Expand Your Gardening Knowledge

Join Know to Grow and discover how timeless ideas and techniques from the past continue to shape the gardens we create today. From creative planting tips to inspiring stories from top designers and horticultural experts, you’ll gain fresh insights and practical takeaways for your own garden. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just beginning to explore the world of plants, these sessions offer inspiration, knowledge, and a closer look at the creativity and innovation driving gardening today.

🌸Know to Grow for PHS Members
Select presentations are available exclusively to PHS members. These presentations are noted by the 🌸 before the time slot. Become a member today to get full access to Know to Grow!

Speaker: John Forti
In his presentation, John shares inspiration from our long history with native and heirloom plants, while exploring the richness that comes from practicing backyard environmentalism, seasonal living and gardening as a craft.

Speaker: Christopher Barrett Sheridan
Journey back to the 18th Century for an engaging introduction to ornamental and practical garden design. We’ll explore the palette of flowers and herbs enjoyed and relied upon by early Philadelphians, and stroll through the annual bloom cycle as it was experienced during the Federal Era, before the massive wave of 19th century plant introductions. Chris will also recommend seed sources appropriate for period gardens.

Speaker: Jamie Chan, Joelle Dugay & Melissa Mazaras
Learn about the diversity of wild bees that call the Mid-Atlantic home and how you can support them year-round. Planet Bee Foundation shares practical steps for selecting and maintaining those popular cavity-dwelling bee hotels and making landscape choices that sustain our native bees through every season. Learn how to recognize local bee species and contribute to citizen science by registering your bee home on our website. Join us to become part of a growing community dedicated to tracking, protecting, and celebrating these essential pollinators.

Speaker: Kelly Norris
In this era of purposeful and thoughtful gardening, planting is a powerful verb. Planting gardens inspired by nature promotes authentic connections with land, environment, and humanity. Why not make a garden that works and looks good doing it? Landscapes at home and in the public realm can be beautiful and ecologically functional if we deepen our understanding of plants and places. In this presentation, especially tailored to garden enthusiasts with examples from around the world, plantsman and author Kelly Norris challenges audiences to plant the world a more beautiful, functional place.

Speaker: Carlos Macku, Ph.D.
Raising orchid plants under residential indoor environments is widespread but also the most challenging for plant hobbyist and cultivators. Factors such as plant location, plant genus/species, pot type, potting media and repotting schedules, light, temperature, humidity, air circulation, watering, and other growing conditions will be discussed to foster horticultural success under these harsh environments.

Speaker: Jenny Rose Carey

In this presentation, Jenny Rose Carey will take you inside her latest book, The Essential Guide to Bulbs. Explore with Jenny Rose the extremely diverse world of bulbs with many their varieties from which to choose. Discover that beyond the early show of spring bulbs like daffodils and tulips or the late show of gladiolus, there are so many more to choose from that provide three-season color, drama, and spontaneity in the garden.

Speaker: Dee Hall Goodwin
Explore the overlooked origins of American gardening and how these traditions continue to shape the way we grow today. Dee traces connections from Indigenous stewardship to African and Caribbean plant knowledge, and to the Black hands that built many public gardens. She links these foundations to her own work as an urban grower and sustainable floral designer showing how timeless techniques can guide modern, ecological gardening. You'll leave with practical ideas and a renewed understanding of who shaped the American garden.

Speaker: Abra Lee
Symbolic, colorful, and historical — African American Gardens and Yard Art are a tradition worthy of understanding and celebration. Rooted at the crossroads of the African diaspora, burial sites, and plants left behind after the Civil War, we will explore how these meaningful designs emerged in the American landscape.

Speaker: Mark Akimoff
Join Mark as he shares stories of his adventures to far-flung landscapes, from the Southern Alps of New Zealand and the Andes of Chile to the flower filled tundra of Alaska's White Mountains. This presentation also explores closer-to-home regions, including Oregon's Cascade, Siskiyou, and Wallowa mountains. This presentation highlights many remarkable rock garden plants observed in their native habitats.

Speaker: Tim Erdmann
Container design is often taught without a context -- think "thriller, filler, spiller." Why are we using containers in the first place? How do we make our pots feel like they belong in the larger garden? Horticulturist Timothy Erdmann will discuss some of Chanticleer's techniques for successful construction and implementation of holistic container design.

Speaker: Eva Monheim

Learn the various types of espaliers to increase productivity with fruiting trees or to increase blooms on woody plants. Espalier has a long history dating back to Egyptian times and into the Middle Ages. Learn the various techniques to enhance your garden.

Speaker: Megan Kassabaum

Gardening in Philadelphia has a deep history that long predates European settlement in the region. Join us to learn about how archaeology reveals Native American gardening practices spanning over 10,000 years of Lenape history in the Delaware Valley. Explore examples from Penn Museum’s new Native North America Gallery to discover how relationships between people and plants had to change during forced removal after colonization, as well as how contemporary communities are working to revive and reunite with some of the plants that were so important to their ancestors.

Speaker: Resh Gala

Learn how to transform any raised bed vegetable garden into the most stunning space that delivers beauty and abundant harvests. In this presentation, author and garden designer Resh Gala shares her signature approach to intensive planting -- blending techniques like underplanting and vertical gardening with companion planting and thoughtful layering to help you grow more food in less space.

You’ll learn how to design beds that stay full from season to season, choose plant combinations that thrive together, and create a vegetable garden that’s as stunning as it is productive.

Speaker: Kevin Kelly

Join Master Gardener Kevin Kelly for a photographic journey through his home garden as it evolves from winter’s quiet beauty to the vibrancy of fall. Discover how thoughtful plant choices, layered design, and attention to texture and form creates a landscape that delights every month of the year. You will leave with ideas for your own garden to engage the senses and support wildlife in all seasons.

Speaker: Christopher Brown

Learn how to find and explore pockets of interstitial wilderness, the charismatic ecologies they harbor, and the lessons they teach about how to rewild the future, in this presentation based on the author's acclaimed recent book, A Natural History of Empty Lots: Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys and Other Wild Places.

Speaker: Brian Lee

Brian brings a unique perspective that blends scientific knowledge, years of hands-on experience, and proven success protecting landscapes across diverse environments. Whether you are a home gardener, plant enthusiast, or industry professional, this presentation will provide a clear understanding of deer behavior and practical, sustainable strategies for protecting landscapes. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to help gardens thrive, even in areas experiencing consistently high deer pressure.

Speaker: Dan Benarcik

"A Focus on the Art and Whimsy Horticulture" is imperative at Chanticleer, but is not the only thing that sets the garden apart from other public gardens. It is also the efforts of the staff that make the garden unique. This presentation highlights the artists and their work in the garden.

Speaker: Barbara Schmidt

Orchids have been dazzling the world for over 110 million years — and humans have been obsessed with them for millennia! From ancient Chinese texts in the 11th century BC to their reign as America’s top houseplant in 2014, orchids have bloomed across cultures and continents. This fun, informative presentation explores legendary orchids like Darwin’s orchid and the elusive Ghost orchid, revealing how these fascinating flowers have inspired scientists, poets, and plant lovers throughout history.

Speaker: Pamela Hubbard & Rob Cardillo

Learn the seven steps to creating a lovely garden in the English cottage garden style while taking into account such challenges as pollution, unpredictable weather events, and the stresses we all face in today’s world. Gardeners at any stage of their gardening journey will learn valuable techniques for cottage gardening with a contemporary flair. Pamela illustrates her talk with Rob Cardillo's beautiful photographs.

Speakers: Lauren McGrath & Anna Walsh of Willistown Conservation Trust

Throughout the mid-Atlantic, streams and rivers are common – but have you ever considered the impact of the plants that grow along these waterways? From a canopy of leaves which provide food and habitat all year round to deep roots which secure stream banks, riparian plants play a critical and beautiful role in stream health. Join Watershed Specialists Lauren McGrath and Anna Walsh as they share their research on three headwater stream ecosystems in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Since 2018, the two have been monitoring water quality to better understand the connection between land and water and determine how they can strategically restore the water's edge to strengthen our ties to the landscape, from fragile headwaters all the way downstream. Learn from these experts, who have planted over 2,800 trees in the last five years, about the benefits of planting diverse native trees and shrubs for wildlife, including birds, insects, and mammals like beaver and otter, for watershed health, and for local communities. Attendees will learn more about riparian plants, freshwater ecosystems, and what role they can play in studying, saving, and restoring this dynamic system for future generations.

Speakers: Robin Jennings

With nearly 900 roses to choose from, finding the one can feel like a big commitment. Robin Jennings, expert plant curator for Heirloom, breaks down the art of rose matchmaking and reveals the care and expertise behind selecting exceptional varieties. The presentation concludes with top rose matches for common gardening challenges, helping everyone find their perfect Bloommate. Because when it comes to roses, the right match really does matter.

Speaker: Claire Jones

This presentation explores strategies for designing landscapes that not only endure but thrive under changing conditions. We’ll look at drought-tolerant and flood-adapted planting, layering for biodiversity, and combining native “backbones” with climate-tough exotics. Participants will leave with practical tools to future-proof their gardens through smart plant selection, ecological design, and an understanding of how to build resilient systems that adapt over time.

Speaker: Craig Bergmann & Russell Buvala

Craig and Russ reflect on their forty-year history of garden-making across the Midwest and beyond. Rooted in a deeply plant-centric philosophy, CBLD designs begin with what the land and architecture communicate, always “thinking like a plant” to ensure long-term establishment. Their work shows that a garden reaches into the soil and requires patience, insight, and collaboration. Whether in their native Chicagoland or farther afield, their craft remains the same: cultivating enduring relationships between people, plants, and place.

Presentation and Speaker Coming Soon!

Speaker: Peggy Cornett

Thomas Jefferson had a vision for his home and plantation that was as revolutionary as his political ideas. His love of Monticello resulted in a lifelong dedication to the gardens, landscapes, and views of his iconic Palladian villa. Restoring Jefferson’s gardens requires rigorous research and careful preservation. The heirlooms of the garden, like priceless antiques, can tell us important and fascinating stories about our past. Peggy Cornett’s presentation features the many plant varieties — from historic tulips and ancient roses to heirloom fruits and vegetables — that have been collected, propagated, and preserved in the gardens at Monticello today.

Presentation and Speaker Coming Soon!

Speaker: Jenny Rose Carey

Presentation and Speaker Coming Soon!

Speaker: Mandy Katz

In this presentation, Bartram's Garden Director of Horticulture and Lead Gardener Mandy Katz will share the Garden's work to celebrate and learn from the ever-widening story of America's horticultural roots. From the first caretakers of the land, the Lenape, to the Quaker family that founded the botanical garden (1728–1850), to reading carefully between the lines of history to sing out African American contributions to botany and horticulture, we'll take a look at some defining horticultural practices and how staff and neighbors alike are working to prepare this National Historic Landmark garden to continue as a beloved community asset into its next century.

Mark Akimoff

Presentation: "From Habitat to the Home Garden: Cultivating Alpine Plants from Mountains Around the World"
Mark Akimoff is a professional horticulturist from Salem, Oregon, whose passion for plants began as a nursery hand at Pepperwood Plantation on Kauai. He completed a degree in ornamental horticulture at Oregon State University. Mark trained at the Rae Selling Berry Botanic Garden. He now operates Illahe Rare Plants in the Willamette Valley, specializing in unusual bulbs, alpines, and xeric plants, and frequently lectures on conservation, native plants, and horticultural exploration.

Dan Benarcik

Presentation: "The Art and Artistry of Chanticleer"
Dan was born and raised in the Delaware Valley and educated at the University of Delaware. He started his career at Mt. Cuba Center. Dan joined Chanticleer Gardens in 1993. This year Dan celebrates 34 seasons of creating immersive and exciting displays featuring container displays. Dan and his wife Peggy Anne enjoy entertaining in their garden in Wilmington, Delaware.

Craig Bergmann & Russell Buvala

Presentation: "The Art of Fine Gardening"
Craig Bergmann, founder of Craig Bergmann Landscape Design in 1981, is celebrated for his innovative design philosophy, expertise in historic restoration, and passion for fine gardening. His work seamlessly integrates design, horticulture, and architecture, earning recognition across Northern Illinois and beyond.

For 37 years, Russell Buvala has served as Head Gardener, overseeing the garden care division and leading a team tending over 150 gardens throughout the Midwest. Outside work, Russell enjoys creating recipes from his home garden and exploring other gardens for inspiration, while also cherishing time with his grandsons.

