2026 PPA National Symposium: Full Schedule

7:00am EDT

Monday July 27, 2026 7:00am - 9:00am EDT

If you are on a PPA tour this morning we invite you to grab some light breakfast items, coffee, and tea before boarding your bus!

Monday July 27, 2026 7:00am - 9:00am EDT
Red Cedar AB

Monday Tour

7:30am EDT

Grand Ideas Tour

Monday July 27, 2026 7:30am - 8:30pm EDT

Tour stops:
Grand Ideas Garden
Calvin Ecosystem Preserve & Native Gardens
Frederick Meijer Gardens & Lunch
Great Garden Plants at Spring Meadow Nursery
Walters Gardens
Click here for more information on each stop.
Designed with accessibility in mind, this tour is a great option for participants with mobility considerations.

Monday July 27, 2026 7:30am - 8:30pm EDT

Monday Tour

8:00am EDT

Insiders Only Tour

Monday July 27, 2026 8:00am - 8:30pm EDT

Tour stops:
Ice/Lynch Home Garden
Susan Martin's Home Garden
Dale Deppe's Home Garden
Lunch at Spring Meadow Nursery
Windmill Island Gardens
Chris Hansen's Home Garden
Walters Gardens
Click here for more information on each stop.

Sponsors

Spring Meadow Nursery

Spring Meadow has been a licensed partner in the Proven Winners brand since 2004, when we joined our house brand, ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs, with the popular annuals brand. In that time, we have introduced over 280 proprietary woody plant varieties, including standard bearers... Read More →

Monday July 27, 2026 8:00am - 8:30pm EDT

Monday Tour

9:00am EDT

Great Growers West Tour

Monday July 27, 2026 9:00am - 8:30pm EDT

Tour stops:
Hortech & Lunch
Garden Solutions
Opel Growers
Walters New Greenhouse
Walters Gardens
Click here for more information on each stop.

Sponsors

Hortech

Hortech is an innovative Midwestern wholesale nursery and product developer specializing in outstanding native and non-native perennials, ground covers, vines, ferns, ornamental grasses, and succulents.

Monday July 27, 2026 9:00am - 8:30pm EDT

Monday Tour

12:00pm EDT

Short and Sweet Tour

Monday July 27, 2026 12:00pm - 8:30pm EDT

This is a half day tour and does not include lunch.
Tour stops:
Horrocks
Grand Ideas Garden
Mast Young Plants
Walters Gardens
Click here for more information on each stop.

Monday July 27, 2026 12:00pm - 8:30pm EDT

Monday Tour

8:00am EDT

Welcome

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:00am - 8:15am EDT

Big Ten A

Welcome to the 2026 National Symposium!
Thanks to our Platinum Sponsor: Walters Gardens, Inc.
Thanks to our Gold Sponsors: Twixwood Nursery, BASF, New Moon Nursery, and Great Garden Plants
Special thanks to our local planning committee!

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:00am - 8:15am EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education

8:15am EDT

In the Center of the Great Lakes, Why Michigan’s Flora is Special

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:15am - 9:15am EDT

Big Ten A

Michigan is central in the Great Lakes region and stretches over broad climate and vegetation zones from Eastern Deciduous Forest to Boreal Forest. But this only tells a small part of the story of Michigan’s botanical richness. For example, although Michigan is largely forested, most native upland plants in the flora are not plants of forest understories. Many of the habitats that make Michigan...
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Speakers

Dr. Tony Reznicek, PhD

Curator Emeritus, University of Michigan Herbarium

After training in Canada (BSc University of Guelph, Ontario, PhD University of Toronto), I joined the faculty at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1978 and retired to emeritus status in 2020. My research interests include sedges, especially systematics and evolution of the... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:15am - 9:15am EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education

APLD Credits 1

9:15am EDT

Native Plants: Designing at the Intersection of Human Preferences and Ecological Integrity

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am EDT

Big Ten A

Landscape architect and principal of InSite Design Studio Shannan Gibb-Randall has been designing with native plants for over 28 years and has been working towards the sweet spot of design to honor both human and ecological needs. She will share her journey of many hard-won lessons and guidance so that others can engage more deeply with native plant design with success.

