. He serves on the Board of Advisors of The Mediterranean Garden Society Southern California, and Mount San Antonio Community College, Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences and Cal-HIP, California Horticultural Invasives Prevention.

https://www.facebook.com/nicholas.staddon

Nick’s Picks #1: Garden to Table Freshness from Fruit, Veggies and Seeds

Eating wholesome fresh fruit is not just “trendy” anymore; it’s a cultural shift. Anyone can grow veggies and fruit in the garden, and even containers are great on the patio or balcony. Join horticulturist Nicholas Staddon for his top discoveries from the garden show Plant Market. Indulge yourself in this main course of terrific edibles. Nicholas will also cover partner plants to go with edibles. Finding just what you want is a breeze, as Nicholas provides booth numbers and company names for you to follow up on your favorite choices.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 11:45 am / DIY Stage

Nick’s Picks #2: A Mixed Bag of Bulbs, Perennials and Tubers

Gardeners’ passion for seasonal perennials, bulbs, tubers and more shows no sign of letting up. Join horticulturist Nicholas Staddon as he cultivates his way through some of his dazzling finds from the garden show Plant Market. He will also show you a few other companion plants to go with his selections, and provide booth numbers and company names so you can easily find your favorite choices. Nicholas has done the leg work, so you don’t have to!

Thursday, Feb 27 at 10:00 am / DIY Stage

Nick’ Picks #3: Trees, Shrubs and Surprises for the Long Haul

Many of the plants used in the luscious display gardens at the Festival can be purchased from nurseries in the Plant Market. Nicholas has visited with nurserymen and women to find the hidden gems that are for sale. He will introduce his top picks from the conifer, tree and shrub categories available at the show. These plants tend to be longer lived in our gardens, so the selection process is all the more important. Nicholas has done the homework, so you don’t have to!

Friday, Feb 28 at 10:00 am / DIY Stage

Lisa Steele

Lisa Steele – TV host and best-selling author, Fresh Eggs Daily and 101 Chicken Keeping Hacks

Lisa Steele is a 5th-generation chicken keeper and Maine Master Gardener. She’s the founder of Fresh Eggs Daily®, the popular natural chicken keeping site which has been named one of the top ten garden blogs by Better Homes & Gardens. The author of several books including Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens Naturally (St. Lynns Press, 2013), Duck Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Ducks Naturally (St. Lynns Press, 2015), Gardening with Chickens: Plans and Plants for you and your Hens (Voyageur Press, 2016) a children’s book titled Let’s Hatch Chicks (Young Voyageur, 2018), 101 Chicken Keeping Hacks from Fresh Eggs Daily (Voyageur Press, 2018) and DIY Chicken Keeping Projects from Fresh Eggs Daily (Voyageur Press, 2020), she has appeared on Home and Family on the Hallmark channel, NPR, P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home, Good Morning Maine, Great Day Houston, Good Day Columbus, and San Antonio Living among others and has been featured in Country Living, Country Cottage, HGTV.com, American Farmhouse Style, Parade Magazine, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. Last year her first book was recommended summer reading on The View. Most recently, Lisa began hosting a “country lifestyle” television show on NBC in Maine called Welcome to my Farm. From her home in central Maine where she raises a mixed flock of chickens, ducks and geese and grows vegetables and herbs, she inspires others with her natural, easy, fun and accessible approach to integrating gardening and backyard chickens for a more productive flock and more bountiful harvest.

https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/

Amazing and Easy DIY Garden Projects from Pallets

Simple DIY projects built from free wooden pallets are fun and inexpensive. You don’t need to be a master builder to make things like compost bins, an herb garden, picket fencing, a step stool, or even flower boxes and shutters for your potting shed from discarded pallets. Learn how to choose which pallets are best to use, how to disassemble a pallet safely and easily, and receive simple instructions for building a project or two!

Thursday, Feb 27 at 3:30 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

What the Quack?! Guide to Living with Happy Healthy Ducks

Backyard chickens are all the rage these days, but ducks are actually far better suited to the wet Northwest climate. Learn the basics of raising backyard ducks and how to get them working in your garden to help eradicate bugs and weeds, aerate the soil, and of course provide natural fertilizer. Also included are suggestions on which crops to plant for your ducks and what they shouldn’t eat. And don’t forget those delicious duck eggs!

