Seminars & Demonstrations

The Capital Region Flower & Garden Expo has an outstanding line-up of in-person speakers planned for 2024. It’s a great combination of horticultural experts, speakers, demonstrators, floral designers, business and garden center professionals. They’ll share tips, trends, hot topics and offer live demonstrations for everyone from the novice to the expert gardener. All seminars, lectures and demonstrations are FREE with paid admission.

Printable Schedule

Seminar

Schedule

Friday, March 22, 2024
Time	Topic	Speaker	Affiliation	Room
11:00 am	Improving Soils for Better Results in All Locations	Fred Breglia	Landis Arboretum	1A
11:00 am	Building a Bird Garden	Kristi Shepler 🌱	Wild Ones Capital Region NY	Eco 1B
11:30 am	Cut Flowers and How to Make Them Last	Suzanne Balet-Haight	Balet Flowers & Design	2A
12:00 pm	Basic Bonsai Care	Sean Lamoureux	Bonsai Bar	1A
12:00 pm	Gardeners & Pollinator-Friendly Solar	Jennifer Michelle 🌱	GreenTown Consulting	Eco 1B
12:30 pm	Get Ready for Gardening	Juliette McKernon	MVP Health Care	2A
1:00 pm	Big Trees Ancient Forests	Fred Breglia	Landis Arboretum	1A
1:00 pm	50 Things to Make the Earth a Healthier Place	Pam Skripak 🌱	Home Earth Alliance	Eco 1B
1:30 pm	Carnivorous Plants of the World	Bill Schwartz	Clever Carnivores	2A
2:00 pm	Growing Citrus Trees in the Northeast	Barb Melera	Harvesting History	1A
2:00 pm	Native Plants Go Public	Donna Lee Newsome 🌱	Wild Ones	Eco 1B
2:30 pm	Floral Wedding Trends Past & Present	Suzanne Pillsworth Becker	Blooms Floral Design	2A
3:00 pm	Homemade Hypertufa Pot Demonstration	Martey Costello	Cornell Cooperative Extension - Schenectady County	1A
3:00 pm	Introduction to Invasive Species	Addison Kubik	Capital Region PRISM	Eco 1B
3:30 pm	Landscape Considerations to Avoid Future Problems	Paul Swieton	Hudson Valley Community College	2A
4:00 pm	Elephant Ears	Barb Melera	Harvesting History	1A
4:00 pm	Regenerative Practices for the Land We Care For	Sheree Cammer 🌱	Home Earth Alliance	Eco 1B
4:30 pm	Ten Broeck Mansion Gardens: History & Herbariums	Kathy Kosto	Ten Broeck Mansion	2A
5:00 pm	Gardeners' Defense: Protect Your Skin	Hedy Schneller	Illumia Skincare Products	1A

Saturday, March 23, 2024
Time	Topic	Speaker	Affiliation	Room
11:00 am	Promoting Plant Health Through Proper Pruning	Fred Breglia	Landis Arboretum	1A
11:00 am	What Are Native Plants & Why Are They Important?	Steve Young 🌱	NY Flora Association	Eco 1B
11:30 am	Top Gardening Trends: Be the Change	Denise Maurer	Cornell Cooperative Extension Rensselaer	2A
12:00 pm	The Enduring Favorite: Growing Plants in Containers	Barb Melera	Harvesting History	1A
12:00 pm	The Wonder of Nature and Why It’s Good for You	Rhonda Rumsey van Heuveln 🌱	Capital Native Plants	Eco 1B
12:30 pm	Orchids 101: Basic Orchid Culture	Donna Wardlaw	Northeastern NY Orchid Society	2A
1:00 pm	Improving Soils for Better Results	Fred Breglia	Landis Arboretum	1A
1:00 pm	Wilding Your Lawn	Kate Brittenham 🌱	Front Stoop Gardens, LLC	Eco 1B
1:30 pm	Growing A Great Lawn	David Chinery	Cornell Cooperative Extension Rensselaer	2A
2:00 pm	Creating a Backyard Vegetable Garden	John Martin	Cornell Cooperative Extension Albany	1A
2:00 pm	Sustainable Landscapes: Creating a Pollinator Garden	Addison Kubik	Capital Region PRISM	Eco 1B
2:30 pm	The War of the Weeds	Teri Dunn Chace	Timber Press author	2A
3:00 pm	Succulents	Suzanne Balet-Haight	Balet Flowers & Design	1A
3:00 pm	A Journey to a Natural Yard in Suburbia	Laura Davis 🌱	Capital District Pollinator Allies	Eco 1B
3:30 pm	The Torment of Roses: Duel Over Flower Arrangements	John Dennehey	PhD Student, University at Albany	2A
4:00 pm	Companion Planting, What is it & Why	John Martin	Cornell Cooperative Extension Albany	1A
4:00 pm	Growing Tasty Greens in Your Kitchen All Winter Long	Bill Stoneman	The Vegetable Project	Eco 1B
4:30 pm	Honey, I Shrunk The Lawn	Judith Fetterley	Cornell Cooperative Extension	2A

Sunday, March 24, 2024
Time	Topic	Speaker	Affiliation	Room
11:00 am	A Garden of Rare Houseplants	Barb Melera	Harvesting History	1A
11:00 am	Attract Pollinators to Your Garden	Kristi Shepler 🌱	Wild Ones Capital Region NY	Eco 1B
11:30 am	Herbal Tea from Your Garden	Matthew Zacharewicz	Short and Stout Tea Company	2A
12:00 pm	Flower Reflections Through the Decades	Michele Peters	Ambiance Florals & Events	1A
12:00 pm	Your Garden is a Home (Habitat)	Kate Brittenham 🌱	Front Stoop Gardens, LLC	Eco 1B
12:30 pm	Orchids 101: Basic Orchid Culture	Donna Wardlaw	Northeastern NY Orchid Society	2A
1:00 pm	Ancient Heirlooms: Outstanding 21st Century Plants	Barb Melera	Harvesting History	1A
1:00 pm	50 Things to Make the Earth a Healthier Place	Pam Skripak 🌱	Home Earth Alliance	Eco 1B
1:30 pm	Styling a Bonsai	Sean Lamoureux	Bonsai Bar	2A
2:00 pm	Carnivorous Plants of the World	Bill Schwartz	Clever Carnivores	1A
2:00 pm	How to Advocate for Native Plants in Your Community	Jennifer Michelle 🌱	GreenTown Consulting	Eco 1B
2:30 pm	North American Japenese Garden Tour	David Besozzi	Educator, Passionate Gardener	2A
3:00 pm	Ecological Landscapes Discussion Panel	Wild Ones Capital Region		1A