Speakers

Shannan Gibb-Randall, MLA, PLA

Principal, InSite Design Studio

Shannan Gibb-Randall is principal of InSite Design Studio, a landscape architecture firm in Ann Arbor that does work primarily around the southeast Michigan region. She attended UM’s Residential College, focusing on art history and anthropology and later graduated with an MLA from... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education

APLD Credits 1

10:20am EDT

Trade Show & Break

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:20am - 11:00am EDT

Big Ten BC

Visit our Trade Show Exhibitors!
Coffee, Tea and Snacks Available.

Sponsors

American Beauties Native Plants

Neonic Free and America's 1st Native Plant Brand!

Creek Hill Nursery

Creek Hill Nurseries sell liners of 21-cell, 50-cell and 72-cell trays for wholesale industry only. We focus on plants hardy to zone 6 or colder, grown in our facilities in Leola, PA.

Gro 'n Sell

Gro ‘n Sell is known industry wide as a wholesale grower of high-quality starter plants. Located in Chalfont, PA, our three acre facility houses a large variety of plug and liner trays, annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, and specialty products. We provide quality starter plants... Read More →

Mariani Plants

We strive to be a complete source of perennials for landscapers, retailers, and re-wholesalers, and quality is our top priority for every customer. To ensure the highest quality perennials, our growers follow a strict preventative fungicide program and continuously scout our perennial... Read More →

Midwest Trading

Midwest Trading is a wholesale supplier leading the Green Industry in Chicagoland with sustainable products for over 40 years. We specialize in greenhouse and nursery mixes, custom-engineered soils for green roofs, bioswales and rain gardens. We also provide landscape mulches, soil... Read More →

Must Have Perennials

Must Have Perennials® was originally founded under the name Blooms of Bressingham. It has been providing exceptional quality perennials for over 25 years.

We are an organization geared towards representing and supporting breeders. We have attracted some of the best talent in the... Read More →

Plantworks Nursery

Plantworks is exlusively a wholesale supplier of herbaceous plants to the industry. We offer a wide range of annuals, daylilies, ferns, groundcovers, herbs, hosta, ornamental grasses, perennials, succulents, tropicals and vines. Plantworks is growing neonicotinoid free.

Tennessee Wholesale Nursery

TN Nursery is a trusted online plant nursery offering various trees, shrubs, perennials, ferns, and ground covers. We specialize in high-quality, affordable plants grown in environmentally friendly conditions.

Unex Inc.

Unex Inc. exports high quality flower bulbs and perennials, which are grown and cultivated in The Netherlands. As one of the leading Dutch exports, we specialize in high quality products for the North American, European and Asian market.

Van Berkum Nursery

A family-owned wholesale perennial nursery, proudly growing since 1987.

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:20am - 11:00am EDT
Big Ten BC

Trade Show

11:00am EDT

Scholarship Winners and Perennial Plant of the Year®

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:30am EDT

Big Ten A

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:30am EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education

11:30am EDT

Ornamental Perennial Plant Breeding & Breeder Spotlight

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:30am - 12:45pm EDT

Big Ten A

Moderated by Laura RoblesAs we move into the third education session of our Tuesday program, we look to another influential part of Michigan horticulture, the plant breeding work that has and continues to emerge from this geographic area.First we’ll consider the importance of ornamental breeding and how advances in perennial breeding have impacted our industry over the recent decades. Wayne...
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Speakers

Laura Robles

Regional Product Manager, Walters Gardens, Inc.

