Sharing the Earth: Attracting Beneficial Pollinators and Living with Wildlife

Gardeners are an essential resource for birds, pollinators and other wildlife—especially in urban areas where we are literally paving paradise. Simply put, plants are the primary food source for animals, and if gardeners foster more plant diversity through careful plant choices, wildlife will thrive.

Join some of the leading advocates for birds, wildlife and pollinators in these vital seminars and discover the simple steps that benefit wildlife in urban or suburban environments. Not only will you gain a more beautiful garden year round, but you’ll make the environment friendlier to our natural neighbors.

The Seminars by Category are listed in chronological order. Please check the Seminar Schedule for a full list of ALL our seminars. No ticket refunds for Speaker cancellations.

All seminars at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival are FREE with your ticket!

Buy Tickets Early and Save!

For the Love of Hummingbirds

John Shewey–Author, The Hummingbird Handbook and co-author, Birds of the Pacific Northwest

Hummingbirds amaze and intrigue us. Their high-speed enigmatic lifestyles are a blur; their startling colors and exotic behaviors are delights. Hummingbirds also inspire us—they are like tiny ambassadors with the power to usher people into a deeper interest in and appreciation for the natural world. Join John for this fun-filled program and learn how to attract hummingbirds with their favorite flowers and astute gardening techniques; learn how to cater to them, and how to be a great hummingbird host in your garden.

Friday, Feb 17 at 9:30 am / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

Beauty and the Bees: A Different Way of Looking at Garden Design

Deborah Trickett– Award-winning container designer and owner, The Captured Garden

Time was when we wanted to design gardens that were beautiful. Planting trees, shrubs, and perennials together to create a space that was aesthetically pleasing was the goal. Now we know better. Colony Collapse Disorder and the plight of pollinators have made us aware that we do not garden alone. We need to be designing landscapes and gardens with a mindful eye to the environment around us. Join garden designer and beekeeper Deborah Trickett, owner of The Captured Garden, as she shows you how with a few tweaks we can create spaces that are not only beautiful but beneficial to bees and other pollinators.

Friday, Feb 17 at 6:45 pm / Hood Room

Developing an Orchard Mason Bee Habitat in our Urban Landscape

James Ullrich–Owner, Knox Cellars Mason Bees

This demonstration covers developing a backyard sanctuary for our invaluable native pollinators—Orchard Mason bees. Jim will cover all the Mason bee's needs, including proper housing, housing location, and plants to assist in the success of bringing Mason bees into one’s yard. He’ll also review the life cycle of the Mason bee, and the maintenance requirements of your colony during the pollination process, and how to harvest, clean the cocoons and store them.

Saturday, Feb 18 at 11:45 am / DIY Stage

Saving Nature One Yard at a Time

David Deardorff, PhD–Award-winning co-author, Saving Nature: One Yard at a Time and What’s Wrong With My Houseplant?

What if we could save nature one neighborhood, one project, one yard at a time? We can, even if our yards are under street trees, in a community garden, or in the rough of a golf course. Discover how native wildflowers, trees, and shrubs are perfectly adapted to our local climate, and how they provide the best habitats for wildlife, including native bee species. All of us can help save nature. It’s easy, fun, and educational for the whole family as well as a huge benefit to Mother Nature.

Saturday, Feb 18 at 6:00 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow

Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife

David Mizejewski–Naturalist at National Wildlife Federation and author, Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife

One of the joys of gardening is creating a beautiful, natural space that you and the local birds, butterflies and other backyard wildlife can enjoy. National Wildlife Federation naturalist and TV host David Mizejewski will show you how to create a thriving wildlife habitat garden that provides the four components of habitat using native plants and sustainable gardening practices. He’ll also tell you how to get your garden recognized as an official “Certified Wildlife Habitat.”

Saturday, Feb 18 at 6:30 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow

GARDEN 101: BIRDS AND BEES AND BATS, OH MY!

The Joy of Attracting Birds to your Garden

Daphne Legg–Bird enthusiast and award-winning store manager, Wild Birds Unlimited

As we clearcut our forests into fields of cement and high-rises, we are destroying habitat for wildlife. But we all share the planet with wildlife, so we must do more to make up for the habitat destruction. Here are three experts to show you how you can best attract, cohabitate, and enjoy a myriad of wildlife in your garden. Daphne Legg will help you discover the best ways to attract songbirds to your garden, using plants, food, water, nesting boxes and more. Thyra McKelvie shows you why the gentle solitary bees are critical pollinators for food and ecosystems and are fast becoming the new bee to host in your yard. And don’t miss NWF Naturalist David Mizejewski as he shares a myth-busting talk about bees, wasps, snakes, bats and other so-called “scary” garden wildlife, explaining their natural behaviors, why they’re important, and how to avoid any problems with them.

Sunday, Feb 19 at 2:00 pm / Rainier Room

GARDEN 101: BIRDS AND BEES AND BATS, OH MY!

Learn How to Successfully Host Mason Bees

Thyra McKelvie–Pollinator Program manager at Rent Mason Bees

As we clearcut our forests into fields of cement and high-rises, we are destroying habitat for wildlife. But we all share the planet with wildlife, so we must do more to make up for the habitat destruction. Here are three experts to show you how you can best attract, cohabitate, and enjoy a myriad of wildlife in your garden. Daphne Legg will help you discover the best ways to attract songbirds to your garden, using plants, food, water, nesting boxes and more. Thyra McKelvie shows you why the gentle solitary bees are critical pollinators for food and ecosystems and are fast becoming the new bee to host in your yard. And don’t miss NWF Naturalist David Mizejewski as he shares a myth-busting talk about bees, wasps, snakes, bats and other so-called “scary” garden wildlife, explaining their natural behaviors, why they’re important, and how to avoid any problems with them.

Sunday, Feb 19 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room

GARDEN 101: BIRDS AND BEES AND BATS, OH MY!

(Not So) Scary Garden Wildlife

David Mizejewski–Naturalist at National Wildlife Federation and author, Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife

As we clearcut our forests into fields of cement and high-rises, we are destroying habitat for wildlife. But we all share the planet with wildlife, so we must do more to make up for the habitat destruction. Here are three experts to show you how you can best attract, cohabitate, and enjoy a myriad of wildlife in your garden. Daphne Legg will help you discover the best ways to attract songbirds to your garden, using plants, food, water, nesting boxes and more. Thyra McKelvie shows you why the gentle solitary bees are critical pollinators for food and ecosystems and are fast becoming the new bee to host in your yard. And don’t miss NWF Naturalist David Mizejewski as he shares a myth-busting talk about bees, wasps, snakes, bats and other so-called “scary” garden wildlife, explaining their natural behaviors, why they’re important, and how to avoid any problems with them.

Sunday, Feb 19 at 3:00 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow