Enjoy four break-out sessions led by area experts with sections for new and experienced gardeners as well as hands on demonstrations. Fee includes breakfast snack, full lunch, breaks and parking. Call (937) 277-6545 or register online by February 23. Fees: $50; full-time students $25.

Walk-in registration will be accepted on the day of the conference. Please call 277-6545 for information.

• Experienced – The Year-round Vegetable Garden-- Tim Pritchard, Education Assistant, Five Rivers MetroParks— An information-packed session to guide you through the plants, the pleasures and the pitfalls of a year-round vegetable garden.
• New gardener — Vegetable Garden Basics-- Doug Christen, Farmer and CSA owner and  Kasey Henneman, MetroParks’ Grow With Your Neighbors Community Garden Program Assistant—Let two experts help you plan a successful first vegetable garden or a more successful current garden. Planting, maintenance and harvest will also be covered.
• Something really different — Heirloom Controversy—Earl Robinson and Teresa Jones, MeadowView Growers –Our experts will discuss the qualities of heirlooms and the benefits of the newer cultivars, addressing the issues of taste, appearance, and disease resistance.
• COOKING CLASS— Local and Seasonal Delights: Michelle Bridges, Sinclair Culinary Arts Dept.—Watch chef prepare great seasonal dishes.  There will be tasting and recipes!  Advance registration is required.  The afternoon class is a repeat of this session (this class lasts until 9:50 AM).

• Experienced —  Edible Forest Garden—Wes Duren, Marvin's Organic Gardens—Learn about advanced companion planting with a twist, based on David Jacke’s fantastic work. Wes helped create this type of garden in Mason and will supply the how and why of building one in your own space.
  
• New gardener — Creating a Backyard Habitat-- Doug Horvath, Naturalist, Germantown MetroPark Nature Center—Learn how your own backyard, with the addition of specific plants, can become a beautiful and  friendly stopping place for birds and butterflies, pollinators, and bees. A great, idea-filled session.
• Something really different — Phenology-- Dan Herms, The Ohio State University—A fascinating look at the study of recurring biological events  and what they mean to the home gardener.  Learn how nature tells us what will happen if we only pay attention.

• Experienced —  Small but Significant Trees in the Landscape-- Erik Draper, The Ohio State University—Want an interesting tree but don’t have much space?  Our OSU expert will share his research and show great illustrations of wonderful and many times overlooked trees.
• New gardener — Selecting, Planting, and Growing a Beautiful Tree—10 examples—Tomasz Przepiorkowski, Studebaker Nurseries—Take the confusion out of tree selection. Learn—or review—some of the best trees for our area and how to select, plant, and maintain them for years of pleasure.
• Something really different —Why Trees Matter—Jim Chatfield, The Ohio State University—A great overview of the ecological, economic and social benefits of trees. A surprising and very important topic for all.

• Hands on demos in the Great Hall** (see bottom of page)

• Urban Farming — Adam French, Feed Dayton and Nassau Marianists Michael Schulz, Wyatt Elbin and Andy Badinghaus—This panel discussion is about what urban farming means in the Dayton area, who does it, who benefits from it, and how you can be part of the movement.
• Community Gardening — Grow With Your Neighbors Supervisor Luci Beachdell, Five Rivers MetroParks; Education Supervisor Vickie Benson, Possum Creek MetroPark—Community gardens are a great way to grow healthy, delicious food and to get to know your neighbors as well! Learn how gardens can be started and what it takes to maintain both the plants and the workers.
• Gardeners Giving Back: Opportunities -- Moderated by Kasey Henneman, Grow With Your Neighbors; Marvin Duren; Lisa Helm, Garden Station —This panel discussion explores the many, varied and exciting opportunities for gardeners to help others locally and nationally.
• COOKING CLASS— Local and Seasonal Delights: Michelle Bridges, Sinclair Culinary Arts Dept.—Watch chef prepare great seasonal dishes.  There will be tasting and recipes!  Advance registration is required.  The class is a repeat of the morning session (this class lasts until 3:00 PM).

• Hands on demos in the Great Hall** (see bottom of page)
• Door prizes
• Book signing

• Laura Deeter – Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Perennials but Were Afraid to Ask — You may never think of perennials the same way again! Enjoy this informative and engaging talk and come away with great new insights and a smile.

Lee Reich
Author

Dr. Lee Reich is an avid farmdener (more than a gardener, less than a farmer) who turned from plant and soil research with the USDA and Cornell University to writing, lecturing, and consulting. He is the author of a number of garden books and his column for Associated Press appears bimonthly from coast to coast. His farmden has been featured in such publications as the NEW YORK TIMES and MARTHA STEWART LIVING, has won awards from NATIONAL GARDENING and ORGANIC GARDENING magazines.

Amy Stewart is the award-winning author of five books on the perils and pleasures of the natural world, including three New York Times bestsellers, Wicked Bugs, Wicked Plants and Flower Confidential.

Stewart is a highly sought-after public speaker whose spirited lectures have inspired and entertained audiences at college campuses such as Cornell and the University of Minnesota, corporate offices, including Google's Mountainview campus, conferences and garden shows, as well as botanical gardens, bookstores, and garden clubs nationwide.

She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, the American Horticulture Society's Book Award, and a California Horticultural Society Writer's Award.