North Root Big Lake Gardeners
Fourth Annual
2010 Spring Garden Symposium
April 17, 2010, 9am til 5:30pm
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Schedule of Speakers, Events, and Vendor Setup
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Friday, April 16 (set up)
Vendor set-up from 5 to 8pm, Gymnasium
If you would like a booth, there are still a couple of openings. Please contact Linda Lockhart at 892-8119 for more information.
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Saturday, April 17 (EVENT DAY)
7am to 9am Vendor set-up in the Gymnasium

9:00am     Doors Open to attendees
                    Vendor Hall Open

9:45am     Opening Welcome, Vendor Hall Closes til 11am
                     Location: COMMONS-Opening Welcome
                     Vendor Hall Closed 9:45am til 10:45am.
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10:00am to 10:45am
Greener Growing
Location: COMMONS
Keynote Presentation 1, River Bean, Arctic Organics Farm
River Bean, owner of Arctic Organics farm, began working the Valley soil in 1987. He put off his dream of farming until after graduating from Evergreen State College. At first, he felt hindered by the lack of money and land to start a farm. However, while attending college, he noticed many farmers started with nothing but their own two hands and a dream, convincing him he could have his own farm. In 1997, River and Sarah were able to devote all of their time to the farm. Today, Arctic Organics is set apart by its 100 percent, organically grown crops and livestock. River admits he wouldn't even know how to use pesticides if he had to. His crops vary from organic cabbage, carrots, and cauliflower to tomatoes, turnips and arugula.
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NOTE: No other speakers during Keynote Presentations and Vendor Hall will be closed (re-opens at 10:45am)
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11:00am to 11:45am
Greenhouses from the Ground UP
Location: COMMONS
Steve Brown, Cooperative Extension Service Agent
Steve Brown is the District Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension Service Agent for the Mat-Su and Copper River Districts of Alaska. His subject matter specialties are the twin geospatial technologies of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as they relate to agriculture and the environment.  In his spare time he is an avid mountaineer and marathon runner. Steve teaches the Master Gardener program for the Mat-Su area (and his classes are awesome!). Ask him about chickens.

Made in the Shade
Location: Room 116
Florene Carney, Snowfire Garden, Wasilla
Past president of the Alaska Rock Garden Society and the Valley Garden Club, this Master Gardener has created a spectacular garden off Fairview Loop Road that has a stunning view of Pioneer Peak. Open every Memorial Day for tours, Snowfire is alive with bright garden  blooms much earlier than most. Florene will discuss some of the best plants for shade gardens in this presentation.

Healthy Soil, Healthy Plants
Location: Room 115
Christine and Bob Greig, Alaska Sea-Ag
With their hearts in the right place and a concern for the health of the soils in Alaska, Christine and Bob have gardened in Alaska for decades and found that the best way to do that is organically. With their expertise, you can find the healthy way to amend your soil to produce the largest, most beautiful crops and the biggest, most colorful blossoms.

Peonies: Big Cash Crop: Fact or Fiction?
Location Room 114
Julie Riley, Cooperative Extension Service, Anchorage
Julie Riley is the Horticulture Agent with the UAF Cooperative Extension service in Anchorage. Photographs are an integral part of most of the gardening classes that she teaches. Since 1995 Julie has also been giving presentations on garden photography. Her photographs have been published in popular press gardening magazines, such as Horticulture, Gardens Illustrated, Good Fruit and also in Alaska Magazine and the Anchorage Daily News. Julie will discuss the exciting trends in Peony production that is beginning it's fruition in Alaska.

Graft, Prune & Grow
Location: Room 112
Dan Elliot and Pat Mulligan, Past Presidents of Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association
These two guys have done so much for the education and knowledge-base of fruit growers in South-central Alaska. Here they will provide a super program for anyone who wants to learn the basics (and more) of grafting and pruning fruit trees. Mr. Elliot and Mr. Mulligan will also answer questions about growing apples, pears, cherries and plums in Alaska. They plan to bring root stock and scion wood for grafting. They will show you how and help you to graft your own apple tree (there will be a small charge for the root stock--all monies collected will go to the Pioneer Fruit Growers Association).

Up Your Rose with a Rubber Hose!
Location: Room 113
Brooke Heppinstall, Woolwood Studio and Nursery
What can we say about Brooke? She is one of the most creative artists in the Valley and she has an amazing knowledge of plants. For some reason, she's decided that rubber hoses are to be used for ART and in this presentation she will show you how to make the most of your discarded, old, abused or otherwise unusable hoses. Recycle, baby!