Christopher Brown

Presentation: "A Natural History of Empty Lots"
Christopher Brown is the author of A Natural History of Empty Lots, a "genre-bending blend of naturalism, memoir, and social manifesto" about rewilding the city, the self, and society, and of the climate fiction novels Tropic of Kansas, Rule of Capture and Failed State. He lives in Austin, Texas, where he also practices law.

Jenny Rose Carey

Presentation: "The Essential Guide to Bulbs"
Jenny Rose Carey is an avid hands-on gardener and professional horticulturist. Born in England to a family of botanists and gardeners, she grew up in the countryside and designed her first herb garden at age sixteen. Her degrees are in Biology, Horticulture, and Education, so Jenny Rose brings a strong teaching background to her writing and her presentations. Professionally, she has been Director of two public gardens: The Ambler Arboretum of Temple University and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Garden at Meadowbrook Farm. Jenny is now devoting her time to writing, speaking, and tending her four-and-one-half-acre garden called Northview. Jenny is the author of three best-selling gardening books: Glorious Shade, The Ultimate Flower Gardener's Guide, and her latest offering, The Essential Guide to Bulbs: Grow a Bounty of Beautiful Bulbs in Gardens and Containers.

Jamie Chan, Joelle Dugay, & Melissa Marazas of Planet Bee Foundation

Presentation: "Bee a Habitat Hero: Caring for Native Bees in the Mid-Atlantic"
Jamie Chan, EdD has a background in higher education, STEM teacher training, and holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, and an MS in zoology. She is the executive director of Planet Bee Foundation and lecture faculty at San Francisco State University, alongside being a certified Master Gardener. Based in San Francisco, Jamie is passionate about sustainable urban agriculture and food justice, beekeeping, and urban chicken care.

Joelle Dugay holds a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Zoology and an M.A. in Secondary Education, both from San Francisco State University. Her lifelong love of bugs and insects originally led her to intern with Planet Bee Foundation in 2015, and she’s thrilled to be back! Passionate about science education, Joelle enjoys making STEM topics engaging and accessible through fun, storytelling, and hands-on learning.

Melissa Marazas is a Philadelphia native and certified Master Gardener, currently serving as Education Manager at Planet Bee Foundation, an environmental nonprofit dedicated to STEM and climate education. At Planet Bee, Melissa delivers bee education programs focused on sustainability and conservation, enhancing awareness for bee stewardship. She is especially passionate about working with native bees, hatching them from cocoons each spring and watching them build their nests in the summer.

Peggy Cornett

Presentation: "Thomas Jefferson’s Gardening Legacy"
Peggy Cornett, curator of plants, has worked at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello since 1983. She earned degrees in English and Botany from UNC-Chapel Hill and a master’s from the University of Delaware’s Longwood Graduate Program. Prior to Monticello, Peggy worked in the restored gardens at Old Salem (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) and Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana. She received the Garden Club of America's Zone VII Horticultural Commendation and is an honorary member of both the GCA and Garden Club of Virginia. Peggy's forthcoming book, Thomas Jefferson's Flowers, is due out in April 2026.

Tim Erdmann

Presentation: "Contain Yourself: Container Gardening at Chanticleer"
Tim is a Horticulturist at Chanticleer Garden where he is responsible for the Chanticleer House, Cutting Garden, and co-manager of the greenhouses. A seasoned gardener, Tim still counts the natural world as his greatest teacher.

John Forti

Presentation: "Heirloom Gardening with Traditional Plants and Skills"
John Forti (www.jforti.com) is a garden historian and ethnobotanist who has directed gardens for Plimoth Plantation Museum, Strawberry Banke Museum, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and Bedrock Gardens. He is the author of the best-selling garden book The Heirloom Gardener: Traditional Plants and Skills for the Modern World. John has served as board chair for New England chapters of The Herb Society of America and Slow Food USA.

Resh Gala

Presentation: "Packed & Thriving – The Ultimate Guide to Intensive Planting"
Resh Gala is a garden designer and author of Vegetable Gardening Made Easy. Her intensive planting methods have garnered her a loyal social media following and she was named 2020 Gardener of the Year by Burpee Home Gardens. Resh founded Hundred Tomatoes LLC, a kitchen garden company that designs, installs & maintains organic vegetable gardens in New Jersey, parts of Pennsylvania and New York. Her work has been featured in Martha Stewart Living, Southern Living, Garden Gate Magazine and New Jersey Monthly magazine.

