Fall Gardeners’ Festival

Questions?

Reach out to the Plateau AgResearch and Education Center by phone at 931-484-0034.

Schedule

9:00 AM

Classroom A: Butterflies: “Flying Flowers” in the Garden
Kris Light, Science Outreach Coordinator
Learn about the common butterflies of Tennessee and how to attract them to your garden.

Tent B: Conifer Care Walk and Talk
Dr. Andy Pulte, UT Professor
This walk and talk session will explore a variety of conifers well-suited to Tennessee’s climate and growing conditions. Learn which species and cultivars perform best in our region, how to select the right conifer for your landscape, and key care practices that will help them thrive for years to come.

Tent C: Feeding the Veggies that Feed Us
Dr. Natalie Bumgarner, UT Professor and Extension Specialist
This session will focus on understanding the water and nutrient needs of vegetables in our home gardens, raised beds, and containers. Learn practical steps to provide what garden vegetables need for productive and tasty success!

Tent D: *To Bee or Not to Bee (Cats. 3, 10, 12)
Dr. Jennifer Tsuruda, Assistant Professor and Apiculture Specialist
Think you might be interested in beekeeping? Or just want to learn more about the wonderful world of a honeybee? This talk will go over the ins and outs getting started in beekeeping – challenges, rewards, and all!

Tent E: *Fruit Tree Pruning and Care (Cats. 3, 10, 12)
Dr. Annie Vogel, Assistant Professor and Fruit Specialist
Dormant pruning can be a daunting task. Learning the basic principles will simplify this task and improve fruit quality, yield, and disease management.

Tent F: Wagon Tours

10:00 AM

Classroom A: Social Media Gardening Trends
Lucas Holman, UT Extension, Wilson County Director
Learn about the gardening trends that are popping up all over social media.

Tent B: Bog Gardening with Pitcher Plants
Jason Reeves, Horticulturist, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Discover the fascinating world of carnivorous plants in this talk on growing and caring for pitcher plants and other bog-loving species. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced gardener, you’ll learn just how simple and rewarding it can be to cultivate these unique plants at home.

Tent C: Tennessee Lawns and their Alternatives
Dr. Becky Grubbs Bowling, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist
Tennessee’s transition-zone climate presents unique opportunities and challenges for residential lawns, making informed turfgrass selection more important than ever. Learn about updated UT turfgrass selection resources, recent research, and emerging science on turf alternatives to help homeowners and professionals make informed decisions.

Tent D: Home Hydroponics
Taylor Reeder, UT Extension Agent, Williamson County
Discover the basics of growing in a home hydroponic system. Explore how hydroponics works, discuss the benefits of soilless gardening, and review several popular setups for home growers and other beginner-friendly designs.

Tent E: *Managing Disease in Home Fruit and Vegetables (Cats. 3, 10, 12)
Dr. Jensen Hayter, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist
Tips for both cultural and chemical (organic and conventional) control of common pathogens in backyard fruit and vegetables.

Tent F: Wagon Tours

11:00 AM

Classroom A: *Creating Healthy Backyard Ecosystems (Cats. 3, 10, 12)
Justin Stefanski, UT Extension Agent, Rutherford County
Discover how thoughtful and intentional practices can transform your yard into a thriving, resilient ecosystem that supports pollinators, wildlife, and overall environmental health.

Tent B: Defects and Dysfunction in Trees
Lee Rumble, UT Extension Agent and Certified Arborist
Learn the various aspects related to tree defects and dysfunction that lead to stress, loss of vigor, and ultimately early tree death. From leaning trees to cavity-ridden trunks, this talk will provide education on the most common defects and dysfunction that we see in our landscaped trees.

Tent C: Bloom Succession in the Home Garden
Celeste Scott, UT Extension Specialist, Western Region
Learn how to create nonstop flower power in the home landscape and cutting garden by expanding the plant palette and harnessing the power of both succession PLANTING and PLANNING.

Tent D: *Creative Culinary Companions (Cats. 3, 10, 12)
Melody Rose, UT Extension Interim Director, Sullivan County
Learn the valuable attributes of various herbs grown in and around the home vegetable garden and landscape as companion plants for both attracting beneficial insects and pollinators and serving as flavorful options for human consumption (a small sampling of unique options will be included in this session).

Tent E: *Garden Pest Control (Cats. 3, 10, 12)
Seth Whitehouse, Director, Anderson County Extension
Garden pests reduce yields and lower the quality of harvest during the growing season. Learn how to identify plant injuries and some of our common insects found in East TN. Follow recommendations through a combination of cultural practices and timely applications to control garden pests for a successful harvest. 

