LET'S GET GROWING Meet Our 2011 Speakers Less Is More by Bonnie Blodgett Bonnie is a longtime writer and editor. In 1995, while working as executive editor of Mpls. St. Paul magazine, she launched her own publication. The Garden Letter received the Garden Writers Association's award for "creativity in the art of communication" in its first year. Since then Blodgett has written four books including a guide to perennials for Sunset and a memoir about losing her sense of smell called Remembering Smell. She writes the weekly gardening column for the St Paul Pioneer Press. She's written for Garden Design, Fine Gardening, Better Homes & Gardens, and many other national magazines and has a website where she blogs and shows how (not) to videos (Blundering Gardener Television). Her article "The Accidental Gardener" (Midwest Home) won the 2011 "best feature" award from the Minnesota Magazine Publishers Association. She won a Blooming St Paul award for her "garden advocacy" in 2009. Her garden has been on numerous tours. New Landscape Shrubs Kathy Zuzek Kathy is an Extension Educator with expertise in trees and shrubs. Her training is in forestry science and in plant breeding and genetics. Prior to joining the University of Minnesota Extension horticultural team, she worked in forest pathology research followed by 19 years as a plant breeder on the University of Minnesota’s woody ornamental research program that has provided northern gardeners with the Northern Accents™ roses, the “Lights” series of azaleas, Garden Glow™ dogwood, Firefall™ Freeman maple, and other shrub and tree cultivars. Front Porch Container Gardens Mike Gonzo, Master Gardener A Master Gardener since 2000, Mike has held a number of important leadership positions in our program, including; vice chair and chair of The Master Gardener Education and Research Display Garden in Rosemount at UMore Park, and committee chair for numerous projects, including the annual Children's Garden at the Dakota County Fair. Mike's horticultural interests include promoting the use of native and low maintenance plantings, shade landscaping and water gardening. When not getting his hands dirty, Mike manages a large staff of talented creatives for a twin cities based corporation's in-house advertising group. What Will We Do When the Ash Trees aAre Gone? Gary Johnson, Professor, Urban and Community Forestry, Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota Gary Johnson has been a faculty member at the University of Minnesota's Department of Forest Resources since 1992. His interest in tree stress physiology began with graduate research at the Morton Arboretum in Chicago on the effects of construction and development activities on oak forest health. At the University of Minnesota, he has continued research and writing on construction damage to trees, tree failures during wind storms, tree root systems and community engagement and capacity. Gary isn't much of an academic, but had some pretty good learning moments in 20 years of experience in the landscape, tree care and nursery professions. Totally Tomatoes and Basil Elizabeth Spedaliere, Master Gardener Elizabeth is an avid gardener and a lover of nature. She has been a Master Gardener since 2005 and is a graduate of DCTC’s horticulture and landscape design program. Currently Elizabeth is employed by Bachman’s as a landscape designer. She spends her spare time working on her home gardens, reading and drawing. Elizabeth is a Tree Care Advisor, a Certified Tree Inspector, an Emerald Ash Borer First Detector, and a Minnesota Nursery Landscape Association Certified Professional. You can find her hosting or teaching Tuesday Evening in the Garden classes at UMore Park most Tuesdays throughout the summer. Plant Propagation: Foolproof Ways of Making More Plants JoAnne Sabin, Master Gardener JoAnne has been a Master Gardener for 7 years and speaks on a variety of topics. The Plant Propagation class is one of her favorites. JoAnne is also a bee keeper and harvests her own honey. Shady Characters Arla Carmichiel, Horticulturalist Arla has been a horticulturist with Three Rivers Park District for over 30 years. She supervises the Horticulture Program at Three Rivers Park District and is responsible for garden design through out the Park District's properties. The home garden that Arla shares with her husband, nursery owner Steve Kelley, is known for extensive gardens filled with a diverse collection of plants. |
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