12:30pm-5:30pm

Optional Pre-Conference Tour fee is $35.00
(Registration for each tour is limited and Advance Registration is Required)

A - Landscape Tour of Clearwater Beach and Downtown St. Pete

B - Florida Botanical Gardens and Sunken Gardens

See Pre-Conference Events for tour details

7:00am-5:00pm

Registration Open (Grand Ballroom Foyer)

7:30am-8:30am

Continental Breakfast

8:00am-5:00pm

Auction Donations Check-in/Viewing (Citrus/Mangrove Rooms)

8:30am-9:00am

Welcome and Opening Remarks – Tom Wichman, UF (Grand Ballroom DEF)

9:00am-10:00am

General Session 1 – What’s New in Tree Care and Establishment - Ed Gilman, UF  [PRESENTATION]

10:00am-10:30am

Beverage Break

10:30am-11:30am

General Session 2 – Selecting and Maintaining Turf for Low Maintenance - Laurie Trenholm – UF  [PRESENTATION]

11:30am-1:00pm

Lunch on Own [Hotel is offering a special menu]
View County Displays (Executive Conference/Mandalay Rooms)

11:30am-5:00pm

IFAS Bookstore Open (Tarpon Room)

1:00pm-2:00pm

Concurrent Session 1

A-1

Florida Friendly Ground Covers – David Shibles, UF
Participants will be presented with a variety of groundcovers that can be included in a Florida-Friendly Landscape. Come and discover the range of groundcover options available for erosion control, turfgrass replacement, and maintenance reduction.  [PRESENTATION]

B-1

Heirloom Vegetables - Aparna Gazula, UF
Learn why you should plant these relics from the past and which varieties you might be most successful with.  [PRESENTATION]

C-1

Cut Arrangements from the Landscape – Janice Hamlin, Manatee County MG
Learn some tips on how to use your landscape plants to create beautiful cut flower arrangements.

D-1 

Tree Cultivars – The Best of the Best – Ed Gilman, UF
Learn why you should be thoughtful in selecting your trees and what benefits some of these selections offer.

2:00pm-2:15pm

Move to Next Session

2:15pm-3:15pm

Concurrent Session 2

A-2

The new world of Smart Irrigation Equipment – Michael Dukes, UF
After attending this session, participants will be abreast of the most recent developments in the world of smart irrigation equipment. Topics to be covered include; evapotranspiration controllers, soil moisture sensors, and irrigation scheduling.  [PRESENTATION]

B-2

Organic Gardening – Sydney Park-Brown, UF
This session will provide the tips to help you be successful in your organic gardening efforts.  [PRESENTATION]

C-2

Orchid Basics – Carolyn Saft, UF
Do you get orchid questions and are not sure how to address them?  Have you always wanted to grow these exotic beauties but did not feel comfortable or have been unsuccessful in the past, this session will provide the info you need to be successful and get started.  [PRESENTATION]

D-2

Creating a Backyard Habitat and providing for Bats – Holly Ober, UF
Your backyard can be a much better place for wildlife.  Learn what you can do to attract more wildlife to your yard and what special things you may need to do to attract bats.  [PRESENTATION]

3:15pm-3:45pm

Refreshment Break and Move to Next Session
View County Displays (Executive Conference/Mandalay Rooms)

3:45pm-4:45pm

Concurrent Session 3

A-3

How to get Master Gardeners involved with Community Outreach Programs? – Esen Momol and Doris Heitzmann, UF
Participants will be presented with a road map for successfully bringing FFL into a community association. Some of the topics covered are; obstacles and opportunities, F.S. 373.185 and its effects on community associations, and Master Gardener involvement. An open discussion forum will be provided at the end of the session.  [PRESENTATION]

B-3

Florida-Friendly Butterfly Scaping – Kathy Malone, FFL
ButterflyScaping is a term coined by the presenter to describe a community-wide effort to create butterfly habitat. Participants will learn how to use the Florida-Friendly Principles to guide communities and residents in their large-scale butterfly habitat creation.  [PRESENTATION]

C-3

Clumping Bamboo for Florida – Richard Lindberg, Bamboo expert in Jacksonville, Florida
Bamboo can be an exciting addition to the landscape with its exotic look and many uses.  Learn which varieties to select and how to use best use them in the garden.  [PRESENTATION]

D-3

Creating a Bee Friendly Garden – Michelle Peterson, St Lucie MG
Learn how to attract native bees and other pollinators to your garden.  [PRESENTATION]

4:45pm-5:00pm

Move to Next Session

5:00pm-6:00pm 

General Session 3 – Plants to Attract Beneficial Insects and Trap Crops - Russ Mizell, UF  [PRESENTATION]

6:00pm-7:30pm

Welcome Reception Beachside Decks
(Heavy Hors D’ oeuvres and County Pictures)

Dinner on Own

7:00am-5:00pm

Registration Open (Grand Ballroom Foyer)

7:00am-8:00pm

Continental Breakfast

7:30am-5:00pm

IFAS Bookstore Open (Tarpon Room)

8:00am-9:30am 

General Session 4 – Climate Variability and Change in Florida – David Zierden, FSU and Plant Phenology Monitoring – George Kish, USGS   [PRESENTATION 1]  |  [PRESENTATION 2]

9:30am-10:00am

Beverage Break and Move to Next Session View County Displays (Executive Conference/Mandalay Rooms)

10:00am-11:00am 

Concurrent Session 4

A-4

Landscape Design with Edibles – Gail Hansen, UF
Participants will learn how to combine traditional landscape design principles with edible plant material to create an amazing landscape. Examples of edible landscapes will be presented for inspiration. 

