Speakers Bureau Program Topics
Presentations are offered by the Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City on the following topics as part of our community services. Detailed information on the presentation including the speaker’s name is available by clicking on the topic title.

Root Washing: A Better Transplant
Tired of shrubs and trees dying in your yard? Learn the best way to get them to adapt and survive.

Ground Covers for Missouri
Ground covers are low-growing plants that spread quickly to form a dense cover. They add beauty to the landscape and at the same time prevent erosion.

Natives in Containers
Natives in containers? Yes, YOU can!!

Adaptive Gardening – Gardening for Life
Every gardener should identify their individual needs and adapt the environment and gardening practices to assure their capabilities are maximized.

Container Gardening – Flowers and Foliage
Container Gardening – Adding Curb Appeal All Year

Using Native Plants to Design a Theme Garden
Do you want a season-long theme garden? Have you thought about adding native plants, but not sure where to start?

Planting for Hummingbirds
Are you wanting more Hummingbirds to visit your yard?

Poinsettia Care – Before, During and After the Holidays
Did you receive or buy a poinsettia this year?

Seed Saving – The Pros and Cons
Are you thinking about saving seeds from this year’s garden?

Using Pesticides Safely
Are you a “If a little works then a lot will work better” kind of gardener? This presentation is for YOU! This presentation will talk about how to use Pesticides safely.

Integrated Pest Management – Just the Basics
Do you want to prevent pests (invertebrates, vertebrates or weeds) from destroying your garden? Integrated Pest Management is for you!

Mulching
Did you know wood and rock are not the only material gardeners can use as mulch?

Dividing Perennials-Presenter 2
This presentation will cover the clues plants give to know that it is time to divide perennials. More garden plants are the goal. The best times and conditions for divisions will be covered.

Strawberries
Growing strawberries can be fun and is very rewarding. It might even save you some money! Getting the most berries is determined by our climate, location, and using the space efficiently. And we all know, everything tastes better when it’s homegrown!

Shade Gardening
Can you have a pretty garden in the shade? Do you have light, partial, full, or dense shade?

Vegetable Gardening Introduction
Cool-season or warm-season vegetables, best location, when to plant, where to plant and all the other information to consider to have a successful gardening season. Getting the most out of our crops is determined by our climate, location, and using the space efficiently.

Winter Sowing
Get a head start on gardening outdoors in winter.

Attracting Butterflies and Bees to Your Backyard
Butterflies are pollinators and play an incredibly vital role in the food industry; however, their populations are declining. We need to learn how to sustain their populations. Let’s start with recognizing their needs, and identifying what plants attract them.

Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden
Who are the pollinators in your garden? You might be surprised by the roles some garden insects play.

Container Gardening – Vegetables/Herbs
Plants can be enjoyed anywhere and to give them the best possible environment we must learn what each plant needs. We will learn various plant requirements that are a must for success.

Dividing Perennials-Presenter 1
This presentation will cover the clues plants give to know that it is time to divide perennials. More garden plants is the goal. The best times and conditions for divisions will be covered.

Managing Japanese Beetles in the Home Landscape
Japanese Beetles are a pest to many of our plants. This will cover the do’s and don’ts of managing these insects in your garden.

Making Your Garden Buzzz … Planting a Bee Friendly Garden
Bees serve critically important roles, not only in yielding a productive garden, but in our natural ecosystems. The bees we encounter around our gardens and natural spaces include not just the well-known honey bee but also many species of native bees. Their importance intersects everyone’s daily lives as we depend on them for the food we eat.

Lasagna Gardening/Sheet Composting
Built right over existing turf without special tools or great strength, you can create a no-dig, organically rich garden which will have good drainage and be so easy to work that you can plant using your hands. It is economical because the main ingredient is your garden waste.

Pesky Pests – Ants to Whitefly
Identification and treatment of common garden pests are presented. This program is customizable for your group with advance notice.

Planting a Prairie Garden
Traditional garden design typically involves mass plantings of only a handful of species. These types of gardens often offer no forage for the types of insects we like to see in our gardens. Instead, learn how you can design your garden to become more dynamic and create an emotional connection to it and its visitors.

8 Keys to Keep Your Trees Alive
Choose a tree that can withstand the tumultuous Kansas City weather.

Annuals vs. Perennials
Unsure of what kind of plant to invest in for your garden, containers, or landscape? In this class, we will learn the differences between annuals and perennials, and discuss what options are available. Your requirements can make this decision easier for you to make with this discussion.

Orchids101
Knowing which orchid you are trying to grow is the key to its cultural requirements. Orchids, like all plants, need a balance of light, air, water and food to grow and flower well.

Succulents
In this class, we’ll learn that these water preserving plants are an easy-care choice for both indoor and outdoor gardeners. Many varieties are available as annuals, but can be wintered over and enjoyed again and again. Multiple succulent plants planted together make a big statement in a deco pot or a container garden.

Container Gardening – Flowers and Foliage
Plants can be enjoyed anywhere and to give them the best possible environment we must learn what each plant needs. We will learn various plant requirements that are a must for success.

Houseplants and Indoor Gardening
There’s really no mystery to growing plants indoors and keeping them healthy. In this course, you’ll learn how to grow bulbs, terrariums, succulents, cactus, foliage and flowering plants with ease.

Natives in the Landscape
Growing native plants in the garden or your landscaping makes it easier on the gardener. In this course, we will learn that these plants can thrive in our climate and soil without much assistance from chemicals or fertilizers. Less maintenance is required once established giving you more time to enjoy it than work at it.

Vegetable Gardening
Cool-season or warm-season vegetables, when to plant, inter-planting and succession planting are all terms you’ll need to know to have a successful gardening season. Getting the most out of our crops is determined by our climate, location, and using the space efficiently; you will learn all of these things in class.

African Violets
Love these beauties, but can’t seem to grow them? Let’s change that … with knowledge and a few tips for success, you will enjoy these flowering plants and find that they are very low-maintenance.

Art In The Garden
Almost anything can be art … it’s in the eye of the beholder! You will learn that art could consist of discarded tools, lumber, iron, water, stone, or a butterfly feeding station. Mass plantings in arches, circles, or other shapes can provide fun, beauty, and character to your garden.

Herbs
This class will be an introduction to herbs and using them for their culinary, medicinal, and spiritual benefits.

Monarch Waystation in a Suburban Yard
Monarchs are one of the most recognizable butterflies. In this class, we’ll teach you to the requirements needed to turn your yard into a Monarch Waystation that will provide for the Monarch during their migrations.

Emerald Ash Borer is Here
Gardeners, often a knowledge source for neighbors and friends, can gain full insight into the emerald ash borer insect which arrived from Asia in the mid-1990’s. Identification, treatment, research on the horizon, and advice on hiring professionals are some of the areas covered.

Emerald Ash Borer for Homeowners
Homeowners who own an Ash tree need to understand how this invasive insect is killing these trees. The decision whether to treat or remove these trees has many facets.

De-Bugging Your Garden
This program will teach garden techniques which are safe to use in the environment. Focus is the management of insect garden problems by using the least toxic method or “Integrated Pest Management”.