Our Guest Speakers
 

            Saturday, March 29

            11:00 a.m.        Patti Pfeiffer, Center Greenhouse on “Stepables:  what they are and how to use them”

            1:00 p.m.          David Winger, Photographer on “Flower Photography”

            3:00 pm.           Mark Razum, Coors Field Head Grounds Keeper on “Managing Coors Field”

            Sunday, March 30

            11:00 a.m.        Sarada Krishnan, Denver Botanic Gardens on “Alternative to Invasive Ornamentals”

            1:00 p.m.          Kris Higgins, Tagawa Garden Center on “What’s Hot in Pots”

            3:00 p.m.          Debi Borden-Miller, Welby Garden Center on “Best Perennials for Season Long Color”

Saturday, 11:00 a.m.    Patti Pfeiffer, Center Greenhouse on “Stepables:  what they are and how to use them”

In the Stepables seminar you will discover not only what plants can tolerate foot traffic but great ways to use these versatile, dependable and easy to care for plants.  If you are looking for new ideas for walkways, patios, slopes, walls, hard to plant areas, or unique plant combinations, this is a seminar for you.

Bio:      Patti Pfeifer has been in Horticulture most of her life.  Having grown up in a family that grew cut carnations and were avid gardeners, she returned to her passion of horticulture after college and a short teaching career. The last 22 years has included growing cut-flowers, managing a retail garden center, and currently overseeing the sales of all annuals and perennial grown by one of Denver's largest wholesale greenhouses, Center Greenhouse.  She also enjoys serving on various industry committees and on the Garden Centers of Colorado Board of Directors, all with the goal of promoting gardening in Colorado.

Saturday 1:00 p.m.       David Winger, Flower Photographer

Did you ever wonder why your garden photos never quite captured your garden the way it really looks?  There are secrets that will be revealed in this seminar on just how to overcome that frustration.  You’ll find out how to use light, optimize a composition, take advantage of timing, capture true blue and utilize the buttons on your camera to name just a few of those secrets.

Bio:      David Winger is a nationally recognized garden photographer.  His photographs appear in Sunset Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens Books, and numerous other publications including garden and cat calendars. Front Range landscape contractors and architects utilize his photographic skills to capture their award winning designs.

Saturday 3:00 p.m.    “Mark Razum, Coors Field Manager on “Managing Coors Field”

            Mark will discuss the techniques used to maintain Coors Field including why & when to aerate, fertilize & water.

BIO:      Mark started his baseball management career with the Cleveland Indians from 1978 to 1982 and moved to managing the spring training field for the California Angels in AZ for 2 years.  Then he moved on to the Oakland Athletics spring training field in CA and later became the Head Grounds Keeper for them from 1989-1994.  He came to the Colorado Rockies in 1994 and opened the new Coors Field as Head Grounds Keeper.

Sunday 11:00 a.m.  Sarada Krishnan, Denver Botanic Gardens on “Alternative to Invasive Ornamentals”     

Sometimes exotic plants brought over as ornamentals inadvertently become invasive leading to escape from cultivation and encroachment of our native habitats, disrupting ecological processes. Sarada will discuss some of our invasive ornamentals and provide a list of alternative plants that can be used in the gardens.

Bio:      Sarada comes to the Denver Botanic Gardens with several years of experience in public and commercial horticulture. Sarada has a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from India where the focus was on tropical horticulture and a Master of Science degree in Horticulture from CSU with a focus on propagation of native Colorado flora specializing in plant tissue culture.  She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Conservation Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.  Her research will be on conservation genetics of the wild coffee, Coffea spp in Madagascar.  She has served as a board member of the Association of Zoological Horticulture and is currently a board member of the Colorado Native Plant Society where she serves as chair of the Society’s Conservation committee.  Sarada also serves as chair of the Perennial committee of the Colorado Nursery and Greenhouse Association and serves on the Colorado State Noxious Weed Advisory Committee.  She is a faculty affiliate with the CSU Dept. of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.

Sunday 1:00 p.m.         Kris Higgins, Tagawa Garden Center on “What’s Hot in Pots”

A Power Point Presentation on how to create a container garden.

The seminar will cover how to design a Pot, what great and unique plants to use in a container garden, and how to be successful including pot choices, soil choices, fertilizing, pinching & safer pest control.

Bio:      Kris Higgins has worked in the green industry for 17 years in just about every capacity.  She is the Co-Manager of Annuals, Production, Stocking and Grounds at Tagawa Gardens.  She is also the Grower and teaches a wide variety of seminars: Basic Gardening, Herbal interests, Organic Gardening, and Naturalist/Gardening for Children at Tagawa’s where she has worked for 8 years.

Sunday 3:00 p.m.         Debi Borden-Miller, Welby Garden Center on "Best Perennials for season long color". 

Color comes from flowers as well as foliage, Debi will discuss some of the longest blooming and trendy colorful foliage perennials for Colorado and the Best Management Practices to grow these successfully.  

Bio:      Debi Borden-Miller has worked at Welby Gardens Co. for 17 years as a salesperson and marketing/advertising coordinator.  She graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelors degree in Plant and Soil Science.  Since moving to Colorado from Vermont, she has worked at Fruehauf’s Garden Center in Boulder, Wilmore Nursery and Little Valley Wholesale Nursery before going to Welby.  She has written many articles for the Denver Newspaper Agency’s Dig & Grow section, as well as articles for various magazines.  She teaches at the Denver Botanic Gardens, and speaks at many garden clubs, garden centers and other organizations interested in gardening subjects.  She has appeared periodically on Channel 9 News for a gardening segment and has been a guest on the KEZW Gard’N Wise radio show on Sat mornings.