Laura Robles is a seasoned horticulture expert with over 25 years of diverse industry experience. In her current role as a Regional Product Manager for Walters Gardens, Inc. in Zeeland, MI, Robles oversees sales in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Armed with dual B.S. degrees from... Read More →

Dr. Justin Lombardoni, PhD

Ornamental Plant Breeder, Chicago Botanic Garden

Education: B.S. in Plant Sciences, Cornell University, 2016; Ph.D in Plant Breeding and Genetics, Rutgers University, 2022
Justin Lombardoni is the ornamental plant breeder at the Chicago Botanic Garden. His program focuses on introducing herbaceous perennial cultivars, primarily through interspecific hybridization. He also works closely with the Garden’s plant evaluation program, utilizing its expertise... Read More →

Wayne Gruber

Horticulturist, Niemeyer Landscape Supply

An award-winning horticulturist and seasoned educator, Wayne Gruber has spent over four decades contributing to the green industry. His career spans diverse roles, including designer, retailer, and national speaker, all built upon a foundation of a Bachelor of Science degree from... Read More →

Dave MacKenzie

Owner, Hortech, Inc.

Dave MacKenzie is the owner and general manager of Hortech, Inc. (Hortech.com), which he co-founded in 1983. Hortech is a leading Midwestern producer of native and adapted perennials, ground covers, grasses, vines and ferns that are grown in an Earth Friendly manner (2026 marks 32... Read More →

Brent Horvath

President, Intrinsic Perennial Gardens

Brent Horvath, is owner and president of Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, Inc., a wholesale nursery in Hebron, IL. He grew up in the business, working for his mother and father at their companies, Intrinsic Landscaping, Intrinsic Perennial Gardens and Flowers by Intrinsic.

Today, his... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:30am - 12:45pm EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education

APLD Credits 1.25

12:50pm EDT

PPF Young Professionals Lunch

Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:50pm - 2:20pm EDT

This casual networking event will be held at the cafeteria, so if you purchased the meal plan, you already have your ticket! If not, you can purchase a ticket on site. This gathering is a great opportunity to connect with fellow emerging professionals, meet industry leaders, and build relationships during the PPA Symposium.
Additional details will be announced during the PPA Symposium.

Exhibitors

The Perennial Plant Foundation

The Perennial Plant Foundation fosters the future of the perennial plant industry through scholarships and activities that connect students and professionals across generations and levels of experience. Visit their booth to find out more and join PPF's events at the National Symp... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:50pm - 2:20pm EDT

Foundation Event

12:50pm EDT

Trade Show & Lunch Break

Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:50pm - 2:20pm EDT

Big Ten BC

The meal ticket available for purchase during registration can be used at Brody Square, across the street from the Kellogg Hotel. If you did not purchase a meal ticket, we encourage you to visit the State Room at Kellogg for lunch.

Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:50pm - 2:20pm EDT
Big Ten BC

Trade Show

2:20pm EDT

New to Market

Tuesday July 28, 2026 2:20pm - 3:35pm EDT

Big Ten A

Get the scoop on new introductions from the following companies:

Plants Nouveau, LLC
Walters Gardens
Terra Nova Nurseries Inc
Pacific Plug & Liner
Darwin Perennials
McHutchison
DeVroomen Garden Products
Emerald Coast Growers
Hortech
PanAmerican Seed

Sponsors

Pleasant Run Nursery

New to Market Forum Sponsor

New plant introductions and unusual containerized Woody Ornamentals, Vines, Perennials, Grasses, and Ferns are featured at Pleasant Run Nursery. Our focus is on native plants and hard-to-find solutions to site problems such as deer, shade and moist or dry sites. We are open all year... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 2:20pm - 3:35pm EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education

APLD Credits 1

3:35pm EDT

Trade Show & Break

Tuesday July 28, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT

Big Ten BC

Visit our Trade Show Exhibitors!
Coffee, Tea and Snacks Available.

Sponsors

American Beauties Native Plants

Neonic Free and America's 1st Native Plant Brand!

Creek Hill Nursery

Creek Hill Nurseries sell liners of 21-cell, 50-cell and 72-cell trays for wholesale industry only. We focus on plants hardy to zone 6 or colder, grown in our facilities in Leola, PA.

Gro 'n Sell

Mariani Plants

Midwest Trading

Must Have Perennials

Plantworks Nursery

Tennessee Wholesale Nursery

Unex Inc.

Van Berkum Nursery

A family-owned wholesale perennial nursery, proudly growing since 1987.

