Georgia Native Plant Society
Speakers Bureau

The following GNPS members are knowledgeable about gardening with native plants in the southeast and about GNPS activities. They lecture to garden clubs community groups and other interested organizations on the topics listed. Please contact speakers directly.



Name Walter Bland
Address 82 Brighton Road NE
Atlanta GA 30309
Telephone 404 626-8020
Email jwbland@bellsouth.net
Topics
  • Native Trees -- a survey of common native trees of Georgia and the Southeast (talk and slide show)
  • Plant Communities of the Ridge and Valley -- overview of native habitats and plant communities of the Ridge and Valley area of Georgia (talk and slide show)
  • Native Wildflowers of the Piedmont -- overview of best wildflowers for gardeners in the Piedmont of Georgia and other southeastern states (talk and slide show).
Background Walter has been an avid gardener for over 20 years.  In the last ten years he has focused almost exclusively on native plants. Currently he manages a family farm in northwest Georgia and is working on collecting and propagating native grasses.
Fee None. If location is more than 20 miles Speaker requests coverage of mileage expenses.



Name Ken Gohring
Address 2322 Habersham Drive
Marietta GA 30064
Telephone 770 401-8298
Email KGohring@aol.com
Topics
  • Native Azaleas
  • Native Understory Plants
  • Native Plant Rescue
Background
  • MA Washington University (math)
  • Retired from Norfolk Southern Corp. (Operations Research)
  • Member GNPS since 1999. Offices: Publicity Chair, Treasurer, Webmaster, Regional Plant Rescue Coordinator, Regional Plant Rescue Site Procurement Coordinator, Author of numerous articles for NativeSCAPE (GNPS Newsletter), served on numerous committees.
  • Other: President Azalea Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society 2006-7, Regional Director District 10 of American Rhododendron Society 2006-7; Member Oconee Chapter of the Azalea Society of America; Member Georgia Botanical Society
Fee None. Reimbursement of reproduction costs or gas expense if long distance travel involved would be helpful.



Name Karen Lindauer
Address 4782 Westhampton Drive
Tucker, GA 30084
Telephone 770 934-4294
Email Klindauer@bellsouth.net
Topics
  • Gardening with Native and Drought Tolerant Plants
  • Native & Drought Tolerant Shrubs for Home Gardens
  • Inviting Nature Home - Practical Information on soil, the importance of insects, water collection and conservation & selection of specific nature plants for Georgia gardens.
Background
  • GNPS Rescue Facilitator
  • volunteer at the Georgia Perimeter College Botanical Gardens
  • coordinator Fern Creek Habitat Restoration Project at UUCA
  • passionate gardener
Fee $35



Name Shannon Pable
Address 3772 Lake Jackson Court
Buford GA 30519
Telephone 770 271-4438
Email scpable@charter.net
Website www.shannonpable.com
Topics
  • Creating Curb Appeal
  • Designing a Woodland Shade Garden
  • Tuff Tufa--hands-on with hypertufa
  • Barbarians in the Riparian--Gardening along buffers dealing with exotic invasives restoration
  • Earth Friendly Landscaping
  • Organic Alternatives
  • Design with Conifers for our hot SE climate
  • Color Theory
  • Edible & Medicinal Plants in the Wilderness and more
Background
  • Life-long artist & gardener
  • Certified arborist
  • Interests in wild edible & medicinal plants
  • Award winning garden designer specializing in native plants and environmentally friendly landscape designs (owner of Shannon's Garden Gallery).
  • Published writer, photographer, illustrator and muralist.
  • Contributes monthly articles for Georgia Gardening Magazine.
  • Guest designer on HGTV's Landscape Solutions.
  • 2005 President for the Gwinnett Master Gardeners
  • Co-Chair for the 2005 Southeastern Flower Show Landscape Division.
Fee Negotiable



Name Eddie Rhoades
Address 667 Longwood Court
Marietta GA 30008
Telephone 678 354-6394
Email eddie@bittersweetgardens.com
Website www.bittersweetgardens.com
Topics
  • Personalize Your Garden with Yard Art: A humorous program on the Tacky side of gardening
  • Edible Landscaping: Mixing vegetables with flowers fruits and berries and more
  • Amending the Soil: Use of mulch, compost, green manure and commercial products
  • The Garden Life: The A to Z of becoming a gardener
Background
  • Lifetime Master Gardener
  • Garden writer
  • Speaker at Master Gardener Regional Conference in Athens; Master Gardener Southeastern Regional Conference in Knoxville and Mobile for Garden.com (six times). More details at the Bittersweet Gardens website.
Fee Depends on distance and attendance. My wife Linda handles all booking engagements.



Name Jim Rodgers aka Snakeman
Address 776 McBride Road
Fayetteville, Ga 30215
Telephone 770 460-6284
Email NearlyNativeNursery@hotmail.com
Topics
  • Native plants
  • Oaks, flowering perennials, seed propagation, palms, interpretive walks, etc.
  • Native snakes (slideshow, live reptiles, or both)
  • Flintknapping (making tools as primitive man did).
Background Jim has always been interested in the native flora and fauna. His formal native plant background was taught to him by George Sanko at Georgia Perimeter College. Jim was instrumental in the groundbreaking of the Botanical Gardens at GPC. He has been gardening with and studying native plants for over 20 years. He has been doing snake programs and putting on Flintknapping demonstrations for the last 5 or so years.
Fee Negotiable



Name Sandra J. Sandefur
Address 4885 Due West Road
Kennesaw Georgia 30152
Telephone 770 422-1080
Topics
  • Designing under the Native Influence
  • Natives for Shade
  • Natives for Sun
  • Inquire for Other Topics
Background Owner of Dogwood Knoll Design. Entering the twenty-second year of designing with perennials and native plants. Concentrating on appointments in North Fulton, Cobb, Paulding, Cherokee and Douglas Counties.
Fee $75 plus travel expenses if over 25 miles from office in West Cobb County.



Name James W. (Jim) Smith
Address 1420 Eagle Ridge Road
Dawsonville Georgia 30534
Telephone 706 265-1823
Email jsmith4@windstream.net
Topics
  • Propagation
  • Native Medicinal Plants
  • Gardening with Natives
  • Field Trips (plant identification)
  • Trees
Background
  • Graduate Forester - B.S. and M.S. from Syracuse Univ.
  • Member and Past President Georgia Native Plant Society
  • Member Georgia Botanical Society
  • Lifetime Georgia Master Gardener
  • Member Mountain Conservation Trust
  • Member and botanical advisor for Mountain Stewards
  • Writer
Fee Negotiable, depending on the group and the travel involved






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Last update:  April 27, 2010