Point Defiance Flower & Garden Festival Guest Speaker Lecture Series
Free! No admission fee needed to enjoy the speaker series.
Get the dirt from leading northwest gardening and horticultural experts at the festival’s daily lecture series. Learn how to create memorable gardens, preserve seeds, care for your house plants and more.
- Keynote Speakers will be located at the Rose Stage in the Rose Garden.
- Guest Speakers will be located at the Micro Greens Stage.
- Refer to the schedule below for more information.
Keynote Speakers
Chris Staudinger
Saturday, June 6; 12 pm
Secret Gardens: Tacoma and the Landscape of Parks
Come learn about the story of Tacoma’s journey to become a park city. Tacoma had lofty ambitions for its public spaces and parks. It took multiple teams to reach the final product, but the public spaces in this city run the full spectrum from urban to wild.
About Chris Staudinger
For over fifteen years Chris worked as a videographer, journalist, and travel writer helping promote destinations and uncover the best parts of the world. On camera and behind the lens, he’s been working to put destinations and events on the map.
“Today I have the privilege of helping people tell their story to travelers and tourists who are looking for life changing experiences. It has been my deepest pleasure to have worked with and represented BBC, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Discovery Network, National Geographic, and many more in curating trips and tours and with countless destinations as a marketing agent.”
Today Chris runs Pretty Gritty Tours and provide tours and experiences for tourists and brands throughout Washington. Pretty Gritty Tours has built community partnerships with the City of Tacoma, T Mobile, JAW Maritime, The Foss Waterway Seaport, Experience Olympia, Travel Tacoma, American Cruise Lines, and so many more.
Debra Prinzing
Sunday, June 7; 12 pm
Eco-Friendly Floral Design: from the garden to the vase
The Slow Flowers movement advocates for chemical-free methods that eliminate single-use plastics like floral foam and other throwaway materials. Keep your bouquets local and seasonal; this is also good for you and the planet. Debra Prinzing will demonstrate easy methods for creating arrangements for the home and for gifting as she designs with seasonal flowers, recycled/upcycled vessels, and compostable materials.
About Debra Prinzing
Debra Prinzing is a Seattle-based writer, speaker and leading advocate for domestic, local and seasonal flowers. She is the creator of SlowFlowers.com, the online directory to local flowers, and producer/host of the “Slow Flowers Podcast,” which has aired weekly since 2013. Debra has authored 15 books, including The Flower Farmers (with co-author Robin Avni), Slow Flowers, The 50 Mile Bouquet and Where we Bloom.
Micro Greens
Micro Greens brings a fresh focus on learning to the festival experience. This dedicated space will host a dynamic lineup of horticultural experts, gardeners, and industry professionals sharing practical tips, techniques, and inspiration that attendees can take home and put into practice. Designed as an approachable and engaging environment, sessions feature short-form demonstrations and conversational talks covering a range of gardening topics. Programming will take place both days of the festival, with sessions lasting up to 60 minutes, offering plenty of opportunities to dig deeper, ask questions, and grow your knowledge.
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Saturday, 11:30 AM -12:30 PM | Mason Bees
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Local beekeeper, Rick Mercier, shares practical information on how you can use bees in your own gardens. Learn how to attract and support mason bees, improve pollination, and better understand the role native pollinators play in our environment.
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Saturday, 1:00 - 2:00 PM | Everyone loves Trees!
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Lowell Wyse from the Tacoma Tree Foundation shares information on local efforts to grow community stewardship of the urban forest, along with some important tips for choosing the right tree for the right place on the land that you are caring for.
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Saturday, 3:00 - 4:00 pm | Tomorrow's Gardens
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Lifestyle journalist and freelance writer, Erica Grivas, explores how climate-ready plants, naturalistic design, smart technology, and sustainable practices are transforming landscapes worldwide. Gain practical ideas to future-proof your garden, enhance biodiversity, and thrive in a changing world—no matter your space or experience.
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Saturday, 4:15 - 4:30 PM | Bird Beaks
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This kid-friendly presentation from Tahoma Bird Alliance explores how bird beaks are specially designed like specific eating utensils to access native fruit, flowers, seeds, and even insects hidden within local habitats.
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Saturday, 4:45 - 5:30 PM | Native Plant ID
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Information will be added soon. Stay tuned!
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Sunday, 11:30 AM -12:15 PM | Western Cascade Fruit Society
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The Western Cascade Fruit Society (WCFS) aspires to bring together new and experienced hobby orchardists and backyard fruit growers who share the science, cultivation and pleasure of growing fruit bearing trees, vines and plants in the home landscape.
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Sunday, 12:30 - 1:30 PM | Attracting Birds to your Garden
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Tahoma Bird Alliance discusses resources that native plants provide to our local birds and how birds layer vertically into the habitat, similar to how different plants and trees layer into our yards at different heights and in different seasons
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Sunday, 1:45 - 2:15 PM | Plant this, Not That
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Gail Sklar is the past president of Washington Native Plant Society.
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Sunday, 2:30 - 3:15 PM | Rose Society
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Learn about caring for roses within the unique climate of the Pacific Northwest.
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Sunday, 3:30 - 4:00 PM | 5 W's of Bird Feeders
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Tahoma Bird Alliance, originally founded in 1969 as the Tahoma Audubon Society, is a member-driven and volunteer-supported grassroots organization that is recognized as a conservation leader. Tahoma Bird Alliance remains as an affiliate of the National Audubon Society.
Their members, volunteers, and staff partner together to make a positive difference in the lives of people, birds, and wildlife in Pierce County, Washington, while protecting habitats for future generations.
