Speaking

“Joseph Tychonievich was the star of our Fall Conference. He has the knack of conveying information with humor and deft charm that appeals as much to the beginner as to a seasoned expert in the field. I'd place Joseph at the forefront of public speaking in horticulture in America today."

-- Panayoti Keladis, Senior Curator, Denver Botanic Gardens

"He was rated by our attendees, on scale of 1 to 10 as a '12'. Joseph is one of those quicksilver speakers who can assess his audience and find a way to not only teach them, but charm them... and have a laugh along the way. He is bright, he knows his topic, but even more importantly, Joseph knows his audience."

-- Kathy Shadrack, organizer of the Fall Hosta Forum

Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener

It's the holy grail of gardening: a plant that perfectly matches your tastes and the conditions in your garden. The hitch? You're not likely to find it at your local garden center. You're going to have to create it yourself. But don't worry--it isn't hard. After all, gardeners have been doing it for centuries, simply by saving seeds of the varieties that tasted or performed best. This talk will get you started with the basics of how to produce a new variety of hosta a, tomato perfect for your palette, a pepper with just the right amount of heat, or a more fragrant rose!

Pollinators and How to Support Them

Joseph explains the interesting ways plants have evolved to attract their preferred pollinators. Along with a tour of nature's most creative (and sometimes disgusting) methods of connecting pollinators and plants, Joseph discusses ways to foster biodiversity in your own garden and shows examples of managing garden pests by letting other insects do the dirty work

Small Spaces, Big Ideas

Gardening in small spaces doesn't have to be limiting. A small garden can be exciting, creative, and beautiful -- and takes very little work to maintain. This talk goes through some principles and concepts to help you make the most of a garden space and shares some ideas and photos to get you thinking up big, creative ideas for your small garden.

The World of Rock Gardening

Inspired by the tiny plants and dramatic, rocky landscapes found on mountain tops, rock gardening uses a range of unusual, small plants in combination with beautiful stones to create miniaturized landscapes. This approach to gardening perfect for containers, small gardens, and gardeners interested in exploring a whole new group of beautiful plants. In this talk Joseph will share beautiful images of rock garden to get you inspired, the basic principles of creating rock gardens, and an introduction to some of the most beautiful and easy to grow rock garden plants to get you started.

Plant Science That Will Make You a Better Gardener

All too often the best research on how to grow plants most effectively never leaves the ivory tower and never gets translated into language average gardeners can understand. In this talk we'll delve into some of the most interesting and useful research from academic horticulture and plant science and explain how you can put it to use in your garden.

How Plants Got their Stripes: The Science of Variegated and Patterned Leaves

We all love the beautiful colors and patterns to be found in leaves from hostas to caladiums, but every wondered how they come about? The stories behind some of the familiar foliage plants involve plants lying to insects, jumping genes, and mythical monsters. You'll never look at your garden the same way again.

How Genetic Engineering Works: Understanding the Science, Not the Controversy

The debate over GMOs rages on hot and heavy, yet few people really understand what, precisely, genetic engineering is or how it works. This talk doesn't tell you what to think about GMOs, rather we delve into the mechanics of genetic engineering (which isn't as complex or confusing as you probably think) so you can really understand the issues and come to your own informed opinion on this important topic.

Confessions of a Plant Crazed Garden Nerd

Joseph is a garden nerd and that has taken him crazy places. In this talk, he’ll share some of the best stories from his gardening life, along with some practical tips and skills he’s picked up along the way.

Cool, Non-wimpy Plants You Haven't Heard of

If you are looking for something new and exciting to grow in the garden, but don't want prissy drama queens, this talk is for you! Joseph will share some of his favorite unusual plants that are rock solid, dependable performers, along with ideas for how to search out other great plants you'll love to grow.