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Kerry Mendez
About Kerry Mendez :
Kerry Ann Mendez, founder and owner of Perennially Yours in Ballston Spa, NY, is dedicated to teaching people of all ages the art of low-maintenance perennial gardening and landscaping. As a consultant, designer, writer, teacher and lecturer, she focuses on time-saving gardening techniques and workhorse plant material as well as organic practices. Over 7,000 people have enjoyed her talks. She has been in People, Places & Plants, Fine Gardening, Gardening How-To, Garden Gate, Saratoga Living, and Better Homes and Gardens magazines. Kerry conducts 200 home garden consultations annually in Upstate New York and travels extensively giving lectures, and receives many requests for repeat engagements.
Television is another arena for Kerry’s enthusiastic presentations. She has been featured on HGTV, hosted the In the Garden television spot for Capital News 9’s, and currently does gardening segments for Channel 13. As a writer, she is the garden columnist for Life@Home magazine and writes freelance pieces for regional and national magazines. Kerry currently has a book manuscript under consideration with several national publishers.
Kerry is also a master at motivational talks that empower listeners to embrace healthier, less stressful lifestyles through the unique application of gardening tips. She has given wellness and motivational talks for State Farm, General Electric, Albany Medical College, and many New York State employee associations.
Kerry was one of three selected women featured in a ‘momtrepreneurs’ special on Channel 6 CBS television. She is a self-taught gardener with over 20 years of experience and a ‘passionate perennialist’ that enjoys mixing humor with practical information for creating low-maintenance perennial gardens. In 2008 she was the Northeast Director of Franchise Development for SafeLawns and Landscapes, a national franchise company specializing in organic lawn care. She is a member of the Perennial Plant Association, national Garden Writers Association, and a federated garden club.
Prior to dedicating her full time attention to Perennially Yours, Kerry was Associate Dean of Admissions at Union College in Schenectady, NY for 15 years. Before that she was the Director of Group Sales for the Olympic Regional Development Authority in Lake Placid, NY. Her responsibilities included sales and marketing for events held at the 1980 Olympic Game venues. Many of these events involved world-class athletic competitions.
Kerry resides in Ballston Spa with her best friend and husband, Sergio, and their high-energy 15-year old son.
Speaking Topics:
- Tips for Low-Maintenance, High Impact Perennial Gardens Three Seasons Of Color - Hit the Easy Button
- Proven Tips for Jump-Starting Your Gardens
- The Art of Shade Gardening - Seeing Your Way Out of the Dark
- Super Shortcuts to Save Time and Simplify Your Work in the Garden
- Cottage Gardening – A Timeless Tradition
- Branch Out in Your Gardening Adventures with Flowering Shrubs
- Empowering, Motivational Thoughts from a Garden Guru
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Speech Titles :
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The Gardening ‘Easy Button’: The Ultimate Stress Reduction Program
More is better, right? Yes, if you are referring to chocolate or stress-reducing, time-saving strategies for low-maintenance, high impact perennial gardens. This dynamic, humorous, and interactive presentation reveals tried and true secrets for putting time and money back into your pockets while reducing your blood pressure. Topics include no-fuss plants, maintenance shortcuts, and fun power tools for releasing stress. We have all heard that gardening is good for us; now let’s take it over the top and reap the benefits of fitter bodies, calmer minds, and more satisfied souls. Gorgeous gardens are just icing on the cake. Who says we can’t have it all?
Empowering, Motivational Thoughts from a Garden Guru
This humorous and interactive presentation inspires listeners to embrace healthier lifestyles and a bolder approach to life. Kerry uniquely applies her professional garden design background to help individuals increase self-confidence, break bad habits, improve their self-image, and reduce stress. Kerry’s motivational words and fun stress management exercises will have audiences inspired and uplifted. Gardening takes on a whole new meaning as participants learn proven tips for healthier gardens as well as bodies.
The Plant Collector's Corner
This talk is for plantaholics seeking unusual, fun, outrageous, or underused perennials that are sure to have heads turning and onlookers mumbling "What is that?" As an avid collector, I’ve walked many miles in my muck boots to find some unique plants that transform ho-hum gardens into eye-popping, extraordinary ones.
