Greg Charles

Mr. Gregory Charles is the Chairman of the Horticultural Programs at the Pinellas Technical Education Center in St. Petersburg, FL. He is the past president of the Pinellas Chapter of the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association.

Michael Crose

Michael Crose is a home and garden expert who enjoys hosting radio shows because it allows him to help people across the country. Michael conveys information and fun through his shows and feels no question is too simple or mundane. Check out Michael’s show at www.homeandgardenradio.com

Gail Huff

Gail Huff is currently an Environmental Specialist II with the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District. Prior to joining the HSWCD, Gail worked for the USDA Soil Conservation Service, assisting in the development of an urban irrigation evaluation program that is currently being used by the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County.

Loren Westenberger

Loren Westenberger, Certified Arborist SO-0334 is the owner of Westenberger Tree Service based in Clearwater, FLorida. Learn valuable tree care tips from a Guinness World Record holder, renowned for successfully moving the largest living tree!

Bill Phagan

Bill Phagan, of High Tech Pest Control is a Florida State Certified Operator in the categories of lawn and shrubs, indoor pests, subterranean termites and mosquito control.
Bill has extensive horticulture, lawn maintenance and landscaping knowledge and has worked many years in the lawn maintenance service industry.
 

"Dr. Sudeep Vyapari, Assistant 
Professor of Landscape Management 
at UF/IFAS Plant City, has a 60% teaching
and 40% research position in the Department
of Environmental Horticulture.  Sudeep 
is establishing and developing an

educational program in landscape
and nursery management to serve the

needs of traditional as well as non 
traditional students.  Residential

Landscape Design, Landscape Plant 
establishment, Landscape Installation

and Construction, Introductory Nursery 
Management, Greenhouse and

Nursery Crop Culture, and Landscape and 
Turfgrass Management are some of

the courses that Sudeep teaches at Plant 
City and Apopka Campuses.

Sudeep is actively involved

in industry and student advisement.   

Sudeep and his wife Madhu were born and 
raised in India, Sudeep, grew up in and 
around herbs.  Medicinal value of herbs is

a topic that is dear to both Sudeep and 
Madhu.  Madhu's passion for cooking and 
her love for creating "healthy cuisine", 
has earned her adistinct reputation 
among friends and family."    

Dave Palmer

Dave Palmer has been a Professional Horticulture Services Extension Agent in Hillsborough County for nearly 7 years. He has more than 25 years experience in various segments of Urban Commercial Horticulture:Design / Installation / Maintenance / Interiorscaping / Retail Garden / Pest Control. He also has degrees in Education and Horticulture. He owned and managed a design / installation / maintenance landscape firm for 12 years, and has worked for several retail garden centers.

Richard Bailey

Richard Bailey , is a Professional Forester, Certified Arborist (SO 369) and Certified Pesticide Applicator. In 1977 he received his B.S. Degree in Forest Resources & Conservation from the University of Florida.

Chris Patrick

Chris Patrick is the Manager of Wesley Chapel Nursery and is a KOI enthusiast.  He is the  representative for Aquascape Designs Inc. at Wesley Chapel Nursery.

Christine Collins

Christine is co-owner of Wildrose Lawncare Inc. Her business philosophy, “success through education and communication” has proven beneficial to both Wildrose Lawncare Inc. as well as local homeowners who gain education in horticulture through Wildrose Lawncare Inc.’s semi-annual workshops, quarterly newsletters and user friendly website. Christine is  a Florida Certified Horticulture Professional through Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA). Christine is also an active part of the community as she supports local chapters of Future Farmers of America (FFA) and is a member of the Carrollwood Area Business Association (CABA).

Debbie Chayet is an experienced horticulturist.  Currently a Grant Specialist whose park projects include habitat restoration and invasive plant control grants, Debbie spent 18 years overseeing the Horticulture Operations for all the county parks.

Debbie graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in botany, is a Certified Pest Control Operator, FCHP certified, and chaired the Horticulture Advisory Committee at PTEC South for 18 years.

A strong advocate of education and native plants, she taught for two years at St. Petersburg College in the Environmental Resource Management program. She also teaches FCHP preparatory classes at PTEC.

Mary Birrell is owner of Bark Busters of Greater Tampa Bay. After going through the Bark Busters comprehensive training system, training under the guidance of renowned master trainer Brett Silk, She has been certified as a behavioral therapist to help dogs and their people in the Greater Tampa Bay area since 2003.

Catherine Quindiagan and Bill Bilodeau are president and vice president, respectively, of the Pinellas Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. Catherine is a teacher who helped design and install the native garden at Gulf Beaches Elementary School, and Bill is a landscape designer and installer with a special interest in flowering native plants, organic gardening, and sustainable living

Kristen Gilpen works at MOSI
as their Butterfly Garden Expert

for the past six years, working with

the museum to present informal 
education programs and classes. 
For the past 4 years she has greatly 
enjoyed her time as operator of 
the BioWorks Butterfly Garden, 
a truly dynamic position dealing with

education, animal husbandry, and 
gardening. To assist with butterfly

outreach and public education, 
Kristen keeps a blog where she 
is happy to answer all sorts of 
questions concerning butterflies, 
moths, and gardening for both. 
Stop by at 
http://lepcurious.livejournal.com/ 
and read up on

Sandy Torano  studied horticulture at Hillsborough Community College. She was employed by The Professional
Golf Association in the landscape department at the Tournament Players
Club in Tampa. For six years she worked closely with many ergonomists, golf course architects, and chemical technicians increasing her knowledge of the special conditions of the climate and soil in Central Florida. In
2000 she took a position as Annual Specialist with a commercial landscape
company designing annual beds and supervising the installation and maintenance of 50,000 annuals every season. She is presently the annual buyer and member of the sales staff at Treemart.
 

He has taught at the Denver Botanic Gardens for 7 years, with articles on organic gardening, lawn care, low water use landscaping, and easy organic rose growing appearing in ‘Fine Gardening’, ‘Sunset Magazine’, ‘Florida Gardening’, ‘The Rocky Mountain News’, ‘Colorado Gardener’ and several rose-related publications. He now gardens and breeds Roses in south Tampa using roses that grow on their own root stock instead of being grafted.

"Since 1998, Rose Kalajian is the practicing herbalist at the Natural Health Hut 7-acre herb farm. Rose grows the herbs used in the herbal remedies she creates for sale in health food stores in our community and for use in her clinical practice. For more info www.imherbalist.com"