The Birds and Bees of Your Garden
Location: Room 101 (Band Room)
Randi Perlman-Totten, Master Gardener, North Root Big Lake Gardeners-Vice President, Alaskans for Palmer Hay Flats-Executive Director
Curt Mueller, Master Gardener, Bee Keeper
Randi Perlman-Totten lives on Woody Lake in the Big Lake/Houston area with her husband, Steve, where they ‘take time to smell the roses’ and many other flowers they have lovingly cultivated and welcome the birds back each spring. She is affectionately known as the “Bird Lady” for the numerous programs she has presented around the State of Alaska with the Great Horned Owl that is housed in her care, and has a soft spot for all birds and animals on the planet (people are OK, too–mostly . . . ).
Curt Mueller is an Alaska Master Gardener who writes a regular column for the Mat-Su Master Gardener's Newsletter, has a large garden and cares for lots of bees. His writing is fresh and amusing--with an invitation to view the plantains and dandelions in their lawn in a July 2009 issue of the Newsletter. Anyone who invites gardeners to view (why not pull?) plantains and dandelions has to have a sense of humor.

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11:45am to 12:45pm
LUNCH
Location: COMMONS
Lockhart & Erskine Slide Show, Moosebusters, Carhartts and Carrots, Awards, Thank Yous
Please mingle with attendees and share information. There will be some speakers available to talk to as well . . .seek them out and pick their brains!

VENDOR HALL
Location: GYMNASIUM, check posting of winners for door prizes, and raffles, pick up your lunch from the Mid-Valley Senior Center Booth

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1:00pm to 1:45pm
Building a Rock Garden by Hand
Location: COMMONS
Fran Durner, author, photographer, avid gardener
With over 30 years of writing and photographing Alaska for the Anchorage Daily News, Fran Durner also hosted the "Talk Dirt to Me" blog on the Anchorage Daily News website and endeared herself to all of us in the gardening community. Her columns were the glue that told us where things were, what to do with them and she shared her beautiful images with us as well. Fran is also an avid gardener herself and has built a lovely garden in Anchorage. Here she will share with us how she wrangled all those rocks by hand.

Wee Little Plants, or Bonsai, or Something Exciting
Location: 116
Jaime Rodriguez, President Alaska Rock Garden Society
Not quite sure what Jaime will talk about, but we are sure it will be interesting. He has a phenomenal knowledge of plants that grow in South-central (as well as other locations), a fantastic (very early-blooming) personal garden and operates Alpine Garden Nursery on Hyer Road in Wasilla. Fascinating facts, lore, history and whatever you might want to know about alpine, rock garden, and bonsai plants, this man can answer your questions.

Master Gardener's Program
Location: Room 115
Steve Brown, Cooperative Extension Service (see 11am time slot above)
Steve will present information about he Master Gardener Program that is offered through the Cooperative Extension Service. (We understand that when Steve teaches the course, it is sold out, and after hearing him speak once you will know why!--so make your reservations now and get in on this wonderful educational opportunity).

Rain Gardens for South-central Alaska
Location: Room 114
Mel Langdon, Municipality of Anchorage Watershed Hydrologist, Alaska Native Plant Society, president
Water control and run-off management have met their match with the implementation of Rain Gardens. These gardens are designed to handle large volumes of water during rainy periods. They filter water, provide moisture for a select group of plants and maintain landscaping all at the same time. Mel Langdon will discuss the benefits of the Rain Garden Program in Anchorage with references to the Rain Garden Program in the Mat-Su as well.

Weaving Living Willows
Location: Room 113
Cheri Ables, Basket Case Beads, Big Lake-owner, Award-winning basket maker and jewelry designer
Long-time Alaskan artist and gardener Cheri Ables has developed a technique for weaving living willows into interesting shapes for your landscape. The interesting thing is that they continue to grow in a woven pattern once you start them. She will share her techniques with a live demonstration of just how it is done, and share examples of her work with baskets as well.

The Low-Down on the Underground
Location: Room 101
Mark Fisher, Susitna Organics
What do we as gardeners want most? COMPOST! Mark and his family moved here from Pennsylvania just to make compost, believe it or not. The material he makes here in the Mat-Su is some of the finest humified material you can obtain. With rave reviews from vegetable gardeners to botanical gardens, Mark knows everything about this most important soil amendment and how it functions in the garden.

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2pm to 3pm
It's A Secret! (but it will have something to do with beautiful gardens, plants, or harsh winter conditions . . . )
Location: COMMONS
Keynote Presentation 2: Les Brake of Coyote Garden in Willow
Les Brake is a gardener in Willow, Alaska, (USDA Zone 2) where he enjoys scratching around in the earth. Since 1984 he and his partner have created a garden that has been featured in numerous magazines, including Horticulture, Sunset, Country Living Gardener, Gardens Illustrated (England), Garten Praxis (Germany), and New Zealand Gardner. The garden has also appeared on two HGTV television shows, as well as the PBS series “Smart Gardening”.? His ice arrangements have gained some notoriety, too, and have been featured most recently in the December 2006 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. It is less well know that he is the illegitimate son of Red Skelton and Nancy Reagan, and that his garden has also been featured in Modern Manure Magazine, Mother’s Dirty Nose, and the Better Shacks & Tater Patches Journal and on the television shows “Green Knee Curse” & “the Compost Zone”.
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NOTE: No other speakers during Keynote Presentations and Vendor Hall will be closed (re-opens at 10:45am)
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3:15pm to 4:15pm
Native Rock Garden Plants of Healy, Alaska
Location: COMMONS
Verna Pratt, Vice President Alaska Rock Garden Society, author
Formost Alaska wildflower expert, author and photographer Verna Pratt brings the Alaska Rock Garden Society to the Symposium with Part 1 of a 3 part Plant Botanizing event scheduled for this summer. Join the Rock Garden Society and take part in the identification of plants in the Healy area in June and a return trip in August to collect seeds from identified plants. This is an exciting opportunity for anyone wanting local, beautiful plants in their gardens and Verna is the best guide you could imagine. (Alaska Rock Garden Society meeting to follow her presentation in Room 114).

Maintaining a Healthy Lawn
Location: Room 116
Craige & Kathy Baker, Gray Owl Farm, Palmer
Live on a lake or other waterfront? Want a earth-friendly lawn? If you have to have a lawn, Craige and Kathy Baker are the local experts when it comes to installation and maintenance of a healthy, eco-friendly one. Keeping it green, proper mowing, winter care and more will be the subjects of this presentation. Gray Owl also has a tremendous selection of shade plants and the most spectacular hanging baskets you've ever seen. See if they will tell you about these things as well . . .

Alaska Safe Food Harvest
Location: Room 115
Jennifer Davis, Balance Alaska
Jennifer started Balance Alaska to focus on food issues, food security, farming and local grower communications, as well companies that are consciously going 'green', With BalanceAlaska.com, she hopes the wealth of healthy information provided will bring Alaskans looking to maintain a balanced lifestyle closer together. Farmers, health providers, merchants and consumers post information on this website. Jennifer will share her experience and expertise in the areas of Safe Food in this presentation.

Tiny Seeds? Seed Tape!
Location: Room 113
Jill Parson, Valley Garden Club
Barb Montgomery, Valley Garden Club
Doggone those tiny seeds! Hard to plant, makes thinning imperative. Jill and Barb have the perfect solution: Easy-to-make and use Seed Tapes. Join in this lively demonstration and learn how to make your own.

Orchid Obsession
Location: Room 101
Chris Wagner, hobbyist (obsessed)
What is it about orchids? Those who are into them are REALLY into them. Yes, we understand that they are some of the most specialized plants on the planet, yes, we understand that they are some of the most beautiful flowers to be found anywhere . . . ok, just those two things alone would recommend them to most people who are interested in gardening. But, here Chris will bring lots of them to show us the differences, the beauties, the good, the bad and the ugly. See just what it is about Orchids that causes gardeners to become obsessive.

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4:30pm to 5:15pm
potatoes, Potatoes, Delicious POTATOES!
Location: COMMONS
Sally Koppenberg, The Red Beet Bistro and StoneHill Gardens
Finish your day with a taste of Alaska!
Bon Vivant gardener and cook extraordinaire, Sally Koppenberg brings her expertise to us with a discussion of delicious potato varieties that grow in Alaska and a demonstration (and sampling) of some of her favorite recipes. She will be bringing some seed potatoes with her as well which will be used as door prizes during her presentation.

Alaska Rock Garden Society Monthly Meeting
Location: Room 114
April meeting of the Rock Garden Society.

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5:15pm to 5:30pm
CLOSE SYMPOSIUM
Location: COMMONS