Seminars & Demos Schedule
Our show features a comprehensive lineup of seminars & demos! Use the buttons below to find what interests you! You can also see our exhibitor list here.
Seminar Speakers & Topics
Click the name of each presenter for bios and details about their presentations!
Amanda Morris Bio
Amanda Morris, MS is a Sales Specialist for Purina Animal Nutrition. Her personal interest in poultry and professional experiences have allowed her to expand and develop a diverse background in poultry nutrition and management. Amanda specializes in developing nutritional plans for backyard poultry and incorporating that into personalized homestead plans. What could be more fun than a pet that provides you with breakfast, works with you in your garden, and are fun to look at too! This program will focus on incorporating egg laying chickens into your vegetable, herb, and flower gardens.
Purina Animal Nutrition is a division of Land O’Lakes, a farmer owned cooperative. Purina is the leader in animal nutrition research holding over 125 patents and conducting more than 24,000 studies. Our 1,200 acre working research farm in Gray Summit Missouri provides a state of the art facility where our researchers seek vital new data in areas like digestive physiology, animal metabolism, and growth and development. Those insights drive product development and rigorous testing for new diet formulations and nutritional programs. All with a single aim- healthier, stronger animals that are the picture of greatness.
You can provide the best nutrition for your animals by visiting a Purina Independent Dealer near you! Visit www.purinamills.com or email amorris@landolakes.com for more information.
Presentation Schedule
Gardening with Chickens
- Friday – 4:30p
- Sunday – 12:30p
Charlie Nardozzi Bio
Charlie Nardozzi is an award winning, nationally recognized garden writer, speaker, radio, and television personality. He has worked for more than 30 years bringing expert gardening information to home gardeners through radio, television, talks, tours, on-line, and the printed page. Charlie delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun and accessible to everyone.
Presentation Schedule
No Dig Gardening
Garden with less work, effort and harm to the planet and still reap bountiful flowers and fruits. No Dig Gardening is a way to build up your soil’s fertility without having to work so hard. The healthier the soil, the better your vegetables, flowers and herbs will grow. Plus, you won’t be stressing your back, legs and knees in the process. I talk all about creating No-Dig Beds and how to maintain them. I also discuss unusual No-Dig techniques such as straw bale gardening, Hugelkultur, and Keyhole Beds.
- Saturday – 11a & 3:30p
Dawn Pettinelli Bio
Dawn Pettinelli is an Assistant Extension Educator at the University of Connecticut. She manages the UConn Home & Garden Education Center and the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory. Both facilities provide information, testing and advice to homeowners and commercial clientele. Dawn has been a Master Gardener since 1986 and was the Master Gardener Coordinator for Worcester County Cooperative Extension in Massachusetts. A lifelong gardener, Dawn was also a horticulturist at Old Sturbridge Village.
Presentation Schedule
Successful Seed Starting
Starting plants from seeds enables gardeners to not only save money but also grow plants and plant varieties that are not commonly available. Learn the basics of seed starting including seed starting materials, techniques and helpful hints.
- Thursday – 11a
Dennis Tsui Bio
Dennis Tsui is a recent hire for the UConn Home and Garden Education Center. Dennis comes from Florida where he received his BS is Forest Resource Management at the University of Florida. He has years of experience working in UF’s Plant Pathology Lab, where he has worked on many different woody ornamentals, fruit and vegetable crops, herbaceous annuals and perennials, and turfgrass. As a transplant from Florida, Dennis is eagerly learning more about plants in New England so he can better serve the gardeners in our region.
Presentation Schedule
Low Light Houseplants!
Plants that help brighten your household despite the lack of natural light.
- Saturday 12:30p
Diane St. John Bio
Diane St. John is the manager of Natureworks Garden Center and has a BFA in Photography from Columbia College in Chicago and a Landscape Design Certificate from Naugatuck Valley Community College. After obtaining the Landscape Design Certificate from NVCC, the UConn Master Gardener certification, and an Accredited Organic Land Care Professional Certification through CT NOFA, she became increasingly aware of the overuse of synthetic chemicals on lawns and gardens. She became a passionate educator of organic land care practices and saw the decline of the monarch butterfly as a symbol of educating the public on why organic methods are so important. She hopes to inspire others to stop the use of chemicals at home and create a safe, beautiful, healthy environment for all.
Presentation Schedule
Every Yard Matters – How to Create a Healthy Monarch Butterfly Habitat at Home
Join Diane St John as she explains the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. Learn how you can attract and raise them right in your own yard by using organic gardening techniques and planting the specific plants they (and so many other pollinators) love.
- Thursday – 11a
- Friday – 3:30p
- Sunday – 2p
Ellen Ecker Ogden Bio
Ellen is an award winning kitchen garden designer who lives in Vermont. She is the author of The New Heirloom Garden, The Complete Kitchen Garden and other books featuring kitchen gardens. She cofounded The Cook’s Garden seed catalog, introducing cooks and gardeners to European specialty vegetables, herbs, and flowers.
She graduated with a degree in fine arts, and attended cooking school with Marcella Hazan in Venice, Italy, and at the Ballymaloe School in Shanagarry, Ireland. Her articles and kitchen garden designs have appeared in numerous national publications, including The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Eating Well, Garden Design and Country Gardens.
Her lectures teach gardeners how to transform an ordinary vegetable garden into a European inspired potager, with six easy steps and sharing tips on what to grow for flavor and old fashioned charm.
Presentation Schedule
6 Steps to a Successful Kitchen Garden Design
Description Coming Soon
- Friday – 11a & 2p
George Trecina Bio
George has been planning and planting gardens since the 1970s with his own property serving as his “experimental laboratory”. A graduate of The University of Connecticut and Cornell University, his main focus is on the improvement of residential properties He established Land Design & Horticultural Sales LLC in 1992, a landscape design, installation and maintenance business. He has entertained clients, garden clubs and members of The Garden Conservancy and Mad Gardeners at his home in Meriden. Other activities include lecturing and writing on landscape design and horticultural subjects.
Presentation Schedule
Embracing volunteer seedlings and aggressive plants
Nature can be a help in creating your garden. As my garden evolved, rather than adopting a strict design regimen, I allowed volunteer seedlings to claim their space and become part of the design. I also dismissed some warnings about plants you should avoid and have harnessed their power to create some compelling looks.
- Saturday – 11a
- Sunday – 2p
A tree for every yard
Trees are usually the first item I consider in creating a landscape design. People generally love thinking about planting annuals, perennials and shrubs. Tree planting, for a number of reasons, tends to be somewhat intimidating. Taking the time to evaluate tree types and locations for planting in your landscape can be very rewarding and a long term investment.
- Saturday – 3:30p
- Sunday – 11a
Jana Milbocker Bio
Jana Milbocker is a garden designer, speaker, and author. She combines horticulture, design, and travel tips to educate, inspire and delight both new and seasoned gardeners. Jana loves to visit gardens and historic sites in the U.S. and abroad, and share her trips through her books, photos and blog. She is the author of three garden travel guides, the latest being The Garden Tourist’s Florida, and has lectured at flower shows, horticultural societies, garden clubs, and libraries throughout the Northeast. She is owner of Enchanted Gardens, a landscape design firm in the Boston area. EnchantedGardensDesign.com.
Presentation Schedule
Gardens of the Gilded Age
The Gilded Age is famous for its ornate mansions and grand gardens built by the Roosevelts, Vanderbilts, and Carnegies. Transport yourself to the Gilded Age with an armchair tour of the gardens at the Newport Mansions, Vanderbilt Estate, Vizcaya, Untermyer Gardens, Nemours and others.
- Saturday – 3:30p
Artists’ Gardens in New England
Some of our most beloved painters, sculptors and authors were inspired by the gardens they created. Visit the private havens of Edith Wharton, Julian Alden Weir, Childe Hassam, Daniel Chester French, Emily Dickinson, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Celia Thaxter and others.
- Sunday – 12:30p
Kerry Ann Mendez
Kerry has been a speaker for many symposia and conferences, including Master Gardeners conferences in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Vancouver, British Columbia. She has also presented at the 2015 International Master Gardeners Convention; has been a featured speaker at many garden and flower shows including Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston and Seattle; and a presenter for many Horticultural and Plant Societies including societies in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Virginia, New York, Wisconsin and Ottawa.
Presentation Schedule
Hydrangeas Demystified – Great Hydrangeas and Tips for Exceptional Flowering.
Unravel the mystery for having honkin’ Hydrangeas that will be the envy of the neighborhood. This vast genus of shrubs is divided into five groups. Knowing the differences and how to maximize the show from each will be discussed as well as top-performing cultivars. The talk includes how to care and prune these beauties.
- Thursday – 2p
Gardening Simplified: Plants and Design Solutions for Time-Pressed and Maturing Gardeners.
Change happens. Job demands, kids, hectic schedules, aging bodies, and changing interests have led to gardens that are not in balance with our lifestyle. This inspiring lecture provides easy-to-follow right-sizing strategies, recommended no-fuss plant material, and design tips for stunning year-round gardens that will be as close to ‘autopilot’ as you can get. The lecture is based on my book The Right-Size Flower Garden.
- Friday – 11a
Kim Eierman Bio
Kim Eierman is an environmental horticulturist and ecological landscape designer specializing in native plants, and the founder of EcoBeneficial LLC She is the author of The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening.
An active speaker nationwide on many ecological landscape topics, Kim also teaches at New York Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The Native Plant Center, and Rutgers Home Gardeners School.
Kim provides native landscape design and horticultural consulting to homeowners, municipalities, commercial and green industry clients.
In addition to being a Certified Horticulturist through the American Society for Horticultural Science, Kim is an Accredited Organic Landcare Professional, a Steering Committee member of The Native Plant Center, and a member of The Ecological Landscape Alliance and Garden Communicators International.
Get in touch with Kim at www.ecobeneficial.com
Presentation Schedule
Pollinator Victory Gardens With Native Plants
Countless pollinator species have suffered dramatic declines in recent years. It’s a serious problem for all of us since pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of 80% of all flowering plants, and at least 30% of the food that we eat. Unfortunately, most of our landscapes offer little in the way of appropriate habitat and forage for these essential animals. With simple strategies, you can attract and support not just bees, but an array of pollinators that have different requirements. Learn best practices for pollinators from the author of The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening.
- Thursday – 12:30p
Unlocking the Mysteries of Native Plant Selection
When choosing native plants, you have to ask the right questions to get the best results. Kim Eierman will help you sort out the mysteries and complexities of native plant selection including: Am I buying a genetic clone, and does it matter? What are local ecotypes and where can I buy them? Are native cultivars ok? Are dwarf nativars ecologically-useful? What’s the tradeoff with double flowers? Which native plants require pollination partners and how do I source them? What are the pros and cons of planting native seeds vs. live plants? Get the answers you need to make your native landscape both beautiful and eco-beneficial.
- Thursday – 3:30p
Larry Huzi Bio
Larry is a member of the Garden Club of Orange, CT Judges Council, and Creative Arrangers of CT. He is the recipient of numerous top awards for his creative designs and proud recipient of The Federated Garden Clubs of CT Tribute Award for design. He has exhibited at the Florence Griswold Museum, Wadsworth Atheneum and New Britain Museum of Modern Art. Larry also instructs at Beyond Beginnings Workshop and has embarked on lecture / demonstrations where he enjoys showcasing floral work and speaking.
All through his childhood, Larry loved nature. He deeply enjoyed flowers and flower gardening. As a child he would look at flowers, grasses, leaves, and mosses, and think of ways to create something from them. He always loved to emulate the local florists, making floral designs or just fun things that seemed attractive. Even though his professional background is in the food service industry, preparing confectionary masterpieces, designing ice, butter, and tallow carvings or orchestrating social events for clients, creativity was always the drawing factor. Larry’s innate talent for crafting things also led to floral design freelancing of weddings and other social events and even to funeral pieces.
