Cullman County Master Gardeners will hold a Spring Plant Sale on April 25, 2025 from 8-6 and April 26 from 8-2 at the Cullman County Fairgrounds, 1501 Sportsman Lake Road in Cullman, Alabama.
Cullman County Master Gardeners will hold a Spring Plant Sale on April 25, 2025 from 8-6 and April 26 from 8-2 at the Cullman County Fairgrounds, 1501 Sportsman Lake Road in Cullman, Alabama.
The Lee County Master Gardeners of Alabama Garden Tour will be held of May 17, 2025 from 10 am to 5 pm and May 18, 2025 from 1 pm to 5 pm.
Tickets go on sale April 7, 2025 and are available to purchase at:
The Lee County Master Gardeners of Alabama Garden Tour will be held of May 17, 2025 from 10 am to 5 pm and May 18, 2025 from 1 pm to 5 pm.
Tickets go on sale April 7, 2025 and are available to purchase at:
The Lee County Master Gardeners of Alabama Garden Tour will be held of May 17, 2025 from 10 am to 5 pm and May 18, 2025 from 1 pm to 5 pm.
Tickets go on sale April 7, 2025 and are available to purchase at:
The East Central Alabama Master Gardeners 18th Annual Plant Sale will be held on May 3, 2025 from 8 am-12pm at the Kiwanis Park, Wedowee.
Veggies, Hostas, Native Azaleas, Herbs, Trees, and Shrubs will be available to purchase.
Tool sharpening will be available for your garden tools such as shovels, hoes, spades, loppers and shears!
Master Gardeners will be available to answer your gardening questions.
Find out more about the East Central Alabama Master Gardeners here.
The 2025 Mobile County Master Gardeners Spring Festival will be held on Saturday, March 29, 2025 from 9am to 2 pm at the Mobile Botanical Gardens, 5151 Museum Dr., Mobile, Alabama.
This Vegetable and Plant Sale will include thousands of container-compatible vegetable plants including: tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, and herbs.
Admission to the Mobile Botanical Gardens is free and Nita’s Plant Marketplace will be open.
For vendor information, send an email as soon as possible describing what you would like to sell to:
Cullman County Master Gardeners will hold a Native Azalea and Wildflower Sale on March 22, 2025 from 8 am to 2 pm at Cullman County Fairgrounds, 1501 Sportsman Lake Road, Cullman.
Native Azaleas available include: Admiral Franklin, Angie’s Red, Appalachian Gold, Father Ryan, Frontier Gold, Angel’s Lace, King’s Wizard, Camilla’s Blush, Cotton Candy, Admiral Semes, Sunrise, Stonewall Jackson, and Red Pepper.
Wildflowers available include: Purple Coneflower, Wild Columbine, Sweet Joe Pye Weed, Coneflower, Coreopsis, Jacob’s Ladder, Shasta Daisy, Black-Eyed Susan, Butterfly Milkweed, Bee Balm, Motherwort, and Chamomile.
Joe Lamp’l’s (aka joe gardener®) infatuation with gardening and nature began as a child. After a run-in with his parents’ favorite shrub, he panicked and jammed the broken branch into the ground. A few weeks later, it had taken root. Joe was not only relieved; he was also hooked on horticulture.
As one of the country’s most recognized and trusted personalities in gardening and green-living, Joe’s passion for living a greener life is evident to a nationwide audience who turns to him for gardening advice through his new joe gardener Online Gardening Academy™ and watches him in his current role as Creator, Executive Producer and Host of the Emmy-award-winning PBS series, Growing a Greener World® and, previously, as host of Fresh from the Garden on DIY Network and more. Joe also shares his know-how on NBC’s TODAY, ABC’s Good Morning America, The Weather Channel and through his popular books, podcast series – The joegardener Show, and more.
Past awards include: The American Horticultural Society selected Joe as the recipient of the Society’s B.Y. Morrison Communication Award, which recognizes effective and inspirational communication—through print, radio, television, and online media. Multi-award winner for Best On-Air Talent for Television by the Garden Writers Association, and The Taste Awards for Breakout Storyteller of the Year, Best Environmental Television, Series, Film or Video, Best Branded Television Series in 2016 and their coveted Pioneer Award in 2017. In 2018, Growing a Greener World was awarded a Daytime Emmy for Best Lifestyle Program.