Dee Hall Goodwin

Presentation: "The Garden Was Always Ours"
Dee Hall Goodwin is a floral designer, grower, and educator based in Norfolk, Virginia. She runs Mermaid City Flowers, an urban micro-farm and design studio rooted in seasonal, sustainable floristry. Raised between Brooklyn and her family's garden in St. Lucia, her work blends horticulture, floriculture, and a deep connection to the places that shaped her. Dee founded the Tidewater Flower Collective and Black Flower Farmers and serves on the Norfolk Botanical Garden Board of Directors and ASCFG's leadership. Her work has appeared on PBS, NPR, Garden & Gun, Black Flora, and Country Living. She is known for designs that are natural, personal, and thoughtfully composed.

Pamela Hubbard & Rob Cardillo

Presentation: "The Contemporary Cottage Garden"
Pamela Hubbard, a transplant from England, is a garden coach, educator, and internationally sought-after speaker with more than 20 years of experience. Her goal is to inspire, teach, and empower home gardeners to cultivate their own dream gardens. Her recent book is The Contemporary Cottage Garden (Timber Press, 2026). Pamela can be found, endlessly pursuing her dream of recreating her grandmother's cottage garden, at a small farm in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

Rob Cardillo has been photographing gardens, plants, and the people who love them for nearly thirty years. He’s been credited as the primary photographer for over twenty-five books including The Art of Gardening at Chanticleer, The Layered Garden, and his most recent work Private Gardens of Philadelphia. His work is also seen in The New York Times, The American Gardener and Gardens Illustrated. Winner of numerous photography awards, Rob was inducted into the Garden Writer's Association Hall of Fame in 2015. Rob lives and gardens in Ambler where he grows a little bit of everything in drifts of one.

Robin Jennings

Presentation: "Find your Bloommate: Rose Matchmaking"
Robin Jennings discovered her passion for gardening in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where she transformed her backyard into a licensed nursery for studying and cultivating flowers. As Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Heirloom, she selects unique roses, bulbs, and perennials, collaborating with hybridizers and rosarians to preserve rare varieties and introduce gardeners to exceptional new selections. With a master’s degree in education, Robin brings her background in teaching to the garden, empowering others through writing, workshops, and hands-on guidance that inspire thriving, beautiful gardens.

Claire Jones

Presentation: "Resilient Gardens for a Changing World"
Claire Jones is a Maryland Certified Horticulturist, landscape designer, beekeeper, floral designer, and award-winning author. Owner of Claire Jones Landscapes, she has been featured in Garden Design, The Wall Street Journal, and The Designer. Her blog, The Garden Diaries, shares practical gardening insight and travel inspiration. She is the author of The Beekeeper’s Guide (Silver Media Award recipient) and is currently writing The Garden Bible for HarperCollins, a comprehensive exploration of gardening and sustainability.

Megan Kassabaum

Presentation: "Archaeology and the Deep Roots of Gardening in Penn Museum’s Native North America Gallery"
Megan Kassabaum is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Weingarten Associate Curator in Penn Museum’s American Section. She holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina and a BA from Beloit College. She is an archaeologist focused on precontact indigenous communities and historic African-American communities. She runs excavation projects in Mississippi, Illinois, and West Philadelphia. Her primary research interests lie better understanding the complex relationship between food and community identity.

Mandy Katz

Presentation: "Cultivating the roots of America's longest surviving botanical garden; Past, present, and future of horticulture at Bartram's Garden."
Mandy Katz has a background in various art forms and construction trades, with an interdisciplinary career as a crafts person. She's worked as a Horticulturist at Bartram's Garden for 20 years, starting as a Seasonal Intern in 2005 and progressing to her current role as Director of Horticulture and Lead Gardener. At Bartram's, she has brought a specific focus to rare plants, from native carnivorous plants to heirloom roses and more. Katz has worked in community gardens in Philadelphia for 30 years and currently serves as Co-chair for one of the oldest community gardens in the city, The Viola Street Community Garden.