Branch Out in Your Gardening Adventures with Flowering Shrubs
Do you want to add drama, winter interest and colorful flowers to your gardens while reducing your maintenance time? Then include some spectacular flowering shrubs. A colorful PowerPoint will introduce you to some terrific shrubs for northern gardens (zone 5 or colder).
How to Get the Best Buys and Save Money at Garden Centers this Spring Benefit from a penny-pinching gardener who loves finding 'The Deal' and having million dollar looking gardens. I'll cover how to scope out the best plants to purchase and where to get them; save money on many garden supplies; get the most from mail order catalogs; and more. This lively talk will put a smile on your face AND more money back in your pockets.
Garden Thugs in Disguise
As an undercover agent on the lookout for garden thugs being promoted as valued perennials, I’m here to blow the whistle on plants that become maintenance nightmares despite what the plant tags tell you. Some of these impersonators may surprise you. I’ll also share how to corral the ones already in your gardens.
Tips for Low-Maintenance, High Impact Perennial Gardens
Learn tips for great looking, ever-blooming gardens using organic practices. Recommendations include plant selection, mulch and fertilizers, maintenance shortcuts and more.
Spring Bloomers that Add ZING to Your Landscape!
Push aside Old Man Winter and the winter blues with these colorful harbingers of spring. These no-nonsense plants will shatter the common misconception that spring is only ‘mud season’ in northern climates. NOT SO! Discover some terrific perennials, bulbs and herbs for early color as well as tips for jump-starting your gardens for a knockout display spring through fall.
Make Me Beautiful!
Your gardens are full of great 'advice'. They actually provide 'signs' on how to make them showier and less work. Allow me to 'interpret' for your gardens. This eye-opening talk provides tell-tale tips for healthier, happier gardens. AND a number of these 'touch-ups' can be done at any time of the year.
Three Seasons Of Color - Hit the Easy Button
I’ll show you the tricks of the trade for having the WOW factor in your garden month after month with smart plant selection, design tips, and surefire maintenance shortcuts. And because it will be low maintenance, you will finally be able to 'ease' back in the 'easy' chair!
Powerhouse Perennials and Time-Saving Garden Tools for Beautiful, Lower-Maintenance Gardens
This talk will introduce you to some sensational perennials and other beauties that generate rave reviews with little help on your part. You'll also discover some nifty tools for saving time on tedious lawn and garden tasks so you can enjoy more leisurely pursuits…perhaps even reading an uplifting book in that underused hammock.
Hellstrip Gardening
I will spotlight some of the toughest, top performing plants for those tough to garden areas including dry shade, slopes, poorly drained areas and hot, baking sites. Of course these beauties will also thrive in less stressful locations. No matter where you put them, they will make your gardens beautiful.
And the Winner is……
Blue ribbon annuals, perennials and flowering shrubs that outshine the competition with their extensive bloom time and easy-care requirements. I’m no pushover, so when it comes to picking leaders for top performance and low-maintenance, tough love drives my decisions. Sounds harsh, but ruthless culling on my part to create this garden-tested list means less work, more enjoyment for you. You can thank me later.
How to Design a Glorious, Ever-Blooming Flower Garden
Learn easy-to-follow steps for planning and designing a show-stopping perennial garden.
Gardening Without Guesswork: A Designer’s Trade Secrets for Buying, Planting and Picking Phenomenal Perennials for an Ever-Blooming Garden Discover how to zero-in-on the best perennials at garden centers, the savvy way to use mail-order catalogs, ways to save money on purchases, and hands-down winners for longest-blooming, lowest maintenance perennials!
Cottage Gardening – A Timeless Tradition
Recapture the joy and ease of old fashioned cottage gardening. Learn tricks for transforming or creating lush cottage gardens. Handouts provide lists of super annuals, biennials, perennials, herbs and shrubs to use in your “delightfully relaxed” cottage garden.