Larry’s hobbies include creative floral design, watercolor painting, crafting, and sewing. His husband, Mark Shiley and fur baby, Trevor, provide support. Mark offers critical comments and advice.
Presentation Schedule
Spring Floral Designs with PAZAZZ!!!!
Friday – 4:30 pm
Laurie Masciandaro Bio
Laurie Masciandaro, a founding member Roseland Cottage.
Presentation Schedule
Connecticut’s Historic Gardens
Connecticut is home to many beautiful and unique gardens. Fifteen historic sites dotted throughout the state have joined to form Connecticut’s Historic Gardens. These delightful places offer visitors an opportunity to explore a variety of garden styles and time periods. Laurie Masciandaro, a founding member Roseland Cottage, introduces you to the history and beauty of these fifteen distinctive historic sites and gardens that have charmed and inspired visitors for a century or more.
- Saturday – 2p
Len Giddix Bio
With a 20 plus year career in commercial horticulture and host of Garden Talk on WTIC-AM for almost as long.
Presentation Schedule
The Reflection In Your Garden!
How your personality affects your gardening preferences. Come follow Len Giddix as he describes different personality types and suggests the garden style that may reveal them. Warning: you will never look at a landscape the same way again.
- Thursday – 3:30p
- Friday – 4:30p
- Saturday – 2p
- Sunday – 12:30p
Lorraine Ballato Bio
As a professional horticulturist, Lorraine lectures, creates social media content, and has her writing and photographs published regularly in Connecticut Gardener, Edible Nutmeg, and other horticultural publications. She is an instructor at the New York Botanical Garden and in the Connecticut Master Gardener Program as well as for the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut.
Lorraine has spoken on numerous gardening radio programs and podcasts from Alaska to Connecticut. She speaks at regional symposiums, flower shows, to civic groups and garden clubs, creating talks that are both instructive and highly entertaining on a broad range of subjects which are tailored to each audience.
In her role as an Advanced Master Gardener, Lorraine works with a sizeable team of gardeners of all levels in a 3000 square foot organic fruit and vegetable garden in Fairfield County, CT. From April through October each year, they grow and annually donate over 800 pounds of produce to homeless shelters and food banks, train master gardener interns and assist the gardening public on a weekly basis.
Besides tending the Connecticut garden which Lorraine and her husband have created (including many plants under trial conditions), Lorraine’s organic home garden includes seasonal vegetables, her beloved hydrangeas and all manner of ornamentals, which have informed her writing, lectures, and radio guest spots. Their garden is not only a laboratory but has been the subject of magazine articles and has been on several garden tours.
Lorraine’s latest book is the best selling Success with Hydrangeas: A Gardener’s Guide. Her previous book is Successful Self Watering Containers: Converting Your Favorite Container to a Self-Waterer. You can learn more about Lorraine on her website, lorraineballato.com where you can also sign up for her hydrangea blog.
Presentation Schedule
Easy Breezy Plants
I don’t know about you, but I get a little tired of all the staking, deadheading, spraying and general fawning gardens demand. I would much prefer to enjoy my plants and maybe just putter and groom them every now and then. This talk will enlighten you about which plants require the least amount of maintenance. You’ll be introduced to improved versions of familiar garden worthy plants in addition to newer arrivals that add color and interest with little or no work whether it be perennials, roses (yes, roses!), ground covers, annuals, and even vegetables. Time to work on shrinking the big “M” (Maintenance).
