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Garden Day 2013 - Keynote Presenters


Jane L. Taylor: Founding curator of the Michigan 4-H Children's Garden

Jane L. Taylor

Morning Garden Day Keynote

Presentation Title: Gardens Grow Communities!

Celebrating 20 years- Gardens Grow Communities! The MSU Horticulture Gardens were dedicated August 11, 1993, and the initial planning started in 1987. The Gardens are privately funded, and we'll take a look back to the beginning and the impact over the years the MSU Gardens have had on gardens and gardening across the country. Horticulture is ". . . the great green carpet that covers the earth", our gardens provide visual beauty, food for our bodies and feasts for our souls. In our 21st century technological world they also provide a place of sanctuary and promote a sense of community.

Jane L. Taylor is the founding curator of the Michigan 4-H Children's Garden, and was an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University.

Jane is the recipient of several awards and was the first recipient of the ‘Jane L. Taylor Great American Gardeners Award' in 2000, an annual namesake award from the American Horticultural Society

Dedicated in 1993, the 4-H Children's Garden is considered the model for the design of children's gardens across America. She serves on the design team for the master planning of many children's gardens across the country and is author and coauthor of MSU Extension publications, magazine and journal articles and is a frequent garden presenter. Her talk, Gardens Grow Communities!, will take a look back to the MSU Gardens beginnings and a look forward to our greener future.

Felder Rushing: Founder of Slow Gardening, motivational garden teacher

Felder Rushing

Afternoon Garden Day Keynote

Presentation Title: Slow Garden - All Senses, All Seasons

Slow Gardening is neither lazy nor laid-back - it is a highly-personal and stress-free garden style that focuses on knowing what you are doing, and why. It helps us focus on finding and following our garden bliss - whatever that may be - savoring every bit and sharing it with others.

Felder Rushing is one of the country's most popular motivational garden teachers, with practical insights buried deeply in sometimes horticultural-irreverent, but always-humorous, anecdotes. The founder of Slow Gardening is a syndicated newspaper columnist and host of an NPR-affiliate radio program, and has written or co-authored 18 gardening books. He lives half the year in England and travels across the US the other half, spreading the gospel of gardening for personal satisfaction. Felder, who is the Q&A guy for HGTV, has worked alongside Norm Lownds and Jane Taylor all over the country, and has made many garden presentations throughout Michigan.
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