Enjoy the PHS Members' Lounge Speaker Series at the 2024 Flower Show!
 

These events are located within the PHS Members' Lounge located on the Show floor and occur from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm each day unless where noted. All are free for PHS Members (with a valid Flower Show ticket). See the full schedule below.

PHS Members' Lounge Speaker Series Schedule

Saturday, March 2

A Garden’s Secret Love Life

10:00 am
Speaker: George Ball, Chairman, W. Atlee Burpee Company, apprenticed in Costa Rica with the legendary plant and seed grower, breeder, and explorer Claude Hope. He spent his later career managing the global flower breeding and sales company Pan American Seed in Illinois, California, and the UK. At the same time, he developed innovative cultivars such as the first Pink Hypoestes, Think Pink, and the first large-flowered and long-stemmed anemone, Mona Lisa. In 1991, Ball purchased iconic garden seed and plant giant W. Atlee Burpee & Company. He has donated tons of vegetable seeds to Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The Burpee Foundation was established in 2003 by George Ball when he became the sole owner of W. Atlee Burpee Company. The innovative and iconic American horticultural company whose beautiful mail-order catalogs, along with Sears Roebuck’s, were the mainstays of American farms and homes during the late 19th through the mid-20th centuries.
Presentation: Mr. Ball travels through a wide range of both old and new evidence of the powers of love generated by seeds, plants and gardens.

Creating the World-Renowned Philadelphia Flower Show

4:00 pm
Speaker: Seth Pearsoll’s role as Creative Director and Vice President for the Philadelphia Flower Show allows him to contribute to a variety of design tasks and creative projects. He focuses on finding and creating relationships with exciting new designers and creators for the Flower Show. Part of what makes the Flower Show exciting is the group of amazing garden, floral, and landscape designers who participate, and Seth leads the team in charge of showcasing their collective efforts.
Presentation: Seth Pearsoll will give a complete overview of all the details that go into creating a world-class Flower Show, including working with designers, contractors, etc.

Sunday, March 3

A Garden’s Secret Love Life

10:00 am
See Description Above

The Future of Gardening

4:00 pm
Speaker: Ph.D. Jared Barnes, started gardening when he was five years old, and since then he has enthusiastically pursued how to best cultivate plants and cultivate minds. He currently fulfills those passions as an award-winning associate professor of horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX. He is also the host of The Plantastic Podcast and writes a weekly newsletter titled Planted. Recent awards include the 2021 Stephen F. Austin State University Teaching Excellence Award and the 2019 Perennial Plant Association’s Academic Award. His passion has been recognized by peers in interviews in People, Organic Gardening, Greenhouse Grower, AmericanHort Connect, Ken Druse’s Real Dirt, and Nursery Management, and his articles have appeared in The American Gardener, Fine Gardening, and Carolina Gardener.
Presentation: With all the challenges we face on Planet Earth, plants are poised to change the 21st century. In this enthusiastic talk, Dr. Jared Barnes will share how we can sow passion, help gardeners take root, graft interests together, and much more to help gardeners and the horticulture industry blossom.

Monday, March 4

Standing Out from the Crowd: Underutilized Trees in Home and Community Landscapes

4:00 pm
Speaker: Tim Ifill is the Director of Trees at PHS, supporting communities around the region that are working together to share the incredible benefits of trees. He leads a team that works with an incredible group of volunteers, community organizations, and government agencies to establish and maintain healthy tree canopies in Philadelphia-area neighborhoods.
Presentation: When planting trees at our homes or in our communities, many people default to a small group of familiar species or whatever happens to be for sale at the big box garden center. Our landscapes deserve better than the same-old same-old -- dive into some of PHS's Director of Trees' favorite underutilized trees to diversify and beautify your surroundings. This talk will focus on a selection of easy-to-grow trees for a wide variety of conditions, including many selected by PHS's Gold Medal Plants program, highlighting outstanding selections for the mid-Atlantic.

Tuesday, March 5

Community Gardens and Urban Agriculture in Philadelphia

4:00 pm
Speaker: Justin Trezza joined PHS as its Director of the Community Gardens Program in 2017 after having worked with several agroecological and grassroots organizations. Justin works closely with the City Harvest initiative to support community and cooperative gardens throughout Philadelphia for a successful growing season. Justin has spent the last 15 years focusing on equitable and sustainable food systems locally and internationally with a focus on Central America. Before PHS, Justin was the Executive Director of the Norris Square Neighborhood Project, and Program Director for Sustainable Harvest International.
Presentation: In his presentation, Justin will discuss Philadelphia's rich urban agriculture and community gardening history, the role of PHS, and the socio-economic implications today. During his presentation, participants will learn about the critical role urban agriculture and food-producing gardens play in creating a more resilient and sustainable Philadelphia.

Wednesday, March 6

Topiary Extravaganza: Exploring The Gibson Technique*

4-5:30 pm
Speaker: Mike P. Gibson, owner of Gibson Works, LLC, is a world-renowned self-taught topiary artist with 30 years of experience. His whimsical and illusionary style has transformed public spaces nationwide, establishing him as a leading figure in the industry. Through captivating storytelling, Mike's topiary creations inspire and delight, showcasing his innovative vision. Passionate about education, Mike shares his expertise on the therapeutic benefits of topiary. He holds several certifications reflecting his commitment to excellence and holistic understanding of his craft.
Presentation: Witness a true master at his craft as Mike Gibson creates an illusionary topiary out of a living tree right before your eyes! Experience the opportunity to watch and learn from one of the world's premiere topiary artists. He'll be providing lucrative knowledge about the art of topiary and creative pruning tips while displaying his unique approach to topiary that has made him a leader in the industry. Enjoy learning about the therapeutic benefits of topiary, the tools of the trade, and the exclusive secrets to creating your very own living sculpture!
     *Note this event is from 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm.

Thursday, March 7

Gardening for All - Creating and Maintaining an Eco-friendly Garden

4:00 pm
Speaker: Jeff Epping of Epping Design and Consulting, just recently retired from Olbrich Botanical Gardens, where he served as Director of Horticulture for over 28 years. His beautiful and environmentally conscious award-winning design work at Olbrich can be seen across the Garden's 16 acres. The most recent award was bestowed upon the Garden in 2022 -- the American Horticultural Society's coveted Garden Stewardship Award, given to public gardens that embrace and exemplify sustainable horticultural practices in design and maintenance.
Presentation: In this day of shrinking natural areas and habitats for the creatures that live in them, it's more important than ever to create gardens that are not only beautiful for us to look at, but also provide homes and food for our insects, birds, and other urban dwelling friends. Jeff will show you how he has transformed his small suburban lot, with its typical bluegrass lawn and mundane foundation plantings, into a beautiful, low-maintenance, no-lawn garden teeming with life. Bees, butterflies, and toads live harmoniously in a pesticide-free refuge that is also home to a wide range of friendly insects that provide food for the many bird species that nest in or visit his garden.

Friday, March 8

A Garden’s Secret Love Life

10:00 am
See Description Above

Garden Design

4:00 pm
Speaker: Jenny Rose Carey is a renowned gardener, educator, historian, and author, and the former senior director at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Meadowbrook Farm in Jenkintown. She previously worked at Temple University for over a decade, first as an adjunct professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and then as director of the Ambler Arboretum. She is an avid hands-on gardener who has gardened in both England and the United States. Jenny Rose and her gardens have been featured on the PBS series The Victory Garden, in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer, PHS's GROW magazine, and The Pennsylvania Gardener. Jenny has recently published two books, Glorious Shade, and The Ultimate Flower Gardener's Guide.
Presentation: Join Jenny Rose Carey as she discusses ways to improve your garden, using principles and elements of Garden Design.  Learn how to assess the good and bad points of your existing garden and get suggestions on how to think about small, but effective ways to alter it.

Saturday, March 9

History of Black Floriculture in the U.S.

4:00 pm
Speaker: Abra Lee is an international speaker, writer, and founder of Conquer The Soil a community that explores the history, folklore, and art of horticulture. She has spent a whole lotta time in the dirt as a municipal arborist and airport landscape manager. Her essays have been featured in publications including The New York Times and Wildflower magazine. Lee is a graduate of Auburn University College of Agriculture and an alumna of the Longwood Gardens Society of Fellows, a global network of public horticulture professionals.
Presentation: It was nothing short of a grand affair when Blanche Hurston launched her Florida floral business during the Roaring Twenties. And when it came time to sell beautiful blooms, the mighty Mahalia Jackson made customers an offer they couldn't refuse! From the ordinary to the extraordinary--join in as we shine the spotlight on these Black floriculturists who forged a path to economic and social freedom, inspiring plant lovers today.