Speakers

An associate professor of horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas, Jared
Barnes holds a doctorate in horticultural science from orth Carolina State University. His teaching and research interests include crop science, fruit and vegetable production, nursery management, plant breeding, southern perennials, and ecology and cultivation of designed herbaceous plant communities. He has written for various publications and is host of the Plantastic podcast.   

A renowned gardener, educator, historian, and author, Ms. Carey formerly served as Senior Director at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Meadowbrook Farm in Jenkintown. She and her gardens have been featured in The Victory Garden (PBS), the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, among other publications.   

An internationally renowned horticulturalist and seed saver, Mr. Coykendall is Master Gardener at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee. On this extensive property in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, he practices sustainable agriculture, planting and saving heirloom seeds. A classically trained artist, he holds an MFA from Boston’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts. In 2016 Louisiana Public Broadcasting made a documentary about him, Deeply Rooted: John Coykendall’s Journey to Save our Seeds and Stories.  

With an artistic eye and natural aesthetic, her floral designs have graced some of the most prestigious homes in America. Ms. Ludwig has an extensive background in designing large scale luxury events. Her work has been featured on HGTV and PBS, and in publications such as House Beautiful, Southern Living, and Flower Magazine. She founded Giverny Design in New Orleans and is now based in North Carolina.  

An ecologically obsessed horticulturist and garden designer, Ms. McMackin served 10 years as Director of Horticulture at Brooklyn Bridge Park, where she oversaw 85 acres of diverse organic landscapes, all managed to support birds, butterflies, and soil microorganisms. She was awarded the Harvard Loeb Fellowship for 2022-2023 to focus on ecological design and science communication.

A food and garden writer, Ms. Ogden has written six books. She co-founded The Cooks Garden seed catalog in Vermont, and her articles and garden designs have appeared in national publications including Garden Design, Horticulture, Eating Well, and Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

One of North America’s leading landscape designers, he specializes in gardens that weave together ecological and cultural themes. His native plant gardens include the Luci and Ian Family Garden at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Peirce’s Woods at Longwood Gardens. Recently Mr. Smith has focused on works of environmental art. He has received many national awards, including the Garden Book Award from the American Horticultural Society.

A retired medical pathologist, he is a preservationist and gardener  in Baton Rouge. He and his wife moved and restored Chene Vert (circa 1825) and developed appropriate gardens representing historic Louisiana patterns and plants. With his friend Trent James, he has recently published a book Early Camellias in Louisiana, focusing on varieties from 1825 – 1860