Speaker Roster

Looking for experts…

to present at your next garden club meeting or special event? Speakers are listed alphabetically by last name below. Want to be featured on this list? Apply today.

APPLY TO Join THIS LIST

Laura Adrian

mindfulness & nature

Learn More

Matthew Alfs

edible and medicinal gifts of garden weeds, edible and medicinal gifts of wild plants

Learn More

Faith Applequist

landscaping for curb appeal, fruit trees for MN, how plants communicate, pruning shrubs, effective pruning, climate change and steps to sustainability, trees for MN

Learn More

Marty Bergland

growing, preserving, drying and cooking with MN produce

Learn More

Linda Black Elk

edible and medicinal plants, food sovereignty, and traditional plant knowledge

Learn More

Julia Brokaw

pollinators, native bees, nesting habitat for bees, tallgrass prairie seed mixes and management, prescribed burns, science and conservation policy

Learn More

Michelle Bruhn

Vegetable Garden Planning, Companion Planting, Composting, Chicken Keeping, Local Food For Thought, Winter Sowing, Small-Scale Homesteading, Maple Sugaring

Learn More

Paul Buck

tree pruning and maintenance, community gardens and greening projects, landscaping for wildlife and energy conservation, prairie gardens

Learn More

Jim Calkins

plant propagation, nursery field and container production, woody and herbaceous plant identification and use, and landscape design, implementation, and management, jumping worms, and watershed management

Learn More

Derek Carwood

houseplants, orchids, native plantings, eco-friendly gardens, fruit and vegetable gardening, fruit trees

Learn More

Tim Clemens

Urban Foraging, Edible Wild Plants, Wild Mushroom Identification, Mushroom Gardening, Native Plants, Edible Native Shade Gardens, the Forager’s Garden

Learn More

Meg Cowden

Pushing the growing season, Succession planting, Growing unique, novel, and unusual foods in cold climates, and Adapting our gardening to climate change

Learn More

Bob Dahm

organic lawn care, alternative turf, bee lawns, easy turf removal, biological buckthorn remediation, soil health, season extension for the northern garden

Learn More

Becky DeLaCruz

food preservation techniques: canning, freezing, dehydrating, fermenting and pickling

Learn More

William Dougherty

water iris, sustainable gardening, low-maintenance landscapes, flowering bulbs, tubers and corms, landscaping with irises, perennial landscape design and maintenance, gardening with lilies, rock gardens

Learn More

Alex Eilts

climate change, sustainable gardening, container or small space gardening, fruit and vegetable gardening, garden planning and landscaping, house plants, native plants, pollinators, soil health, starting seeds, winter sowing, trees and shrubs, rare/unusual plants

Learn More

Elaine Evans

pollinators

Learn More

Thea Evans

stem and wood nesting bee ecology and conservation, pollinator conservation in gardens and landscapes, native plants for pollinators

Learn More

Soni Forsman

water gardening in containers, disappearing Fountains and pond-less waterfalls. growing lotus, adding water to the landscape from in-ground to small tabletop water gardens, growing hardy and tropical waterlilies

Learn More

Kiley Friedrich

habitat, monarch conservation, pollinator research and habitat

Learn More

Philippe Gallandat

sustainable pruning, garden art, plant propagation, container gardening, berry and fruit growing, herb gardening, rock gardens, first aid for shrub and tree injuries

Learn More

Chad Giblin

tree and shrub identification, developmental pruning of young trees, tree preservation techniques, advanced tree risk assessment technology and techniques, recreational tree climbing

Learn More

Rhonda Hayes

climate change, sustainable gardening, fruit and vegetable gardening, native plants, pollinators, living mulch, gardening as we age

Learn More

Heidi Heiland

container gardening through the seasons, edible landscapes, art and science of perennial gardening, horticultural therapy, future of garden scaping: environmental trends

Learn More

Russ Henry

soil health, planting for pollinators, ecosystem heroes, avoiding pesticides, food forests

Learn More

Heather Holm

pollinators, native bee biology and natural history, beneficial insects, native plants for pollinators, ecological landscape restoration, enhancing pollinator habitat and the pollination of fruit and vegetables.

Learn More

Jenn Hovland

gardening, houseplants floral design

Learn More

Gail Hudson

home gardening, sustainable gardening, garden photography, great gardens of Britain, bringing old gardens to life

Learn More

Cheryl Jirik

native plants, wildlife habitat restoration, landscaping with native plants, control of invasive species, such as buckthorn, garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed, honeysuckle and oriental bittersweet

Learn More

Peter Juhl

Stone balancing, an ephemeral art form that employs natural stones to create amazing and meditative sculptures.

Learn More

Joel Karsten

straw bale gardens, landscape lighting, composting, building an outdoor room, fireplaces, water features, year-round container gardening, pest control

Learn More

Don Kinzler

container or small space gardening, flowers or ornamental gardening, fruit and vegetable gardening, garden planning, landscaping, house plants, soil health, starting seeds, winter sowing, trees and shrubs, tips to make us all better gardeners

Learn More

Jennifer Knutson

cutting garden, hostas, flowering shrubs, houseplants, lilies, poisonous plants, adding a vertical element to the garden, attracting birds and butterflies, shade garden, moon garden, early spring garden, bulbs, prayer/meditation garden

Learn More

Angie Koebler

container gardening, small-space gardening, flowers and ornamental gardening, fruit and vegetable gardening, garden planning or landscaping, house plants, native plants, pollinators, preserving or eating from your garden, soil health, starting seeds, winter sowing, trees and shrubs, animal damage protection, floral design & art in bloom