- Friday – 12:30p
Shady Characters
Your shady yard is more than a place to set up a hammock. Do you think you’re cursed with shade and can’t grow anything under that huge maple tree? Or maybe green isn’t enough for you as you covet more color in your shady area. This talk will help you see your shade as the treasure it is: an area to take an evening stroll, to escape the heat of the summer sun, a source of calming beauty, or just a place to gaze at from your deck or kitchen window. Featured plants include perennials, flowering shrubs, annuals, bulbs and flowering vines
- Friday – 3:30p
Nancy DuBrule Clemente Bio
Nancy DuBrule-Clemente is FOUNDER of Natureworks. She started the business in 1983 with a goal of providing organic gardening services to the community and sold her business to a group of her employees in 2021. She continues to work with Natureworks writing the weekly email, working occasionally at the garden center, and doing a limited amount of garden design and supervising garden installations for existing clients. The retail store on RT 22 in Northford is a destination for gardeners in the state of CT with a focus on supporting pollinators, creating healthy habitats, encouraging native plants, and supplying unusual plants to serious gardeners. Nancy graduated from the Rackliffe Hicks School of Agriculture in the 70’s. She has written two books and give talks throughout the state on a wide range of subjects. Nancy is a total garden geek and a passionate organic gardener.
Native and Non-Native Plants for Sustainable Landscapes
Learn how Nancy creates a happy habitat in her home garden and in those of her clients using a mixture of native and select non-native plants that perform high quality ecosystem services for pollinators, birds, animals, and all the life we share our yards with. You may be surprised at the plants she chooses to feature! In this session we’ll talk about:
- Natives vs. non-natives
- Varieties and cultivars of native plants
- Doug Tallamy’s 70% rule
- The value of a wide range of plants to create balance.
Presentation Schedule
- Thursday – 4:30p
Curb Appeal for Pollinator Gardens
Everyone is planting pollinator gardens. They contain such valuable native plants that bees, butterflies, and all sorts of creatures need. BUT, they can look a bit messy. In this workshop, Nancy will explain to you some basic design principles and then demonstrate easy-to-implement methods to make your pollinator gardens look beautiful and fit into any neighborhood setting.
Presentation Schedule
- Saturday – 12:30p
Dr. Nick Goltz Bio
Nick Goltz was recently hired to direct the UConn Plant Diagnostic Lab. Dr. Goltz moved to Connecticut shortly after graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in Plant Medicine (https://dpm.ifas.ufl.edu). In addition to the plant health experience gained through his degree, Dr. Goltz prepared for this position by working at the UF Plant Diagnostic Center since 2019, and by working at state and federal regulatory laboratories since 2016, performing research to develop biological control options for the management of Megacopta cribraria, Achatina fulica, and Solenopsis invicta. Dr. Goltz has a passion for plant health and integrated pest management and is deeply excited to work with growers and homeowners to find holistic and comprehensive solutions for any plant problem they may be dealing with. He welcomes samples to the lab and notes that additional information and sample submission instructions may be found at https://plant.lab.uconn.edu
Presentation Schedule
Houseplant Diagnostics
An introduction to plant diagnostics for the home grower. Special attention will be given to the identification of diseases and abiotic disorders impacting container-grown houseplants. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques for the prevention and management of health issues will be addressed throughout.
- Sunday – 11a
Owen McLaughlin Bio
Owen McLaughlin is a landscape architect, Instructor at the Southington Regional Agriculture Program & The New York Botanical Garden, and a member of the American Rhododendron Society.
An introduction to Rhododendrons and Azaleas
In this introduction to the genus Rhododendron, participants will learn the differences between rhododendrons and azaleas, growing conditions, landscape uses, cultural requirements, top species and cultivars, where to obtain, and how to plant in the landscape.
Presentation Schedule
- Thursday – 4:30p
- Saturday – 12:30p
Pamm Cooper Bio
Pamm Cooper works at the University of Connecticut Home and Garden Education Center office as a public service gardening specialist and horticultural consultant answering questions on gardening, lawns, native and non-native plants and insects and wildlife issues. She also teaches entomology and turf for the University of Connecticut Master Gardener Program. She has teamed with Jane Seymour from the Ct. DEEP doing programs on using native and non-native plants in the residential landscape to support native pollinators, butterflies and wildlife. She is also an avid nature photographer. She has also worked for Dr. David Wagner collecting and rearing caterpillars for property bio-surveys on DEEP properties.
