Garden Jubilee

Get ready for the 2026 Garden Jubilee Speaker Showcase! 

Join us for an exciting lineup of expert gardeners, landscapers, and horticulturists sharing their knowledge on everything from plant care to garden design. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just getting started, this showcase is packed with inspiration and practical tips to help your garden thrive!

2026 Garden Jubilee Speaker Showcase Keynote Speaker:

Programing: 

• Saturday 11:30am - How to Become a Better Gardener Faster 
• Saturday 2:30pm - If Some is Good, More is Better, Plant Diversity Forever! 

Scott Beuerlein Full Biography, 2026 

Scott Beuerlein is the Manager of Botanical Garden Outreach at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. He runs the Zoo’s Botanical Garden educational programs, including the CZBG’s Excellence in Horticulture Symposium Series. This series features three yearly programs which are among the nation’s preeminent single day symposiums. They have featured a veritable who’s who of top world horticultural speakers.  

Scott is also a garden writer and horticultural speaker. He has published hundreds of articles and columns in several gardening and green industry publications. He currently writes two award winning columns in each issue of Horticulture Magazine—the back page humor column, Deep Roots and the Garden Views series of interviews. The Garden Views interviews began in 2021, 26 interviews in total, and have included renowned experts such as Fergus Garrett, Dan Hinkley, Michael Dirr, Allan Armitage, Tony Avent, Piet Oudolf (in 2026), Doug Tallamy, and many more.  

Scott is a partner in the long-running and highly respected Garden Rant blog site.     

Scott has received numerous awards for his writing and other horticultural efforts: 

• 2025 Gold Medal for the Garden Views column in Horticulture Magazine from Garden Communicators International
• 2025 Silver Medal for his Deep Roots column in Horticulture Magazine from Garden Communicators International
• 2024 Silver Medal for Magazine Article from Garden Communicators International
• 2022 Silver Medal for Garden Rant blogs from Garden Communicators International 
• 2020, Silver Medal for Magazine Article from Garden Communicators International 
• 2020, Garden Clubs of America’s Club Horticulture Commendation, Garden Club of Cincinnati
• 2019, two Gold Medals from Garden Communicators International 
• 2019, the Civic Garden Center of Cincinnati’s Building Community Award
• 2018, the Citation Award from the Garden Clubs of Ohio
• 2018, the Johnny Appleseed Award from Taking Root
• 2015, named “One to Watch” by Cincinnati Magazine
• 2012, received the Garden Recognition Award from the Cincinnati Horticulture Society 

Scott is currently serving as: 

• Member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Horticulture Committee, Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum, where he has initiated a board level committee on horticulture 
• Chair of the Boone County Arboretum Collections Committee 
• Vice President of the Cincinnati Urban Forestry Board
• Member of the Green Industry Conference committee  

Previously, Scott served as: 

• Chairman of the Taking Root tree planting initiative 
• Chairman of the Cincinnati Flower Growers Association 
• President of the Northern Kentucky Urban and Community Forestry Council 

Scott earned a B.A. in Communication Arts from Xavier University. He is an ONLA Certified Landscape Technician and an ISA Certified Arborist.  

Scott and his wife, Michele, have been together for 43 years. Their garden is best described as too large and under-maintained, which is also a pretty good description of Scott.  

SPEAKER SHOWCASE LINEUP:

JORDANA CHALNICK 

Biltmore Estate Horticulturalist & Landscape Manager 

Programing

• Saturday 12:30pm: Horticulture at Biltmore: A World Class Garden in our Backyard.
• Sunday 10:30am: Perennials at Biltmore: Beauty Through the Seasons 

Bio:

Chalnick came to horticulture when she was in her 20s and living in Vermont. To earn extra money, she worked on a friend’s cut flower farm. Being surrounded by the beauty of her garden sparked an appreciation for the ornament of plants as well as a curiosity for all things botanical. When Chalnick returned to North Carolina, she applied for a gardening job at Biltmore but did not have enough experience and so this inspired her to return to school for horticulture, earning an associate of applied science degree from Haywood Community College in 2006. 

Chalnick began working at Biltmore in December of 2006 in the Azalea garden. In 2011 she moved into the conservatory, becoming the conservatory horticulturalist in 2013. Her time in the conservatory was intensely creative and she was able to sharpen her design skills and thoroughly explore color and texture. From 2017 to 2024 Jordana worked in supervisory positions throughout the horticulture department at Biltmore, which allowed her to utilize her knowledge of hardy woody and herbaceous plants in the Biltmore permanent landscape settings, as well as draw on her knowledge of tropical and annual plant materials in areas that have seasonal displays.  In October of 2024, Chalnick became the Landscape Manager at Biltmore.  She cherishes the opportunity to utilize both horticultural knowledge and leadership skills in her current position.  