Friday, Feb 28 at 9:30 am / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Richie Steffen

Richie Steffen—Executive Director, Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden and co-author, Plant Lover’s Guide to Ferns

Anyone who is acquainted with Richie knows he has horticultural exuberance! He turned a budding passion as a youngster into a career that took him onto the Pacific Northwest horticultural stage. His entertaining lectures and classes will have you too perusing nurseries in search of plants from around the world. His plant knowledge is virtually encyclopedic making Richie the go-to guy for those wondering the name of a plant. He is involved in a wide range of organizations devoted to plants including the Northwest Horticultural Society and Hardy Fern Foundation; indeed, his love of ferns sent him on a journey to write The Plant Lover's Guide to Ferns (Timber Press, 2015) with co-author Sue Olsen. Richie is currently the Executive Director for the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden where he oversees the Garden, rare plant collections, and heads acquisition of unique new plants. He also supervises the primary educational program of the Miller Garden: Great Plant Picks. GPP is committed to building a comprehensive palette of outstanding and reliable plants for maritime Pacific Northwest gardens. Visit the Great Plant Picks display garden in the Solera Wine Garden and pick up a gorgeous free poster at booth 2164 in the North Hall at this year’s show.

http://www.greatplantpicks.org/

Garden 101: Facing the Future

Great Plant Picks: Plants for a Better Planet

Saturday, Feb 29 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Rebecca Sweet

Rebecca Sweet—Designer, Harmony in the Garden and author, Refresh Your Garden Design and co-author, Garden Up!

Rebecca Sweet is a garden designer with her design firm Harmony In The Garden, located in Northern California. Her gardens have been featured in Sunset, Fine Gardening, Horticulture and Women’s Day as well as featured on the critically acclaimed PBS series Growing a Greener World. In addition, she has been a radio guest on GardenLife and Martha Stewart Living. Rebecca is also the author of the best-selling Refresh Your Garden Design with Color, Texture & Form, co-author of Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces and regularly shares garden design strategies in her popular blog Gossip in the Garden. www.harmonyinthegarden.com

Container Wars

Once again we’ve lined up leading garden designers and writers to “battle it out” in our highly acclaimed “Container Wars.” Containers can go virtually anywhere—patios, decks and balconies or even in the garden! Drawing from identical plant materials, designers Robin Haglund and Rebecca Sweet will each create three gorgeous containers—all in under an hour! Working against the clock, and with fun “challenges” thrown at them by Master of Ceremonies Marianne Binetti, see how they pull together plants and share their tips for designing luscious container gardens. Learning about plants has never been so fun!

Friday, Feb 28 at 11:30 am / Main Stage in the North Hall

When to Break the Rules (And How to Get Away With It)

Rebels wanted! A well-designed garden is so much more than following a prescribed set of garden ‘rules.’ Instead, a truly memorable garden contains counterintuitive concepts resulting in “Wow - I’ve never thought of that!” moments. To achieve this, sometimes you just need to be a rebel and break a few rules. Let landscape designer Rebecca Sweet walk you through when and how to break the rules to achieve true garden glory for a one-of-a-kind garden that fits your unique style.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 5:00 pm / Hood Room

Seven Sins of Garden Design (And How to Easily Fix Them)

After decades of meeting with frustrated gardeners, landscape designer Rebecca Sweet has broken down the primary causes of headaches into seven main categories. Mistakes such as Tiny Gardens-Tiny Plants, Clashing Color Combos, and One-of-Everything (to name just a few) can often derail the best of intentions. Using photos and solutions that are inspiring, informative, and easy to put into practice, you’ll soon be on your way to a glorious garden. Discover which of the 7 Sins you might have committed, and how to remedy them.

Friday, Feb 28 at 2:00 pm / Hood Room

Allen Taylor

Allen Taylor—Founder and Lead Arborist, Conservation Tree Care

Allen Taylor is the Founder and Lead Arborist of Conservation Tree Care. He is an Eagle Scout and graduated from the University of Vermont Rubenstein School of Environmental and Natural Resources with a Bachelor’s of Science in Forestry. His passion for ski mountaineering led him to the Pacific Northwest shortly after graduating and he has never looked back. Allen is a Board Certified Master Arborist (PN-7316B), holds the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ), and is a Registered Consulting Arborist (RCA#643) with the American Society of Consulting Arborists. He hopes to maintain and grow the urban forest by employing preventative maintenance pruning techniques, and planting 1000 trees in the next ten years. He has appeared on KOMO News discussing an incoming winter storm and its potential impact to the urban forest. When he isn't working, Allen spends his time running, biking, climbing, and skiing. Visit Conservation Tree Care, booth #2163 in the North Hall, at this year’s show.

www.conservationtreecare.com

Garden 101: Trees for NW Gardens

Risk Assessment: Should You Worry?

