Tracy DiSabato-Aust has earned international acclaim as one of America’s most entertaining and knowledgeable garden writers and professional speakers. She has extensive experience in the United States, and abroad working for 29 years in the industry, speaking for 25 years and designing for 20 years. Her experience includes stints at Longwood Gardens in the U.S., The Montreal Botanical Garden in Canada, the Kalmthout Arboretum in Belgium, and Knightshayes Court in England. She earned a B.S. and M.S. in Horticulture from The Ohio State University.

Her first book The Well-Tended Perennial Garden, which has been referred to by many as "the bible for perennial maintenance", has sold over 100,000 copies and become Timber Press’ best selling book in their 25 year history of publishing. Her new book "The Well-Designed Mixed Garden" combines artistic vision with practical horticultural strategies. Tracy is a frequent guest on national garden television and radio gardening shows. Her many lectures include such venues as the The Smithsonian Institute, The Perennial Plant Association, numerous botanical gardens and professional association meetings, as well as England’s Royal Horticulture Society Garden- Wisley and The English Gardening School.  She was bestowed with the 2004 Garden Media Award from the Perennial Plant Association. This award recognizes an individual whose educational and promotional efforts have resulted in a heightened awareness of perennials and the perennial industry.

Tracy has contributed articles or been featured in numerous national and international magazines, books, and newpapers. Magazines include: Fine Gardening (She is a contributing editor), Horticulture, Country Gardens, Garden Gate, Organic Gardening, Midwest Living, American Nurseryman, Real Simple, and Garden Design. The New York Times, The Daily Telegraph in London, England, and The National Post, Toronto Canada recently published articles on Tracy.

 

Edward C. Martin, Jr., is a Landscape Architecture Professor Emeritus, Mississippi State University. As a Designer/Lecturer/Author, he has traveled extensively to lecture, research and photograph gardens, architecture and the arts. Ed is co-author of the award winning book Home Landscapes, Planting Design and Management. He is listed in Who's Who in America and has served as NCSGC Landscape Design Chairman. He has hosted tours abroad since the early 1980s and Jeff Sainsbury Tours since 1996.

Dr. Perry is a Professor at the University of Vermont with the Extension System, with a research specialty and interest in herbaceous perennials. He manages an extensive and well known website on perennials, Perry's Perennial Pages (www.uvm.edu/~pass/perry/). He also teach courses on Garden Flowers (pss.uvm.edu/pss123/index.html) and Indoor Plants. Soon he will offer a fully online version of his garden flowers course. As the state specialist for ornamental plants, Dr. Perry is frequently seen in the media. He appears on monthly radio broadcasts, has a weekly column in newspapers under the Green Mountain Gardener, and appears monthly on Across the Fence-- one of America's longest running daily television programs, seen throughout northern New England and Quebec. Dr. Perry has been at the University of Vermont for 20 years, with MS and PhD in floriculture from Cornell University, and a BS in Landscape Design from Auburn University. Dr. Perry has traveled extensively, spent much time in England, and has been leading tours since 1985.

Dr. Stack has worked at the University of Maine in Orono since 1987, as Cooperative Extension's Ornamental Horticulture Specialist. She works with Maine's nursery, landscape, garden center and greenhouse businesses, on production and marketing issues. She also works with home gardeners, garden clubs and Master Gardeners frequently speaking to them about environmentally friendly gardening, emphasizing the value of native plants in landscapes, and the problems of invasive exotic plants. She also travels frequently, and incorporates ideas from great gardens into her presentations. Before coming to Maine, she worked at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, where she managed the teaching greenhouses and taught in the Children's Garden. She obtained an MS in horticulture and a PhD in horticulture education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.