Session #1 - 9:00am - 10:00am
Each attendee will choose one (1) of the workshops listed below to attend during session #1. Workshop selections will be made on the day of the event.
Session 1, Workshop #1: Easy Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation is the most efficient way to water a garden and easy to install. Learn the basics to grow a bumper crop and conserve water at the same time.
 Instructor: Bob Dobson, President, Middletown Sprinkler Company
Bob Dobson is President of Middletown Sprinkler Co. in Port Monmouth, NJ, a full service irrigation firm that has been serving the northeast for over 40 years and specializes in water efficient landscape irrigation systems that promote healthy and vibrant landscapes while conserving water and reducing water costs. Bob is an Irrigation Association (IA) Certified Irrigation Designer for residential, commercial, and golf course irrigation systems and an IA Certified Irrigation Contractor.
Session 1, Workshop #2: The Basics of Butterfly Gardening
Learn how to choose and cultivate plants that will attract a range of butterflies to your garden and help sustain all the stages of their life cycles. Many creative ideas on how to make your yard and garden an oasis for butterflies and other creatures will be covered.
 Instructor: Jane Hurwitz, Author of Butterfly Gardening: The North American Butterfly Association Guide
Trained as an agronomist and working for nearly two decades for the North American Butterfly Association (NABA), Jane Hurwitz has extensive experience observing and writing about the interface of gardens and insects, with a special interest in butterflies. In 2018, Princeton University Press published her most recent book, Butterfly Gardening: The North American Butterfly Association Guide, a lavishly illustrated volume which presents essential information on how to choose and cultivate plants that will attract a range of butterflies to your garden and help sustain all the stages of their life cycles. Jane is a frequent speaker on butterflies, native plants, and gardening. She was executive editor of the NABA periodical Butterfly Gardener from 2011 to 2020.
Session 1, Workshop #3: Annuals for NJ Gardens
Everyone is familiar with 'annual flowers' and most likely the first plants that comes to mind are Marigolds and Begonias. However, there is a whole world of new, unusual, and tropical appearing plants that add color and texture to a garden in a fashion that the traditional standbys could not. Bruce will highlight some of these plants, discussing not only their assets, but also their cultural needs and suggestions on how they can be used in your garden!
 Instructor: Bruce Crawford, State Program Leader for Home and Public Horticulture, NJ Agricultural Experiment Station, Instructor, Rutgers University
A longtime proponent of unusual and fun plants, Bruce had his own design/build garden design business for nearly 25 years that specialized in plantings for year-round interest. One of those gardens was published in Fine Gardening Magazine! For 15 years, Bruce was the Director of Rutgers Gardens, the botanical garden for Rutgers University, and he is currently the State Program Leader for Home and Public Horticulture with the NJ Agricultural Experiment Station. He has also been an instructor in the Landscape Architecture program at Rutgers University since 1987. Bruce also lectures frequently to various groups and for continuing education programs.
Session #2 - 10:15am - 11:15am
Each attendee will choose one (1) of the workshops listed below to attend during session #2. Workshop selections will be made on the day of the event.
Session 2, Workshop #4: Deer Control Methods and Deer Resistant Plants of the Past and Present
As the local deer population has exploded over the past 30 years, gardeners have continued to battle to keep their landscapes and gardens protected from these hungry herbivores. As their numbers have grown, some of the old methods to protect the plantings have become ineffective, and many of the once known "deer resistant plants" have become much more palatable to the deer. This presentation will focus on some of the plants that are still currently deer resistant, as well as some of the modern methods used to protect the plants.
 Instructor: R.J. Curcio, Staff Ecologist, New Jersey Deer Control®, LLC
R.J. has years of research in deer populations and behavior in which he uses to educate and manage damage caused by New Jersey's white-tailed deer. His diverse background in wildlife behavior, native plant restoration, and entomology brings a full ecological perspective to the deer repellent industry. He has been awarded by the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, the Community Association Institute, and the New Jersey Landscape Contractor Association for his efforts to manage deer damage.
Session 2, Workshop #5: Contain Your Enthusiasm: A Homeowner's Guide to Container Gardening
Learn the ins and outs of container and soil options, floral and/or edible combinations, as well as design and placement possibilities.
