Demonstration presented by Monica Yurconic-Groff and Keitha Pavolko       

Join the team from Ross Plants & Flowers in learning how to construct a terrarium. This live demonstration will include all the key parts needed to create this type of mini-ecosystem in a closed container.

Monica Yurconic-Groff, the owner of Ross Plants & Flowers, entered the flower and plant world with her husband 18 years ago. As a former school teacher, her true joy comes from sharing her love of flowers and plants with others.

Keitha Pavolko, the lead florist at Ross Plants & Flowers, has been in the floral industry for over 30 years. Her expertise and artistry is a gift to all that get to experience her work. Together Monica and Keitha have taught many members of the Lehigh Valley how to flower arrange, create planters, and construct various types of gardens. They truly find joy in touching the community one presentation at a time!

Hands On Demonstration presented by Sue Weber

Sue, a member of Parkland Garden Club, will be conducting a hands-on workshop doing a floral arrangement in a teacup.  

Sue’s career as a guidance counselor in Parkland prompted Sue and her husband, Bill, to buy a home in Parkland.  They moved into a neighborhood where several Garden Club members lived and, of course, she was invited to join PGC.  She loved learning floral arranging and has enjoyed it for 50 plus years. Our club will provide teacups (unless you have a special one) and oasis.  Bring your own flowers (not too large), greens, and clippers.

PowerPoint and Lecture presented by Tina Ellor

The title pretty much sums up what Tina will talk about - she’ll talk about the culinary, nutritional, and medicinal aspects of mushrooms, a little bit of the history of mushroom cultivation, and time permitting she’ll take you through the Cultivated Mushroom Beauty Parade with some information about how everyone could be growing some mushrooms at home and in their gardens.

Tina Ellor was born and raised in very rural Dummerston, Vermont where the landscape was often fairly bleak. Wild mushrooms provided color and interest during the spring and fall and she developed a lifelong interest in and passion for mushrooms. Her very tolerant parents allowed her to grow mold gardens on old food in the basement and instead of having her committed, nurtured her odd interests. She earned a BS in Biology from California State College Stanislaus where her undergraduate project was growing oyster mushrooms on rice straw in the Central Valley of California and MS from the University of Maine with research on growing oyster mushrooms on paper mill sludge from a magnesium sulfate mill in Millinocket, Maine. She was recruited into the mushroom industry by a mushroom farm from Grad School in the 1980’s and has been infesting it ever since. She is currently Mycologist/Technical Director at Phillips Mushroom Farms in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania which means that technically she does whatever she is directed.  She is past President of the Board of Directors of Pennsylvania Certified Organic, served on the Organic Materials Review Institute BOD,  and has served on USDA Federal Advisory Committees including the National Organic Standards Board and the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. She frequently gives talks on various aspects of mushrooms including cultivation, medicinal and nutritional qualities, history, and organic certification to classes at all levels (elementary through college), garden clubs, mycological associations and anyone who will listen really, and attends wild mushroom forays when she is able.