Presentations
and Consultations

For do-it-yourselfers, a professional consultation will save you time, money, and hassles.

Popular power point presentations-Gardeners love to hear John speak on a variety of subjects.

• If you put a pond on a low spot (a seemingly obvious choice),  you will have trouble for as long as you own your pond, because too much rainwater will flow into it, disturbing the chemical balance.

• The wrong shrub planted under a window will engulf the house in a few short years, hiding the view  and dating your landscape before it even matures.

• If you plant rhododendrons in full sun, it doesn't matter how much you fertilize them they will never look good.

These problems, and many more, can be avoided by discussing your landscape plans with a knowledgeable professional  before you waste time and money (and too often, after you've wasted plenty of time and money!)

During a one or two hour consultation, our designer can:

1. identify most of the plants and weeds on your property.

2. help you generate ideas

3. point out problems with your plans

4. suggest solutions to tricky design problems

5. recommend materials and contractors

6. answer questions about appropriateness, feasibility, and chances of success.

For larger projects, ongoing consultation can preserve your investment by ensuring the success of the project until it is established. Especially for large restoration projects, we recommend regular monitoring.

(Above) At the invitation of  the University of Wisconsin-Extension Master Gardeners certification program, John gave a presentation on Natural Landscaping. 

As part of Botanica's commitment to community education, John will be giving public presentations through the Walworth County UW-Extension and to various garden clubs and at other venues. If you would like more information, or are interested in having John speak to your Garden or Civic Club, please contact us. 

Dear John;

Your presentation at Olbrich this week was delightful-educational as well as innovative....

Thank you for presenting us with such an interesting program.

Sincerely; 

Gretchen Peterson

Madison Area Master Gardener

Johnny,

I certainly wanted to offer my personal thanks for a great presentation on Wednesday evening.  I thought it went very well and all in the audience seemed to agree.  I especially like the interactive aspect of it and wish more of our presenters would do something like that.  I have been thinking of what natural landscaping means and exactly how I would incorporate my thinking on that into my own yard ever since.  It even sparked two interesting conversations on the topic with co-workers in these last couple days.  Perhaps you could do a similar type of thing on a different topic for us in the future.

  The power point aspect of it looked great and you have a real talent for bringing out people's thoughts and rewording them to sound even better.  You would have made a great teacher.

  Thanks again and I look forward to seeing you at the ACS regional conference in June.

  Jane LaFlash