Joe is the founder and “Joe” behind joegardener.com – a gardening-intensive website with a focus on how-to videos, podcasts, online courses, and blog posts around the most popular topics gardeners want to know.
Overseeing these endeavors and more is Agrivana® Media, LLC, a company devoted to creating quality broadcast and online content to inspire and promote environmental stewardship around the world. Joe is deeply committed to “growing a greener world” through his television series, courses, websites, podcasts, how-to videos, books (including The Green Gardener’s Guide), and more. When not filming, speaking or writing about gardening and living green, Joe can likely be found in and around his organic garden and spending time with his family on their Atlanta, GA farm.
Wesley M. Anderson is an assistant professor in the College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment at Auburn University. He is also a wildlife specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. He earned his B.S. from Davidson College and M.S. from Texas Tech University. Prior to arriving at Auburn, he earned his Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida where his dissertation focused on wild pig impacts to wetlands, herpetofauna, and other aquatic organisms. Broadly, he is interested in nongame conservation, citizen science, environmental education, and invasive species management. He is currently the program coordinator for the Alabama Master Naturalist program.
Betsy Smith and her husband Darin live on ten acres in Clanton, Alabama with their 5 dogs and 1 cat. They have 5 children and 8 grandchildren. She holds a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Samford University and retired in 2018 from a 32-year career in public education as a teacher and elementary school principal.
After retiring, Betsy enrolled in the Extension Master Gardener Program. She has served as Chilton County Master Gardeners Association Vice President and attended Alabama Master Gardener College Leadership Training. She assists in leading the intern class for new interns and is a part of the Chilton County Master Gardeners Conservation Group that works to promote education and awareness of rare native plant species growing in, or around Chilton County, Alabama. The group propagates plant material, works on plant site identification and community education.
In addition to being a Master Gardener, she teaches English as a second language virtual to students in other countries, teaches yoga and quilts.
Betsy is especially fond of herbs. She has her Advanced Master Gardener Certification in Herbs and serves as the President of The Herb Society of America. Betsy’s motto is, “Growing Learners, Growing Leaders,” to promote the mission to encourage the knowledge, use and delight of plants through education. She believes kids can also be learners and leaders in the garden.
One of her favorite ways to use herbs is to take fresh herbs from her garden to the yoga classes she teaches so her students can delight in the fresh scent of the herbs while practicing yoga.
Grover Plunkett received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Alabama in 1980 and enjoyed a 30-year career in business. In 2008, he received his master’s degree in post-secondary education with emphasis in history from Troy University and pursued his love for teaching. He taught history at Faulkner University and Alabama State University, as an adjunct instructor, until 2012, while pursuing a master’s degree in liberal arts at Faulkner University. He earned a master’s degree in political science from Auburn University Montgomery in 2013. While at Auburn University Montgomery, he was named Khalid bin Sultan Research Fellow and researched American Foreign Policy initiatives for Cuba, as well as the effects of democratization in American society.
In January 2012, he became assistant professor of history and political science at Faulkner University. He is presently earning a Ph.D. in international relations and economics at Auburn University and his research efforts include studies in the growth of capitalism in state-controlled markets, as well as the role of government in reversing the economic decline in American cities.
Jason Reeves grew up on a farm in West Tennessee, where he fell in love with the plant world. He received his Master’s degree in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In 2002, he became a research horticulturist and curator of the University of Tennessee Gardens located at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center in Jackson, Tennessee. Jason’s colorful plant combinations and unique garden art, made by recycling everyday objects, draws several thousand people to the Center’s annual lawn and garden show, Summer Celebration. His past experiences include work at the Opryland Conservatories in Nashville, Missouri Botanical Garden, Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, and in private gardens in New Zealand.
When he’s not bringing the grounds to life with his imaginative garden displays, he’s evaluating hundreds of new and unique plants for the state’s green industry. He also speaks at gardening symposiums, travels the world leading gardening tours, and serving as a contributing editor for Fine Gardening magazine. Additionally, he is a landscape designer and consultant, and his influence can be seen in landscapes across Tennessee through distinct plant combinations. You can follow him on Facebook at Jason Reeves – In the Garden.
Laura Perry Johnson is Associate Dean of University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, the outreach arm of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. UGA Extension is a federal, state and local partnership that makes an impact at the county level, enacting the university’s research discoveries to foster a healthy and prosperous Georgia for farmers, families and communities.
