Horticultural Heavyweights Are Heading to the Cincinnati Botanical Garden & Zoo

Posted February 13, 2019 by Scott Beuerlein

The Botanical Garden side of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has been getting a lot of notice in public gardening circles lately. Our plant trialing program continues to grow, and we’ve been honored to host events by major players in the green industry, including the Perennial Plant Association, the International Plant Propagators Society, the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, Professional Grounds Maintenance Society, the Association of Zoo Horticulture, and others. This year, we are pleased to be hosting the highly respected Protecting Pollinators Urban Landscapes Conference, which was founded by and is jointly planned by Michigan State University and North Carolina State University.

As attendees come to these events, they realize what a good thing we have going on here in Cincinnati, both at the CZBG and the other fine gardens in the area whom we are pleased to call friends. We have gotten gratifying feedback from top horticulturists and gardeners all around the country.

Our Excellence in Horticulture Series of symposiums have contributed greatly to our rising stature in the horticultural world. To date we have held twenty single day symposiums, and we have hosted such A-List speakers as Tony Avent, Dr. Alan Armitage, Kelly Norris, Dr. Peter Zale, Carol Reese, Dr. Hardy Eshbaugh, Bill Hendricks, Hope Taft, Dr. Richard Olsen, Claudia West, Dr. Margaret Pooler, Dr. Paul Cappiello, and dozens of others.

Area gardeners and industry professionals have benefited from these presentations and the cutting edge and expert information they receive. In the community, this has translated into more and better landscapes.

But we’re not resting on our laurels, and this year’s speaker roster might be our strongest yet! Check this out!

Sustainable Urban Landscapes Symposium, March 14, 2019
  • Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar, Cardiologist, Researcher of Urban Forestry and Human Health
  • Laura Ekasetya, Director of the Lurie Garden in Chicago
  • Dale Hendricks, Top Expert in Sustainable Horticulture;
  • Laura Kunkle, Director of America in Bloom
  • Chad Peevy, Old Dominion University
  • Steve Foltz, Director of Horticulture here at CZBG.

Sound amazing? But wait. There’s more! Check out these speakers for future programs!

Plant Trials Day Symposium, August 29, 2019
  • Dr. Michael Dirr, Author and Plant Introducer
  • Panayoti Kelaidis, Director of Horticulture and Outreach, Denver Botanical Garden, Author
  • Bill Thomas, Director of Chanticleer Gardens, Author
  • Janet Draper, Director of the Mary Ripley Garden, D.C., and President of the Perennial Plant Assoc.
  • Others TBA
Native Plant Symposium, November 9, 2019
  • Dr. Doug Tallamy, Author of Bringing Nature Home, Entomologist, U. of Delaware
  • Larry Weaner, Author of The Garden Revolution, Designer
  • Larry Mellichamp, Director of the NC Arboretum, Charlotte and Author
  • Others TBA

All of these speakers are internationally recognized horticulture experts who have heard about our work and want to be part of our programs, and we are flattered and honored to host them! Further, cementing our relationships with them and others across the globe helps us to improve our Botanical Garden, raise interest in CZBG, draw more guests, and to continue to make a positive difference in our community through the better human health and well-being, and all the environmental benefits that horticulture brings to urban and suburban landscapes.

Tickets are on sale for all three symposiums. Most of our events have been selling well in advance, so we encourage you to registers soon. Details and registration here:

http://cincinnatizoo.org/horticulture/horticulture_events/