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Show Speakers

The 2013 RI Spring Flower & Garden Show lectures are sponsored by Bartlett Tree Experts.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

TIME	SPEAKER/TOPIC	BIO
11:00 AM	Kevin O'Connor, This Old House Kevin will be presenting live at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm on the 5th floor, in Ballroom D/E. Come hear a sneak preview of the current season, learn how the show is made, enjoy behind-the-scene stories, and get all you home improvement questions answered. After each presentation Kevin will answer questions, shake hands and sign autographs. His will also personalize copies of his new book "The Best Homes of This Old House" and give away free copies of the This Old House magazine.	Kevin O'Connor is host of the venerable This Old House and Ask This Old House television programs.
1:00 PM	Melinda Myers "Create a Colorful Garden filled with Birds, Butterflies and Blossoms" Plant a few colorful annuals, throw in a little caterpillar food, add some tasty seedpods and you have the perfect recipe for a garden fit for birds and butterflies. A close look at creating a habitat and selecting plants suitable for attracting birds and butterflies.	Nationally known gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including the nationally released title Can't Miss Small Space Gardening. She is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and writes the twice monthly "Gardeners' Questions" newspaper column. She hosts the nationally syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment segments which air on over 115 TV and radio stations throughout the U.S. Melinda also has a column in Gardening How-to magazine. Melinda hosted "The Plant Doctor" radio program for over 20 years as well as seven seasons of Great Lakes Gardener on PBS. She has written articles for Better Homes and Gardens and Fine Gardening. Melinda has a Master's degree in horticulture, is a certified arborist and was a horticulture instructor with tenure. Her web site is www.melindamyers.com.
2:00 PM	Kevin O'Connor, This Old House Kevin will be presenting live at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm on the 5th floor, in Ballroom D/E. Come hear a sneak preview of the current season, learn how the show is made, enjoy behind-the-scene stories, and get all you home improvement questions answered. After each presentation Kevin will answer questions, shake hands and sign autographs. His will also personalize copies of his new book "The Best Homes of This Old House" and give away free copies of the This Old House magazine.	Kevin O'Connor is host of the venerable This Old House and Ask This Old House television programs.

Friday, February 22, 2013

TIME	SPEAKER/TOPIC	BIO
11:00 AM	Melinda Myers "Small Space Gardens" Melinda will cover simple ideas for packing a lot of garden into a small space or creating an intimate garden within a large lot. She'll share tips and techniques for designing and maintaining gardens with year round interest in every layer from the ground to the roofline. General concepts and specific plants suited to the region will be covered.	Nationally known gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including the nationally released title Can't Miss Small Space Gardening. She is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and writes the twice monthly "Gardeners' Questions" newspaper column. She hosts the nationally syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment segments which air on over 115 TV and radio stations throughout the U.S. Melinda also has a column in Gardening How-to magazine. Melinda hosted "The Plant Doctor" radio program for over 20 years as well as seven seasons of Great Lakes Gardener on PBS. She has written articles for Better Homes and Gardens and Fine Gardening. Melinda has a Master's degree in horticulture, is a certified arborist and was a horticulture instructor with tenure. Her web site is www.melindamyers.com.
12:00 PM	Julie Moir Messervy "Inspired Backyards" Landscaping involves the harmonious design of many different elements, which can overwhelm homeowners trying to decide not only what to do, but where to start. In this lecture, award-winning landscape designer and author Julie Moir Messervy offers a host of innovative ideas for transforming a lackluster backyard into an inviting outdoor living space. Messervy is the author of six books on landscape design, a noted lecturer, and the designer of the Toronto Music Garden and countless public and private landscapes. With a newly released iPhone app and online design service, Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio is pioneering new ways to bring good landscape design to homeowners everywhere. Julie Moir Messervy is the principal of JMMDS; learn more at www.jmmds.com.	Messervy's most recent book, The Toronto Music Garden: Inspired by Bach, is an in-depth guide to the conception and creation of this award-winning public garden, and a celebration of its tenth anniversary. In February 2009, The Taunton Press released Messervy's highly anticipated book, Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love (http://jmmds.com/books). In 2006, Messervy partnered with architect Sarah Susanka to write Outside the Not So Big House. Messervy has also authored The Magic Land, The Inward Garden, and Contemplative Gardens, which was named one of the ten best garden books of the year by The New York Times.
1:00 PM	Kerry Mendez "EXTREMELY Low-Maintenance, Gorgeous Perennials by Season" You will be thrilled to discover beautiful perennials, including many new introductions, that enjoy little hand holding on your part. These beauties enjoy lean soil, little or no fertilizer, less water, little or no deadheading and many are deer resistant. They will save you time and money! Presentation includes design tips.	Kerry Ann Mendez is dedicated to teaching the art of low-maintenance perennial gardening and landscaping. As a garden consultant, designer, writer, teacher and lecturer, she focuses on time-saving gardening techniques and workhorse plant material as well as organic practices. She has been in numerous magazines including Horticulture, Fine Gardening, Garden Gate and Better Homes and Gardens' Garden Ideas & Outdoor Living. Mendez was a featured guest on HGTV and hosted Capital News 9's In the Garden television segment as well as info segments for Channel 13. She is the garden columnist for Capital Region Living magazine and writes freelance pieces for regional and national magazines. As a presenter for Horticulture magazine's 2010 and 2011 webinar series, her webinars attracted thousands of gardeners from around the country.
2:00	Karen Daubmann, NY Botanical Gardens "Designing the Visitor's Experience at the New York Botanical Garden" The New York Botanical Garden stages several flower shows each year. Come to see a sampling of the gorgeous gardens that have been created through the years. Find inspiration in the changeability of the landscape while gaining tips for use in your home garden.	Karen Daubmann serves as The New York Botanical Garden's Director of Exhibitions. Since coming to the garden in September 2007, she has worked closely with a variety of contractors to coordinate the logistics of exhibit planning, installation and deinstallation, most notably for the Moore in America sculpture display as well as Monet's Garden, Manolo Valdés Monumental Sculpture and the Garden's yearly Holiday Train Show and Orchid Show. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Architecture as well as the Longwood Graduate Program in Public Horticulture Administration at the University of Delaware, Karen has worked for Olbrich Botanical Gardens, and Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
3:00	Dr. Bruce Fraedrich, Bartlett Tree Experts "Sustaining Antiquities in the Garden Using Mature Tree Conservation" Landscape plant management is facing many challenges today. Exotic pests are being introduced at unprecedented rates, while society is becoming increasingly intolerant of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Climate change is bringing severe fluctuations in temperature and rainfall as well as an increased incidence of severe storms while the public is becoming more adverse to accepting risk associated with trees. Public entities and private property owners are facing aging tree populations in the post-war suburban developments in the Northeast. Budgets, both public and private, are being strained in the new economy. This presentation will explore these issues and discuss key research that provides direction in managing landscapes today and how this research is being incorporated into standards and best management practices to guide quality tree care. Topics will include advancements in information technology, biomechanics that provides a better understanding of tree stability, quantification of the environmental values of trees, and consumer preferences for sustainable products for managing plant health.	Bruce Fraedrich is the Vice President of Research at the F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company and the Director of Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories. In this position, Dr. Fraedrich is responsible for directing research, technical support and training functions for the Bartlett Company. His research interests include diseases of landscape plants, tree risk management and planting and establishment of landscape plants. He received a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from Clemson University and a Masters in Forestry from Duke University. Dr. Fraedrich received the L.C. Chadwick Award for Arboricultural Research from the International Society of Arboriculture in 2005. He lives in Lake Wylie, SC with wife Lyn where he is an avid gardener. They have two grown children and one grandchild.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

TIME	SPEAKER/TOPIC	BIO
11:00 AM	Kerry Mendez "EXTREMELY Low-Maintenance, Gorgeous Perennials by Season" You will be thrilled to discover beautiful perennials, including many new introductions, that enjoy little hand holding on your part. These beauties enjoy lean soil, little or no fertilizer, less water, little or no deadheading and many are deer resistant. They will save you time and money! Presentation includes design tips.	Kerry Ann Mendez is dedicated to teaching the art of low-maintenance perennial gardening and landscaping. As a garden consultant, designer, writer, teacher and lecturer, she focuses on time-saving gardening techniques and workhorse plant material as well as organic practices. She has been in numerous magazines including Horticulture, Fine Gardening, Garden Gate and Better Homes and Gardens' Garden Ideas & Outdoor Living. Mendez was a featured guest on HGTV and hosted Capital News 9's In the Garden television segment as well as info segments for Channel 13. She is the garden columnist for Capital Region Living magazine and writes freelance pieces for regional and national magazines. As a presenter for Horticulture magazine's 2010 and 2011 webinar series, her webinars attracted thousands of gardeners from around the country.
12:00 PM	Karen Daubmann, NY Botanical Gardens "Designing the Visitor's Experience at the New York Botanical Garden" The New York Botanical Garden stages several flower shows each year. Come to see a sampling of the gorgeous gardens that have been created through the years. Find inspiration in the changeability of the landscape while gaining tips for use in your home garden.	Karen Daubmann serves as The New York Botanical Garden's Director of Exhibitions. Since coming to the garden in September 2007, she has worked closely with a variety of contractors to coordinate the logistics of exhibit planning, installation and deinstallation, most notably for the Moore in America sculpture display as well as Monet's Garden, Manolo Valdés Monumental Sculpture and the Garden's yearly Holiday Train Show and Orchid Show. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Architecture as well as the Longwood Graduate Program in Public Horticulture Administration at the University of Delaware, Karen has worked for Olbrich Botanical Gardens, and Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
1:00 PM	Julie Moir Messervy "GET OUT! Designing Landscapes That Bring Everyone Outside Again" Faced with hectic schedules and distracting digital devices, designers and homeowners need to create enticing, stimulating landscapes where people can connect with nature once more. Join award-winning landscape designer and author Julie Moir Messervy as she describes the five paths she's taking to help people create and enjoy their outdoor surroundings, illustrating her points with her studio's wide-ranging residential and institutional projects. Messervy is the author of six books on landscape design, a noted lecturer, and the designer of the Toronto Music Garden and countless public and private landscapes. With a newly released iPhone app and online design service, Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio is pioneering new ways to bring good landscape design to homeowners everywhere. Julie Moir Messervy is the principal of JMMDS; learn more at www.jmmds.com.	Messervy's most recent book, The Toronto Music Garden: Inspired by Bach, is an in-depth guide to the conception and creation of this award-winning public garden, and a celebration of its tenth anniversary. In February 2009, The Taunton Press released Messervy's highly anticipated book, Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love (http://jmmds.com/books). In 2006, Messervy partnered with architect Sarah Susanka to write Outside the Not So Big House. Messervy has also authored The Magic Land, The Inward Garden, and Contemplative Gardens, which was named one of the ten best garden books of the year by The New York Times.
2:00 PM	Mike and Angelina Chute "David Austin’s English Roses for New England Gardens" David Austin's English Roses for New England Gardens is a custom PowerPoint program developed by David Austin Roses in Shropshire England especially for Mike and Angelina Chute. It covers the history of English roses as well as the unique David Austin breeding program that focuses on hybridizing healthy, fragrant roses with old-fashioned flower form. This presentation includes old Austin favorites as well as new introductions plus a list of varieties that are known to grow well in New England gardens. David Austin combined the charm and intoxicating fragrance of old garden roses with the vibrant color and repeat blooming of modern roses. He called these remarkable plants "English Roses" and they are now grown in gardens all over the world. Mike & Angelina Chute"s book, Roses for New England: A Guide to Sustainable Rose Gardening will be available after the program.	Mike and Angelina Chute are co-owners of RoseSolutions, a landscape consulting company that specializes in roses. They are both certified American Rose Society Consulting Rosarians and University of Rhode Island Master Gardeners. Mike is an accredited ARS horticultural rose judge. Accomplished garden writers, the Chutes have written a book, Roses for New England: A Guide to Sustainable Rose Gardening (Forbes River Publishing). Mike and Angie maintain an active schedule of lectures and workshops throughout the New England area, including the Boston Flower & Garden Show, the RI Spring Flower & Garden Show, the Newport Flower Show and Tower Hill Botanic Garden. Visit them at www.rosesolutions.net or read their blog: www.therosejournal.wordpress.com.
3:00 PM	Chris Fletcher, Bartlett Tree Experts "Tips on Quality in the Landscape"	Chris Fletcher has a life-long passion for the trees of New England. Raised in Bristol, Rhode Island, he spent much of his childhood with his father, a naturalist, visiting the woods of Mount Hope. These outdoor experiences made him acutely aware of the forest in its functional, cultural, and aesthetic qualities. Chris followed his passion to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Landscape Design, gaining a comprehensive knowledge of the science and aesthetics of arboriculture. Following graduation, Chris spent twelve years with the RI Dept of Transportation writing tree preservation reports to protect local tree populations during road construction projects. In addition to his position as an Arborist Representative for Bartlett, Chris is entrusted with the care of Bristol's historic Juniper Hill Cemetary, a National Historic Landmark, where he helps preserve older specimen trees. He also offers seasonal lectures on plant diagnostics, landscape history, and cultural trends within the aboricultural industry. Chris is a Certified Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture. His 25 years of experience in tree care make Chris well versed in Bartlett's scientific approach to tree care.
4:00 PM	Dr. Peg Miller, Director of Women's Medicine Collaborative - A Lifespan Partner "Healthy Gardening for Healthy Bones" Nearly 50% of women and 25% of men over the age of 50 will have an osteoporosis related fracture in their lifetime. Are you at risk? Dr. Peg Miller will share important information about bone health, osteoporosis screening and ways you can reduce your risk by embracing healthy activities such as gardening and growing veggies high in calcium. Join Dr. Miller to learn more.
4:30	Cindy Brosnan, RRT, AE-C Coordinator, Pulmonary Function Program, Women's Collaborative - A Lifespan Partner "A Breath of Fresh Air is Good! Gardening and Asthma - Cultivating Effective Asthma Control" Do you have asthma or think you may have asthma? For some, gardening can trigger worsening of symptoms. Join Cindy to learn more about environmental triggers and how they can affect asthma. Learn the proper use of your inhalers.	Recipient of the 2012 Certified Asthma Educator of the Year Award.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

TIME	SPEAKER/TOPIC	BIO
11:00 AM	Anita Dafonote, Coast of Maine Organic Soils "Gardening in Deer Country" Anita will share photos from her own garden of plants and design ideas she's used to successfully control the deer population in her CT garden.	Anita Dafonte gardens organically on three acres in CT. Her love of healthy cooking lead her gardening. Anita will share her tips for creating a productive and beautiful garden, flowers and vegetables in an area heavily trafficked by deer. Anita is the sales manager for Coast of Maine Organic Soils and will also share recipes for creating rich organic soil the key to productive gardens!
12:00 PM	Karen Bussolini "Landscaping with Native Plants: Healing Our Home Turf" Well-designed native landscapes are diverse, sustainable and convey a sense of place. They don't necessarily look "wild," but they do attract and support birds and other wildlife. Learning from the ways nature arranges itself results in resilient landscapes that reduce runoff and soil erosion, cool the atmosphere, reduce inputs and knit together plant and animal communities that have become fractured by development and destructive landscaping practices. This talk is about ecological thinking just as much as it is about plants. Landscape professionals can play a huge part in restoring fragmented ecosystems on the "home turf" of residential landscapes. The speaker will show inspiring, beautifully-designed home landscapes based on natural systems and using native plants, especially shrubs and trees. Readily available native plants that thrive in New England will be highlighted, including plants adapted to difficult conditions such as rocky slopes, poor soil, shade and damp areas.	This lavishly illustrated talk featuring home landscapes using native plants to restore backyard ecosystems is as much about ecological thinking as it is about plants.
1:00 PM	Scot Medbury, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens "Sustainable Horticulture at America's Urban Botanic Garden" For more than a century, Brooklyn Botanic Garden has worked at the forefront of sustainable garden practices, and today is underway with a suite of extraordinary "green" projects. From an innovative living roof, an expanded native garden and a revolutionary approach to water recirculation, BBG is leading the way on many fronts.	Messervy's most recent book, The Toronto Music Garden: Inspired by Bach, is an in-depth guide to the conception and creation of this award-winning public garden, and a celebration of its tenth anniversary. In February 2009, The Taunton Press released Messervy's highly anticipated book, Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love (http://jmmds.com/books). In 2006, Messervy partnered with architect Sarah Susanka to write Outside the Not So Big House. Messervy has also authored The Magic Land, The Inward Garden, and Contemplative Gardens, which was named one of the ten best garden books of the year by The New York Times.
2:00 PM	Andrea Chesman, Author: The Pickled Pantry, Recipes from the Root Cellar, Serving up the Harvest "Small-Batch Fermented Vegetable Pickles" Kosher dills, sauerkraut, kimchi. Some of the favorite pickles from around the world rely on natural fermentation to develop flavor and keep vegetables from spoiling. Working with small-batches simplifies the process and guarantees success with every batch. Taste some fermented pickles and learn the tricks for making your pickles safely. Andrea Chesman, the author of The Pickled Panty, will demonstrate the techniques