Tent F: Wagon Tours

12:00 PM

Classroom A: Butterflies: “Flying Flowers” in the Garden
Kris Light, Science Outreach Coordinator
Learn about the common butterflies of Tennessee and how to attract them to your garden.

Tent B: Conifer Care Walk and Talk
Dr. Andy Pulte, UT Professor
This walk and talk session will explore a variety of conifers well-suited to Tennessee’s climate and growing conditions. Learn which species and cultivars perform best in our region, how to select the right conifer for your landscape, and key care practices that will help them thrive for years to come.

Tent C: Feeding the Veggies that Feed Us
Dr. Natalie Bumgarner, UT Professor and Extension Specialist
This session will focus on understanding the water and nutrient needs of vegetables in our home gardens, raised beds, and containers. Learn practical steps to provide what garden vegetables need for productive and tasty success!

Tent D: *To Bee or Not to Bee (Cats. 3, 10, 12)
Dr. Jennifer Tsuruda, Assistant Professor and Apiculture Specialist
Think you might be interested in beekeeping? Or just want to learn more about the wonderful world of a honeybee? This talk will go over the ins and outs getting started in beekeeping – challenges, rewards, and all!

Tent E: *Fruit Tree Pruning and Care (Cats. 3, 10, 12)
Dr. Annie Vogel, Assistant Professor and Fruit Specialist
Dormant pruning can be a daunting task. Learning the basic principles will simplify this task and improve fruit quality, yield, and disease management.

Tent F: Wagon Tours

1:00 PM

Classroom A: Social Media Gardening Trends
Lucas Holman, UT Extension, Wilson County Director
Learn about the gardening trends that are popping up all over social media.

Tent B: Bog Gardening with Pitcher Plants
Jason Reeves, Horticulturist, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Discover the fascinating world of carnivorous plants in this talk on growing and caring for pitcher plants and other bog-loving species. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced gardener, you’ll learn just how simple and rewarding it can be to cultivate these unique plants at home.

Tent C: Tennessee Lawns and their Alternatives
Dr. Becky Grubbs Bowling, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist
Tennessee’s transition-zone climate presents unique opportunities and challenges for residential lawns, making informed turfgrass selection more important than ever. Learn about updated UT turfgrass selection resources, recent research, and emerging science on turf alternatives to help homeowners and professionals make informed decisions.

Tent D: Home Hydroponics
Taylor Reeder, UT Extension Agent, Williamson County
Discover the basics of growing in a home hydroponic system. Explore how hydroponics works, discuss the benefits of soilless gardening, and review several popular setups for home growers and other beginner-friendly designs.

Tent E: *Managing Disease in Home Fruit and Vegetables (Cats. 3, 10, 12)
Dr. Jensen Hayter, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist
Tips for both cultural and chemical (organic and conventional) control of common pathogens in backyard fruit and vegetables.

Tent F: Wagon Tours

2:00 PM

Classroom A: *Creating Healthy Backyard Ecosystems (Cats. 3, 10, 12)
Justin Stefanski, UT Extension Agent, Rutherford County
Discover how thoughtful and intentional practices can transform your yard into a thriving, resilient ecosystem that supports pollinators, wildlife, and overall environmental health.

Tent B: Defects and Dysfunction in Trees
Lee Rumble, UT Extension Agent and Certified Arborist
Learn the various aspects related to tree defects and dysfunction that lead to stress, loss of vigor, and ultimately early tree death. From leaning trees to cavity-ridden trunks, this talk will provide education on the most common defects and dysfunction that we see in our landscaped trees.

Tent C: Bloom Succession in the Home Garden
Celeste Scott, UT Extension Specialist, Western Region
Learn how to create nonstop flower power in the home landscape and cutting garden by expanding the plant palette and harnessing the power of both succession PLANTING and PLANNING.

Tent D: *Creative Culinary Companions (Cats. 3, 10, 12)
Melody Rose, UT Extension Interim Director, Sullivan County
Learn the valuable attributes of various herbs grown in and around the home vegetable garden and landscape as companion plants for both attracting beneficial insects and pollinators and serving as flavorful options for human consumption (a small sampling of unique options will be included in this session).

Tent E: *Garden Pest Control (Cats. 3, 10, 12)
Seth Whitehouse, Director, Anderson County Extension
Garden pests reduce yields and lower the quality of harvest during the growing season. Learn how to identify plant injuries and some of our common insects found in East TN. Follow recommendations through a combination of cultural practices and timely applications to control garden pests for a successful harvest. 

Tent F: Wagon Tours

Pesticide Recertification Points: *1 point for listed categories. Sign up at presentation tent.

Event Location

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