Tuesday July 28, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT
Big Ten BC

Trade Show

4:05pm EDT

Layered Landscapes: Designing with Time, Texture and Ecology in Mind

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:05pm - 5:05pm EDT

Big Ten A

Gardens are not static compositions — they are living systems shaped by time. This talk explores how designing with layered planting, seasonal succession and ecological awareness creates landscapes that grow richer, more resilient and more immersive each year. Through a range of residential and experimental landscapes, we examine how matrix planting systems, multi-stem trees and carefully...
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Speakers

Stefano Marinaz

Owner, Stefano Marinaz Landscape Architecture

Stefano Marinaz holds degrees in Agronomy and Landscape Architecture, interned at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, and worked in Arne Maynard’s studio to work on a range of private gardens in Britain, the USA and the Middle East. Since establishing Stefano Marinaz Landscape Architecture... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:05pm - 5:05pm EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education

APLD Credits 1

5:05pm EDT

Trade Show Social

Tuesday July 28, 2026 5:05pm - 6:30pm EDT

Big Ten BC

Join us on the trade show floor for networking and refreshments.

Sponsors

Creek Hill Nursery

Creek Hill Nurseries sell liners of 21-cell, 50-cell and 72-cell trays for wholesale industry only. We focus on plants hardy to zone 6 or colder, grown in our facilities in Leola, PA.

Dummen Orange

Dümmen Orange is a leading global breeder and propagator of ornamental flowers and plants, offering an impressive portfolio of cut flowers, pot plants, bedding plants, and perennials to growers, wholesalers, and retailers around the world. Our headquarters are based in the Netherlands... Read More →

Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, Inc

Bar Sponsor

Our plants are bred and selected in the tough conditions of the Midwest with hot humid summers and cold wet winters. We strive to breed plants not as a means, but with an end in mind. Our goals are simple: improved, durable, ornamental garden plants for our own climate and the... Read More →

North Creek Nurseries

As a wholesale propagation nursery, North Creek Nurseries provides top quality starter plugs to retail & wholesale nurseries, garden centers, mail order and landscape professionals. From new varieties to tried-and-true favorites, ornamentals to treasured natives, we offer a full range... Read More →

Pindstrup

Pindstrup Mosebrug A/S is one of the world's leading producers of high-quality substrates for professional growers. Customers in more than 100 countries have chosen Pindstrup as their preferred supplier of growing media.

Tuesday July 28, 2026 5:05pm - 6:30pm EDT
Big Ten BC

Trade Show

7:00pm EDT

PPF Trivia Night

Tuesday July 28, 2026 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT

Mash Bar

Get ready to put your plant knowledge to the test at this summer’s Perennial Plant Foundation Trivia Night! Whether you’re a perennial expert or simply enjoy a great night out, Trivia Night is the perfect opportunity to connect with others in the industry while supporting the Foundation’s educational programs and scholarship initiatives.Gather your team (you’ll register the team at Trivia...
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Exhibitors

The Perennial Plant Foundation

Tuesday July 28, 2026 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Mash Bar 212 Albert Ave, East Lansing, MI 48823

Foundation Event

7:00am EDT

Grab & Go Breakfast

Wednesday July 29, 2026 7:00am - 9:00am EDT

Lincoln Room

If you are on a PPA tour this morning we invite you to grab some light breakfast items, coffee, and tea before boarding your bus!

Wednesday July 29, 2026 7:00am - 9:00am EDT
Lincoln Room

Wednesday Tour

7:30am EDT

Destinations by Design Tour

Wednesday July 29, 2026 7:30am - 8:15pm EDT

Tour Stops Include:
Oudolf Garden Detroit
Dorothy H. Turkel House and Garden
UM Matthaei Botanical Garden & Lunch
KC Runciman Landscapes
MSU Horticulture Gardens

Click here for more information on each stop.
Designed with accessibility in mind, this tour is a great option for participants with mobility considerations.

