April 5th Meeting!
How Does Your Garden Grow? A Master Gardening Roundtable Q&A
Tuesday, April 5, 2011, 7 p.m.
UCF Business Incubator Conference Room | 110 W 1st Street, Sanford
Featuring: Trish Thomas, Horticulturalist; Elizabeth Harkey, City of Sanford Urban Forester; Pete Owens, Community Gardener
Springtime is here in Central Florida, and it’s time to clear away what didn’t survive the winter and start planning for the new growing season. Ever wonder:
- Who are those pests in my yard?
- What am I doing worng to that plant?
- When and how much to water?
- Where can I grow vegetables?
- How to prune a tree?
About Trish Thompson
Trish Thomas holds a B.S. in Horticulture and M.A. in Agriculture from Auburn University, and began her career working for a commercial landscape installation and maintenance firm. When the opportunity arose, she took a part time job teaching landscaping for Westside Tech. Next was a job with the University of Florida Extension Service as the Urban Horticulturist for Seminole County. As the Urban Horticulturist she worked with both the commercial and residential plant industry. A big part of the job was education, which gave her the opportunity to travel and learn about other County Extension programs. As the Master Gardener Coordinator, she trained master gardeners and found creative ways for them to volunteer in the community. After leaving the Extension Service she taught at Valencia Community College and for the Orlando Landscape Maintenance Association. Together with a friend she started her own landscape business and together they created many beautiful gardens, some in the Sanford Historic District. Currently she teaches at Seminole High School.
About Elizabeth Harkey
In 2004, Elizabeth became an ISA certified arborist and the Urban Forester for the City of Sanford. Her job began by handling two hurricane grants for tree mitigation and open space restoration after hurricanes Jeanne, Charlie, and Frances. Elizabeth also handled a tree distribution grant, urban and community forestry grant and a tree giveaway grant. As the city’s arborist, Elizabeth works with many nursery owners, contractors, engineers, and the public. She, along with the parks department, street department, and private contractors, handle all of the city’s structural pruning, tree removals, and new tree planting.
About Pete Owens
A local businessman, Pete Owens also finds time to grow vegetables and herbs in the community garden located in the park at 15th Avenue and French Street. He chronicles the garden’s seasons in a weekly column published in the Sanford Herald.
