Welcome

Dear Master Gardener!

Welcome to the 33rd Annual Florida Master Gardener Continued Training Conference. We have worked hard to make the event affordable and have been able to reduce the registration fee dramatically while offering more education hours than ever before! At the request of our statewide Master Gardener Advisory Committee, we will only be holding these large three day conferences every two years. They will be held on the odd years. On the even years, we will be holding low cost regional one day training events to make the education more available to everyone.

We are excited to be at the brand new Embassy Suites Orlando – Lake Buena Vista South Hotel located in Kissimmee. This all-suite property has very comfortable rooms and guests will receive a free cooked to order breakfast for each night they stay and there is a complimentary manager’s reception each evening. All these reasons are great, but what is even better is the meeting space is perfect for our group. It will be a great atmosphere for learning. The location is just minutes from the Disney parks and all the entertainment options that area has to offer.

On Sunday, October 20th we will have an afternoon of optional tours. The first tour is going to Bok Tower Gardens. This amazing garden has been open since 1929 and is a true gem. The second tour is a Central Florida landscape tour which will be led by Kristen and Stephen Pategas the Owners of Hortus Oasis. They will share their knowledge and experience in landscape design as you visit four different properties.

The conference kicks off Monday October 21st with two general sessions dealing with plant breeding and water saving irrigation technology. The afternoon is filled with a variety of concurrent session options before we bring you back for another ‘water’ focused general session by a faculty member from Utah State University. The day concludes with the popular welcome reception. The evening is free for you to enjoy the new friends you have made throughout the day.

Tuesday begins with a general session on tree selection before we start another round of concurrent session options. After lunch we have the 4H Plant ID and Judging Competition where counties compete for the top team scores. Those not on a team can try individually. It is a really great event to test your knowledge. If the contest is not your thing, there will be a panel with county agents to discuss how issues are handled around the state. The afternoon is filled with more concurrent options and a general session designed to help you hone your diagnostic skills. The evening is open for you to take advantage of the local area.

Wednesday starts with the ever popular Dr. Jaret Daniels speaking on Today’s Butterfly Gardens. We then have the awards program followed by a plated lunch. The conference finishes up with Dr. Gail Hansen teaching about Landscape Design with Function in Mind.

The planning committee has worked hard to make this a great event for learning at a reasonable cost. Enjoy the conference in beautiful Central Florida!

Sincerely,
Tom Wichman
State Master Gardener Coordinator