Wednesday July 29, 2026 7:30am - 8:15pm EDT

Wednesday Tour

8:30am EDT

Ideas & Inspiration Tour

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:30am - 8:15pm EDT

Tour Stops Include:
Van Atta's Greenhouse & Flower Shop
Wojos Greenhouse & Lunch
fleurdetroit
Cranbrook Gardens
Lynne O'Shaughnessy Private Garden
MSU Horticulture Gardens

Click here for more information on each stop.

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:30am - 8:15pm EDT

Wednesday Tour

8:45am EDT

Way to Grow Tour

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 8:15pm EDT

Tour Stops Include:
Wildtype Native Plants
Raker-Roberta's & Lunch
Blair Butterfly Garden & Prairie
Gee Farms Nursery & Greenhouse
MSU Horticulture Gardens
Thank you to Raker-Roberta's for sponsoring lunch!

Click here for more information on each stop.

Sponsors

Raker-Roberta's

Sponsoring lunch on Wednesday's Way to Grow tour

We not only specialize in traditional seed propagation techniques but also excel in the challenging process of vegetative propagation. This expertise allows us to supply over 3,000 unique plant varieties to countless greenhouses and nurseries across the United States and Canada. Rake... Read More →

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 8:15pm EDT

Wednesday Tour

8:00am EDT

PPA Business Meeting

Thursday July 30, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am EDT

Big Ten A

All members welcome to attend to learn more about board activities and association financials.

Thursday July 30, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am EDT
Big Ten A

Meetings

8:30am EDT

Design Track | Manifesto Destiny

Thursday July 30, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT

Auditorium

Apiary Studio is driven by the challenge of giving disused spaces and recycled materials a second life through thoughtful craft and experimentation. Despite being in business for more than a decade, we find that we are still figuring out who we are, and that our portfolio of built work serves as a physical manifestation of our evolving ideas about design. This presentation will focus on how our...
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Speakers

Martha Keen

Partner + Horticulture Manager, Apiary Studio

Martha Keen is responsible for Apiary Studio’s horticulture arm, including gardening installation and maintenance, propagation and nursery procurement, and planting design. She is a graduate of the Professional Gardener Program at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, holds a... Read More →

Hans Hesselein, RLA

Principal, Apiary Studio

Possessing hands-on knowledge of construction, landscape installation, and nursery production, Hans Hesselein’s design sensibilities are rooted in the physical experience of working directly with plants and materials. Hans holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from North Carolina... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT
Auditorium

Core Education, Thurs Design Track

APLD Credits 1

8:30am EDT

Grower Track | The Power of Light: Controlling Flowering and Height in Perennial Production

Thursday July 30, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT

Big Ten A

In this talk, Dr. Lopez will highlight how light quality, intensity, and duration can be strategically managed to control flowering time and plant height in herbaceous perennials. Attendees will learn the latest behind spectral manipulation, and how these factors interact with temperature and plant genetics. Practical examples will demonstrate how growers can use LEDs to improve crop uniformity,...
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Speakers

Dr. Roberto Lopez, PhD

Associate Professor, Michigan State University

Dr. Roberto Lopez is an associate professor and controlled-environment and floriculture extension specialist with a 45% research, 30% teaching, and 25% extension appointment in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University. His research focuses on propagation and production... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education, Thurs Grower Track

APLD Credits 1

9:30am EDT

Design Track | Sustainable Public Gardens and Landscapes at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

Auditorium

Together with partners, PHS helps to build beauty in key public spaces across Philadelphia by managing landscapes and gardens using environmentally and ecologically responsible methods, plants and approaches. Join Andrew Bunting, PHS’s Vice President of Horticulture, for a deep dive into how PHS designs and maintains some of Philadelphia’s most iconic gardens including the Logan...
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Speakers

Andrew Bunting

Vice President of Horticulture, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

Andrew Bunting is Vice President of Horticulture and leads the utilization of planting and design to promote environmentally sound gardening practices at PHS. Andrew has elevated each of the departments he oversees and has increased the brand and visibility of PHS through their respective... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT
Auditorium

Core Education, Thurs Design Track

APLD Credits 1

9:30am EDT

Grower Track | Technology Advances for Weed Identification + Diagnosing Herbicide Injury