Good Bug, Bad Bug, or Benign Bug?
A look at some insects that may be encountered here in Connecticut that may be good, bad, or essentially do little or no harm. Whether found in gardens, landscapes, lawns or in the wild, most insects are not considered pest, and some are considered beneficial, but perhaps not all the time.
Presentation Schedule
- Friday – 12:30p
Paul Split Bio
- Nationally recognized Designer and Presenter of green workshops and lectures since 1971
- Judge, Lecturer and Demonstrator at New England Flower Shows
- Garden Club Presenter, specializing in organic, low maintenance, affordable landscapes, herb gardening, gardens in glass
- Instructor for Master Gardener classes, community gardens, and school gardens
- Home Garden Consultant
Organic Container Gardening
During this informative presentation, we will explore the many types of containers and their applications. The program will examine the latest techniques used for successfully growing Flowers, Vegetables and Herbs in containers. This program will also consider different medium profiles, fertilization and demonstrate drip irrigation.
Presentation Schedule
- Thursday – 11a, 2p & 4:30p
- Friday – 11a & 2p
Peter Picone Bio
Peter Picone, lifetime Connecticut native, has been working as a wildlife biologist for over 25 years and will share his insights on creating seasonal habitat for songbirds using native plants. Have you ever wondered…
- What does the American Goldfinch really eat in the wild: does it only eat thistle from a feeder?
- What do songbirds like the Scarlet Tanager or Wood thrush feed on in the fall when the frost hits and there are no more insects to eat?
- What variety of foods does the Wild Turkey feed on in your neighborhood?
- Is the Wild Turkey dependent on food from your feeder?
- In the dead of the winter, what do our resident songbirds feed on?
- What plants provide winter food sources at a time of food scarcity?
- What kinds of trees do Mourning Doves select for nesting in early spring?
- Where do Cardinals rest at night?
- When you choose a plant for your property are you considering its “ecological function” and how it enhances wildlife habitat?
Come to Mr. Picone’s lecture and you will learn that you can make a difference for wildlife in your surroundings by the plants you choose to plant and their arrangement.
Presentation Schedule
Ways to create and enhance wildlife habitat in your surroundings; one native plant at a time
Plants are the foundation of habitat. Habitat quality and quantity depends on plants. Want to learn what plants provide songbirds, hummingbirds and beneficial insects with seasonal food and cover? Peter Picone, wildlife biologist, will present an educational powerpoint on ways to create and enhance wildlife habitat in your surroundings.
- Saturday – 11a
Rachel LaFlamme Bio
Rachel works at Riverside Nursery and Garden Center. This stunning one stop plant shop that is located on the banks of the Farmington river in Collinsville, Connecticut. In addition to offering a wide variety of unique trees, shrubs, and perennials in the spring through the fall, Riverside has an indoor plant shop and florist that is open all year long! Riverside’s knowledgeable and friendly staff can help you pick the right plants for your landscape and create beautiful flower arrangements for any event.
Presentation Schedule
Floral Crowns
Coming Soon
- Saturday – 4:30p
Richard Cowles Bio
Dr. Rich Cowles obtained his degrees in entomology from Cornell and Michigan State Universities. For four years, he worked as a statewide research and extension entomology specialist for ornamentals and turf in California at the University of California Riverside. For the last 28 years, he has worked at the Valley Laboratory of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. His interests cover many subjects that have demanded his attention, from management of bed bugs, breeding strawberries resistant to insects and diseases, and protecting forest and landscape trees from exotic invasive pests.
Presentation Schedule
Climate Change & Impact on Rose Culture
Description coming soon
- Friday – 2p
Robert Townsend Bio
Robert Townsend began his career began 25 years ago with his own landscaping business. Always on the lookout for new challenges and opportunities, in 1991 Rob built his first pond. So satisfying was the planning and execution of this project, his mind was made up to enter a new phase of landscaping design. He began his search for information on Pond Ecosystems.