Proven Tips for Jump-Starting Your Gardens
Ramp up your garden's performance this summer with these proven spring primers. I'll cover key steps to do in April, May, and June that will reap magnificent, lower-maintenance gardens. A Q & A session will provide a chance to ask about flowers you may be considering (are they really hardy for our area?) and to address nagging gardening questions before another season begins.
10 MOST WANTED Trade Secrets for a Stunning Perennial Garden Discover practical and "must-have" trade secrets for a spectacular, easy-care perennial garden. We'll cover a broad range of topics, from soil to mulch, sure to benefit both the amateur and seasoned gardener alike.
The Art of Shade Gardening - Seeing Your Way Out of the Dark
Discover some terrific plants that will steal the show in less than sunny areas. This talk includes tips for designing great gardens in shade.
Great Gardens and Landscapes by Design!
This class is jammed full of must-have tips for planning and caring for your gardens. We’ll talk about pruning perennials and shrubs; foundation plantings; weed control; mulches and their applications; how to identify and control perennial ‘thugs’; how to steer-free of labor-intensive plants and tricks for purchasing plants at nurseries; staying in your ‘zone’; and more. Plus learn super ways for getting the best deals for your dollar, from perennials to mulch!
Don't Be a Deadhead! Maintenance Strategies for a Winning Garden Presentation
Learn time-saving secrets for your garden's routine care & upkeep including pruning, deadheading, fertilizing, mulching, cutting back the garden in fall & more. This presentation will transform your approach to garden care and put precious time back in your pocket!
Super Shortcuts to Save Time and Simplify Your Work in the Garden
Time is precious! I’ll help you save time from tedious lawn and garden tasks so you can enjoy more leisurely pursuits…perhaps even reading an uplifting book in that underused hammock? Come ready to be surprised and delighted!
Outrageous Foliage Plants
Discover how a plant’s form and foliage colors, shapes, textures, size and more can play a dramatic role in creating sensational gardens. And the bonus, if not the main attraction, is that these gardens require little maintenance! PowerPoint features showy perennials, shrubs and annuals.
Popular Garden Myths
Nails in the ground near rhododendrons, mothballs in mole holes, peonies need bonemeal... Hogwash! It's time to debunk all those crazy garden myths and give you the real lowdown. The truth will set you free….and make you a better gardener! Come ready to be delighted, informed and entertained.
EXTREME, Low-Maintenance Perennial Gardening, the Easy Way!
Cut to the chase and learn some of the simplest, most efficient ways to have low-maintenance, eye-catching landscapes with smart choice plantings. Tackle difficult spots on your property with win-win solutions! No more prima donna gardens or hair-pulling confrontations. This talk will have you thinking ‘outside of the box’ and you’ll be glad you did!
How to Revitalize A Tired Bed to Create the WOW Factor
Has your garden lost its appeal or fallen into the doldrums or disarray? Are you wondering what to do about it? Learn techniques for assessing the situation and how to make changes that will put a smile on your face and draws oohhs and ahhs from admirers.
Putting Your Gardens to Bed for the Winter and Waking Them Up in the Spring - Some Time-Tested Tips
Learn valuable, sought-after tips for wintering over your gardens with minimal loss. Topics include how and when to cut back your flowers,
which plants shouldn't be cut back, winterizing roses, planting spring-blooming bulbs and more PLUS simple steps to jump-start your gardens in the spring.
Right Plant, Right Spot!
Being a better matchmaker makes for a happier gardener. Marrying plants to their cultural requirements results in less work for you plus healthier, showier plants that also winter-over better. When planting in a tough location, call in workhorse perennials that will rise to the challenge! In this class we will cover the nuts and bolts of correct site assessment, matching plants to the location, and ‘tough love’ plants that thrive in hell-strip environments.
‘One Size Smaller, Please’
Although this may not be a common request when clothes shopping, it is the trend in the plant industry. Many gardeners are seeking more compact plants that can be used in smaller gardens; containers; or to simply squeeze into an available space within packed perennial beds. Discover charming, down-sized versions of many of your favorite perennials, grasses and ornamental flowering shrubs.
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