Kevin Kelly

Presentation: "Four Seasons Through a Gardener’s Lens"
Kevin Kelly is a Master Gardener who combines gardening science, experience, and passion to inspire others. His career as a Family Physician taught him the importance of gardening for both mental and physical well-being. Now retired, he enjoys volunteering as a garden educator and serving on the PHS Gold Medal Plant Selection Committee. His four-season garden has earned two Blue Ribbons for design from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and has multiple certifications as a native Pollinator and Wildlife Habitat Garden.

Abra Lee

Presentation: "Garden Glory"
Abra Lee is a storyteller and author of the forthcoming book Conquer The Soil: Black America and the Untold Stories of Our Country’s Gardeners, Farmers, and Growers. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, Fine Gardening, and Veranda Magazine. Lee is a graduate of Auburn University and an alumna of the Longwood Gardens Society of Fellows. Her current role is Director of Horticulture at Oakland Cemetery, a revered rural garden cemetery and vibrant park located in downtown Atlanta.

Brian Lee

Presentation: "Understanding and Preventing Deer Damage in Your Landscapes"
Brian Lee has nearly 20 years of experience studying and managing deer damage in residential landscapes. As Director of Training and Support for Deer Solution, he helps develop education and field training programs used nationwide. Brian is also the owner and operator of Deer Solution of New Hope, working hands-on with properties throughout Bucks and Montgomery Counties. His combined experience in training and field work gives him a deep understanding of deer behavior, seasonal feeding patterns, and plant vulnerability, helping gardeners make informed decisions about protecting and maintaining healthy landscapes in areas with heavy deer pressure.

Carlos Macku, Ph.D.

Presentation: "Orchid Cultivation under Residential Indoor Environments"
Carlos was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, and received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Universidad Simón Bolívar. His doctoral degree in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry is from UC Davis, California. Carlos lives in New Jersey and has been cultivating orchid plants in his home for the last 25 years. He uses his technical discipline to document his horticultural experiences and publishes them in magazines such as Orchids and Orchid Digest.

Lauren McGrath & Anna Walsh of Willistown Conservation Trust

Presentation: "Rooted Connections: Growing Healthy Streams from the Ground Up"
Lauren McGrath has been the Director of Watershed Protection Program at Willistown Conservation Trust since 2017. Alongside a team of specialized Technicians, Co-ops, and volunteers, she oversees water quality research in 190+ miles of streams, including the headwaters of Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creeks, to understand how to protect freshwater resources and ensure clean, safe water for all. She runs the Darby & Cobbs Creek Community Science Program in collaboration with the Darby Creek Valley Association. She has a Bachelor of Science from Ursinus College and a Masters of Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and sits on the boards of the Darby Creek Valley Association and the Chester County Water Resource Authority.

Anna Walsh is a graduate of Middlebury College, where she graduated in 2020 with a degree in Conservation Biology. At WCT, Anna is the Conservation Data and GIS Specialist. She is particularly interested in intersections between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and identifying areas where small conservation actions can have an outsized impact

Eva Monheim

Presentation: "Espaliers – An Age-Old Pruning Technique That is an Art Form"
Eva Monheim is a speaker, garden coach, author, ISA Certified Arborist®, an award-winning educator, and a faculty member at Longwood Gardens for the Professional Horticulture Program and Continuing Education Department. She was an assistant professor at Temple University. Monheim’s other endeavors are the award-winning The Plant a Trillion Trees Podcast, which is heard in over 110 countries.

Kelly Norris

Presentation: "New Naturalism: Designing and Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden"
Kelly D. Norris is one of the leading ecological horticulturists of his generation. In his practice, he explores the narrative of place through site-specific plantings and landscape interventions. Kelly’s eponymous design studio works in public and private places across North America. An award-winning author and plantsman, Kelly’s work in gardens has been featured in The New York Times, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Fine Gardening, Garden Design, and numerous television, radio, and digital media appearances. His latest book is Your Natural Garden from Cool Springs Press.

Bill Schaffer, Franca Logan, Gabor Nagy, Chantal Post, Alex Segura

Presentation: "Unscripted. International. Live."

Bill Schaffer - Bio Coming Soon!