THE SHADY LADIES – Kay Campbell & Brenda Rosbrook 

Of Raymond’s Garden Center 

Programing 

• Saturday 10:30am - Perennial Crushes: Old Flames & New Flings 
• Saturday 1:30pm - "If I Had a Nickel"…Things You Hear at a Garden Center 

HILLARY THOMPSON 

Horticulturalist for Soil³ 

Programing:

• Sunday 12:30pm – How to Improve Soil Health - Soil Science for the Southern Gardener 

Bio:

With a degree in horticulture from UGA, Hillary is communications director for Super-Sod (a sod farm) and Soil³ (a compost farm). Over the last 30 years of marketing plants and gardening products, she discovered the thrill of enabling gardeners to care for their own spaces, garden smarter, and enjoy the journey. She achieves this through articles/blogs, videos, and various public speaking engagements.  

 
Outside of work, she volunteers with the American Hydrangea Society and tends her 1-acre garden outside of Athens, Georgia, with her husband. She used to be a tree snob, but after walking barefoot on a Zoysia lawn, she is now a Zoysiagrass snob. When not playing with her dog on her own Zeon Zoysia lawn, cultivating native pollinator plants and shade plants (Hydrangeas and their companions), identifying roadside "weeds," and tending the surrounding forest by pulling privet, she spends her time pursuing the domestic arts of knitting, cooking, throwing dinner parties, and making things like beeswax candles and soap. As a plant addict, her vacations center around visiting local gardens and nurseries and going on day hikes to see the native flora. 

SHERRY LOVETT 

Storyteller & Educator 

Programing:

• Sunday 11:30am - Isla’s Love & Sweet William 
• Sunday 2:30pm - Lusmore & Wild Mountain Thyme 

Bio:

Sherry Lovett is a storyteller with a passion for connecting people through the timeless art of storytelling. With over twenty years of experience in performing and teaching, Sherry draws inspiration from her Scot-Irish roots and her rich North Carolina heritage, which spans from the rugged mountains to the coastal shores. She believes that stories have the power to inspire, uplift, and unite, and her mission is to bring those experiences to life, whether through an old ballad, an adventurous tale of King Arthur, or a hearty laugh over the antics of Jack. No matter where your storytelling journey takes you, Sherry will guide you with warmth, wisdom, and a deep love for the art of storytelling. 

PAMELA & RANDY KNOWLES  

Apiarists & Master Herbalist 

Programing:

• Sunday 1:30pm -  The Buzz About Honeybees: Nature’s Tiny Masterpiece 

 Bio:

Pamela and Randy Knowles are the beekeepers behind Honeybee Bliss in Hendersonville, North Carolina, where they have practiced organic, sustainable beekeeping for more than 21 years. Working within one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the country, they are dedicated to protecting honeybees and educating the public about the essential role pollinators play in our food system and environment. Their training includes apiary management and queen rearing at Penn State University, Master Herbalist certification through Cornell University, and additional study throughout Europe and North Africa. 

Through Honeybee Bliss, Pamela and Randy provide more than 100 hours of honeybee education each year and proudly sponsor the Hendersonville Farmers Market, investing directly in the community they love. Their work is guided by deep respect for honeybees and admiration for the hive’s remarkable intelligence, cooperation, and democracy—lessons from nature that shape both their beekeeping and their commitment to environmental stewardship.  

The Friends of Downtown Hendersonville 501c3 in concert with the City of Hendersonville’s Downtown Program are the producers of The Rhythm & Brews concert series, Hendersonville Farmer’s Market, Garden Jubilee, the Bearfootin’ Art Walk & Auction and Historic Downtown Holiday Events.

Dedicated to promoting and supporting reinvestment in downtown, this group uses a nationally recognized urban revitalization model in pursuit of their vision of a downtown that has the infrastructure and character needed to support and interweave a vibrant entrepreneurial environment with urban livability.

Planning to attend the Garden Jubilee in Hendersonville on May 23-24, 2026?

Our sponsor, Mountain Inn & Suites, offers comfortable accommodations just minutes from the festival. Enjoy spacious rooms, modern amenities, and genuine Southern hospitality. Whether you're here to explore the numerous plant and craft vendors or to immerse yourself in gardening workshops, Mountain Inn & Suites provides the perfect retreat after a day of festivities. Book your stay today and experience the best of Hendersonville during this vibrant event.

Vendor Information: 

VENDORS ARE FULL. WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING NEW VENDORS FOR 2026

Interested new vendors may submit information and photos to garden@downtownhendersonville.org to be considered for 2026. Space is limited. Vendors typically offer plants, flowers, trees, gardening tools, outdoor décor, landscaping products, handmade crafts, or eco-friendly goods. Vendors who submit information via email may be invited to submit an application in February