Presentations

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Presentations

Summer Survivors of 2017

Presented by Melissa Shepherd, Walt Disney World; and, Kelly Greer, UF/IFAS Orange County Extension Services

greer shepherd

About the Presentation

Every year, this program takes a close look at the current season’s new varieties but what happens to those varieties when attendees leave the conference? What varieties finished out the summer strong? During the final session of the day, the three trial site managers team up to share with you their thoughts on the best performers of the 2017 trial gardens. Hear which varieties beat the odds, lasted longer, showed to be great pollinators and offered great new options for many seasons to come!

About the Presenters 

Melissa Shepherd, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL

Melissa is a 29 veteran of Walt Disney World serving as a Plant Production specialist and trial manager for the gardens at the Walt Disney World Nursery. She also serves as a judge for All America Selections a non-profit organization founded in 1932 with a mission “to promote new garden seed varieties with superior garden performance.

Kelly Greer, UF/IFAS Orange County Extension Services, Orlando, FL

Kelly provides education in Florida friendly landscaping, irrigation, pollution control, pesticide use, Integrated Pest Management, recycling, composting and resource conservation. She teaches educational and motivating workshops to Florida homeowners on creating and maintaining “Florida-friendly” yards that are attractive and almost carefree with “earth-smart” practices. Kelly has a M.A., in Management and Leadership from Webster University and B.S. in Agriculture from University of Missouri with a major in Horticulture.

It's all about the plants!