In the Pacific Northwest, we can grow a large variety of trees, from colossal conifers to diminutive weeping maples. Trees are the bones of the landscape. They frame the residence, create the environment that is the neighborhood, and can turn bare lanes of concrete into lush avenues of green. Laura Watson starts off with a review of smaller trees that make lovely additions to our gardens, acting as middlemen between tall trees and the garden, particularly those on Great Plant Picks. Next Allen Taylor will demystify the risk associated with living around large trees and what goes into the professional tree risk assessment. Finally, Keith Warren will share the best of the time-tested favorite species of larger trees, as well as the latest and greatest in new tree introductions.

Friday, Feb 28 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room

The Right Start: Structural Pruning of Young Trees

The goal of structural pruning is to remove or suppress tree parts which will potentially cause problems later on. Trees grow their best when we anticipate what the future will bring and prepare our trees as best we can for it. This process can start as soon as a tree has become established and be continued for the entire life of the tree. By suppressing or removing undesirable parts we can improve tree architecture so our trees may bring us benefits for many years to come.

Sunday, Mar 1 at 1:30 pm / DIY Stage

Bill Thorness

Bill Thorness—Author, Cool Season Gardener and Edible Heirlooms

Bill Thorness is a writer, editor and gardener who’s been working and gardening in Seattle since the mid-1980s. He is the author of two gardening books: Cool Season Gardener: Extend the Harvest, Plan Ahead, and Grow Vegetables Year Round and Edible Heirlooms: Heritage Vegetables for the Maritime Garden (both from Skipstone Press). Bill writes for many regional publications, including The Seattle Times and PCC Sound Consumer. He has also written two bicycling guidebooks: Biking Puget Sound, now in its 2nd edition, and Cycling the Pacific Coast (both from Mountaineers Books). Bill is a Master Gardener in King County, and active in many regional garden organizations. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Northwest Editors Guild and Pacific Northwest Writers Association. He is a frequent speaker on edibles at regional nurseries, garden clubs and garden shows.

www.billthorness.com

Eat Your Year: Month-by-Month Actions for Continuous Edibles

Mining his garden journal entries, Cool Season Gardener author Bill Thorness delves into month-by-month cultivating of the vegetable garden. What gets planted in January? How can you be the first to successfully sprout seeds outdoors? How do you juggle the start of winter crops during the busiest spring and summer months? It’s an engaging look at the vegetable gardening year, and you can start your own journal just by taking notes.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 9:30 am / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

10 Steps to Your Best Tomato Year Yet

Do you spend a lot of time and money on growing tomatoes and then have disappointing results? The Holy Grail of the kitchen garden, tomatoes have a reputation as being one of the most challenging hot-season crops to grow in our short-summer maritime climate, but help is on the way! You’ll learn step-by-step techniques about indoor starts, season extension, fertilizing, watering, pruning, trellising and much more, including suggested varieties and where to get them.

Sunday, Mar 1 at 4:30 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Gina Thresher AIFD, CFD

Gina Thresher, AIFD, CFD—Owner and designer, From the Ground Up Floral

Gina Thresher, AIFD, CFD, owns and operates From Ground Up Floral in Kent, WA. She is a floral designer specializing in many design styles with a broad range of floristry education. Nationally accredited through the AIFD, she is currently the social media manager for the NW Chapter of AIFD. Gina was named in Florist’s Review as “Top 35 Designers under 35” and was also recently featured in fleur creative magazine. She is a proud member of the prestigious Chapel Designers, a group of wedding and event specialists, and is studying for her European Master Certificate in floral design. Gina has been published in print and in numerous wedding and design blogs. She recently launched “From the Ground Up” podcast geared towards floral creativity and design. Gina was a selected designer at the Ninth Moon Festival in Oregon. She is also a co-chair of the “Blooms Over” project which distributes hundreds of arrangements and designs to nursing homes, hospitals and shelters.

www.fromthegroundupfloral.com

Cure for the Common Table: Creating Unique and Fun Tablescapes

Have you tried to create fine floral arrangements like you see in magazines, only to throw your hands up in despair? Floral designer Gina Thresher helps you take the guesswork and frustration from your floral woes. Gina will talk prep, materials and products and design principles along with creating a classic dining table centerpiece, fun and artful arrangements for your coffee table, and an entryway or mantle focal piece. You’ll be inspired to create arrangements to wow your friends at your next gathering.