Presentation Schedule
Water Garden Basics
- Thursday – 12:30p
- Friday – 3:30p
- Saturday – 4:30p
- Sunday – 11a
Ruth Bennett Bio
Ruth Bennett is a Master Judge for the American Iris Society and a well-known speaker for the CT Flower Show and Federated Garden Clubs of CT. She has been growing a variety of irises for 30 years at her East Haddam home. 200 different named varieties occupy her garden though she is mostly interested in little known iris species and those that rebloom. She is also active at Elizabeth Park, the noted rose garden in West Hartford , participating in establishing and maintaining CT Iris Society’s iris display beds there. Also she promotes irises hybridized in New England for their hardiness in this difficult and varied climate. As Treasurer, she is on the Executive Board for both Region 1 American Iris Society and CT Iris Society. Her most important role is holder of the coffee pot for CT Iris Society meetings.
Presentation Schedule
Iris New Introductions & Inter Species Crosses
Program will focus on newer iris introductions that grow well in CT. These include inter species crosses and newly discovered species. Many of these cultivars are becoming commercially available and would benefit any gardener.
- Thursday – 3:30p
Steven Walowski Bio
Steve Walowski is co-owner of Hillside Landscaping and HLC Organic. He founded the company in 1984 upon graduating from Delaware Valley University, with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture. For over three decades Steve and co-owner John Wilcox have been creating award winning, custom landscapes for the people of Connecticut. After years of experimentation with methods and products of organic lawn care on their own lawns, Steve launched HLC Organic, a company dedicated to creating and maintaining beautiful lawns in Connecticut using safe, science based, and chemical free strategies.
Presentation Schedule
Organics 101 – An Organic Approach To Lawn Care
- Friday – 12:30p
- Saturday – 2p
- Sunday – 2p
Trish Manfredi Bio
Trish Manfredi, National Garden Club Master Judge, will show how to create fun floral designs with interesting and unusual items that are easy to find. Learn how to use color, texture, contrast and rhythm to good advantage.
Trish teaches floral design through demonstrations and workshops in New England and Eastern New York State. Her designs have been featured in 5 National Garden Club calendars, including 2022. She won the People’s Choice Award at Wadsworth Atheneum’s Fine Arts and Flowers, and has participated in Museum and Garden Club Design Exhibitions and Challenges in Connecticut and Massachusetts. She serves as Judges Council Chair for the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut.
Presentation Schedule
Easy Creative Floral Designs
- Thursday – 2p
Thursday’s Presentation Schedule
Turn your device horizontal for optimum view.
| Time | Speaker | Topic | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11a | Dawn Pettinelli | Successful Seed Starting | Room 11 |
| 11a | Diane St. John | Every Yard Matters! How to Create a Healthy Monarch Butterfly Habitat at Home | Room 12 |
| 11a | Paul Split | Organic Container Gardening | Room 13 |
| 12:30p | Rob Townsend | Water Garden Basics | Room 11 |
| 12:30p | Kim Eierman | Pollinator Victory Gardens With Native Plants | Room 12 |
| 12:30p | Room 13 | ||
| 2p | Trish Manfredi | Easy Creative Floral Designs | Room 11 |
| 2p | Kerry Ann Mendez | Hydreanges Demystified | Room 12 |
| 2p | Paul Split | Organic Container Gardening | Room 13 |
| 3:30p | Len Giddix | The Reflection in Your Garden | Room 11 |
| 3:30p | Kim Eierman | Unlocking the Mysteries of Native Plant Selection | Room 12 |
| 3:30p | Ruth Bennett | Iris New Introductions & Inter Species Crosses | Room 13 |
| 4:30p | Owen McLaughlin | An introduction to Rhododendrons and Azaleas | Room 11 |
| 4:30p | Nancy DuBrule-Clemente | Native & Non-Native Plants for Sustainable Landscapes | Room 12 |
| 4:30p | Paul Split | Organic Container Gardening | Room 13 |
Friday’s Presentation Schedule
Turn your device horizontal for optimum view.
