2021 State Master Gardener Volunteer Continued Training Conference

Our Keynote Speakers

Wednesday, October 20 — Abra Lee

Abra Lee is a national speaker, writer, and founder of Conquer the Soil, a community dedicated to celebrating the history, art, and culture of horticulture! She has spent a whole lotta time in the dirt as a municipal arborist, extension agent, airport landscape manager, and more. Lee is a graduate of Auburn University College of Agriculture and an alumna of the Longwood Gardens Society of Fellows, a global network of public horticulture professionals.

The Great American Garden Road Trip

From an extraordinary tale of espionage in the name of flowers to familial ties to the Harlem Renaissance, Florida has long sown seeds of greatness in the garden. Join as we make our way across America and celebrate the plant people behind these historic achievements.

Thursday, October 21 — Dr. Rick Schoellhorn

Dr. Rick Schoellhorn is a retired plant lover who has worked in both industry and academia in his career, but has always focused on new plants and new plant introductions. He has toured the United States, Indonesia, Holland, Germany, Spain, Madeira Island Portugal, Costa Rica, Japan, South Africa, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico, collecting plants and consulting with growers.

Rick has been the Director of New Products for Proven Winners and a professor at the University of Florida. Prior to this, Rick worked in retail nursery sales, golf course maintenance, nursery production, and interiorscape installation and design. He is the co-author of "Your Florida Guide to Perennials" with Dr. Sydney Park-Brown.

New News is Good News

Join Dr. Rick Schoellhorn for a look at what's new in the industry and might offer some good landscape choices for Florida. Each year all the plant breeding companies from around the globe show off their new releases and with a bit of filtering, you can find some wonderful new plants to try in your containers and garden!