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

Big Ten A

This session brings together two unique services from MSU Plant & Pest Diagnostics: plant identification and herbicide injury diagnosis. Smartphones can be powerful tools for plant ID—but when should you trust plant identification apps, and when should you be cautious? After eight years of reviewing these technologies, we’ll share the essential “dos and don’ts.” In addition, we’ll...
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Speakers

Dr. Erin Hill, PhD

Weed Science Diagnostician, Michigan State University

Dr. Erin Hill serves as the weed science diagnostician for Michigan State University Plant and Pest Diagnostics. She is responsible for plant identification, assessing abiotic plant injuries, and screening for herbicide resistance for the diverse plant industries and clients across... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education, Thurs Grower Track

APLD Credits 1

10:35am EDT

Trade Show & Break

Thursday July 30, 2026 10:35am - 11:20am EDT

Big Ten BC

Visit our Trade Show Exhibitors!
Coffee, Tea and Snacks Available.

Sponsors

American Beauties Native Plants

Neonic Free and America's 1st Native Plant Brand!

Creek Hill Nursery

Creek Hill Nurseries sell liners of 21-cell, 50-cell and 72-cell trays for wholesale industry only. We focus on plants hardy to zone 6 or colder, grown in our facilities in Leola, PA.

Gro 'n Sell

Mariani Plants

Midwest Trading

Must Have Perennials

Plantworks Nursery

Tennessee Wholesale Nursery

Unex Inc.

Van Berkum Nursery

A family-owned wholesale perennial nursery, proudly growing since 1987.

Thursday July 30, 2026 10:35am - 11:20am EDT
Big Ten BC

Trade Show

11:20am EDT

Design Track | Building Pollinator Gardens: Collaboration, Design, and Impact

Thursday July 30, 2026 11:20am - 12:20pm EDT

Auditorium

Pollinator gardens are a hot garden design concept. But what does this really entail and how do you get designers, suppliers, organizations, and consumers all working together to create these places? From my first small pollinator garden design in 1995, to working on a grant with the Ohio State University and the University of Michigan for the past two years and creating templates for pollinator...
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Speakers

Debra Knapke

Owner, The Garden Sage, LLC

After two other careers, in 1992 Debra turned her avocation of plant study and gardening into her full-time life path when she showed up at Dr. Steve Still’s office at Ohio State and asked him to be her advisor. He was initially hesitant as her degrees and jobs in music and Speech-Language... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 11:20am - 12:20pm EDT
Auditorium

Core Education, Thurs Design Track

APLD Credits 1

11:20am EDT

Grower Track | Making Biostimulants Work for You: Tips for Success

Thursday July 30, 2026 11:20am - 12:20pm EDT

Big Ten A

Biostimulants can be used to promote plant growth and enhance stress tolerance, but do these products do all that they claim? What type of biostimulants are available and what should you consider before choosing a product? In this seminar you will learn about the types of biostimulants and how their efficacy may be affected by growing environment, substrate properties, plant species, and...
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Speakers

Dr. Michelle Jones, PhD

Professor and Associate Chair for Research, Ohio State University, Horticulture and Crop Science Department

Dr. Michelle Jones studied Agricultural Biochemistry at Iowa State University for her BS and received her PhD in Horticulture from Purdue University. Her love of Floriculture stems from an undergraduate honors research project evaluating the effect of ethylene on carnation vase... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 11:20am - 12:20pm EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education, Thurs Grower Track

APLD Credits 1

12:25pm EDT

Trade Show & Lunch Break

Thursday July 30, 2026 12:25pm - 2:00pm EDT

Big Ten BC

The meal ticket available for purchase during registration can be used at Brody Square, across the street from the Kellogg Hotel. If you did not purchase the meal ticket, we encourage you to dine at the State Room at Kellogg.

Last chance to check in with exhibitors before the trade show closes!