Johnson has helped to facilitate UGA Extension’s outreach initiatives for more than 30 years, including her current tenure as head of the organization. UGA Extension’s Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences, and 4-H Youth Development programs propel the state’s economically important industries and serve the needs of residents across generations. During her time as head of the organization, both rural and urban programs have flourished, communication and funding have increased, and impact assessments have hit major strides.
Johnson has won numerous honors, including the National Annie E. Casey Award, the National 4-H Program of Distinction, and the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Diversity Award. In addition to the continuous in-state presentations that have come to define her career in outreach, Johnson has been invited to speak at dozens of national conferences, including talks on Extension’s relevance in the 21st century, AmeriCorps VISTA programs, leveraging county dollars and diversifying resources, and finding success in volunteer-led organizations. She co-chaired the strategic planning process for the college and serves in a leadership capacity in numerous organizations.
Johnson began working with UGA Extension as the statewide 4-H livestock specialist in 1993. Through her work with Georgia 4-H, Johnson realized her passion for public service, and the state’s 4-H livestock and horse programs thrived as a result. While in this position, Johnson was recognized with the Outstanding New State Staff Award from the Georgia Association of 4-H Agents, and she went on to become the 4-H program development coordinator for UGA Extension’s Southwest District in 2002. From there, she was appointed to lead the Southwest District Extension programs for 41 counties, comprising the biggest row crop agriculture area of Georgia. Under Johnson’s direction, the Southwest Districttopped the state in new agent recruits and increased both state and county funding. She was appointed director of UGA Extension in 2014 and began leading the organization at the start of the following year.
Johnson is a three-time graduate of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. She has earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in animal science, specializing in meat and muscle biology. As a part of a seventh-generation cattle and row crop farm in Moultrie, Georgia, agriculture has always been a part of her life. Laura and her husband Scott have two young adult children, Bill and Libba, both of whom work in agricultural related careers.
On-line registration is preferred. To register and pay on-line by credit card, click on link:
AMGA Conference Registration 2025
NOTE: A personal PayPal account is NOT required to register on-line. PayPal is the credit card processing service and will accept VISA and MasterCard.
To Register and Pay by Check: Please make checks payable to AMGA and mail along with this completed form to:
Please allow two weeks to receive an email confirmation of your registration. It is your responsibility to confirm receipt of your registration.
if you have not received confirmation of your registration.
Please take a moment to review the following Cancellation and Refund Policy. This policy applies to all 2025 AMGA State Conference registrations, and by registering for the conference, attendees agree to comply with this policy.
– If you cancel on or before March 1. We will refund all conference fees except t-shirt orders or any PlanetReg and PayPal processing fees incurred at the time of registration.
– If you cancel after March 1, we will review your refund request on a case-by-case basis. The ACMGA Conference Committee reserves the right to assess each cancellation request individually and make refund decisions accordingly.
Photos will be taken periodically of participants during our tours, workshops, Meet and Greet reception, and at the church facility throughout this Conference. These photos are intended for use by AMGA and ACMGA and may be included in flyers, brochures, or on our websites. If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact:
Sondra Henley
The following hotels have reserved blocks of rooms for conference attendees. All hotels are located near the event. Restaurants, shopping, Walmart, and Publix are near the hotels. All hotels are located off Interstate 65 at the two Prattville / Millbrook exits. Most are located off Interstate 65 at Exit 179, Prattville / Millbrook exit. The Conference rate is available until March 3, 2025. All block dates are April 3 – 4, 2025.
Should you need additional dates, the discount rates may not be available. Some hotels may extend their discounted rates. You will not be able to extend your date via the hotel links below. Your best option is to make your reservations for the block dates and call our hotel assistance line at (334) 430-5838 or email any questions to [email protected].
Rate $149.00 Per night, plus tax
Breakfast included.
Booking link: AL MASTER GARDENING
Rate $149.00 Per night, plus tax
Breakfast included.
Booking link: Courtyard by Marriott
Rate $140.00 Per night, plus tax
Breakfast Included.
Rate $159.00 Per night, plus tax
Breakfast included.
Booking link: Hampton Inn Prattville AL
Rate $140.00 Per night, plus tax
Breakfast included.
Click on the link below. Scroll down till you see Dates “View prices.” Put in the block dates of 4/3/25 – 4/5/25. FYI: You must put in the dates. The dates showing will be today’s current dates.
