Speaker & Class Details

Download the conference agenda here

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Rosalind is a garden and food writer, photographer, and landscape designer with a passion for beautiful vegetables and ecologically sensitive gardening. She began her career in horticulture in the 1970s as a landscape designer and restaurant consultant. By 1982 she had published her first book, The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping, which won the Garden Writers Association’s Quill and Trowel award, was chosen as a Book of the Month selection, and hailed by The Wall Street Journal as the best garden book of 1982. Considered a classic, it coined the term “Edible Landscaping,” now a part of the American vocabulary.

Today, Rosalind continues to share her knowledge of gardening and cooking by writing, lecturing nationwide, appearing on television and radio shows, and working as a consultant to restaurants, growers, and seed companies. Besides her books, she has been published in countless national magazines, written a regular column for the food page of the Los Angeles Times, a garden feature for Garden Design magazine, a regular column for Gardening How-To magazine, and for years was a contributing editor for Country Living Gardener magazine. Her photographs appear frequently in numerous magazines, calendars, and books. Rosalind’s recent publications include the ten book Edible Gardening series filled with beautiful photographs and recipes. The series was awarded a Quill and Trowel Award from the Garden Writers in 2001. Her latest book is a complete update of The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping, now called Edible Landscaping (2010). Recently, Rosalind was awarded a 2011 American Horticulture Society Book Award for Edible Landscaping. She resides in Northern California.

Presentation: Edible Landscapes, Maximizing your Garden’s Potential
One of today’s gardening buzzwords is sustainable. You’d be hard put to find a more sustainable landscape style than an organically grown edible garden. Rosalind Creasy, pioneer in the field of edible landscaping, award-winning professional photographer, and author of the Complete Book of Edible Landscaping, will give a mouth-watering slide presentation. Among the topics she will cover are an A to Z of her recommended beautiful edible plants for home gardens, an overview of the wide variety of edible landscapes, as well as the principles of landscape design particular to edibles.

Pam is the Director for the UC Statewide Master Gardener Program. She was the Environmental Horticulture Advisor in Fresno County for 25 years. She has an M.S. in Plant Science, with emphasis in pest management, and did her post-graduate work at Penn State in Agronomy, with emphasis in turf management. Pam established the Fresno County Master Gardener program in 1981. The Fresno County Master Gardener program's annual training sessions are so popular, volunteers are selected through an application and interview process. Geisel coordinated the Master Gardeners' establishment of "The Garden of the Sun" on a one-acre portion of the Discovery Center, at Winery and McKinley avenues in Fresno. The garden includes a variety of distinct sections, such as a 75-variety tomato garden, a children's garden, an All American Selections demonstration garden, turf grass, fruit trees, a perennial garden, a garden for the disabled and a covered outdoor classroom facility. The budget for garden maintenance is generated by fees for weekly workshops presented by the Master Gardeners on composting, pruning, turf management, pest control and garden crafts. Fundraisers, such as a spring garden tour and mid-summer tomato tasting event, also help meet garden funding needs. All labor is volunteered.

Janet Hartin

Janet has served as UCCE Horticulture Advisor for San Bernardino and
Los Angeles Counties since 1984. She specializes in Sustainable Landscaping
Practices and Principles such as minimum irrigation requirements of
landscape plants and recycling and use of compost in the landscape. Janet is
currently a co-principal investigator with UCD Landscape Specialist Loren
Oki, PhD, and David Fujino, Phd, Director of the UC Davis Center for Urban
Horticulture on a $500,000 contract from the California Department of Water Resources to examine more fully successful elements of drought-efficient landscapes.  She is also active with colleague Cynthia Barnett, PhD, 4-H and Youth Development Advisor in San Bernardino County on a research project examining the nutritional and psychological impacts of school gardens. While Janet is ultimately in charge of the Master Gardener program in San Bernardino
County, she is grateful to Master Gardener Coordinator Jackie Brooks for program management expansion over the past two years.

Course Title: Wise Water Use in your Sustainable Landscape and Vegetable Garden
Applying just the right amount of water to your landscape and garden plants helps them stay healthy, wards off diseases, and keeps your water bill low! Knowing how much water to apply to your plants and when to apply it is crucial.  This workshop will teach you how to meet the water needs of your plants based on individual species needs, the climatic you live in, and the smaller 'microclimate' in which the plants are growing in (eg: shade, heat island, etc.).  Common problems and solutions relating to the use and maintenance of sprinkler and drip irrigation systems will also be covered.

Chuck has been the Farm and Environmental Horticulture Advisor with UC Cooperative Extension in Sacramento County since 1996. He conducts research and educational programs for landscape professionals, tree fruit and wine grape growers, and the public. He also oversees the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, which is maintained by over 50 Master Gardeners. He was the lead technical editor and author of a UC publication, The Home Orchard, which was published in 2007.

Course Title: Gardening for Less to the Landfill & Alternative Turf Varieties PowerPoint PPT
Learn why it’s important to reduce our green waste sent offsite, and learn design and maintenance steps you can take to avoid waste.  For people who still want to keep their lawns, turf species are available that require less water and less mowing, so less clippings are generated.  Learn about our turf demonstration project, in which we are comparing several species for mowing and water use.

Course Title: Small Space Backyard Orchard
With generally smaller home lot sizes, residents have less room for fruit trees.  Dwarf fruit trees are one solution, but the number of good dwarf varieties from which to select is not great with most deciduous species. Also, trees of many fruit species grow taller than most people can easily manage.  Learn training, pruning, grafting, and other secrets to help reduce the number and size of trees and still have plenty of fruit.

Jennifer is the creator, producer and host of In a North State Garden, a weekly public-radio and wed-based regional gardening information and advocacy program in California’s North State region. Jewell was born in Colorado and brought up gardening at high-altitude. After receiving a bachelor of liberal arts degree from Harvard University, she worked as an arts and literature editor and writer. In 1997, she combined her two passions and began garden writing. Jewell’s writing has been featured in Gardens Illustrated, House & Garden, Colorado Homes & Lifestyles, Natural Home, and Old House Journal to name a few. Jewell is a regular speaker for national and regional horticultural and gardening organizations and events on topics as diverse as the Cultural Significance of Gardening, Keeping a Garden Journal, the Art and Architecture of Seeds, and the Beauty, Adaptability and Importance of Natives in the Home Garden. An avid life-long home gardener, Jewell lives and gardens with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, one cat and three happy hens in Chico, CA. Visit her website at www.jewellgarden.com.

Course Title: Natives Belong in your Garden

Jewell will be speaking on the joys of incorporating natives into the home garden. From formal long-border compositions, to cottage garden herbaceous perennial beds, to more naturalistic wildflower meadows and hedgerows, any home garden can and will benefit from California native plants added to the mix. Native plants add a strong sense of place to any home garden while they also help to support beneficial wildlife, pollinators and seed banks. Equally important, however, to feeding the larger community of life, California native plants are absolutely gorgeous, and when well-chosen, well-sited and well-cared for (which sometimes means leaving them alone!!), they will feed your gardener's soul! Learn about the hows, whys, wheres and whens of welcoming California native plants into your home garden - they belong there!

Sean works part time for the Central Sierra University of CA Cooperative Extension as a community agriculture educator.  He is also the owner/operator of Manzanita Ridge, a research and education community resource production center and homestead.  Sean is an avid beekeeper and vegetable gardener who strives to balance and optimize production, aesthetics and water use in home food production systems.

Course Title: Backyard Vegetable Gardening

Backyard vegetable gardens can be both pleasing to the eye and productive.  Good initial planning can make creating and managing your garden an enjoyable task.  In this class you will learn ways to plan, create and maintain vegetable gardening systems that will keep your hunger sated while also providing you with a place for peaceful contemplation or guest entertainment.

Kevin Marini

Kevin earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Anthropology with a focus on Ethnobotany from St. Mary's College in California. For the past 14 years, Kevin has been committed to the emerging field of Environmental Education, working extensively in school gardening, organic farming, and returning to school for a Teaching Credential. He is currently the Program Coordinator for the University of California Cooperative Extension Placer and Nevada Counties' Master Gardener and Composter Programs. Kevin's specialty is composting education; he trains Master Gardeners all over the state and is known locally around elementary schools as the "Worm Whisperer."

Course Title: Composts & Compost Teas – Practical Practices PowerPoint PPT

Composting is a way to turn organic “waste” into a “resource” for your garden and landscape.  You will hear all about the benefits of using compost to enrich your soil.  Learn how to create a hot compost pile for quick decomposition of your organic materials and how to use the resulting “black gold” in your garden and landscape.  Also, compost tea can be a practical way to deliver nutrients and beneficial microorganisms to your garden.  We will discuss the pros and cons of using compost teas.

Sandy a Sonoma County Master Gardener since 2000, writes and lectures about habitat gardening, lawn alternatives, gardening with California natives, and basic garden design. She was leader of the Jail Industries-MG joint demo garden project (one of the winners of Search for Excellence in 2008) and helped found Sonoma County's successful biennial Bloomin' Backyards Garden Tour. As Sandy Baker, she writes for Travel Host magazine and is active in Redwood Writers. She has a B.A. in English from Penn State.

Course Title: Low Water Lawn Alternatives

Water, water everywhere, but not enough for lawns! Sandy will give a brief history of lawns and discuss the ways to reduce or eliminate them. Rototill, Solarize, Glyphosate, Sheet-mulch? You decide. She'll explain many alternatives using living and non-living mulches, and of course water-wise plants, including natives. And finally, she'll show a gallery of front ex-lawns, some that work and some that don't.

Shannon is the Agronomy Farm Advisor with UC Cooperative Extension in Fresno County. She works with a variety of agronomic crops and the bees and beekeepers that are so vital to crop production in California. Shanoon is also a backyard beekeeper and has 7 colonies that supply her and her friends with honey and endless fascination.

Course Title: Welcome Bees to your Garden

There are many different types of bees that we rely on to pollinate our commercial crops and backyard gardens. Honey bees are the most well-recognized, but there are many other bees that contribute to successful pollination. The more we know about where bees live and what they need to survive, the better we will be at providing them with a safe habitat and a variety of nectar and pollen sources allowing them to flourish. Backyard beekeeping is a rewarding activity that benefits your garden and others in the neighborhood through pollination services and also provides a sweet treat for those who enjoy honey fresh from the comb.

Loren Oki

Course Title: Irrigation Basics and New Approaches for Water Conservation PowerPoint Presentation

Scott is an Agriculture and Natural Resources Advisor and County Director with the University of California Cooperative Extension in El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties. Scott began his career with Cooperative Extension as a Master Gardener Coordinator in Amador County where he worked with volunteers for 8 years. Scott graduated from U.C. Davis with a Bachelors degree in plant biology and a Master's Degree in Weed Science.

James is a Program Representative with the UC Master Gardener Program. James received his Bachelor's degree in Environmental Horticulture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. At Cal Poly, he researched Chilean and Mediterranean plant material. Prior to joining the University of California, James worked in the commercial landscape industry in the Bay Area. James also has a MA degree in History from Fresno State; part of his studies was an academic year abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. In addition to James' passion for Horticulture and working with Master Gardener volunteers, he also enjoys to travel, and spending time in his hometown of Fresno.

Course Title: Right Plant, Right Place PowerPoint PPT

Using the right plant in the right place results in a healthy plant that has room to grow and requires minimal pruning, fertilizer and pesticides. Selecting appropriate plants can save you maintenance time and money, and sends less to green waste or the landfill. More time is available to enjoy your garden.

Ellen Zagory serves as a spokesperson for the UC Davis Arboretum in their education and outreach program promoting more sustainable garden plants and practices. She has appeared on Hewell Howser's PBS Road trip, DIY TV and KFBK's Get Growing with Farmer Fred. She also has written a series for Pacific Horticulture Magazine on the UC Davis Arboretum All Star program, and travels the state lecturing to UCCE master Gardeners and regional garden clubs about beautiful heat-tolerant and low-water-use plants. A resident and gardener in the Central Valley for the past 24 years and a knowledgeable horticulturist, she recently has become more interested in the interactions our gardens have with the fauna of surrounding wild lands, and how our constructed landscapes can help support the biodiversity of native insects and other wildlife.

Course Title: All Stars for Water Conserving Gardens

The UC Davis Arboretum has developed a list of 100 recommended plants that are tough and adaptable for use in California water conserving landscapes.  There are plants among the All-Stars useful for either  shady  or sunny conditions and a variety of forms:  of grasses, perennials , bulbs, small and large shrubs and small trees.  All plants tolerate boron in the irrigation water which in the UC Davis Arboretum  is generally only applied every two weeks or approximately 6-8 times during the dry season.  In addition selected plants also provide for environmental diversity by provide nectar , pollen and seed or fruit for  wild creatures such as birds, bees, butterflies and predatory beneficial insects.  This class will show  images of low-water gardens created with these plants in a variety of possible combinations.