“Garden Renovations; Downsizing & Small Space Gardening”

Nationally known gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has 35+ years of horticulture experience and has written 20+ gardening books, including Midwest Gardener's Handbook. She hosts the “Melinda’s Garden Moment” radio program and “How to Grow Anything” instant video/DVD series. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms and hosted “The Plant Doctor” radio show on WTMJ for 20+ years and 7 seasons of PBS’s “Great Lakes Gardener.” www.MelindaMyers.com

“Spring Bling - Unique Spring Bulbs & Colorful Plants to Make Your Garden Shine”

As a child, Helen Morlock always enjoyed the daily walk to check on the flowers in her mom’s yard. Still, she tried both civil engineering and teaching before she embraced a career in horticulture. Helen has worked at Newfields as a Seasonal Gardener since 2000, allowing her knowledge of plants and garden design to expand well beyond what she observed in her mother’s yard. Now she cannot imagine sitting inside at a desk. Helen resides on a one-acre lot in Pittsboro, IN where she gardens extensively with annuals, perennials, bulbs, and woody plants.

“The Wonderful World of Gourds”

Phillip Moorhead retired from a large consumer electronics company as a Senior Computer Engineer. He then entered academia, teaching networking, programming, and cybersecurity. He rose to be Program Chair/Dean. Retiring from there, he now owns his own cybersecurity consulting company.

As a diversion from the pressures of work, he started growing gourds and manipulating them in the style of Jim Story, the godfather of Indiana’s gourd community. Mr. Moorhead is currently on the state Board of Directors and Treasurer for the Indiana Gourd Society, Inc. He also serves on the National Board and is National Treasurer for the American Gourd Society, Inc. In addition, he is a Certified Master Judge Instructor and teaches classes for people who want to judge gourd shows. He is well-known both nationally and internationally, having served as judge or head judge in several states and foreign countries.

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“The Wonderful World of Gourds”

Ruth Moorhead got into gourding because of her involvement in The Garden Club of Indiana, Inc. She has served as State President, and on the National Garden Club Board of Directors. She is a Certified Landscape Design Consultant, and a Certified Master Flower Show Judge.

Ruth is a Certified Master Gourd Show Judge. She has won various awards at garden club and gourd show events, in both horticulture and the floral design categories and chaired several shows. Ruth has served on the board of directors of the Indiana Gourd Society, Inc.

“Creepy, Crawly, Critters”

John received his entomology degree from Purdue University and worked in their entomology department for two years after graduation, doing field research. Later he joined a large chemical company as an entomologist working in various roles within their field development, technical services, and sales groups, for 31 years. He worked within their agricultural, horticultural, and public health and structural pest control divisions. He had responsibilities in the central valley of California, the Midwest, and in some New England states until he retired.

John has dealt with many creepy, crawly, critters throughout his professional career and personal life, discovering how best to deal with them. He will be sharing his knowledge at AIG.

“Water Features in the Garden"

Scott Cochran is the general and project manager at Aquatic Design & Supplies, INC in Monrovia, Indiana.  He has been with Aquatic Design & Supplies, INC for 14 years.  Scott graduated from Indiana University with degrees in Environmental Science and Environmental Health Science.

Scott has a strong interest in all things water. He has designed and constructed many water features including bubbling boulders, aquaculture ponds, koi ponds, streams, and even natural swimming ponds. Outside of work, Scott enjoys spending time playing on the water at his family’s lake house, hanging out with the two Bernese Mountain dogs we have at Aquatic Design and watching Pacers Basketball.