HOME SHOW
The Renegade Gardener Tackles the Myths of Landscaping

As a leading garden journalist, Don Engebretson adopts a simple philosophy toward dealing with real-life garden problems and solutions -- don't take anything for granted.

As “The Renegade Gardener,” he takes a suspicious look toward quick and easy promises and foolproof plants. “Design is design, gardening is gardening, dumb is dumb, and truth conquers all,” he said.

Engebretson preaches that the joy of gardening comes from experimenting, with passion coming from failure, success and learning. “Truth is, gardening isn’t always easy, but mind your back, and the process is guaranteed to be a hoot.”

At the HOME SHOW and Flower, Lawn & Garden Show, Engebretson will present two different seminars designed for garden enthusiasts of all skill levels. In Crafting Cool & Creative Containers, Engebretson will show how colorful annuals perennials and even small trees and shrubs are essential accessories to home landscapes. Engebretson calls containers "the throw pillows of exterior deisgn" and will showcase five dozen different exampleso of creative container gardening.

During his Top 10 Gardening & Landscaping Blunders -- and How to Avoid Them, Engebretson will focus on the most common mistakes gardeners make. To make his list, the mistakes must be as common as crab grass, most make a major negative impact on one's landscape and -- most importantly -- must a mistake Engebretson himself has made during his 22 years as a gardener.

"Don't always believe it when you see a landscaping project described as 'easy,' or a plant touted as 'foolproof'," Engebretson said. "Fact is, gardening is a lifelong learning process that involves more than a little guesswork, serendipity, and experimentation. Down the road, every gardener is sure to discover that startling success sometimes goes hand-in-hand with staggering failure."

Engebretson is a nationally renowned garden journalist, making regular appearances on HGTV’s TIPical MaryEllen and PBS’ HOMETIME. He is the author of five garden books and is a contributor to Better Homes and Gardens and  Midwest Living who recently won his sixth national writing award from the Garden Writers Association of America.

Seminar times for Engebretson's appearances on the Outdoor Living Stage presented by Time Warner Cable will be available soon. Check back for more information on when The Renegade Gardener will be appearing at the show!