A Garden Symposium

JOIN US FOR OUR 2026 GARDEN SYMPOSIUM
MARCH 28, 2026
9AM TO 3 PM

Sustainability Building, 508 Lakeland Road, Blackwood NJ 08012

WEEDS ARE AWESOME with Emily Salmons

What makes a plant a weed? And how can I manage weeds in my garden? There are Integrated Weed Management practices which answer the questions…

· Does my plant choice make a difference?

· What’s the right soil and what amendments make a difference?

· Should I mulch or not?

· What type of mulch should I use?

After a lively discussion, Emily will identify and advise on all the weeds that plague us!

Emily Salmons graduated from the Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener Program and worked for 10 years as an outdoor display gardener in the West Section, responsible for the outdoor annual displays and mixed shrub and perennial borders. She has had her own residential garden design/installation business, Garden Medic, since 2000.

THE ROLE OF NATIVE PLANTS IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN: LANDSCAPING WITH A PURPOSE with Randi Eckel

Through proper plant selection we can both beautify and greatly enhance the natural environment - we can use native plants in landscape design to elevate gardens to a higher purpose. A garden that supports wildlife brings a garden alive! Randi will discuss some of the many interactions between native plants and wildlife while emphasizing the importance of native diversity and sustainability in landscaping.

Dr. Randi Eckel has been working with native plants for over 35 years, and founded the mail-order native plant nursery Toadshade Wildflower Farm in 1996 to further public awareness and availability of native plants. A life-long naturalist, lover of nature, entomologist, and confirmed plant and ecology nerd, Randi specializes in the interactions between plants and other living things. She is known for her lively and engaging lectures and workshops on growing and propagating native plants, and offers interesting, nuanced information on the complex issues facing native plants and native plant communities. She is the past president, and is currently serving as the vice president, of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey.

A boxed lunch will be provided, you will be asked your choice during check out.