Thursday, Feb 27 at 5:00 pm / DIY Stage

Hillary Lee and Robin Tomasi

Hillary Lee and Robin Tomasi—Owners, Garden of Mini Delights

Hillary Lee’s interest in miniature plants was kindled over a decade of viewing exhibits in the Miniature Settings division of the Philadelphia Flower Show. Already a competent miniaturist, she entered the competition in 2016, and won 1^st Place and Outstanding Blue for her design of Shenandoah National Park. Procuring and cultivating plants for her exhibit focused her interest toward miniature plants. Hillary became a member of IGMA (International Guild of Miniature Artisans) in 2015 and took numerous classes with Guild instructors using a variety of media for making scaled miniatures. She ultimately decided to concentrate her studies in metalwork, and in 2018 she submitted pieces to the IGMA Artisan Committee for jurying. The committee awarded Hillary the title “Artisan of the Guild in Metalwork.” Then Hillary Lee met Robin Tomasi at the Philadelphia Flower Show, and the two decided to combine their talents and form a company devoted to miniature gardening, Garden of Mini Delights. Their joint entry in the Horticultural Division of the Philadelphia Flower Show (a miniature garden with scaled miniature props) won first place. Hillary continues to design and build scaled miniature garden accoutrements. She and Robin have been vendors at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival as well as in the flower shows in Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, and New Jersey.

Visit Garden of Mini Delights, booth #2348 in the North Hall, at this year’s show.

www.gardenofminidelights.com

Take Your Miniature Garden from Ordinary to Extraordinary

Any deliberate pairing of small plantings with small accessories constitutes a miniature garden, but how do you take yours from ordinary to extraordinary? Discover critical steps to successful container selection, preparation, and set up, and keys to designing an engaging garden. Get tips and techniques on set-up, composition, maintenance and more as Robin and Hillary explain specific aspects of miniature gardening, from concept to execution, that will help you create the “Wow!” factor in your own miniature garden.

Friday, Feb 28 at 1:30 pm / DIY Stage

James Ullrich

James Ullrich—Owner, Knox Cellars Mason Bees

James Ullrich is the owner of Knox Cellars Mason Bees in Bremerton, WA, and is past president of the Kitsap Audubon Society. He has served on the Kitsap Audubon board of directors for the past 10 years, and has been a guest on Ciscoe Morris, Ed Hume and Scott Conner’s shows. He received the “Friend to the Environment” and “Franchisee of the Year” from WBU; the Scouting Lifetime Achievement Award from the Boy Scouts of America; the Kingfisher Award from the Kitsap Audubon Society and the Tahoma Audubon Society Distinguished Service Award. He has written many articles on birds and bees for the West Sound Home & Garden magazine. James is a retired Naval officer, and holds an MBA from the University of Puget Sound. Visit Knox Cellars Mason Bees, booth #417 in the South Hall, at this year’s show.

https://www.knoxcellarsmasonbees.com/

Garden 101: Protecting Pollinators

Mason Bees: Our Super Native Pollinator

Thursday, Feb 27 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room

Phillip Waite

Phillip Waite—Designer, Omorphia Design Studio and university educator in Landscape Architecture

Phillip Waite is a recently retired university professor. With degrees in both landscape architecture and architecture, he has spent the last 32 years working at the University of Idaho, Washington State University, and Utah State University, where he specialized in low-water use planting design, landscape architectural construction materials & methods, and rainwater harvesting techniques. Phil recently served as Principal Designer for the Almaty Botanical Garden in Almaty, Kazakhstan, a Soviet-era botanical garden. The project supported three MSLA graduate students who made multiple trips to Kazakhstan, and were funded through a $250,000 grant for travel, design, and construction of the garden. His publications include books and journal articles on campus planning, color in planting design, and the chapter on sustainability in the WSU Master Gardener training manual. He now consults as a residential designer, designing both homes and their gardens. His years of experience in designing landscapes in Eastern Washington and Northern Utah as well as recent travels in Italy uniquely equip him to address designing for drought and low-water conditions in Western Washington.

Lessons from Mediterranean Landscape Design: It’s All About Plants!