B-4

Backyard Chickens – Randy Gornto, UF
As we all try to be green in our gardening efforts, learn how to bring a little piece of the farm to your own yard. Find out the steps needed to be successful in adding chickens to your yard. What are the benefits and costs of adding chickens to your yard?  [PRESENTATION]

C-4

The Amazing World of Succulents – Keri Leymaster, UF
Growing succulents is becoming very popular.  Learn about the best succulents and cacti for the landscape, containers and even hanging baskets.  [PRESENTATION]

D-4

Youth Gardening Activities – Wendy Wilber, UF
Discover some of the most effective and exciting children’s gardening activities.  You will be able to use these activities in you school gardens, summer camps and with after school groups.

11:00am-11:15am

 Move to Next Session

11:15am-12:15pm 

Concurrent Session 5

A-5

Florida-Friendly Plants for Retention Ponds – Gail Hansen, UF
Participants will learn how to turn that bare pond edge into a beautiful and healthy landscape feature. Two cases studies will be presented to demonstrate lessons learned about plants to use, and tips on how best to use them.

B-5

Preserving What You Produce – Mary Keith, UF
Learn how to handle the produce you grow to keep it safe after harvest, and preserve the extra for later use.  Home canning as a way of preserving food has become very popular, but not all produce can be safely canned.  And whether you save it or eat it all, proper handling to keep it safe and top quality is essential.  [PRESENTATION] 

C-5

Online Training Resources Developed for Master Gardeners – Stephanie Stocks, UF  
There have been several online training resources developed recently for Master Gardeners on topics such as identifying plant pests and diseases, submitting digital and physical samples for identification, invasive species, entomology 101, etc.  Each comes with a certificate of completion and all of these are available at no cost to you!  [PRESENTATION]    

D-5

Composting for Everyone – Lynn Barber, UF
Today it is more important than ever to turn Kitchen and yard waste into compost which can be managed on site.  Learn the basics of backyard composting so you can better educate the homeowners you advise.  [PRESENTATION]

12:15pm-1:15pm

Boxed Lunch (Grand Ballroom Foyer)
View County Displays (Executive Conference/Mandalay Rooms)

1:15pm-3:15pm

Hort. ID and Judging Contest (Waters Edge B/C)

1:15pm-3:15pm

3 County Interaction Sessions – Moderated by County Agents

(1:15pm-2:00pm)

Demo Garden
Fundraisers and Budgeting
Innovative Projects and Youth Gardening

 (2:15pm-3:00pm)

Demo Garden
Fundraisers and Budgeting
Innovative Projects and Youth Gardening

3:15pm-3:45pm

Beverage Break and Move to Next Session
View County Displays (Executive Conference/Mandalay Rooms)

3:45pm-4:45pm 

Concurrent Session 6

A-6

Invasive Plants and the IFAS Assessment – Ken Langeland, UF
Participants will learn why we have an “IFAS Assessment”, how to use it, and have the opportunity to ask questions relative to invasive plants.  [PRESENTATION]

B-6

Citrus Pest Update – Steve Futch, UF
Find out the latest information about citrus pests, care and the latest recommendations for citrus in the urban landscape.  [PRESENTATION]

C-6

Great Native Plants for Florida – Brightman Logan, All Native, LLC
Learn how to choose the best native plants for your region of the state and learn about resources to help you locate them.  [PRESENTATION]

D-6

FAWN Weather Resources – Rick Lusher, UF
Learn about the great resources that this statewide weather monitoring system offers to help you and the public.

4:45pm-5:00pm

Move to Ballroom for Auction

5:00pm-6:30pm

Horticulture Auction & Light Refreshments (Grand Ballroom DEF)

Dinner on Own

7:30am-11:00am

Registration Open (Grand Ballroom Foyer)

7:30am-10:30am

IFAS Bookstore Open (Tarpon Room)

8:00am-9:00am

Plated Awards Breakfast (Grand Ballroom)

9:00am-10:00am

Florida Master Gardener Professorship & Awards Program  [PRESENTATION]

10:00am-10:30am

Beverage Break

10:30am-12Noon

General Session 5 – Hot New Plants - Rick Schoellhorn, Proven Winners  [PRESENTATION]

12:00 Noon

Conference Closes