Description
$48 (special price for Digging In members) This event is open to everyone! If you’d like to become a member to receive the discount, join here
Digging In Webinar Series
February 26 & 27, 2024
10:00am-1:00pm (Eastern Time)
Can’t make the date or time? No problem! The webinar series will be recorded and we’ll send you a link to watch at a time that works for you! The recording will be available to watch for 60 days after the event. We encourage you to watch the event live if you can, this allows you to interact with the speakers and you’ll have a chance to win some great prizes. You must register in order to attend virtually and/or get the link to watch the recording.
Registration closes on February 25 at 8pm (eastern time).
Schedule*
Monday, February 26-
10:00am-Creating Relationships – working with growers to get new varieties in your repertoire, presented by Sharon Hadden – Garden Guru, Flower Farmer, and TV host
10:30am-Working with Wholesalers – get a glimpse at Clesen Wholesale, what they offer for each season and how you can step up your designs with their products, presented by Colette Hogan- Account Executive, Clesen Wholesale
11:00am–Keep Containers Thriving All Season – the importance of fertilizing, what to look for when selecting plant food and how different nutrient elements affect growth, and pros and cons of water soluble vs time release, presented by Kaitlyn Sterner- Director of Technical Support, JR Peter’s, Inc.
12:00pm-What’s New at Capital Garden Products – a UK based company creating perfect planters for residential and commercial sites. Learn about their bespoke and made-to-order planters and window boxes, presented by Pamela Hull – US Marketing Representative, Capital Garden Products
Tuesday, February 27-
10:00am-Straight Talk: How to scale your business for profitability, presented by Hilary Johnson-Business Growth & Leadership Coach, Founder & CEO Hatch Tribe
11:00am-Get the Backstory on the Plants you are Using in Your Container Designs – ever wonder how new plant varieties get developed, how do varieties get from the breeder to consumer and how does the plant trialing process work, presented by Diane Blazek – Executive Director, All American Selections & National Garden Bureau
11:30am-Boost Your Brand, how to differentiate your business, presented by Samantha Dettinger – Founder, ReImagine Branding and Marketing
12:00pm-30 Years of Container Gardening, Still Learning and Loving It, presented by Paul Zammit – Horticulture Professor, Niagara College
*schedule is subject to change.
Can’t make the date or time? No problem! The webinar series will be recorded and we’ll send you a link to watch at a time that works for you! The recording will be available to watch for 60 days.
Meet Our Presenters
Sharon Hadden 
Sharon has a varied and diverse background in horticulture. From studying for a diploma in Botanical Art to planting containers at Chelsea Flower Show, she has run her own flower farm appearing on TV and radio she advises for America in Bloom. Traveling regularly between the USA and UK she gardens in her traditional English country garden. Sharon specializes in container gardening, she ran a container gardening department in one of the top 50 IGCs in America introducing the grab and go concept to her customers and presenting the business model at garden shows throughout the USA and Canada to other IGCs. Sharon travels extensively building relationships with growers and plant developers watching the latest varieties to enter the market. She advocates relationships between growers and customers to enhance their businesses.
Kaitlyn Sterner 
With her rooted background in the public garden space beginning at Longwood Gardens, Kaitlyn brings expertise and passion to everything she does. She is a plant nerd with growing experience ranging from chrysanthemums to coleus to cannabis to chickens. More recently her focus shifted into the plant science and nutrition space where she is now the Director of Technical Support at Jack’s Fertilizers. Through lab analysis and interpretation, Kaitlyn continually works with other horticulturalists, helping them crush their growing goals through nutrient choices based on science driven data. What else is there to say? She’s a nurturer who likes to see all plants (and critters) thrive.
Hilary Johnson 
Hilary Johnson is a Business Growth & Leadership Coach and the founder of Hatch Tribe and Hatch & Co Consulting. Hilary loves nothing more than helping her clients experience a joyful transformation in their business. Affectionately dubbed the “business whisperer”, she’s adept at helping her clients get to the root cause of challenges in their business and then creating an actionable, easeful plan to create change. When she’s not working you’ll find her spending time in nature where she feels most at home among the trees.
Diane Blazek 
Diane Blazek, Executive Director of All-American Selections and National Garden Bureau has been deeply (and happily!) immersed in gardening from an early age. From growing up on a small family farm in Missouri to her small suburban lot in the Chicagoland area, she is passionate about everything green. After spending 15 years with Ball Publishing, Diane moved to take on her current role where she can be even closer to the end consumer. Both organizations are in an exciting period of growth and influence both inside and outside the industry. Innovative ideas and progressive programs for consumers, garden communicators, public gardens, and a full range of growers and retailers have benefited all segments of the horticulture industry.
Paul Zammit 
Paul Zammit, is a graduate of the University of Guelph and is a professor of Horticulture at Niagara College. Prior to joining the faculty, Paul held the position of the Director of Horticulture at the Toronto Botanical Garden for 10 years. Before that, he spent 20 years managing the Perennial Department at Plant World. He is a passionate and energetic gardener and lover of nature who has been delivering presentations across Canada, and throughout the world for over 30 years. For the past eight years, Paul has been providing gardening advice on the CBC Here and Now radio program. In 2022 Paul became the regular garden host on the weekly CBC program Ontario Today. Paul is also an avid photographer. His articles and images have been featured in numerous gardening magazines including Fine Gardening. Garden Making magazine selected Paul and his wife as two of Canada’s top 20 people shaping gardens across Canada. Paul was also the recipient of the Garden Communicator of the Year award from Landscape Ontario. In 2023 he received an Educator award from the Perennial Plant Association.
Thank you to these great companies for helping make this webinar series possible!
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Top Photo Credit: Paul Zammit
