Where do gardening enthusiasts go to “cram?” There’s always something more to learn about gardening and plants. GoodSeed Nursery recently presented our first GoodSeed Garden Expo at Hilltop Event Center (adjacent to our garden center) to offer a learning experience for our customers and showcase our favorite products. We had an indoor “mini-trade show,” product seminars, giveaway merchandise, free samples and garden center specials, plus delicious barbecue. Admission was free.

Pam Bennett from The Ohio State University was our featured speaker. Pam is the State Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator for Ohio State University Extension, and the Clark County Extension educator. She has 37 years of horticulture experience, and just published a new book: Garden-pedia: an A-to-Z Guide to Gardening Terms.

Pam called her talk “Darn! I Wish I’d Known That!” a summary of common gardening and landscaping mistakes. Trees planted too deep, improper mulching techniques, tips on preparing garden soils, poor plant selection and more; Pam offered plenty of simple tips for successful gardening.

Leading off the program was Wayne Oney from the Southern Ohio Forestland Association, a group devoted to trees and timber management. He offered many helpful suggestions for homeowners who want healthy trees. We also heard from Gigi Neal, OSU Extension educator from Clermont County, on how to succeed with perennial vegetables like asparagus and rhubarb.

Garden columnist Faye Mahaffey offered lots of terrific ideas for “vertical gardening”, a growing trend among space-challenged plant lovers. Her presentation covered “green walls,” container gardening and “pallet gardening”.

Stephen Boehme explained the differences between petrochemical fertilizers and organics like Espoma Plant Tone, and showed us organic solutions for common garden pests and diseases. His talk was called “Food and Medicine for Gardens and Landscapes” and included a “liquid fertilizer taste test” and free samples of Espoma Garden Tone.

All in all it was a very interesting day, and many local gardeners spent the entire day focused on learning. Between each presentation we awarded door prizes contributed by Monrovia Nurseries and the Smart Pot company, maker of fabric raised beds. Over 40 prizes were awarded. The Grand Prize was a stone fire pit with a cooking grate, donated by Pavestone, won by Teresa Raines of Seaman.

We’re planning to offer this educational program on the first Saturday in June in future years. If you missed this one, rest assured that next year’s GoodSeed Garden Expo will be bigger and better!