A Mediterranean Climate Model (‘MCM’) has very defined characteristics. The parts of the Northwest that currently experience an MCM are expanding due to the impacts of climate change. This seminar looks at the design characteristics of landscapes in an MCM, characteristics of plants common to an MCM, and the lessons and implications for Pacific Northwest gardens. Adapting your garden to one aligned with an MCM will create a more resilient garden.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 6:00 pm / Rainier Room

Keith Warren

Keith Warren—Former Director of Product Development, Frank Schmidt Nursery, and co-author, The Tree Book

Keith S. Warren spent a 40-year career with Frank Schmidt and Son Co., first as a nursery manager and then as Director of Product Development. Recently retired, he is still active with the company and continues to introduce new tree cultivars. His photographic skill and college degrees in English and Botany came in handy when he teamed with Michael Dirr to co-author The Tree Book: Superior Selections for Landscapes, Streetscapes, and Gardens (Timber Press, 2019). His tree development work included extensive cooperative programs with horticulturists, breeders, arboreta, and university scientists around the entire country. This led to an extensive program of testing thousands of potential cultivars, followed by the commercial introduction of only the best. His breeding, selection, and cooperative introduction programs were among the most productive ever, guiding 88 new tree cultivars to commercial introduction, including 38 trademarked or patented trees from his personal breeding lines and selection work. He is responsible for many of the most popular trees in today’s commercial trade. In 2015, he received the Oregon Nursery Association’s “Outstanding Service Award” for lifetime achievement and in 2019, he was inducted into the Oregon Nursery “Hall of Fame.”

Garden 101: Trees for NW Gardens

Larger Trees for Landscapes and Streets

Friday, Feb 28 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Good Fit: Small Trees for Today’s Smaller Northwest Gardens

Small tree species abound, but with residential lots shrinking in size, few really fit the new landscape reality. Look past the flowers and foliage. Form makes fit. The tree’s form, structure, and size should be the top criteria when choosing a tree for a site, especially a small one. Many small tree species and cultivars will be featured, including new cultivars, that will not only fit the small residential lot, but benefit residents, human as well as the feathered and furry.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 11:00 am / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Laura Watson

Laura Watson—Master Gardener, Master Pruner, ‘Clemaniac’ and blogger, ClematisinSeattle.com

Laura has been an enthusiastic gardener since she was a child. She loves learning more and ever more about gardening and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others. A clematis and vine specialist, Laura is always seeking new ways to encourage them grow up and frequently uses trees as an ideal structure for vines. Today she will tell you about the understory trees that she loves best for bringing multiple season beauty to the garden as well as serving as vine support. Laura is a King County Master Gardener, a PlantAmnesty Master Pruner, and a garden writer and blogger.

http://www.clematisinseattle.com

Garden 101: Trees for Northwest Gardens

Great Understory Trees

Friday, Feb 28 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room

Tara Austen Weaver

Tara Austen Weaver—Author, Growing Berries and Fruit Trees in the Pacific Northwest

Tara Austen Weaver is a writer, editor, and avid gardener. She is author of Growing Berries and Fruit Trees in the Pacific Northwest (Sasquatch, 2019), and Orchard House: How a Neglected Garden Taught One Family to Grow (Ballantine, 2015), a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. Tara is trained as a Permaculture designer, Master Gardener, and Master Composter/Soil Builder and tends a half-acre garden and orchard in north Seattle. Her recent speaking appearances include Whidbey Island Master Gardener Conference, KING 5 (Seattle), KATU (Portland), One Green World Nursery, Third Place Books, Village Books, Book Larder, and Elliott Bay Books. She has also been interviewed for podcasts by Encyclopedia Botanica, “Garden Nerd” podcast, and Organic Gardener.

www.taraweaver.com

Berrylicious: How to Prune and Maintain Backyard Berries

Summer berries are a relatively low-maintenance crop, but how do you make sure your berries stay healthy and productive over time? This seminar will cover how to tend and prune strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries for abundant and ongoing harvests. How do you renovate your strawberry plants? Why is raspberry pruning so complicated? What are easy ways to make sure your blueberries get the acidic soil they need? Learn all this and more for a bountiful harvest come summer!

