Annual Conference - Registration is Open — Georgia Master Gardeners Association

Registration is OPEN!
2025 GMGA Annual Conference

GARDENING IN GEORGIA:
TRICK OR TREAT?

October 17-18, 2025
Macon Marriott City Center, Macon, GA

EARLY BIRD PRICING ENDS ON 10/3/2025

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Are you interested in being a vendor or a sponsor at the conference? For vendors, please click here. For sponsors, please click here.

HOTEL GROUP RATE

Check-in: Friday, October 17, 2025 starting at 4:00 p.m.
Check-out: Saturday, October 18, 2025
Hotel details: Macon Marriott City Center for $139 USD per night
The last day to book is Friday, September 12, 2025

Book your group rate for Georgia Master Gardeners Association

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Friday, October 17

10:30am
Arboretum Tour at Wesleyan College (more information below)

2:00-4:00pm
Therapeutic Gardening Activities Workshop (more information below)

5:00–11:00 p.m.
Friday Meet & Greet: Friday night is a charcuterie display with grilled vegetables, sliced fruit and cheese with crackers, beverage station with punch, lemonade, and water. The hotel has a bar for alcoholic beverages on your own.

Saturday, October 18

8:00-9:00
Registration | Swag Bags | Continental Breakfast | Vendor Sales | Silent Auction

9:00-9:30
Welcome & Introduction
General Housekeeping Announcements
GMGA President Opening Remarks
Dr. Sheri Dorn Remarks & Agent Award

9:30-10:30
SPEAKER: Carol Bokros- Why native plants are important to include in our landscaping

10:30-11:00
Break | vendor sales | book signing |silent auction

11:00-11:45
SPEAKER: Heather Cutway- Discussion of invasives in Georgia

11:45-1:15
Lunch | vendor sales | book signing | silent auction

1:15-2:00
SPEAKER: Laura Ney- Role bats play in controlling the insect population

2:00-2:15
Break | vendor sales | silent auction

2:15-3:00
SPEAKER: Edward Morrow - Tree Care Prescriptions for Community Enhancement

3:00-3:15
Break | vendor sales | silent auction | door prize winners

3:15-4:00
SPEAKER: Jenks Farmer – Keynote Speaker

4:00-4:30
Closing remarks | Silent Auction Results

THERAPEUTIC GARDENING ACTIVITIES WORKSHOP

UGA is presenting a Workshop on Friday afternoon from 2 – 4 PM in the Marriott City Center.

Title: Therapeutic Gardening Activities Workshop — The joy and pleasure of gardening activities are appreciated by audiences of all abilities. By making simple adjustments in your delivery process, these activities can be even more enjoyable.

In this workshop, learn strategies for adapting gardening activities for a wide range of audiences.

Cost: $20
Limit: 34 participants

ARBORETUM TOUR AT WESLEYAN

Join Dr. Jim Ferrari, Professor of Biology and Director of the Wesleyan College Arboretum, for a tour of the 104-acre Arboretum.

Jim has a PhD in Ecology from the University of Minnesota and a BA in Biology from Middlebury College. His research interests center on the ecology of fruit-eating birds. Jim will identify native and invasive plants, discuss their ecology and seed dispersal, and describe efforts to control invasive plants in the Arboretum. The Arboretum hosts more than 110 species of woody plants and is also an eBird hotspot.

Plan to do a lot of walking so wear comfortable shoes. The tour lasts about 90 minutes. If it is still warm, bring water. Here is a link to the arboretum website.

Cost: $20
Limit: 24 participants

FEATURED SPEAKERS AND PROGRAMS

Featured Speaker: Jenks Farmer
Jenks Farmer is a South Carolina plantsman, garden designer, and author, known for his work in establishing botanical gardens and his unique approach to gardening, particularly with Crinum lilies. He is a 10th-generation South Carolinian with a deep connection to the land and a passion for sharing his knowledge through writing, speaking, and hands-on experiences. Born and raised on a rural farm in Beech Island, South Carolina, Jenks Farmer's early life was steeped in the natural world. He developed a love for plants and their stories from a young age, inspired by his family of artists, musicians, and farmers.

He holds degrees in plant science from Clemson University and public garden management and forestry from the University of Washington. An internship in Zambia during his time at Clemson allowed him to study the country's plant history, further fueling his passion for horticulture. He led the teams that established two of South Carolina's major botanical gardens: Riverbanks Botanical Garden and Moore Farms Botanical Garden. His approach to gardening is rooted in respect for the natural world and a belief in sustainable practices. His newest book, Secrets of Southern Gardening will be released in August and will be for sale at the Conference.

Speaker: Dr. Carol Bokros
Dr. Bokros is the current President of the Fringed Campion Chapter of the Native Plant Society. She is also the Director of Pre-Health Advising at Mercer University in Macon, GA. Carol is a biologist by training (BA in Microbiology, MA and PhD in Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin) and currently serves as the Director of Pre-Health Professions Advising at Mercer University in Macon, GA. Dr. Bokros grew up in the San Diego area but has lived in central Texas and southwest Pennsylvania before moving to Macon, GA in 1997. She has spent the last seven years pulling out the English ivy and Japanese honeysuckle that covered her yard, and replacing it with native plants that support our local pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. She helped form the Fringed Campion Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society in 2021, and has served as President since that time. The Fringed Campion group has established several public educational gardens in middle Georgia to inspire and encourage people to include native plants in their own yards. Carol has been married for 38 years to her husband, Jeff Hugdahl, and they have two grown daughters.

Speaker: Dr. Heather Bowman Cutway
Dr. Cutway holds a B.S. in Environmental Science and PhD. In Ecology and Evolution and is currently on the faculty at Mercer University.

My main area of research interest is in plant ecology. In the past, I focused on the role of urban development in the establishment of invasive plant species. In Georgia, I spent 10 years studying the restoration of native plant populations through invasive species removal at the Ocmulgee National Monument. More recently, my focus has shifted to understanding the population ecology of a federally endangered plant, Silene catesbaei (fringed campion). This plant is found in only a few counties in middle Georgia and at the Georgia/Florida border. I am monitoring this plant to understand its population dynamics, why seed production is limited, and whether its numbers can be increased through reintroduction within its historic range.

Speaker: Dr. Laura Ney

Laura Ney is the Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent Athens Clarke County. She has been in the Athens Area off and on for 15 years. After completing her bachelor’s in Horticulture, from UGA, with certificates in organic and international agriculture, Laura worked as an educator and farm manager at the University of Georgia’s Costa Rica campus. She returned to Athens, where she earned her PhD, focusing on soil health and nutrient cycling. She now works with the University of Georgia and Clarke County to provide support and education to producers and homeowners, in the topics of sustainable management, food production and landscaping. Her focus is on the contributions provided by the bat population in controlling the insect population.

Speaker: Edward Morrow, ISA Certified Arborist

Edward Morrow, an ISA Certified Arborist and author who created Tree S.T.A.R.S. to inspire the next generation of tree care professionals. He has collaborated with industry associations such as The Tree Care Industry Association, International Society of Arboriculture, State Botanical Garden of Georgia, and the Atlanta Tree Conservation Commission. His focus is on the right tree care while keeping your community safe and beautiful.

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