Thursday July 30, 2026 12:25pm - 2:00pm EDT
Big Ten BC

Trade Show

2:00pm EDT

Growing Ecological Literacy

Thursday July 30, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Big Ten A

Refugia Design, based in Greater Philadelphia since 2015, embraces the ethos of designing landscapes that support native ecosystems to create biological corridors of refuge for plants, people and wildlife. Join founder Jeff Lorenz and Sarah Leaskey (RLA) to learn more about their award-winning design-build-stewardship approach and the potential for high impact, low input landscapes in building...
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Speakers

Sarah Leaskey, RLA, ASLA

Chief Operating Officer, Refugia Design

Sarah is a licensed Landscape Architect and Refugia’s Chief Operating Officer. Her portfolio of prior work after nearly two decades at OLIN features a variety of complex corporate and institutional campus projects. Sarah is passionate about planting design and her work re-imagines... Read More →

Jeff Lorenz

Refugia Design, Founder

As founder of Refugia Design, Jeff Lorenz combines his decades of experience in landscape design and stewardship with a desire for innovation. His sensibility is for immersive outdoor sanctuary spaces that seek to coexist with nature. Jeff is the creative thinker behind Refugia’s... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education

APLD Credits 1

3:00pm EDT

Landscape Design Awards

Thursday July 30, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Big Ten A

Thursday July 30, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education

3:30pm EDT

Break

Thursday July 30, 2026 3:30pm - 4:00pm EDT

Big Ten A

Coffee/tea available.

Sponsors

American Beauties Native Plants

Neonic Free and America's 1st Native Plant Brand!

Gro 'n Sell

Mariani Plants

Must Have Perennials

Plantworks Nursery

Tennessee Wholesale Nursery

Unex Inc.

Thursday July 30, 2026 3:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education

4:00pm EDT

Outgoing Board & 2027 National Symposium Announcement

Thursday July 30, 2026 4:00pm - 4:15pm EDT

Big Ten A

Thursday July 30, 2026 4:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education

4:15pm EDT

Special Recognition Awards

Thursday July 30, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Big Ten A

Thursday July 30, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education

4:30pm EDT

Designing with Perennials for Beautiful Gardens in a Changing Climate

Thursday July 30, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Big Ten A

As climate conditions grow more challenging, gardens must do more than look good—they must function with less, adapt over time, and support the complex web of life that’s still around us. In this lecture, Jeff Epping explores how herbaceous perennials, combined with trees and shrubs, form the foundation of living landscapes that balance beauty, adaptability, and ecological performance.His...
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Speakers

Jeff Epping

Owner, Epping Design & Consulting, LLC

Jeff’s passion for plants and gardening is reflected in his 35-year career as an award-winning horticulturist and garden designer. During his 28 years as Director of Horticulture at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, he transformed a lawn-laden landscape into a nationally acclaimed public... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Big Ten A

Core Education

APLD Credits 1

6:00pm EDT

The Broad Perspective: Art, Plants, & People

Thursday July 30, 2026 6:00pm - 10:00pm EDT

Broad Art Museum

Separately ticketed dinner. Tickets are $145 per person and include the full dining and program experience.Enjoy an inspiring evening at the MSU Broad Art Museum featuring dinner, drinks, and inspiring conversation. Guests will hear a short presentation by Maeve Bassett of the Michigan State Horticulture Gardens, offering insights into the beauty and impact of cultivated landscapes."Bizarre...
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Speakers

Maeve Bassett

Applied Ethnobotanist and Education Director, Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum at Michigan State University

As an Applied Ethnobotanist and Education Director of Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum at Michigan State University, Maeve Bassett uses the dark, funny, weird, gross, and fascinating history of plants to facilitate connections between people, the natural world, and contemporary... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 6:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
Broad Art Museum

Ticketed Dinner

TBA

Suggested Local Events

Friday July 31, 2026 TBA

PPA attendees who are traveling home on Friday should check out these Friday events! Several Michigan area companies and organizations plan to host Open Houses for PPA members on Friday. These are planned and organized by the host location; please reach out directly to them with questions.Twixwood Nursery & Stonehouse Nursery Open HouseFriday July 31, 202610 AM - 3 PMBerrien Springs,...
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Friday July 31, 2026 TBA

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TBA

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