Learn More

Vera Krischik

pest management, landscapes, trees, flowers and turf, Japanese beetle management, insects, pollinators, climate change and Insects, resistant elm trees

Learn More

Debbie Lonnee

New Plants, Perennial and New Woody Plants, The Hunt of New Plants and the Evolution of Bailey Brands

Learn More

Jim Lovestar

Food Dehydration, Growing Microgreens and Sprouts, Composting

Learn More

Peter MacDonagh

Urban Trees, Green-roofs, Urban Trees & Stormwater, Green Infrastructure, Soil Analysis & Soil Amendments, Wetland & Shoreland Restoration, Landscaping for Wildlife

Learn More

Diane McGann

Garden design rules, Creating curb appeal – front entry gardening, Therapeutic horticulture, Placing Plants, and Art in the Garden

Learn More

Peggy Nerdahl

Lilies: Jewels in the garden” – examples of lily divisions in the genus lilium, planting, care and propagation of lilies, “MN Hybridizers and their lilies” “Lilies in New Zealand”

Learn More

Anthony Nied

Climate Change or Sustainable Gardening, Garden Planning or Landscaping, Pollinators

Learn More

Gail Nozal

Tree and shrub pruning, landscaping for energy conservation, urban trees, tree preservation, woody invasive, tree decay, tree and landscape appraisal, tree disease management

Learn More

Lee Olson

Growing Sprouts

Learn More

Sam Oschwald Piper

Flowers or Ornamental Gardening
Fruit and Vegetable Gardening
Soil
Starting Seeds or Winter Sowing

Learn More

Lisa Philander

Ethnobotanical talks, Healing, South African Medicinal Plants

Learn More

Forrest Pieper

lilies: general overview, Trumpets and Aurelians, and adventures of a backyard hybridizer.

Learn More

Vickie Pondell

Trees, Shrubs, Roses, Perennials, Nursery Production Practices

Learn More

Joseph Rand

container or small space gardening, garden planning, landscaping, eating and preserving from your garden, perennials

Learn More

Paul Richtman

Flowers or Ornamental Gardening
Fruit and Vegetable Gardening
Soil
Starting Seeds or Winter Sowing

Learn More

Michelle Mero Riedel

Anything but Green Foliage, Photography in Your Garden, Container Garden Like a Pro, Best Annuals and Perennials, Get Creative with Cool Weather Containers,
Using Black and Silver in the Landscape

Learn More

Barbara J Ronningen

Lilies (101), Martagon lilies, Plants for shade (not hosta), Groundcovers, Overwintering tender perennials, Houseplants, “What Don’t Deer Eat?” (solutions for garden critters)

Learn More

Theresa Rooney

Veg garden, Sustainable/Lazy (permaculture, not certified), Fall Yard & Garden Care, Bulbs-hardy, and Critter Control, Garden in the Shade

Learn More

Kait Ryan

Public Horticulture Management, Pest Management Strategies, Gardening with Sculpture/Art,Gardening with bulbs, Adding early spring interest to the landscape, Minneapolis Park Gardens, and Garden Travel Destinations

Learn More

Stephen Saupe

Trees and Shrubs of Central Minnesota, Maple Syrup, natural history, Berry Crops, Botanical tales, The botany of different holidays, wild plants, growing hazelnuts, Weird and wonderful flora of Australia,
Spring wildflowers, Seed art, Woodland wildflowers, Using leaves to tell temperature, Why leaves turn color in the autumn

Learn More

Mary Schier

Flowers or Ornamental Gardening, Native Plants, Trees or Shrubs, Garden Trends

Learn More

Marie Schuhwerck

Selecting lavender varieties suited for Minnesota’s climate, Soil preparation, drainage, and site selection, Winter survival strategies for lavender, Common mistakes and misconceptions about growing lavender in cold regions

Learn More

Susannah Shmurak

eco-friendly yard practices, permaculture, growing natural remedies, foraging edible and medicinal plants, and edible landscaping

Learn More

Don Smith

eating and preserving from your garden, starting seeds, winter sowing, trees and shrubs, container or small space gardening, fruit and vegetable gardening, garden tools

Learn More

Emilie Snell-Rood

climate change, sustainable gardening, native plants, pollinators, soil health, garden planning, landscaping

Learn More

Joe Storlien

climate change, sustainable gardening, native plants, soil health, naturalistic garden design

Learn More

Courtney Tchida

Starting Seeds, Growing Vegetables, Garden Planning, Urban Farming, Organic and Sustainable Growing Practices.

Learn More

Stephanie Thurow

food preservation, water bath canning, fermentation, chicken keeping, maple tapping, small-scale homesteading

Learn More

Benjamin Vogt

Garden ethics, landscaping for climate change, using natural plant layers for low maintenance design, gardening for winter interest, converting lawn to meadow, working with weed ordinances, and seeding the garden

Learn More

Pete Widin

Perennial Vegetables, Perennial Medicinal Herbs/Plants, Intro to Ecological Landscaping, and Edible Natives of the Midwest

Learn More

Andy Wilcox

flowers or ornamental gardening, fruit and vegetable gardening, soil health, starting seeds, winter sowing, trees and shrubs, container or small space gardening, pollinators

Learn More

James Wolfin

Pollinators, native plant gardening, bee lawns, sustainability, and turf grass science

Learn More

Amanda Yadav

Microgreens/Growing microgreens at home

Learn More

Support our mission

Help us provide access to expert resources and support community programs for all cold-climate gardeners.

DONATE NOW

Get inspired to garden

Join 25,000+ northern gardeners receiving our free bimonthly e-news packed with cold-climate garden tips.