Oklahoma Gardening School

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING OKLAHOMA GARDENING SCHOOL ON MARCH 9!

Designing Gardens for Happiness, Health and Ease

Was held Saturday, March 9, 9am-4pm
OKC University, Meinders School of Business Auditorium

More and more research demonstrated that being in nature fueled our overall mental and physical well-being. Gardening was one of the best ways to actively engage with nature and reap these benefits on a regular basis.

This year’s OKC Gardening School held March 9 helped participants further understand the powerful link between gardens and well-being. Speakers shared practical ways to create beautiful, thriving, and low-maintenance gardens. Accessible design strategies along with specific tools and equipment to make gardening less physically demanding, at any age, were also presented.

Participants left motivated and knowledgeable about starting a new garden or enhancing their home garden for increased happiness and health.

Speaker presentations coming soon.

Program of the Day

8:15-9am – Breakfast and Registration

9-9:10am
Welcome from Maureen Heffernan, CEO & Kaitlin Bacon, Director of Education, Myriad Botanical Gardens

9:10-10:10am
The People-Plant Relationship: The Root System of Therapeutic Horticulture
Speaker: Anne Meore, LMSW, HTR – New York
Connectedness, community, and support are as important for humans as they are for our plants. Anne Meore will guide us on an exploration of the plant-people relationship, its foundational principles and many healing benefits. Using examples from her 25 years of work experience in the field of horticultural therapy, Anne will share some of the “faces” of therapeutic horticulture programming, accessible gardens, her collaborative work with allied professions and the various populations reaping the benefits of this therapeutic discipline.

10:10-10:30am – Break and opportunity to visit exhibitors.

10:30-11:30am
Design Steps for Home Garden Built for Ease and Happiness
Speaker: Connie Scothorn – Oklahoma City

Oklahoma Landscape Architect Connie Scothorn will show you the steps involved to design your home landscape into a great place for
entertainment, relaxation, growing vegetables, supporting pollinators, or just looking beautiful. We will look at how to analyze the site and apply site design principles to create a beautiful, functional oasis. Tips will be shared from Connie’s decades of experience.

11:30am–12:30pm – Boxed Lunch on-site or off-site lunch.

12:30-1:30pm
The 1-2-3’s of Setting Your Garden Up for Success
Speaker: Dr. Lou Anella – Stillwater

Lou Anella, Professor of Horticulture at Oklahoma State University
and Director of The Botanic Garden at OSU, will cover the basics of garden
establishment and setting your garden up for success. He will discuss bed
preparation, planting, and drip irrigation of mostly perennial flower beds,
with an emphasis on bee and butterfly-friendly native plants.

1:30-1:50pm – Break and opportunity to visit exhibitors.

1:50-2:50pm
Right Plant, Right Place
Speaker: Nate Tschaenn, Oklahoma City
Knowing what to plant and where is vital for a successful and easy-to-maintain garden. Ranging from soil type to sun, irrigation (or lack thereof) to size of the area, selecting plants suited for the location can oftentimes act as that “final piece of the puzzle.” Join Nate Tschaenn as he rounds out the lessons, we’ve learned today with a deep dive into choosing the right plant for the right place.

2:50-3:30pm – Q&A Panel with all speakers and raffle.

3:30-4pm – Dismissal and Book Signing with Connie Scothorn.

THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT!
Sorry we missed you.

Speaker Bios

Anne Meore, LMSW, HTR

Anne Meore, a licensed social worker in NY and registered horticultural therapist, holds advanced degrees in counseling and social work, along with certificates in Permaculture Design and Horticultural Therapy from the New York Botanical Gardens. Since 2011, she has been the Garden Projects Coordinator for Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, NY, overseeing therapeutic horticulture programming and garden design in the “Garden of Hope.” Anne’s extensive work includes serving as the HT Program Coordinator for T.H.R.I.V.E. at NYBG and as a faculty member in their Therapeutic Horticulture Certificate Program. She also spearheads The G.R.O.W. Healing Garden Program at J. J. Peters VAMC, Bronx, NY, receiving awards for her research excellence and community service.

Connie Scothorn, ASLA OKC Landscape Architect of CLS & Associates

Connie brings over 30 years of experience as a licensed landscape architect in Oklahoma. Since 1999, her company, CLS & Associates, LLC, has offered landscape and site planning services for commercial, residential, and public spaces statewide. Dedicated to creating artful, ecologically sound environments, she specializes in low-maintenance landscape design and innovative use of native plants. She has authored two books on Oklahoma Native Plants, showcasing her expertise in the field.

Dr. Lou Anella, Director of The Botanic Garden and Professor of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Oklahoma State University

Dr. Lou Anella was raised in the Hudson Valley of New York and developed his love of horticulture while working on his neighbor’s apple farm. He received a BA from Vassar College and his MS and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell University. In addition to his duties as director of The Botanic Garden he advises graduate and undergraduate students, coordinates the department’s scholarship program, and teaches a class in Public Garden Management.

Nate Tschaenn, Director of Horticulture Myriad Botanical Gardens

As the Director of Horticulture for Myriad Botanical Gardens, Nate Tschaenn has overseen the design and installation of multiple new gardens on the grounds and created many horticultural and interpretive exhibits. He is also currently overseeing the replanting of the Crystal Bridge Conservatory. He came to the Gardens in 2013 after receiving his master’s degree in public horticulture from the Longwood Graduate Program in Delaware.

Take a look back at our 2024 school

More than 250 garden-loving folks descended upon Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business for the 2024 Oklahoma Gardening School.

Use the arrows on the slideshow to view more photos, or click on the photo to view the entire album.