You must change the dates to 4/3/25 – 4/5/25 unless you are only staying one night within these dates. Put in the one-night date according to your stay. Click, “View prices.” The page will refresh. Double-check your dates to make sure they are correct. Click on room type and “Select.” The page will refresh. Fill in the reservation information.
Booking link: Holiday Inn Express
FYI – Home 2 Suites is the only hotel that offers rooms via the booking link for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights in case you are staying an extra night.
Rate $155.00 per night, plus tax
Breakfast included.
Instructions for Home 2 Suites booking link only. Click on the link below:
Click on the link below.
Booking link: Home 2 Suites
Click on the $159 rate box. FYI, you do not need to click on check out dates on this page. Page will refresh. Click on Edit stay unless you are staying 3 nights Thurs. Fri. and Sat. You must change the dates if you are not staying all 3 nights. Click on your check in date and check out date. Click Done Click update. Page will refresh and take you to the reservation information page. Please look at the top of the page to double check dates are correct. Fill in all the information that applies to your stay. FYI – the email address you provide is where you email confirmation will be sent.
Rate $139.00 per night plus tax
Breakfast included.
A booking link is not available at this hotel. Reservation by phone only.
This hotel is located on the other side of the Interstate. It is the same exit as the other hotels. Rate $169.00 per night, plus tax
Booking link: SpringHill Suites by Marriott
Rate $149.00 Per night, plus tax
Booking link: Tru By Hilton
Gunter Hill – Montgomery
Ft. Toulouse – Wetumpka
Self-Guided
Hidden away in Wilderness Park, located in Prattville, is a beautiful bamboo forest that was once used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam era. And in 1982, it became the first park of its kind developed inside city limits in the United States. Many areas of this park have bamboo stalks as tall as 60 feet, and with a trunk diameter of 6 inches. Besides bamboo, several other varieties of plants can be found within the forest, including Alabama’s second largest beech tree. It is open from sunrise to sunset.
Self-Guided
This garden site is leased from the City of Prattville by ACMGA. All produce grown here is donated to AICC (Autauga Interfaith Care Center) It is open during daylight hours.
Self-Guided
A historic chapel stands prominent in this garden. The circa 1840’s flower and herb gardens are maintained on Tuesday mornings. This garden site is privately owned and leased by ACMGA. It is open during daylight hours.
10:00 am – Jane McCarthy, Horticulturist and a Master Gardener, will be in the Prattvillage Garden, demonstrating the use of natural elements in the garden. Demonstration of one or more arbors, fencing, ladders, obelisks, etc. from natural elements. There is no charge for the class and is limited to 25 participants.
Maria Pacheco – Guide
10:00 am – 11:30 am Tour of Historic House and heirloom garden. Limit 25 – $5.00 per person
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Tour of Historic House and heirloom garden. Limit 25 – $5.00 per person
Directions: Follow E. Main Street/Cobbs Ford Road over I-65 to S. Edgewood Dr. turn Left; Turn Right onto Edgewood Road; Turn Left on Lanark Road; Go straight down Lanark Road to white gate at end of road; Stay on paved road, go through gate; Drive downhill to the big white house on Right.
Petals from the Past Inc., a premier nursery in the Southeast, specializes in antique roses, heirloom shrubs and difficult to find perennial flowers and herbs.
The tour is approximately 45 minutes from the First Baptist Church in Prattville. Plan accordingly as the tour and travel time will require approximately 3.5 hours. Also, if you have lunch there, add at least 30 – 45 minutes to your travel time.
10:00 am- 12:00 pm Tour of Display Gardens with an option for lunch. The tour is limited to 50 participants. There is no charge for the tour. You may purchase lunch when you register. The lunch fee is $20.00. Lunch is served with fresh fruit, oatmeal crisp cookie, sweet or unsweet tea. You will have a choice of Chicken Salad Croissant, Club Sandwich, or Salad Trio.
Janelle Diggs (AMGA Member at Large/Capital City MGA)
Two Sessions: 10:00 am – 11:30 am and 1:00pm – 2:30 pm. 12 participants each session – Class fee: $30 Room: 208 Upstairs (elevator access) You will decorate a hand-sewn apron by filling terra cotta inspired pockets with stamped flowers and leaves. Learn how to use fabric ink and extra-large stamps to create your own one-of-a-kind wearable masterpiece. All materials will be provided.
