Roger Swain
Date: Friday, June 8     Time: 7:45pm - 9pm

Sponsored by Mountain State Health Alliance

Roger Swain, ‘the man with the red suspenders,’ is recognized by millions as host of “The Victory Garden,” television’s longest-running gardening show. For 15 years Roger planted and pruned, harvested and chatted with PBS viewers. More recently he has been co-hosting “People, Places and Plants” a show celebrating New England gardens and gardeners airing on the cable network HGTV. Roger is also the Science Editor of Horticulture magazine. He is the author of numerous articles as well as five books: Earthly Pleasures, Field Days, The Practical Gardener, Saving Graces, and Groundwork. Roger Swain received the American Horticultural Society Award for writing in 1992, and was awarded the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Gold Medal for his ‘power to inspire others.’

Planting Villages: How Gardens Make Good Neighbors - Why garden? Plants provide food, comfort and amusement, but their cultivation also shapes the communities in which we live. Where we plant may be more important even than what we grow. In this respect, not all gardens are equal. Some are pro-village, some are anti-village. The best are those that provide an opportunity for shared enjoyment. Whether you want to find out about the people next door or in the next town, plants are where conversations start, where strangers meet and become friends. Join Roger Swain, as he crisscrosses the nation peering into front yards, back alleys, farmers' markets and flower festivals, celebrating the gardens and practices that unite us all.

Erica Glasener
Date: Saturday, June 9     Time: 7:45pm - 9pm

Sponsored by General Shale Products, LLC

Horticulturist and author, Erica has hosted “A Gardener’s Diary” on Home and Garden Television (HGTV) for twelve years. "A Gardener's Diary" is being broadcasted starting March 23, Monday - Thursday at 8am on HGTV. Living and gardening in Atlanta, Georgia, she writes a biweekly column on plants and garden design for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She is the co-author with Walter Reeves of The Georgia Gardener’s Guide and Month-By-Month Gardening in Georgia. Erica has also served as a contributing editor for Fine Gardening magazine. Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Farmer’s Almanac, and Atlanta Magazine.

As the host of “A Gardener’s Diary” on HGTV for 12 years I have traveled throughout the United States and visited gardens and gardeners of all types. I will share some of my impressions of these diverse gardens, talk about some of the wonderful plants I discovered, and the people that create the gardens.