Presentation and Speaker Coming Soon!
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. There are noted by the 🌸 before the time slot. Become a member today to get full access to Know to Grow!
Presentation and Speaker Coming Soon!
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 Manzaras
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: Kerry Ann Mendez
This info-packed presentation covers seasonal maintenance tasks, including jump-starting gardens in spring and putting them to bed in the fall, as well as routine tasks such as watering and weeding. Topics include pruning, fertilizers, mulch, plant divisions, planet-friendly pest and disease practices, critter management, and more.
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.
Presentation and Speaker Coming Soon!
Presentation and Speaker Coming Soon!
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!
Presentation and Speaker Coming Soon!
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!
Presentation and Speaker Coming Soon!
Presentation and Speaker Coming Soon!
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.
Presentation and Speaker Coming Soon!
Presentation and Speaker Coming Soon!
Presentation and Speaker Coming Soon!
Speaker: Andrew Bunting
Quality landscaping not only adds aesthetic value to a property, but also supports biodiversity and wildlife needs. Converting barren turf and asphalt into immersive gardens, meadows and forests builds natural abundance and enriches the lives of employees and the greater community. Naturally, corporate landowners looking to integrate ecological landscapes into their properties will have questions about installing and maintaining sustainable landscaping on a commercial scale. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Vice President of Horticulture Andrew Bunting brings his perspectives on planting maintenance, financial commitments, aesthetic concerns, community response, and more. Participants are invited to bring their landscaping questions for the presenter to address during the presentation.
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Friday, February 27 (Members' Preview Day)
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Wednesday, March 4
Thursday, March 5
Friday, March 6
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Sunday, March 8
About the Speakers
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About the Speakers
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.
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.
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.
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.
Presentation: "Real-world Solutions for Ecological Landscapes"
Andrew Bunting is the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Vice President of Horticulture and leads the utilization of planting and design to promote environmentally sound gardening practices. Andrew received his B.S. in Plant and Soil Science from Southern Illinois University. Prior to arriving at PHS, Andrew worked at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Chanticleer Garden, and the Scott Arboretum for a tenure of 27 years. He also serves on the Board of Magnolia Society International. Andrew published his first book in 2015, The Plant Lover’s Guide to Magnolias. Andrew enjoys bird watching, travel and, of course, gardening.
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.
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 Bio - Coming Soon!
Melissa Manrazas 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Presentation: "Timesaving, Sustainable Maintenance Strategies for Lush Flower Gardens"
Kerry Ann Mendez is an award-winning garden educator, author, design consultant and proprietor of Perennially Yours based in southern Maine. She is dedicated to teaching the art of low-maintenance flower gardening and landscaping -- featuring time-saving gardening techniques, workhorse plants and sustainable practices. In 2014, she received the Gold Medal award from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for “Exceptional teaching and writing that increases public enjoyment and appreciation of horticulture.” Kerry Ann has written four gardening books, the most recent being The Budget Wise Gardener and The Right-Size Flower Garden.
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.
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.
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.
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.