Convention 2026 info

Monday, June 15th – This is a special day for our Junior Gardeners!

·       Between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. All adult and junior Artistic and Horticulture Flower Show entries must be placed. Closed judging will begin at 1:30 p.m.

Breakout sessions begin at 1:30 p.m.

If attending any sessions for any day of the Convention, make those selections on your registration form

·       1:30 p.m. 

Rock Art Craft hosted by Junior Department Chair, Kathleen Burke-Mink 

Creative Mini-Gourd Session led by OAGC member Jan Moody

·       2:45 p.m. 

Food Recycling: Feed People, Not Landfill by OAGC member Kat Bennett. Learn how to save money and the planet by combating food waste 

Bonsai and miniatures for Juniors by Barb Burkey, whose ongoing adventure with Bonsai began over 10 years ago. She feels creating miniature landscapes is a natural addition to gardening

·       4:00 p.m. 

Join Kim Baker for an overview of the Arc of Appalachia. Kim’s deep love and passion for this organization will excite you with the beauty of Ohio's wildlands

Join Naomi Ormes, OAGC Design Study Chair and Judge, and create a Reflective Design Study (90 minutes, $15.00 for materials)

Juniors Make & Take by Whitney Wicks, also called the “Plant Aunt.” Her hands-on sessions are packed with color and creativity

·       6:00 p.m. 

Convention Welcome, Dinner reception, Scholarship Awards announced. Voting begins for the 2026-2028 slate of officers

Reception food stations will include Hot and cold Hors D’ Oeuvres

·       Evening activities:

 

Tuesday, June 16th – Visit Vendors! Buy raffle and “Seed Money” tickets! Visit the flower show!

·       8:00 a.m. Registration opens

·       7:30 a.m. Farmhouse Breakfast Buffet $26.00

·       8:30 a.m. Welcome and Awards

·       9:30 a.m. 

Bonsai and miniatures (E&J) with Barb Burkey

The Future for Pollinators Begins Today. Learn how to support the pollinators that call Ohio home in your own backyard, workplace, school, and community with Ruth Bowell, OAGC member and owner/operator of The Milkweed Patch, LLC, a native plant nursery

·       10:45 a.m. 

Oshibana Instruction ($10.00 material fee) with OAGC member Marti Reed. Marti is a 23-year member of Grow and Show Garden Club, Cambridge, OAGC Region 8. She has lived in Guernsey County all of her life. Her special interests include a large variety of crafting specialties. 

If we want more Father Time on our side, we need more Mother Nature with David Henthorne. As the author of “Walking in the Woods: Hiking for Health, Healing & Happiness”, David will explore the many benefits of hiking, especially in Ohio

Make & Take Mini Dried-flower Posie with our 2nd VP, Brandi Ross

·       Noon Baked Potato Bar Buffet $22.75

·       12:45 p.m. OAGC Foundation Meeting

·       1:30 p.m. Keynote Address with Megan Philpott. Megan is the Director of the Exceptional Plant Signature Project at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW). She will talk to us about Frozen Oaks: Ex situ conservation of rare plants using cryopreservation

·       2:45 p.m. 

African Violets (E&J) by Vicki Ferguson. Vicki is a Life Member and past president of OAGC, Inc. she is also a member and senior Judge of The African Violet Society of America and a member and student Judge of The Gesneriad Society

Megan Philpott will overview Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's cryopreservation program for oak conservation

·       4:00 p.m. 

Photography – Making Beautiful Photographs of Flowers by Barbara Rose

Terrarium Make & Take with Whitney Wicks ($15.00 material fee). Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just plant‑curious, Whitney's energy and expertise make her a joy to learn from

Reflective Design Study, repeat from 6/15 (90 min, $15.00 for materials)

·       6:00 p.m. Tour of Italy Buffet (meal included). Flower Show Awards begin at 7:00 p.m.

·       Evening activities:

 

Wednesday, June 17th – More Vendors! Raffle and “Seed Money” tickets!

·       8:00 a.m. Recognition Breakfast Farmhouse Breakfast $26.00 (no charge for OAGC Past-Presidents and Judges)

·       9:00 a.m. 

Plant This, Not That with Kelly Capuzzi. Kelly is particularly passionate about pollinators, integrating her expertise to foster community engagement in native plant advocacy

Plant I.D. (E&J) by OAGC member and Judge Judy Widman

·       10:45 a.m. 

Your Yard Is Habitat: How Native Plants Connect People + Wildlife by Courtney Denning with Deeply Rooted Landscaping. Courtney will discuss how native plants can transform your yard into vital habitat, supporting wildlife, balancing ecosystems, and revealing powerful plant-animal connections

Design Study Critique by Naomi Ormes, OAGC Design Study Chair

·       Noon Soup & Salad Buffet $23.95

·       1:30 p.m. 

Hueston Woods Winter Wonderland Experience presented by Jan Womacka. After 13 years of decorating Hueston Woods, she will share club expectations, budgets, lessons learned, successes, and challenges! 

Orchids (E&J) by Edgar Stehli. Edgar and his wife, Kim, tend to more than 8,000 rare orchid specimens in their Broadview Heights home and adjacent greenhouse business, “Windswept in Time Orchids.”

·       2:45 p.m. 

Houseplants with Whitney Wicks 

What can I do with this container? By Marlene Purdy, an OAGC member, Region 2 Director, and OAGC Judge. She will share different types of containers and how to use them in floral design

·       4:00 p.m. Closing sessions begin