Shellene Mueller

Hiring a landscape professional can be daunting. What is the difference between a landscape contractor, a landscape designer and a landscape architect? How can these professionals help you to get the best use and most enjoyment out of your yard. What should you look for? How do you know how to get your best value? You’ll learn this and more in this timely, informational and entertaining seminar.

Shellene Mueller is the principal Landscape Designer of Designs by Shellene, she also is a California State Licensed Contractor and runs a successful specialty Landscape company, Rustica Garden Works, with her husband Carl. Shellene provides residential landscape design services to clients in the greater San Diego area. They specialize in drought tolerant design/low water use landscapes with a timeless appeal. Shellene has won numerous awards for her drought tolerant landscapes, and always strives to educate on the functionality, beauty and low maintenance aspects of this style of garden design. Shellene works closely with her husband Carl of Rustica Garden Works in the creation and installation of custom garden structures and garden installations, this hands on approach aides her greatly in the design process. Having construction knowledge is key in designing not only a beautiful garden but a realistic and functional garden.

Debra Lee Baldwin

Award-winning garden photojournalist Debra Lee Baldwin explains how top designers use geometric, architectural succulents to enhance gardens and containers with spectacular blooms and foliage of every color—including cherry red, sky blue and magenta-black. As Debra shows the wide range of succulents now available, you'll discover how to use these sculptural plants to beautifully express your personal style. Included are low-maintenance, easy-care container arrangements perfect for patios, entryways and decks. More Info...

Greg Rubin

California native plants fly in the face of traditional landscaping. They have different needs and have gained a reputation for being “difficult” to grow. In truth, they are easy to grow and care for if you understand their needs. These beautiful plants require minimal water and care once they are established. Find out how with Greg Rubin.

Greg Rubin, owner of California's Own Native Landscape Design, started working with native plants back in 1985, while renovating his parent's home in Chatsworth, CA. Soon, he was landscaping for friends and family on weekends and holidays. Demand continued to rise, and by 1993, Greg was able to start his successful and unusual landscaping business. Since that time, his company has designed over 400 native landscapes in San Diego County. Greg has been featured in a number of periodicals including the North County Times, Union Tribune, and magazines such as Sunset, San Diego Home and Garden, San Diego Reader, and California Gardener. Media coverage includes appearances on KGTV, KUSI, and KFMB. He has also been a repeat guest on KPBS radio’s These Days with Tom Fudge. Greg regularly gives presentations on native plants to garden clubs and other organizations throughout San Diego County. More info...

Aenne Carver

These scented, magical, useful plants are drought tolerant and practically pest proof. Learn the basic care for these plants, how to use them to solve landscape problems, and explore how you can enhance your lifestyle with herbs. In such tough economic times herbs can provide for mere pennies: gifts, delicious food, cards, drinks, and decoration.

Aenne K. Carver : San Diego Natural History Museum Instructor * Currently Gardening in Lakeside, California * Docent at Carlsbad Flower Fields * Garden Expert on TV and Radio * UCCE Master Gardener * Garden Topic Author * Reformed Paralegal * Garden Lecturer * Floral Designer * Craft Instructor

Don and Laura Starr

Your only limit is your own creativity. Learn the basics of planting and caring for beautiful and fascinating succulents in containers. Utilizing these principles, you can create accents and centerpieces for your garden, office and home with succulent plants. Sure you could use a traditional pot, but go for the gusto and let your imagination soar.

Award winning succulent container garden designers (1st and 2nd 2010 San Diego County Fair) and landscape designers Don and Laura Starr are crazy about succulents! They have a unique line of hand crafted container gardens created from repurposed materials and create sustainable landscapes appropriate for the local Southern California climate. Laura became a Master Gardener in 2001, a Sustainable Landscape Expert in 2010. She is a member of several local horticultural and garden clubs. Don spent 15 years building and restoring homes in both old and new areas of San Diego County. They are members of the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society and write the “Now is the Time” on succulents and cacti for California Garden magazine. They trained and continue to attend classes in the Horticulture Department at Cuyamaca College to keep up on the latest in irrigation, techniques and plant care. Besides owning hundreds of succulents, they also have three cats and live in 1926 bungalow near downtown San Diego.

Evelyn Weidner

Evelyn Weidner brings a lifetime of knowledge to her audiences. She mixes knowledge and humor so everyone learns and laughs. She will demonstrate the techniques of making Tabletop Waterwise Fairy Gardens. You will learn how to make an outdoor fairy nook with ideas for children's handmade accessories. It’s a wonderful project for the whole family and will keep children entranced and using their imaginations. Weidner will bring along all the tiny fairy furniture that make the fairies happy.

Evelyn Weidner, owner of Weidners’ Nursery in Encinitas. An avid horticulturist, she and her family have spent many years seeking the best plants for San Diego gardens. She is heavily involved in the community.

Pat Welsh

Growing your own food organically is one of the best presents you can give yourself and your family. Nothing beats homegrown vegetables for nutrition and flavor, plus they are fun to grow! Join this old/new ecological movement and know exactly where your food is coming from and what is going into it. With joy and enthusiasm, Pat Welsh will show you how.

Pat Welsh, author, lecturer, artist. Pat has been educating Southern California gardeners on how to optimize their gardens for decades through her books, lectures and other writing. She is passionate about gardens and plants and shares her knowledge widely, having fun and making it fun for everyone.

Jan Tubiolo

Despite early season rains the price of water in San Diego is going up and the availability is going down. These trends are predictable for the near and long term future. The leading use of water is in the landscape, but there are ways to have a beautiful landscape which meets all your needs and still uses less water. Learn about plants and landscaping tips which will help you plan for the future by saving water now.

Jan Tubiolo volunteers at the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College. She worked in the water industry and was one of the dreamers who helped that garden come into creation to educate the public about water conservation.

Cynthia Benoit

Cindy Benoit (www.BenoitExteriorDesign.com) is an award winning licensed landscape architect with over 30 years of design experience in Southern California and Hawaii. She has been featured in San Diego Home & Garden Lifestyles, Décor & Style, Better Homes & Gardens Outdoor Casual and Luxe magazines. Most recently her designs were filmed for 2 upcoming DIY (Do It Yourself) Network shows, "Indoors Out" and "Rock Solid". She holds degrees in both horticulture and environmental design and spends her free time lecturing, judging and exhibiting at garden shows. Although accomplished in creating urban centers, commercial developments, recreational facilities and public parks, her passion and specialty is residential landscape design.

Lynlee Austell-Slayter

This lecture will present three ways to sustainability in our landscapes, giving joy to all who live, visit and work therein. Creating a sustainable landscape can be rather simple while keeping it sustainable requires sustainable maintenance practices. These techniques save time, money and habitat while practicing conscientious stewardship of our environment and of those we employ to help us in our gardens. Lynlee will show three paths to make your landscape more sustainable, from keeping everything you have and changing techniques to full renovation.

Lynlee Austell-Slayter, MBA, UCCE Master Gardener, Sustainable Landscape Expert. Lynlee inherited her love of plants and nature from both her parents and grandparents. Her mother was a botanist and science teacher. Her grandfather collected state fair ribbons for his horticultural talents as did her father. Her father also worked as a florist for some time. When Lynlee was in undergraduate microbiology and described what she wanted to do with her life, someone told her she was naive. Yet, she now lives that intention by helping to preserve our natural environment and helping others see the joy in nature. Lynlee has been a UCCE Master Gardener since 2008 and completed additional training in Sustainable Landscape Principals and Integrated Pest Management.