Speaker Spotlight: Karen Chapman

Karen Chapman is the owner of Le jardinet. She is a lifelong gardener, a self-confessed plant-a-holic and travel everywhere with a large tarp in the back of the car for impromptu plant purchases. She has been a professional designer for over 15 years, initially focusing on container installations before applying that same attention to detail to landscape design, balancing her design work with teaching, writing, travel and photography.

When we asked her about a mistake she made in her garden that turned into an unexpected learning experience, she said, “I learned the hard way that “groundcover” is a verb not just a noun, and quite literally means that the unassuming little plant I thought was cute at the nursery may be a vicious thug in disguise.”

Her memories of the garden go back to her childhood in England. “Much of my childhood was spent in a garden, whether making daisy chains on the lawn, picking English bluebells in my grandad’s garden or being fascinated by the dark red color of beetroot leaves.

The one piece of advice she would give to a new gardener would be, “Experiment and have fun!”

In this session, you will discover how I turned my latest book into a profitable online course, downloadable plans, on-site workshops, magazine articles, stock photo images, an email list magnet, and PowerPoint presentations for professionals and homeowners. Learn what worked and what didn’t. Then brainstorm how YOU can do something similar.

Click here to learn more and register for the conference.

Speaker Spotlight: Amy Stewart

Amy Stewart is the author of six books about the natural world. Her first book, From the Ground Up: The Story of a First Garden, was published 20 years ago.

For over a decade, Amy Stewart wrote books about the horticultural world, but they were really stories about people who happened to be involved with plants. When she made the switch to writing novels, it meant venturing into storytelling in a new and different way.

In her session, “Moving from Nonfiction to Fiction,” which runs on Friday, August 13 from 2 to 3 p.m., Amy will talk about how she made the switch, and she’ll answer your questions about both the business and the creative side of transitioning from nonfiction to fiction. For more information on Amy, visit her website.

Click here to learn more and register for the conference.

Speaker Spotlight: Kathy Jentz

Kathy Jentz is the editor and publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine – the magazine for gardening enthusiasts in the MidAtlantic region. She is also the editor of Water Garden Journal for IWGS (International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society) as well as a social media coach. A garden communicator for over 15 years, her background is as a professional journalist.

When we asked her about a mistake she made in her garden that turned into an unexpected learning experience, she said, “When I started, I went to many plant swaps and if anyone said a plant was an “aggressive spreader” I snapped it up as I had a lot of turf grass lawn to replace with planting beds. Now, I am that person at the plant swaps giving out many pots of “aggressive spreaders” to eager newbie gardeners.”

Kathy’s garden memories go back to early childhood. “I remember picking blueberry picking in Alaska as a toddler. A butterfly landed on my knee and I freaked out, but now looking back I see what a blessing that was.”

Her best advice to a new gardener is “Don’t be afraid to fail; real gardeners kill many plants on their gardening journey.”

In her presentation, “Press Releases for Garden Communicators”, which runs from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 14, Kathy will share what she has learned in her somewhat unconventional approach. She says that she has been accused of being a “media whore” by jealous neighbors, who have noticed she has popped up in stories on every local TV and radio station and local newspaper at one time or another. She prefers to think of herself as a “savvy media maven.”

Click here to learn more and register for the conference.