Speakers: Bios and Topics
MGGNO Speakers Bureau
Hot Topics 2017-2018
The Master Gardeners of Greater New Orleans Speakers Bureau is a free community outreach service providing educational programs in Louisiana horticulture to groups and organizations. Speakers are Master Gardener volunteers who have completed the Louisiana Master Gardener training provided by the LSU Cooperative Extension Service. Programs are selected and prepared by Master Gardeners that reflect both their expertise and interests.
Master Gardeners will speak to groups in the Greater New Orleans area. Garden clubs, schools, businesses, churches, neighborhood and civic organizations are invited to take advantage of this learning opportunity.
Most programs are delivered as PowerPoint presentations and typically last approximately 30 minutes.
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PRESENTERS |
Bringing Birds Into Your Backyard This Program shows how to attract native and migrating birds into our yards by growing shrubs for nesting and using seeds, flowers and berries to keep them coming back for more. |
 MARIEANNE ARATA marata@mggno.com A master gardener since 2008, Marieanne and her husband are passionate wildlife gardeners. Each year at their home on two acres in Waggaman, many bird species enjoy nesting and feeding in their magnificent native landscape. A large pond attracts many water birds, and at dusk, bats. She is also a member of Petals of North Bridgedale Garden Club and a board member of Friends of Jefferson the Beautiful.
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Herbs … Top 10 from Herb Society Survey Curious what herbs are growing in the gardens of herb afficiandos? This presentation shares the Top 10 Herbs published by the Herb Society of America. Learn how to grow and use these flavorful and fragrant plants from a local expert in herb culture.
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 ANNE BARNES abarnes@mggno.com A longtime member of the Herb Society of America New Orleans Unit, Anne has been growing and sharing her love of herbs her entire life. She is equally passionate about her collection of over 80 salvia that attract the butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds populating her wildlife garden, which she has lovingly cultivated for 25 years. Her uptown garden was granted the Greenbridges(TM) certification from the Herb Society of America for her use of native plants to create a habitat for pollinators. In addition to being a master gardener, Anne is also a Louisiana Master Naturalist.Anne is not available for presentations on Fridays. |
| Butterfly Gardening * Get a thorough introduction to the variety of Butterfly species that can be seen in our area and how you can support and attract these very important insects to your space with special plants and features in your garden. (45 minutes required to present)
My Weeds, My Bugs and How They Matter*
* Available only to groups of 50 or more |
 TAMMANY BAUMGARTEN tbaumgarten@mggno.com is the owner and operator of BaumGardens Landscape & Design and has designed, installed and maintained gardens throughout the New Orleans area for almost 20 years. She is a licensed Landscape Horticulturist with the State of Louisiana, a member of the Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association, the Louisiana Native Plant Society and a Past President of the Master Gardeners of Greater New Orleans. She has a keen interest in sustainable horticultural practices and is an avid proponent of native and wildlife gardening. Her love of butterfly and hummingbird gardening brought about a lot of experimentation with growing unique and different flowers from seed and thus the love of cottage-style gardening which she practices in her Broadmoor yard and now on 35 acres in Tylertown, Mississippi.
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Blueberries and Bees In this presentation, Eileen shares results of ongoing Mississippi Master Gardener projects that encourage landscaping with blueberries and native bees. Learn how to cultivate blueberries— native plants prized equally for their fruit as well as their finely textured foliage making them excellent landscape shrubs and food for wildlife. Enabling Gardens for the Aged or Impaired Coping with a recent disability? Want to take up a proven therapeutic hobby? Facing decreasing mobility or strength? Getting a little older and feel the yard is becoming a chore? In this presentation, Eileen discusses tools and techniques to make gardening easier and barrier-free. She shows designs that she has implemented in her own garden. Firewise Trees and Shrubs In this presentation, Eileen lists trees and shrubs that are highly combustible and should never be planted close to a house or building. She discusses firewise trees and shrubs that are fire resistant substitutes.
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 EILEEN HOLLANDER ehollander@mggno.com Eileen Hollander is a very active speaker in the local gardening community with expertise in a variety of horticulture topics. A Louisiana Master Gardener since 2000, she earned the designation of Advanced Louisiana Master Gardener in 2016. She frequently hosts tours of her prized Louisiana iris collection at her uptown home and currently oversees the Louisiana Iris multi-site project. In addition to MGGNO, Eileen has served on the Boards of the Greater New Orleans Iris Society, Mississippi Master Gardener Association and Southeast Daylily Society.
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Made for the Shade Shade gardens don’t have to be boring. Punch it up with color, shape and interest. And best of all – not a blade of grass to mow! My own front yard is covered by the deep shade of the graceful branches of a live oak tree. Underneath it grows a garden with year round interest and beauty. Let me show you how. Meet the Natives – Gardening with Natives in South Louisiana Native plants and trees are naturally adapted to local environmental conditions. They require far less water, saving you time, money, and maintenance needs. In addition, natives provide vital habitat for birds and many other species of wildlife that imports simply cannot provide. |
 NELL HOWARD nhoward@mggno.com Natives Enthusiast; Tree Trooper Trained; LA Master Gardener since 2007; Certified Nursery and Landscape Professional since 2016; Parkway Partners Education and Greenhouse Manager 1998 – 2015; current Volunteer Liaison for Parkway Partners.
