Seminars & Demonstrations

Get ready for an exceptional speaker lineup at the 2026 Capital Region Flower & Garden Expo! This year brings together horticultural experts, floral designers, ecological landscape educators, business leaders, and garden center professionals—all eager to share their knowledge and passion. Enjoy fresh ideas, expert advice, trending topics, and inspiring live demos. All seminars, lectures, and demonstrations are FREE with paid admission.

Printable Schedule

Seminar

Schedule

Friday, March 27, 2026

Time

Topic

Speaker

Affiliation

Room

11:00 am

Promoting Plant Health Through Proper Pruning

Fred Breglia

Landis Arboretum

11:00 am

Managing Invasive Species in your Backyard

Addison Kubik

Capital Region PRISM

Eco 1B

11:30 am

Schenectady’s Central Park: A Park for the People

Marge Rizzo | Arden Lawand

Cornell Cooperative Extension Schenectady County

12:00 pm

Cut Flowers and How to Make Them Last

Suzanne Balet-Haight

Balet Flowers & Design

12:00 pm

Building a Bird Garden

Kristi Shepler

Eco 1B

12:30 pm

All About Hostas

Dave Jennings

Upstate NY Hosta Society

1:00 pm

Improving Soils for Better Results in All Locations

Fred Breglia

Landis Arboretum

1:00 pm

From Lawn to Garden in Two Weeks

Kate Brittenham 🌱

Front Stoop Gardens, LLC

Eco 1B

1:30 pm

The Wheel of the Year: Herbs of the Spring

Janis Fallon

Cornell Cooperative Ext. Rens. Co.

2:00 pm

Winning the War on Weeds

Joanne Strevy

Rosewood Gardens

2:00 pm

What You Can Do to Help Nature

Rhonda Rumsey van Heuveln 🌱

Capital Native Plants

Eco 1B

2:30 pm

Aging in the Garden: Green Thumbs Never Die

Robert & Marie Wieboldt

Cornell Cooperative Extension Rensselaer County

3:00 pm

Growing Citrus Trees in the Northeast

Barb Melera

Harvesting History

3:00 pm

Garden Gold: Why Worms Are Every Plant’s Best Friend

Cody Futia

Vermiluv

Eco 1B

3:30 pm

You Can Grow Orchids! They Are Different But Not Difficult.

Donna Wardlaw

Northeastern NY Orchid Society

4:00 pm

The Mayor's Garden

Kathryn Kosto

Ten Broeck Mansion

4:00 pm

Home Composting

Glen Culbertson

Home Earth Alliance 🌱

Eco 1B

Saturday, March 28, 2026
Time	Topic	Speaker	Affiliation	Room
10:00 am	Seed Starting Workshop	Rhonda Rumsey van Heuveln 🌱	Capital Native Plants	Eco 1B
10:30 am	Stunning Succulents	Denise Maurer	Cornell Cooperative Extension Rensselaer	2A
11:00 am	Improving Soils for Better Results in All Locations	Fred Breglia	Landis Arboretum	1A
11:00 am	Native Plants and the Birds Who Love Them	Kate Brittenham 🌱	Front Stoop Gardens, LLC	Eco 1B
11:30 am	The Wheel of the Year: Herbs of the Spring	Janis Fallon	Cornell Cooperative Ext. Rens. Co.	2A
12:00 pm	Living Wreaths & Kokedame with Succulents	Suzanne Balet-Haight	Balet Flowers & Design	1A
12:00 pm	Circle of Life in the Garden	Rhonda Rumsey van Heuveln 🌱	Capital Native Plants	Eco 1B
12:30 pm	You Can Grow Orchids! They Are Different But Not Difficult.	Donna Wardlaw	Northeastern NY Orchid Society	2A
1:00 pm	Promoting Plant Health Through Proper Pruning	Fred Breglia	Landis Arboretum	1A
1:00 pm	Sustainable Landscapes: Creating a Pollinator Garden	Addison Kubik	Capital Region PRISM	Eco 1B
1:30 pm	Growing A Great Lawn	David Chinery	Cornell Cooperative Extension Rensselaer	2A
2:00 pm	Everyone Love Tomatoes	John Martin	Cornell Cooperative Extension, Albany County	1A
2:00 pm	Native Carnivorous Plants	Shobha Chengalur-Smith	Cornell Cooperative Ext. Sch'dy Co.	Eco 1B
2:30 pm	Kodak Moments in the Garden	Chet Boehlke	Independent Photographer, Instructor	2A
3:00 pm	Creating a Backyard Vegetable Garden	John Martin	Cornell Cooperative Extension, Albany County	1A
3:00 pm	50 Eco-Friendly Things You Can Do Bingo	Pam Skripak 🌱	Home Earth Alliance	Eco 1B
3:30 pm	Carnivorous Plants: Plants with Personality	Bill Schwartz	Clever Carnivores	2A
4:00 pm	Styling Cut Flowers	Chris Grigas	Bill Doran	1A
4:00 pm	Garden Gold: Why Worms Are Every Plant’s Best Friend	Cody Futia	Vermiluv	Eco 1B
4:30 pm	Building a Japanese Garden: Essential Dos and Don’ts	David Besozzi	Educator, Passionate Gardener	2A

Sunday, March 29, 2026
Time	Topic	Speaker	Affiliation	Room
10:30 am	Japanese Flower Arranging	Ellen White Rook	NYCD Sogetsu Study Group	2A
11:00 am	Growing Plants in Containers	Barb Melera	Harvesting History	1A
11:00 am	Let's Thank the Trees!	Margaret Blohm	Cornell Cooperative Extension Schenectady	Eco 1B
11:30 am	Herbal Tea from Your Garden	Matthew Zacharewicz	Short and Stout Tea Company	2A
12:00 pm	Anyone Can Grow English Roses	Joanne Strevy	Rosewood Gardens	1A
12:00 pm	A Bug’s Eye View: Caring for Our Gardens with Compassion	Kate Brittenham 🌱	Front Stoop Gardens, LLC	Eco 1B
12:30 pm	Carnivorous Plants: Plants with Personality	Bill Schwartz	Clever Carnivores	2A
1:00 pm	Petal Talk	Michele Peters, AIFD	Ambiance Florals & Events	1A
1:00 pm	10 (Underrated) Trees For Your Landscape & How To Plant Them	Will Vitagliano 🌱	Home Earth Alliance	Eco 1B
1:30 pm	Orchid Repotting	Elyse DuBois	North Eastern NY Orchid Society	2A
2:00 pm	Daring or Demure, Daylilies	Kathryn Mohr	Hudson-Adirondack Daylily Society	1A
2:00 pm	Gardening for Wildlife	Tami Sheiffer🌱	Home Earth Alliance	Eco 1B
2:30 pm	Modern Tablescapes	Ben Felthousen	Felthousen Florist & Greenhouse	2A
3:00 pm	Winning the War on Weeds	Chris Grigas	Bill Doran	1A
3:00 pm	Family Food Forests	Zachary Lynn	Roots Learning Lab	Eco 1B
3:30 pm	Orchid Q&A: Ask the Experts	Elyse DuBois	North Eastern NY Orchid Society	2A