2014 Featured Speaker: Stephanie Cohen

Stephanie Cohen is also known as the "Perennial Diva". She is the co-author of "The Perennial Gardeners Design Primer", "Fallscaping" and "The Nonstop Garden: A Step-by-Step Guide to Smart Plant Choices and Four-Season Designs. Stephanie has been on QVC TV as the “Perennial Diva.” She was featured on CN8 TV once a month on a gardening segment. Stephanie has taught herbaceous plants and perennial design at Temple University for over 20 years. She was the founder and director of the Landscape Arboretum at Temple University, Ambler. Her newest book "The NonStop Garden" was released in May 2010.

Stephanie will have two presentations for the seminar:

NATIVE PERENNIALS: SUSTAINABLE, COLORFUL, AND WONDERFUL

Natives for many years never got the praise they deserved. Now natives are in the spot light for several reasons: they fit into our environment, they are a major source of food for our pollinators, they are colorful, and we have finally learned to love them. There are perennials for sun, shade, wet, dry, and every situation in between and that helps us solve our gardening problems.This seminar will cover both species and cultivars. "The Diva" tells it like it is! Be prepared for the dirt to fly!

PERENNIALS FROM SPRING TO FALL

Stephanie will tell you how to have seasonal displays in your perennial gardens for every season Develop super impact for spring, summer sizzle, flowers and foliage for fall, and possibly a winter wonderland if you can see it above the snow line. Whether you have a mature garden or a new landscape you can always find some new perennials to light upthe garden. Besides it's the perfect reason to go shopping!

Speaker: Bill Fielding

Bill is Statewide Roadside Services Coordinator for the Indiana Department of Transportation.

MANAGING INVASIVE SPECIES=SURVIVAL OF NATIVE SPECIES

He will discuss roadside vegetation and the efforts to combat invasive species and support beneficial insects (such as pollinators). His review of the successes and failures of the Hoosier Roadside Heritage Program will give listeners insight into what to do and what not to do when planning a "wildflower" site.

Speaker: Jerrod Chew

Jerod Chew serves as the District Conservationist for the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service in Hendricks and Marion Counties. In this role, Jerod works with a variety of land owners/managers to provide conservation planning, technical and financial assistance for many different natural resource concerns and enhancements. Prior to his current role, Jerod served as the Director of the Division of Soil Conservation for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. He has over 15 years of experience working in conservation and environmental stewardship both in the field and in administration. Jerrod has a passion for the conservation of our natural resources.

CARING FOR THE LAND -- THE ROOT OF TODAY'S CONSERVATION EFFORTS

In this presentation he takes a closer look into the natural resource concerns that we face today and how we are connected to those concerns. Also see what conservation efforts are being emphasized by conservation/agriculture organizations and learn about the implementation of various conservation practices that you can incorporate onto your land.

Speaker: Eloiza Garza

Hear about an exciting education program at the Plainfield Correctional Facility (PFC) to create vegetable and flower gardens with a goal of donating 100% of the harvested produce to local food banks.

Hendricks County Master Gardener INC., Danville, IN