Franca Logan (originally from the Netherlands) owns her own floral design studio Florienne, in Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand. She has been a florist for over 30 years and has lived and worked as a floral designer, teacher and demonstrator in Canada and the United Kingdom, and now lives and works in New Zealand. Throughout her career, she has won numerous awards in flower shows such as Canada Blooms, CAFA, Interflora NZ competitions, Ellerslie Flower Show, two Gold and one Silver at the New Zealand Flower and Garden Show, and Silver at Huis ten Bosch, Japan. Hobbies are gardening and art.

Gábor Nagy is a Hungarian floral designer based in Budapest. He grew up around flowers in his family’s flower shop, where his early exposure to floristry shaped his creative path. Although he initially aspired to pursue a career in medicine, his background in fine arts and daily immersion in floristry led him to fully commit to floral design. Gábor developed his skills through hands-on practice, self-directed study, and competition. Over time, competitive floristry became a central part of his professional development, opening doors to international workshops, demonstrations, and collaborations. His work is recognized for its bold, art-driven approach, drawing inspiration from architecture, painting, and natural forms. He frequently challenges traditional floral conventions while maintaining a strong respect for botanical materials.

Chantal Post is a Belgian floral artist based in Vielsalm, in the French part of Belgium. With over 20 years of experience, she refined her skills with a Master’s in Floral Design in the Netherlands before returning to Belgium to open her own boutique in 2003. Her artistic approach blends structure and poetry, creating sculptural floral compositions that are both expressive and emotive. In 2020, she won the silver medal at the Belgian Floral Art Championship, followed by the gold medal in 2024, affirming her excellence in the field. She has been President of the Royal Union of Belgian Florists (BeFlorist) since 2018 and is an active member of the international network Floral Fundamentals.

Alex Segura is licensed in Floral Design by the Escola d’Art Floral de Catalunya, with more than 30 years of experience as a florist, he also studied Graphic Design. He is a freelancer; working for floral schools, florist associations, wholesalers, flower markets, and event companies all over the world. He has participated in floral competitions since 2011 and has won distinguished honors in the floral industry. Flowers and design are his passion. The power of colors, textures and attention to every detail is the basis of his work. He enjoys sharing his passion with the world.

Barbara Schmidt

Presentation: "Orchids: Rooted in History"
Barb Schmidt is a nationally recognized orchid educator, author, and advocate with over two decades of hands-on experience in orchid cultivation. She is the author of a widely respected orchid care book and teaches orchid classes across the United States. Schmidt currently serves as Vice President of the American Orchid Society (AOS), Chair of its Education Committee, and Vice-Chair of Orchid Classes for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Flower Show.

Christopher Barrett Sheridan

Presentation: "Early American Gardens: Designs and Destinations"
Christopher Barrett Sheridan, The Flower Sommelier, is a horticulturist, floral design instructor, and aspiring historian, specializing in scented plants, heirloom flowers, romantic garden design, vespertine/moonlight gardens, and Victorian floral traditions. Chris has been published in American Gardener, regularly offers immersive design workshops at Longwood Gardens, and lectures at national events, including the Philadelphia Flower Show. A Harrison Fellow of the Historic Landscape Institute, he is developing Early American Garden Design programming to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.

Know to Grow Speaker Series

Expand Your Gardening Knowledge

Friday, February 27 (Members' Preview Day)

Saturday, February 28

Sunday, March 1

Monday, March 2

Tuesday, March 3

Wednesday, March 4

Thursday, March 5

Friday, March 6

Saturday, March 7

Sunday, March 8

Explore the Series and Speakers

About the Speakers

Mark Akimoff

Dan Benarcik

Craig Bergmann & Russell Buvala

Christopher Brown

Jenny Rose Carey

Jamie Chan, Joelle Dugay, & Melissa Marazas of Planet Bee Foundation

Peggy Cornett

Tim Erdmann

John Forti

Resh Gala

Dee Hall Goodwin

Pamela Hubbard & Rob Cardillo

Robin Jennings

Claire Jones

Megan Kassabaum

Mandy Katz

Kevin Kelly

Abra Lee

Brian Lee

Carlos Macku, Ph.D.

Lauren McGrath & Anna Walsh of Willistown Conservation Trust

Eva Monheim

Kelly Norris

Bill Schaffer, Franca Logan, Gabor Nagy, Chantal Post, Alex Segura

Barbara Schmidt

Christopher Barrett Sheridan