Bred to stand up to the salty air, hard winter weather and inhospitable soil, native plants tolerate growing conditions that would make other more delicate plants weep —which is why we love them! I’ll start by discussing the advantages of and how to create a thriving native landscape. Then we’ll play a little “identify the dreaded invasives” game, followed by an exhibition of native alternatives. While profiling a variety of my favorite natives, I’ll reveal what makes each of these plants special.
About Kelly Orzel
I’m a small-scale, organic herb farmer, author and speaker growing in coastal Maine. You can find me in the greenhouse, looking slightly rumpled. Besides dirt, I’m obsessed with bread and cheese, over-sized sweaters and Jane Austen novels.
At heart I’m a teacher (I taught high school math for 6 years), so get ready to sow and grow like a pro! Want to become a master seed-starter and propagator? I’m your girl. Do you have a love affair with show-stopping dahlias and ready to take your flower patch to the next level? I can teach you how. Or are you ready to become a vegetable garden boss and grow a pantry-full of food? Well, then you’re in the right place!
Since 2012, I’ve spoken at over 300 events all over New England to home garden enthusiasts like you. And, as a self-confessed garden geek and bibliophile, I can’t wait to share with you everything I’ve experienced and learned.
When I’m not digging in soil, I’m wholeheartedly excited about teaching others how to grow the garden of their dreams. Over the past 20 years I’ve worked as a horticulturist on a 70-acre farm, dabbled in plant biotechnology, earned my masters in Horticulture, volunteer as a Maine Master Gardener and owned my own herb farm. And I really want to share everything I know with you!