| Time | Speaker | Topic | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11a | Ellen Ecker Ogden | 6 Steps to a Successful Kitchen Garden Design | Room 11 |
| 11a | Kerry Ann Mendez | Gardening Simplified | Room 12 |
| 11a | Paul Split | Organic Container Gardening | Room 13 |
| 12:30p | Pamm Cooper | Good Bug, Bad Bug, or Benign Bug | Room 11 |
| 12:30p | Steve Walowski | Organics 101 - An Approach to Lawn Care | Room 12 |
| 12:30p | Lorraine Ballato | Easy Breez Plants | Room 13 |
| 2p | Ellen Ecker Ogden | 6 Steps to a Successful Kitchen Garden Design | Room 11 |
| 2p | Rich Cowles | Climate Change & Impact on Rose Culture | Room 12 |
| 2p | Paul Splitt | Organic Container Gardening | Room 13 |
| 3:30p | Rob Townsend | Water Gardening Basics | Room 11 |
| 3:30p | Diane St. John | Every Yard Matters! How to Create a Healthy Monarch Butterfly Habitat at Home | Room 12 |
| 3:30p | Lorraine Ballato | Shady Characters | Room 13 |
| 4:30p | Len Giddix | The Reflection in Your Garden | Room 11 |
| 4:30p | Larry Huzi | Spring Floral Designs with PAZAZZ!!!! | Room 12 |
| 4:30p | Amanda Morris | Gardening with Chickens | Room 13 |
Saturday’s Presentation Schedule
Turn your device horizontal for optimum view.
| Time | Speaker | Topic | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11a | Charlie Nardozzi | No Dig Gardening | Room 11 |
| 11a | Peter Picone | Ways to Create & Enhance Wildlife Habitat in Your Surroundings One Native Plant at a Time | Room 12 |
| 11a | George Trecina | Embracing Volunteer Seedlings & Aggressive Plants | Room 13 |
| 12:30p | Nancy DuBrule Clemente | Curb Appeal for Pollinator Gardens | Room 11 |
| 12:30p | Dennis Tsui | Low Light Houseplants | Room 12 |
| 12:30p | Owen McLaughlin | An introduction to Rhododendrons and Azaleas | Room 13 |
| 2p | Len Giddix | The Reflection in Your Garden | Room 11 |
| 2p | Steve Walowski | Organics 101 - An Organic Approach To Lawn Care | Room 12 |
| 2p | Laurie Masciandaro | Connecticut's Historic Gardens | Room 13 |
| 3:30p | Charlie Nardozzi | No Dig Gardening | Room 11 |
| 3:30p | Jana Milbocker | Gardens of the Gilded Age | Room 12 |
| 3:30p | George Trecina | A Tree For Every Yard | Room 13 |
| 4:30p | Rob Townsend | Water Gardening Basics | Room 11 |
| 4:30p | Room 12 | ||
| 4:30p | Rachel LaFlamme | Floral Crowns | Room 13 |
Sunday’s Presentation Schedule
Turn your device horizontal for optimum view.
| Time | Speaker | Topic | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11a | Rob Townsend | Water Gardening Basics | Room 11 |
| 11a | Dr Nick Goltz | House Plant Diagnostics | Room 12 |
| 11a | George Trecina | A Tree For Every Yard | Room 13 |
| 12:30p | Len Giddix | The Reflection In Your Garden | Room 11 |
| 12:30p | Jana Milbocker | Artists’ Gardens in New England | Room 12 |
| 12:30p | Amanda Morris | Gardening with Chickens | Room 13 |
| 2p | Steve Walowski | Organics 101 - An Organic Approach to Lawn Care | Room 11 |
| 2p | Diane St. John | Every Yard Matters! How to Create a Healthy Monarch Butterfly Habitat at Home | Room 12 |
| 2p | George Trecina | Embracing Volunteer Seedlings & Aggressive Plants | Room 13 |