Speakers Bureau Program Topics

Choose a tree that can withstand the tumultuous Kansas City weather.

Every gardener should identify their individual needs and adapt the environment and gardening practices to assure their capabilities are maximized.

Love these beauties, but can’t seem to grow them?  Let’s change that … with knowledge and a few tips for success, you will enjoy these flowering plants and find that they are very low-maintenance.

Unsure of what kind of plant to invest in for your garden, containers, or landscape?  In this class, we will learn the differences between annuals and perennials, and discuss what options are available. Your requirements can make this decision easier for you to make with this discussion.

Almost anything can be art … it’s in the eye of the beholder! You will learn that art could consist of discarded tools, lumber, iron, water, stone, or a butterfly feeding station. Mass plantings in arches, circles, or other shapes can provide fun, beauty, and character to your garden.

Butterflies are pollinators and play an incredibly vital role in the food industry; however, their populations are declining. We need to learn how to sustain their populations. Let’s start with recognizing their needs, and identifying what plants attract them.

Who are the pollinators in your garden?  You might be surprised by the roles some garden insects play.

Container Gardening – Adding Curb Appeal All Year

Plants can be enjoyed anywhere and to give them the best possible environment we must learn what each plant needs. We will learn various plant requirements that are a must for success.

Plants can be enjoyed anywhere and to give them the best possible environment we must learn what each plant needs. We will learn various plant requirements that are a must for success.

This program will teach garden techniques which are safe to use in the environment.  Focus is the management of insect garden problems by using the least toxic method or “Integrated Pest Management”.

This presentation will cover the clues plants give to know that it is time to divide perennials.  More garden plants is the goal.  The best times and conditions for divisions will be covered.

This presentation will cover the clues plants give to know that it is time to divide perennials.  More garden plants are the goal.  The best times and conditions for divisions will be covered.

Homeowners who own an Ash tree need to understand how this invasive insect is killing these trees.  The decision whether to treat or remove these trees has many facets.

Gardeners, often a knowledge source for neighbors and friends, can gain full insight into the emerald ash borer insect which arrived from Asia in the mid-1990’s.  Identification, treatment, research on the horizon, and advice on hiring professionals are some of the areas covered.

Ground covers are low-growing plants that spread quickly to form a dense cover. They add beauty to the landscape and at the same time prevent erosion.

This class will be an introduction to herbs and using them for their culinary, medicinal, and spiritual benefits.

There’s really no mystery to growing plants indoors and keeping them healthy. In this course, you’ll learn how to grow bulbs, terrariums, succulents, cactus, foliage and flowering plants with ease.

Do you want to prevent pests (invertebrates, vertebrates or weeds) from destroying your garden?  Integrated Pest Management is for you!

Built right over existing turf without special tools or great strength, you can create a no-dig, organically rich garden which will have good drainage and be so easy to work that you can plant using your hands. It is economical because the main ingredient is your garden waste.

Bees serve critically important roles, not only in yielding a productive garden, but in our natural ecosystems. The bees we encounter around our gardens and natural spaces include not just the well-known honey bee but also many species of native bees. Their importance intersects everyone’s daily lives as we depend on them for the food we eat.

Japanese Beetles are a pest to many of our plants.  This will cover the do’s and don’ts of managing these insects in your garden.

Monarchs are one of the most recognizable butterflies. In this class, we’ll teach you to the requirements needed to turn your yard into a Monarch Waystation that will provide for the Monarch during their migrations.

Did you know wood and rock are not the only material gardeners can use as mulch? 

Natives in containers?  Yes, YOU can!!

Growing native plants in the garden or your landscaping makes it easier on the gardener. In this course, we will learn that these plants can thrive in our climate and soil without much assistance from chemicals or fertilizers.  Less maintenance is required once established giving you more time to enjoy it than work at it.

Knowing which orchid you are trying to grow is the key to its cultural requirements. Orchids, like all plants, need a balance of light, air, water and food to grow and flower well. 

Identification and treatment of common garden pests are presented.  This program is customizable for your group with advance notice.

Traditional garden design typically involves mass plantings of only a handful of species.  These types of gardens often offer no forage for the types of insects we like to see in our gardens. Instead, learn how you can design your garden to become more dynamic and create an emotional connection to it and its visitors.

Are you wanting more Hummingbirds to visit your yard?

Did you receive or buy a poinsettia this year? 

Tired of shrubs and trees dying in your yard? Learn the best way to get them to adapt and survive.

Are you thinking about saving seeds from this year’s garden? 

Can you have a pretty garden in the shade? Do you have light, partial, full, or dense shade?

Growing strawberries can be fun and is very rewarding. It might even save you some money! Getting the most berries is determined by our climate, location, and using the space efficiently. And we all know, everything tastes better when it’s homegrown!

In this class, we’ll learn that these water preserving plants are an easy-care choice for both indoor and outdoor gardeners. Many varieties are available as annuals, but can be wintered over and enjoyed again and again. Multiple succulent plants planted together make a big statement in a deco pot or a container garden.

Do you want a season-long theme garden? Have you thought about adding native plants, but not sure where to start?

Are you a “If a little works then a lot will work better” kind of gardener?  This presentation is for YOU!  This presentation will talk about how to use Pesticides safely.

Cool-season or warm-season vegetables, when to plant, inter-planting and succession planting are all terms you’ll need to know to have a successful gardening season. Getting the most out of our crops is determined by our climate, location, and using the space efficiently; you will learn all of these things in class.

Cool-season or warm-season vegetables, best location, when to plant, where to plant and all the other information to consider to have a successful gardening season. Getting the most out of our crops is determined by our climate, location, and using the space efficiently.

Get a head start on gardening outdoors in winter.