Sunday, Mar 1 at 10:30 am / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Megan Weldon

Megan Weldon—Resource Planner at King Conservation District

Megan Weldon is a Resource Planner at King Conservation District. Megan grew up on a farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife & Fisheries Biology, and a minor in Political Science. She also holds a Master of Environmental Studies degree, with a concentration in Environmental Biology, from the University of Pennsylvania. Megan has worked on many wildlife research projects, including her first adventure studying parrots and macaws at remote locations in the Amazon Basin in Peru. Prior to joining KCD, she worked for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and served as a board member for the Bucks County Audubon Society. Visit the Puget Sound Conversation Districts display garden and the King Conservation District booth #2828 at the 2020 festival.

http://www.kingcd.org

Soil Health 101: Evaluating and Managing Your Soil for Healthier Plants

Sunday, Mar 1 at 12:00 pm / Hood Room

Rachael Witt

Rachael Witt—Herbalist, ecologist, medicinal plant grower and founder of Wildness Within

Rachael is a community herbalist, gardener, and teacher of ancestral skills. She is the founder of Wildness Within; an herbal business that offers plant-based classes and workshops, hand-made products and herbal consultations. Rachael also manages, grows, wildcrafts and processes medicinal plants for Julia’s Good Medicine in Carnation, WA. She has a degree in Ecology and Evolution Biology with an emphasis in Plant Ecology. Prior to settling in the PNW she studied ethnobotany, horticulture and plant sciences in Ghana, Puerto Rico and Colombia, as well as the Ozarks and the West Coast. Rachael has developed a niche practice of teaching people how to connect with their bioregions and their well-being through cultivating, harvesting and processing food and medicine. Her website, WildnessWithinLiving.com, has DIY herbal remedies, plant monographs with descriptions, growing habitats and recipes for both wild and cultivated herbs, and more.

http://www.WildnessWithinLiving.com

Herbal Abundance: Top Tips on Processing, Storing and Using Herbs

So your garden is overflowing with herbs, now what? Herbalist Rachael Witt shares tips and tricks on the harvesting and processing of herbs. Your gain new insights on when and how to harvest a diversity of herbs, plus how to dry, store, and make fresh infusions to incorporate into your life. Celebrate the abundance of herbs and their many uses by learning how the enjoyable process of working with herbs.

Wednesday, Feb 26 at 5:00 pm / DIY Stage

Garden 101: The Power of Herbs

Integrate Native Herbs into Your Garden

Sunday, Mar 1 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room

Ellen Zachos

Ellen Zachos—Horticulturist, educator and author, Backyard Foraging and The Wildcrafted Cocktail

Ellen Zachos is a garden writer and photographer, and lectures at flower shows and for garden clubs around the world. She is the author of seven books including The Wildcrafted Cocktail (Storey, 2017) and Backyard Foraging: 65 Familiar Plants You Didn’t Know You Could Eat (Storey, 2013). Ellen shares recipes and foraging tips on her website, backyardforager.com and offers several online foraging courses at backyard-forager.thinkific.com. A former Broadway performer (cast of Les Miz), Ellen is a Harvard graduate and earned multiple certificates in horticulture and ethnobotany at the New York Botanic Garden. She taught at the NYBG for many years, and also worked there as Coordinator of the Gardening Department in Continuing Ed, before moving to Santa Fe, NM in the summer of 2014. Ellen write s a foraging column for Edible New Mexico and was named a Great American Gardener by the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.

http://www.backyardforager.com/

No Excuses: Anyone Can Grow Beautiful Houseplants!

If you can follow a recipe you can grow houseplants. It’s as simple as understanding what a plant needs, and what kind of growing conditions you have. Combine that knowledge with a desire for lush, indoor greenery, and you’ll be able to create your own indoor garden in no time. Learn how to choose the right plants for your indoor space, how to care for those plants to keep them healthy for years. Ellen will share professional tips and tricks, and bust a few of houseplant myths too.

Friday, Feb 28 at 5:00 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Container Wars

Once again we’ve lined up leading garden designers and writers to “battle it out” in our highly acclaimed “Container Wars.” Containers can go virtually anywhere—patios, decks and balconies or even in the garden! Drawing from identical plant materials, authors and BFF’s C.L. Fornari and Ellen Zachos are back for a rematch! They will each create three gorgeous containers—all in under an hour! Working against the clock, and with fun “challenges” thrown at them by Master of Ceremonies Marianne Binetti, see how they pull together plants and share their tips for designing luscious container gardens. Learning about plants has never been so fun!

Saturday, Feb 29 at 11:30 am / Main Stage in the North Hall

Join the Plantrama Podcast: Flower Power and the Cocktail Hour

From dawn until nightfall, flowers make us happy. Join the “Plantrama” podcast team (plant geeks C.L. Fornari and Ellen Zachos) as they talk about great flowers to know and grow. From foraging to farming, Ellen and C.L. present flowers for cutting, cooking and cocktails. Bring your garden questions and stay for some great giveaway products at the end of the talk.

Saturday, Feb 29 at 2:00 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow