Peter Loewer, Keynote Speaker
The New Small Garden
Peter Loewer is a well-known writer and botanical artist, graduating from the Albright Art School of the
University of Buffalo with a degree in graphics and a minor in art history. Upon graduation he was
awarded the Max Beckmann Fellowship to the Brooklyn Museum Art.
In 1973 he wrote the first book on ornamental grasses, Growing and Decorating with Ornamental
Grasses, then in 1994 he published the first book on nocturnal flowers for bloom and fragrance, called
The Evening Garden. His book, The Wild Gardener, was named one of the best 75 garden books of the
20th Century by the American Horticultural Society. Dealing with a few of the nation’s horticultural
greats, he also wrote and illustrated Thoreau’s Garden and Jefferson’s Garden. He has a weekly radio
program on MAIN-FM, community radio in Asheville and is the Contributing Editor for Carolina Gardener
magazine.
Today, Mr. Loewer teaches art at the North Carolina Arboretum and AB-Tech Community College. He
also practices printmaking, and works on pen and colored-pencil renderings of native plants and their
pollinating insects.
The New Small Garden
Peter Loewer is a well-known writer and botanical artist, graduating from the Albright Art School of the
University of Buffalo with a degree in graphics and a minor in art history. Upon graduation he was
awarded the Max Beckmann Fellowship to the Brooklyn Museum Art.
In 1973 he wrote the first book on ornamental grasses, Growing and Decorating with Ornamental
Grasses, then in 1994 he published the first book on nocturnal flowers for bloom and fragrance, called
The Evening Garden. His book, The Wild Gardener, was named one of the best 75 garden books of the
20th Century by the American Horticultural Society. Dealing with a few of the nation’s horticultural
greats, he also wrote and illustrated Thoreau’s Garden and Jefferson’s Garden. He has a weekly radio
program on MAIN-FM, community radio in Asheville and is the Contributing Editor for Carolina Gardener
magazine.
Today, Mr. Loewer teaches art at the North Carolina Arboretum and AB-Tech Community College. He
also practices printmaking, and works on pen and colored-pencil renderings of native plants and their
pollinating insects.
| Noel Valdes Open Raised Bed Gardening: Growing More Food . . . in Less Space Open raised beds offer advantages to both the beginning gardener and the veteran grower interested in maximizing food production while using the least amount of outside material inputs. Beds can be easily placed in existing gardens or cut into lawns or other open areas. Open beds can include very few external material inputs and can be a good choice where soil conditions permit and maximum food output is desired. Noel Valdes has been practicing open raised bed gardening for more than thirty years. His gardening hobby has led to the development of two highly acclaimed garden tools – the CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator and the CobraHead Long Handle. |
| Speakers Schedule |
Copyright Porter County Master Gardeners Association, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service is an Affirmative Action, equal
access/equal opportunity institution.
The Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service is an Affirmative Action, equal
access/equal opportunity institution.
Porter County Master Gardeners Association
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Dr. David C. Michener
Heritage Peonies for Today and Tomorrow
Dr. Michener is the Associate Curator at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA)
at the University of Michigan (UM), where he has been since 1990. All his degrees are in botany. Before
coming to the UM, he was on the post-doctoral staff at Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum in Boston, which
rounded out his plant studies from universities in California and North Carolina.
David is active in the University of Michigan’s museum studies program (gardens are a kind of
museum!) and in teaching an intense 2-week summer field-class for high school science geeks for the
UM’s Math Dept. He has been a demanding yet popular teacher in the UM’s Program in the
Environment as well as the Landscape Architecture program. David’s current curatorial work is
focused on bringing the MBGNA’s extensive records and maps online for the public as well as rewriting
institutional collection policies and processes. He has conducted over a dozen confidential site
reviews of other botanical gardens around the country for several funding agencies. He has a variety of
publications in museum studies and plant taxonomy, mostly aimed at public audiences as in The Public
Garden, Horticulture, and as co-author of Taylor’s Guide to Groundcovers. Over the past 15 years he
has been the plant specialist on international garden tours to England, France, Ireland, Japan, New
Zealand, Scotland, and Wales with additional professional work as far afield as Brazil and China.
David is a passionate gardener – his turf-free garden has been on local garden tours, featured in the
Detroit Free Press, and in one national publication. His home will be on the 25th Annual Ann Arbor
Garden Walk in a few years’ time (“gentlemen, start your motors”).
Carmen Leskoviansky
Heritage Peonies for Today and Tomorrow
Carmen Leskoviansky has been an avid gardener since her childhood. She earned her Bachelor of
Science in Horticulture from Michigan State University. In 2009, Carmen joined the University of
Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum staff as a Collections and Natural Areas
Specialist. She oversees the care for the orchid, bromeliad, and bonsai collections as well as leading
the Peony Garden Initiative - a multi-year renovation project in the Peony Garden at Nichols Arboretum.
The UM’s peony garden is an area of particular and intense activity, and features one of the country’s
best, yet little-known, collections. In addition, Carmen helps to maintain a number of gardens at
Matthaei-Nichols.
Heritage Peonies for Today and Tomorrow
Dr. Michener is the Associate Curator at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA)
at the University of Michigan (UM), where he has been since 1990. All his degrees are in botany. Before
coming to the UM, he was on the post-doctoral staff at Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum in Boston, which
rounded out his plant studies from universities in California and North Carolina.
David is active in the University of Michigan’s museum studies program (gardens are a kind of
museum!) and in teaching an intense 2-week summer field-class for high school science geeks for the
UM’s Math Dept. He has been a demanding yet popular teacher in the UM’s Program in the
Environment as well as the Landscape Architecture program. David’s current curatorial work is
focused on bringing the MBGNA’s extensive records and maps online for the public as well as rewriting
institutional collection policies and processes. He has conducted over a dozen confidential site
reviews of other botanical gardens around the country for several funding agencies. He has a variety of
publications in museum studies and plant taxonomy, mostly aimed at public audiences as in The Public
Garden, Horticulture, and as co-author of Taylor’s Guide to Groundcovers. Over the past 15 years he
has been the plant specialist on international garden tours to England, France, Ireland, Japan, New
Zealand, Scotland, and Wales with additional professional work as far afield as Brazil and China.
David is a passionate gardener – his turf-free garden has been on local garden tours, featured in the
Detroit Free Press, and in one national publication. His home will be on the 25th Annual Ann Arbor
Garden Walk in a few years’ time (“gentlemen, start your motors”).
Carmen Leskoviansky
Heritage Peonies for Today and Tomorrow
Carmen Leskoviansky has been an avid gardener since her childhood. She earned her Bachelor of
Science in Horticulture from Michigan State University. In 2009, Carmen joined the University of
Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum staff as a Collections and Natural Areas
Specialist. She oversees the care for the orchid, bromeliad, and bonsai collections as well as leading
the Peony Garden Initiative - a multi-year renovation project in the Peony Garden at Nichols Arboretum.
The UM’s peony garden is an area of particular and intense activity, and features one of the country’s
best, yet little-known, collections. In addition, Carmen helps to maintain a number of gardens at
Matthaei-Nichols.
Annemarie Nagle
Emerald Ash Borer in Your Backyard: Are You Ready?
Annemarie Nagle is Purdue University’s new Exotic Forest Pest Outreach Coordinator, who manages
educational programs for emerald ash borer and other invasive forest pests. She graduated from The
Ohio State University in 2009 with a Master’s degree in forest pathology, where she studied diseases of
oak trees. An avid cyclist and outdoorswoman, Annemarie spent much of the last year living and
working on family farms in New Zealand.
Emerald Ash Borer in Your Backyard: Are You Ready?
Annemarie Nagle is Purdue University’s new Exotic Forest Pest Outreach Coordinator, who manages
educational programs for emerald ash borer and other invasive forest pests. She graduated from The
Ohio State University in 2009 with a Master’s degree in forest pathology, where she studied diseases of
oak trees. An avid cyclist and outdoorswoman, Annemarie spent much of the last year living and
working on family farms in New Zealand.
| 9:30 a.m. Keynote Address "The New Small Garden" Peter Loewer, Writer and Botanical Artist, aka The Wild Gardener 10:30 a.m. "Open Raised Bed Gardening: Growing More Food . . . in Less Space" Noel Valdes, Long-time Hobby Gardener, aka Mr. Cobra Head "Emerald Ash Borer in Your Backyard: Are You Ready?" Annemarie Nagle, Exotic Forest Pest Educator, Purdue University 11:30 a.m. "Heritage Peonies for Today and Tomorrow" Dr. David C. Michener, Associate Curator and Carmen Leskoviansky, Collections and Natural Areas Specialist Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, University of Michigan 12:30 p.m. "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly" Dr. F. Tom Turpin Professor and Author, Department of Entomology, Purdue University Demonstration: "Introduction to the Miniature Alpine Garden" Esther Benedict, Benedict's Nursery 1:30 p.m. "Continuous Color: Which Perennials Work for You?" Pam Duthie, Author, Landscape Designer and Owner of The Gifted Gardener "Unusual Plants from Seed" Peter Loewer Demonstration: "Creating a Temporary Hothouse on Raised Beds: Tracy Nolan, Porter Co. Advanced Master Gardener 2:30 p.m. "The Absolutely Best Plants for Upper Midwest Gardens" Richard D. Hawke, Plant Evaluation Manager, Chicago Botanic Garden "This Grass IS Greener: Secrets to a Better Lawn" Janet Magnuson, Advanced Master Gardener Demonstration: "Growing Native Plants Is For The Birds! ...and Bees ...and Butterflies." Vickie Jostes, Lake Co., Adv. Master Gardener |
Dr. Tom Turpin
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Dr. Tom Turpin, professor of entomology at Purdue University, may be the funniest insect authority on
the planet. And, the word is, his sidekick – Henrietta, the chicken -- may make a cameo appearance at
the Gardening Show! So come prepared to laugh and learn. We’ll have his books available for sale and
signing after his talk.
Armed with a B.S. in biology and a Ph.D. in entomology, Turpin began his career at Purdue in 1971
where he has taught a variety of courses from introductory entomology to beekeeping, insect pest
management, insects in prose and poetry, and honors courses on insects in literature and art and
insects in theatre.
Turpin is past President and a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) as well as an
acclaimed teacher. He holds the ESA Distinguished Award in Teaching, the Purdue award for
outstanding undergraduate teaching, and the CASE professor-of-the-year award for the state of Indiana
as well as the “Frederick L. Hovde Award of Excellence in Educational Service to the Rural People of
Indiana.”
Turpin started the Bug Bowl at Purdue University and the Linnaean Games for ESA. He writes a regular
popular column on insects for newspapers entitled “On 6 Legs” and is the author of two popular books
on insects, “Flies in the Face of Fashion, Mites Make Right and Other BUGdacious Tales” and “What’s
Buggin’ You Now.”
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Dr. Tom Turpin, professor of entomology at Purdue University, may be the funniest insect authority on
the planet. And, the word is, his sidekick – Henrietta, the chicken -- may make a cameo appearance at
the Gardening Show! So come prepared to laugh and learn. We’ll have his books available for sale and
signing after his talk.
Armed with a B.S. in biology and a Ph.D. in entomology, Turpin began his career at Purdue in 1971
where he has taught a variety of courses from introductory entomology to beekeeping, insect pest
management, insects in prose and poetry, and honors courses on insects in literature and art and
insects in theatre.
Turpin is past President and a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) as well as an
acclaimed teacher. He holds the ESA Distinguished Award in Teaching, the Purdue award for
outstanding undergraduate teaching, and the CASE professor-of-the-year award for the state of Indiana
as well as the “Frederick L. Hovde Award of Excellence in Educational Service to the Rural People of
Indiana.”
Turpin started the Bug Bowl at Purdue University and the Linnaean Games for ESA. He writes a regular
popular column on insects for newspapers entitled “On 6 Legs” and is the author of two popular books
on insects, “Flies in the Face of Fashion, Mites Make Right and Other BUGdacious Tales” and “What’s
Buggin’ You Now.”
Pam Duthie
Continuous Color: Which Perennials Work for You?
Pam Duthie operated her own landscape-design business for 25 years and is a noted author and
photographer. She is an informative and enthusiastic lecturer nationally and in Canada and is the
creator of the ‘Easy “U-Can Plan” Way to Garden.’ a simple method for planning a garden starting with
shrubs, conifers and small trees and adding perennial partner plants to create a garden with color in
every season. We'll have her books, “Continuous Bloom” and “Continuous Color,” available for sale
and signing after her talk.
Duthie believes color is in the eye of the beholder! And it is more often than not a personal preference.
A novice gardener might begin with 'safe' colors in pastel hues while a more experienced one is willing
to take the risk of working with plants in a bolder palette.
As in nature all colors have value and may be randomly mixed but it’s the understanding of 'color' that
dictates how to use it successfully in the garden. With the many color choices available in the
perennial palette, gardeners, garden centers and nurseries alike have great opportunities to
experiment and have fun.
Continuous Color: Which Perennials Work for You?
Pam Duthie operated her own landscape-design business for 25 years and is a noted author and
photographer. She is an informative and enthusiastic lecturer nationally and in Canada and is the
creator of the ‘Easy “U-Can Plan” Way to Garden.’ a simple method for planning a garden starting with
shrubs, conifers and small trees and adding perennial partner plants to create a garden with color in
every season. We'll have her books, “Continuous Bloom” and “Continuous Color,” available for sale
and signing after her talk.
Duthie believes color is in the eye of the beholder! And it is more often than not a personal preference.
A novice gardener might begin with 'safe' colors in pastel hues while a more experienced one is willing
to take the risk of working with plants in a bolder palette.
As in nature all colors have value and may be randomly mixed but it’s the understanding of 'color' that
dictates how to use it successfully in the garden. With the many color choices available in the
perennial palette, gardeners, garden centers and nurseries alike have great opportunities to
experiment and have fun.
Richard Hawke
The Absolutely Best Plants for Upper Midwest Gardens
Richard Hawke is the Plant Evaluation Manager at the Chicago Botanic Garden, and is responsible for
the comparative evaluation of over 1,200 taxa of herbaceous perennials, vines, shrubs and small trees,
including the oversight of a 16,000 sq. ft. green roof trial. The Plant Evaluation Program is one of the
largest and most diverse in the nation, and also one of the few programs in the United States that
formally evaluates perennials. It received the Award for Program Excellence from the American Public
Garden Association in 2008. Richard has been at the Chicago Botanic Garden since 1986.
Richard has a horticulture degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked at several
Midwest botanical gardens, including the Paine Arboretum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and The Holden
Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio.
He is the author of Plant Evaluation Notes, a periodic Chicago Botanic Garden publication reporting the
results of evaluation projects. He is an instructor for the School of the Chicago Botanic Garden. In 2005,
Richard received the Perennial Plant Association’s Academic Award for teaching excellence. He writes
for numerous horticulture publications such as Fine Gardening, Perennial Plants, The American
Gardener, Chicagoland Gardening, and Nursery Management, and is a contributing editor for Fine
Gardening magazine.
He has participated in international plant-collecting trips to South Korea and Siberia and is a member of
American Public Garden Association, Perennial Plant Association, American Horticultural Society, and
Garden Writers Association.
The Absolutely Best Plants for Upper Midwest Gardens
Richard Hawke is the Plant Evaluation Manager at the Chicago Botanic Garden, and is responsible for
the comparative evaluation of over 1,200 taxa of herbaceous perennials, vines, shrubs and small trees,
including the oversight of a 16,000 sq. ft. green roof trial. The Plant Evaluation Program is one of the
largest and most diverse in the nation, and also one of the few programs in the United States that
formally evaluates perennials. It received the Award for Program Excellence from the American Public
Garden Association in 2008. Richard has been at the Chicago Botanic Garden since 1986.
Richard has a horticulture degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked at several
Midwest botanical gardens, including the Paine Arboretum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and The Holden
Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio.
He is the author of Plant Evaluation Notes, a periodic Chicago Botanic Garden publication reporting the
results of evaluation projects. He is an instructor for the School of the Chicago Botanic Garden. In 2005,
Richard received the Perennial Plant Association’s Academic Award for teaching excellence. He writes
for numerous horticulture publications such as Fine Gardening, Perennial Plants, The American
Gardener, Chicagoland Gardening, and Nursery Management, and is a contributing editor for Fine
Gardening magazine.
He has participated in international plant-collecting trips to South Korea and Siberia and is a member of
American Public Garden Association, Perennial Plant Association, American Horticultural Society, and
Garden Writers Association.
Janet Magnuson
This Grass IS Greener: Secrets to a Better Lawn
This is the first time in the history of the Gardening Show that we’ve asked someone to talk about
lawns. But that’s Janet’s expertise. When we featured her garden on Garden Walk 2010, we just
wanted to take off our shoes and wiggle our toes in her turf. Janet’s love of gardening began at an early
age and there’s nothing she likes better than the solitude of hiking to the happy hum of a mower.
Janet grew up in the small town of Arlington, Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois at
Springfield. She has been a Master Gardener for 18 years and is the immediate past President of the
Porter County Master Gardeners Association.
This Grass IS Greener: Secrets to a Better Lawn
This is the first time in the history of the Gardening Show that we’ve asked someone to talk about
lawns. But that’s Janet’s expertise. When we featured her garden on Garden Walk 2010, we just
wanted to take off our shoes and wiggle our toes in her turf. Janet’s love of gardening began at an early
age and there’s nothing she likes better than the solitude of hiking to the happy hum of a mower.
Janet grew up in the small town of Arlington, Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois at
Springfield. She has been a Master Gardener for 18 years and is the immediate past President of the
Porter County Master Gardeners Association.