Speakers

Garden Tool and Maintenance Workshop

Thursday, April 2, 2025

Presented by: Joy Gaddy and Dave King, Co-founders of Blackwater Rising

Topic: General Tool Maintenance

Program Description: Bring your rusty and dull garden tools and learn how to clean and care for them through this hands-on workshop.

Objective: Learn how to keep your garden tools in shape.

Bios: David King is a founding board member and Board President of Blackwater Rising.  He brings planning and policy experience.  From Peace Corps service to D.D.planning leadership, he champions productive public spaces, food security, and neighbor-led action.

Joy Gaddy, a co-founder of Blackwater Rising, is a Maryland Master Gardener who has many years of experience in environmental non-profit management and programming.

Setting Up the Perfect Flower Photo

Thursday, May 7, 2026

Presented By: Ned Egan, Artistic Photographer

Topic: How to Set Up Floral Material for Best Results

Bio: Ned Egan has exhibited and sold his artistic photos for many years. His demonstrations and explanations will help anyone interested in photographing floral material.

No Business Meetings in June, July, and August

Lesser Known Bulbs to Plant for Spring 

Thursday, September 3, 2026

Presented By: Carrie Engel, Valley View Farms

Objective: Expand your Plant Palette and create a more diverse, dynamic spring display.

Description: Move beyond the familiar tulips and daffodils to discover a world of beauty hidden beneath the soil.  This speaker highlights unique and often overlooked bulbs that bring early color, interesting forms, and fresh texture to the spring garden.

Covering planting tips, bloom times, companion planting, and how these lesser known bulbs can naturalize and return year after year, snowdrops, fritillaria, species tulips, anemones and other botanical treasures will be thoroughly discussed.

Bio: Carrie Engel is the retail greenhouse manager of Valley View Farms in Hunt Valley, MD. She is a member of GardenComm, an association for garden communicators.  Carrie appears on WBAL TV as the “Sunday Gardener” with Meteorologist Ava Marie.

The Maryland Biodiversity Project 

Thursday, October 1, 2026

Presented By: Jim Brighton

Objective: Learn how biodiversity supports healthy soils, clean water pollinators and resilient landscapes, and how homeowners, gardeners, and communities can play an active role.

Description: Discover how the Maryland Biodiversity Project works to conserve, restore, and celebrate the state’s rich natural heritage.  This program explores Maryland’s diverse eco-systems-from forests and wetlands to meadows and coastal habitats-and the plants and wildlife that depend upon them. Native plants, habitat friendly practices, and resources  available through the Maryland Biodiversity Project to help you make a meaningful impact where you live will be highlighted.

Bio: Jim Brighton runs the non-profit Maryland Diversity Project (MBP) and works for the University of Maryland performing plant surveys.  As co-founder and President of MBP, Jim spends time documenting flora and fauna of Maryland, along with managing many of MBP’s field projects.  He has also worked in Oxford for the past 30 years at Campbell’s Boatyard and how Hinckley Bachelor Point.

The Bug Guy

Thursday, November 5, 2026

(Back by popular demand!) 

Presented By: Dr. Michael J. Raupp, “The Bug Guy”

Objective: Learn how supporting insects in your yard will help support Mother Earth.

Bio: Internationally famous, A Professor Emeritus and Extension Specialist at the University of Maryland, Mike is a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America. He has received national and international awards for writing, scholarship, and science communication. Mike has appeared on all major television networks in this country and several abroad and has been featured on National Geographic, the Science Channel, the BBC, and PBS. He has appeared with media luminaries including Jay Leno, Robin Roberts, Hoda Kotb, and Kojo Nnamdi. His “Bug of the Week” website, www.bugoftheweek.com and YouTube channel www.youtube.com/user/BugOfTheWeek reach thousands of viewers weekly in more than 200 countries. His most recent book “26 Things that Bug Me” introduces y o u n g s t e r s to the wonders of insects and natural history while “Managing Insect and Mites on Woody Landscape Plants” is a standard for the arboricultural industry.

No Business Meeting in December

History of Gardens 

Thursday, January 7, 2027

Presented By: David Scheid

Objective: Discover how social values, technology, exploration and plant discovery shaped garden styles and plant choices throughout history.  Obtain inspiration from some of the world’s most iconic landscapes.

Description: Travel through time and explore how gardens have reflected culture, power, and beauty across the centuries. This discussion traces the evolution of garden design from the legendary hanging gardens of Babylon through classical Greek and Roman landscapes, medieval monastery gardens, Renaissance formality, and the grand expressions of the Baroque era, to the richly planted and influential gardens of Victorian England.

Bio: B.S. in Horticulture from Ohio State University and M.S. in Horticulture from the University of Delaware, Longwood Graduate program in Botanic Garden Management.  Worked as Superintendent of the Nemours Foundation in Wilmington, DE, Vice President of Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden and Executive Director of the United States Botanic Garden. 

Get Garden Fit

Thursday, February 4, 2027

Presented By: Madeline Hooper (via streaming)

Objective: Our bodies are the most important gardening tool.  This interactive presentation is designed to help gardeners move with strength and ease.

Description: After cultivating 10 acre in upstate NY for 30 years and suffering the aches and pains that entailed, Madeline found a solution by learning how to properly move her body to prevent strain and stress.  Her eagerness to share her knowledge led her to create the “GardenFit” television show and has traveled all over America helping others get “Garden Fit.”

Annual Meeting and Homecoming 

Thursday, March 4, 2027

Moderator: Susie Middleton, Member

Objective: Have fun!  Learn about your fellow garden club members.

Description: Everyone will be requested to share a tale about one of these:

Your favorite recipe and why

Your favorite plant and why

Your favorite trip and why

Your biggest garden nightmare

Something others will be surprised to learn about you