 Instructor: Katie Bliss, Owner, Head Gardener, Bliss-Full Gardening Services
Katie Bliss is the owner and head gardener of Bliss-Full Gardening Services which provides garden design, plant installation, and maintenance services to clients throughout Essex and Union Counties, NJ. She and her crew manage gardens of all size, from pocket to estates. Her presentation is for gardeners of all levels gleaned from over 20 years in business (and far more in a garden). Katie has addressed GCA clubs throughout the tri-state area.
Session 2, Workshop #6: Berrymania
Want to have delicious and nutritious fruit right from your own yard, but don't have the room for an apple, peach, or cherry tree? Why not consider the "berries?" Blueberries, strawberries, and the brambles (like blackberries and raspberries) are easy to establish, can be grown organically, and provide you with fresh fruit throughout the growing season. Most types can be successfully container grown if space is at a minimum. All aspects of culture and care will be covered in this presentation.
 Instructor: Steve Kristoph, Owner, Steven Kristoph Nurseries
Steve Kristoph is widely known for his encyclopedic knowledge of plant material. He received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in horticulture from Rutgers University, and he has been an adjunct instructor at Rutgers for over 25 years. He also owns and operates Steven Kristoph Nursery in Monmouth County, NJ, where he grows many types of ornamental trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials. The landscaping division of his business, P. Steven Kristoph Garden Design, serves both residential and commercial customers and offers a full range of services, including design, installation, maintenance, and seasonal color. Steve is passionate about plants and enjoys sharing his passion with others.
Session #3 - 11:30am - 12:30pm
Each attendee will choose one (1) of the workshops listed below to attend during session #3. Workshop selections will be made on the day of the event.
Session 3, Workshop #7: Walkways, Pathways, and Stairways: Our Portals into the Garden
In this workshop, we will discuss different types of entries into the garden and home. We will also discuss proper construction and methods for making each one unique in its own right.
 Instructor: Derron Dover, Estimator/Purchaser, Aspen Landscaping Contracting
Derron Dover is an Estimator/Purchaser for large public and private landscaping projects at ASPEN Landscaping Contracting, a certified MBE, WBE, SBE, & DBE company in Union NJ. He also provides landscape design and consulting to various local landscaping companies and residential clients. Previously, Derron was the owner/operator of a garden center and landscape construction company. He first started teaching with continuing education 29 years ago while studying Landscape Design at Cook College, and he often brings the knowledge of his past (and current) experiences into his talks.
Session 3, Workshop #8: Principles of Healthy Ecosystem Gardening
Even the most beautiful landscapes are not always healthy ecosystems. A landscape is more than a combination of trees, shrubs and perennials – it's a complex system where all living things are connected. Landscaping with an ecosystem approach contributes to species diversity, attracting and supporting more birds, butterflies, pollinators, and beneficial insects. Kim Eierman explains how the design choices you make, the plants you select, and the maintenance practices you use can make a huge difference in creating a beautiful, healthy ecosystem, filled with life.
 Instructor: Kim Eierman, Founder, EcoBeneficial LLC, Environmental Horticulturist and Ecological Landscape Designer, Author, The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening
Kim Eierman is an environmental horticulturist and ecological landscape designer specializing in native plants. She is an active speaker nationwide on many ecological landscape topics, and she provides horticultural consulting and ecological landscape design services. In addition to being a Certified Horticulturist through the American Society for Horticultural Science, Kim is an Accredited Organic Landcare Professional, a Steering Committee member of The Native Plant Center, and a member of the Ecological Landscape Alliance and Garden Communicators International.
Session 3, Workshop #9: Garden Accessories, Alias Garden Bling
Gardens are always fun and enjoyable, but like clothing, they can look a little better with accessories – some garden bling so to speak! These accessories can be simple, such as a container, or as complicated as artwork or fountains. Also, just as with clothing, too much garden accessorizing is not a good idea. This program will go through some thoughts on the many different types of garden accessories and how they can be tastefully incorporated into the garden.
Instructor: Bruce Crawford, State Program Leader for Home and Public Horticulture, NJ Agricultural Experiment Station, Instructor, Rutgers University
A longtime proponent of unusual and fun plants, Bruce had his own design/build garden design business for nearly 25 years that specialized in plantings for year-round interest. One of those gardens was published in Fine Gardening Magazine! For 15 years, Bruce was the Director of Rutgers Gardens, the botanical garden for Rutgers University, and he is currently the State Program Leader for Home and Public Horticulture with the NJ Agricultural Experiment Station. He has also been an instructor in the Landscape Architecture program at Rutgers University since 1987. Bruce also lectures frequently to various groups and for continuing education programs. |