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Adding Spice to your Louisiana Landscape with Gingers Stunning tropicals that thrive in our South Louisiana gardens are revealed. Learn how to take advantage of our warmer climate and create excitement in your garden with butterfly gingers, shampoo gingers and hidden gingers.
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 GLEN LABORDE glaborde@mggno.com A master gardener since 2013, Glen has a masters in science education from UNO. He is a volunteer mentor for the New Orleans master gardening training classes and volunteers with the Pelican Greenhouse at their monthly plant sales. He loves tropicals, roses, camellias, and citrus.
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Tour of Vegetable and Herb Beds at NOBG Join us as we walk through the aromatic, medicinal and vegetable beds at the New Orleans Botanical Gardens. We will discuss what’s growing and provide tips for recreating these plantings and practical uses for these plants in your own gardens. (Available only when garden is open.)Vegetable Gardening Fall Discover techniques and proven varieties for planting a successful fall garden. Vegetable Gardening Spring Discover techniques and proven varieties for planting a successful spring garden. |
 MELISSA LUER mluer@mggno.com Melissa Luer has been a Master Gardener since 2008. She has been project manager for the community gardens at Hollygrove Market and for the Victory Garden at the National World War II Museum. She currently heads the MG volunteers at NOBG in the vegetable garden.
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The Colombian Exchange- The Movement of Plants Around the Globe Humans have moved plants far outside of their natural range, greatly altering the botanical world in the process. This presentation traces the early movement of many of our most popular crops, spices, and vegetables across thousands of miles and many of the oceans in the holds of ships, the bottom of canoes, and the baggage of caravans. This early globalization and trade of plants is a fascinating window into human history and just how truly “global” our gardens truly are. A History of Garden Design From the ancient world to contemporary times, gardens have gone through many changes. Tracing the history of gardening is an interesting way to observe our changing relationship to the natural world as well as our impact on the environment. This lecture touches upon new and old utilitarian designs, gardens as contemporary art, as well as the role gardens play in our lives today as compared to the past. Learning to Live With and Love Water New Orleans is surrounded by water, meaning that we live with the effects of it in our daily lives. Gardening and landscaping choices can actively impact storm water movement, soil moisture retention, and our ability to survive future weather events. Learning to work with and love our water related challenges can start right in your own backyard. Organic Gardening Basics Organic gardening has become increasingly popular in our society. This presentation covers just what the term organic means, how to implement organic and sustainable practices in your yard and garden, good basic organic pest solutions, as well as touches upon the USDA guidelines for organic labeling for food products.
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 ANNA TIMMERMAN atimmerman@mggno.com Anna Timmerman is the LSU AgCenter Agent in Jefferson Parish. She has been working in the horticulture industry for fifteen years in a variety of applications, including greenhouses, residential landscaping, urban farming, and large-scale organic market gardening. She is a member of the Herb Society of America- New Orleans Unit as well as a 4-H and FFA alumni.
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Basics on Raising Chickens Gain basic knowledge on raising chickens in your backyard and the life cycle of chicken eggs. Growing Louisiana Irises Learn how to grow this most prized perennial–the Louisiana iris. This presentation will include tips on identifying LA irises, planting, caring, propagating and controlling common diseases. |
LINDA VINSANAU
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Online Resources for NOLA Gardeners Googling gardening information online is fast and easy but does not always guarantee you’ll find answers appropriate for our NOLA climate. In this presentation, you’ll learn how to ensure you find reliable information every time you search the Internet. Plus we’ll share the favorite sites and resources followed by LSU AgCenter experts and New Orleans master gardeners. Super Plants for Your Louisiana Landscape – Summer Selections Want to ensure you get the most bang for your bucks when planting your summer garden? Discover the latest Louisiana Super Plants tested and recommended by the LSU AgCenter. All guaranteed to add color and curb appeal plus many attract butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. Super Plants for Your Louisiana Landscape – Cool-Season Selections Fall is the ideal time to plant many Louisiana Super Plants particularly hardy shrubs and trees in addition to cool-season annual color. Discover the latest plants tested and recommended by LSU AgCenter that will grow reliably in our climate. |
 LINDA WEGMANN lwegmann@mggno.com Linda Wegmann has been an active volunteer with the Louisiana Master Gardener program since 1999. She has served in various leadership roles and currently chairs the MGGNO Speakers Bureau, which she helped launch in 2014. An advocate of the Louisiana Super Plant program, Linda enjoys experimenting and sharing her experiences with the latest LSP introductions. She is also a volunteer at Our Lady of Wisdom Healthcare Center in Algiers.
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Perennials for NOLA* This presentation explores the herbaceous perennials best suited for our NOLA climate. Learn the varieties recommended for sun and shade, how to grow, propagate and maintain these plants for year-round interest in your landscape.* Only available for evening presentations. |
TRICIA WRUBLESKI
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* Available only to groups of 50 or more PowerPoint presentation – requires HDMI-compatible TV or projector |