Diane Wonderly (ACMGA)
Two Sessions: 10:00 am – 11:30 am and 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. 25 participants per session, Class fee: $20.00 Materials provided. Room: 210 Upstairs (elevator access). You will learn to make one lovely magnolia blossom from latex balloons. An instruction sheet will be available to take home to make more.
Mallory Kelley (ACES Regional Extension Agent)
Two Sessions: 10:00am – 11:30 am and 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. 25 participants per session. Class fee: Free. Floral Techniques Demonstrated. Room: 212 Upstairs (elevator access)
Jesaca Wilson (Conference Artist)
One Session: 10:00 am – 11:30 am. 50 participants, Class fee: $45.00. Materials provided. Held at Pzazz Art Studio, 1812 Glynwood Drive, Prattville. Please arrive 15 minutes before start time. Resin takes 24+ hours to dry and cannot be moved. Your dried artwork will be ready to be picked up Saturday at Pzazz between 11:30-1:30.
Elaine Densmore (Ret. ACES Admin. Support Assoc./ Chilton)
Two Sessions: 10:00 am -11:30 am and 1:00 pm -2:30 pm. 20 participants per session. Class fee: $20.00. Materials provided, extra glue to take home. Room: 214 Upstairs (elevator access). You will be provided a “kit” with items to make a glass garden art flower. Individual E6000 glue and a small glass jar that adheres to the back of the flower will be provided. Your flower can be hung on a fence post or pipe or displayed on a table. (Pipe/rebar not provided) Other art creations will be displayed.
County Treasurers Networking Time
Sherri Davidson, Facilitator (CAMGA Treasurer)
One Session: 1:00 pm- 2:30 pm. Room 217 upstairs (elevator access.) Networking opportunity for current, former, and future Treasurers. In this roundtable – style facilitated discussion we will share accounting methods used, experiences with becoming 501(c)(3)s, and additional resources identified. Bring your knowledge and/or questions for the group.
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9:00 a.m. |
Registration check in open |
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9:00 – 12:00 |
Tours – Off campus |
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12:00 – 3:15 |
Workshops – Second Floor and off campus |
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1:00 – 3:00 |
Vendors and Silent Auction openTours – Off campus |
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Tours – Off campus | |
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3:15 |
Silent Auction closes |
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3:30 – 4:30 |
Joe Lamp’l Presentation – The Ecological Gardening Blueprint: 10 Essential Steps That Matter Most |
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5:00 – 6:30 |
Meet and Greet at Prattvillage – Celebrating 30 years as a Public Garden-Designed and Maintained by Autauga County Master Gardeners |
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8:00 a.m. |
Registration/Vendors/Silent Auction open |
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8:50 |
Silent Auction closes |
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9:00 |
Conference Opens – Master of Ceremonies |
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-Welcome from Mayor | |
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-Welcome from FBC Pastor | |
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9:30 – 10:30 |
Wesley Anderson, PhD Presentation – Bluebirds and their Habitat |
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9:30 – 11:00 |
Break/Vendors/Silent Auction |
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11:00 – 12:00 |
Betsy Smith – Open the Gift of Herbs with Kids |
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12:00 |
Luncheon Prayer and Instructions |
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12:00 – 1:15 |
Lunch/Vendors/Silent Auction |
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1:30 – 3:00 |
AMGA Business Meeting |
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3:00 – 3:30 |
Break/Vendors/Silent Auction |
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3:30 – 4:30 |
Jason Reeves – Friends in the Shade: Keeping Your Hostas Company |
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4:30 – 5:00 |
Break – Vendors and Silent Auction |
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5:00 |
Silent Auction closes – Last bids taken |
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5:00 – 6:30 |
Dinner |
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6:30 – 7:30 |
Grover Plunkett – Agribusiness /Regenerative Farming |
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8:30 a.m. |
Opening remarks |
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9:00 – 10:00 |
Jason Reeves – The Making of a Garden |
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10:00 – 10:30 |
Break or Pre-pay for Silent Auctions |
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10:30 – 11:30 |
Leadership Speaker- Laura Thompson Perry, PhD Leadership Presentation |
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11:30 am |
Instructions for Silent Auction and Door Prize pick ups |
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Adjourn |
(334)462-1383
alabamamga.conference@gmail.com