Great American Gardeners Plant New Ideas for Guests at 15th Annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

PBS's Roger Swain Opens Series March 19 and 20

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Roger Swain, long-time host of PBS's "The Victory Garden," kicks off the Great American Gardener series March 19 and 20 during the 15th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Swain, known for his trademark red suspenders, appears twice daily at the new Garden Town festival center in Future World East next to Universe of Energy.

The Great American Gardener series, which continues each Friday-Sunday through June 1, is presented in partnership with the American Horticultural Society. Some of the most respected gardeners and nature experts in the country reveal tips and share entertaining stories during the presentations open to all Epcot guests at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. Scheduled to appear:

Roger Swain (March 19-20): Gardening Bright from the Start -- "The Victory Garden" veteran celebrates gardening with an eye-catching, mouth-watering, planet-saving discussion of America's favorite hobby.

Joe Lamp'l (a.k.a. joe gardener) (March 21-23): Green Gardening -- Joe helps gardening aficionados find new ways to "go green" and connect with the earth using practical information and environmentally friendly tips.

Ellen Zachos (March 28-30): Prehistoric Planting -- Zachos shows you how to plant a dinosaur garden -- the perfect playground for kids of all ages and dinosaurs, too!

Shirley Bovshow (April 4-6): 'Out of the Box' Garden Design -- TV host and garden designer Bovshow gives "out of the box" ideas on artistic design, elevating common landscape elements like fences and garden beds to art status.

Jeffrey Restuccio (April 11-13): Get Fit Through Gardening -- Based on his Get Fit Through Gardening book, Restuccio shares how to reduce back strain and muscle soreness and transform gardening into a lifelong fitness and wellness program.

Tovah Martin (April 18-20): Garden Secrets and Stewardship -- Well-known author and TV guest on PBS's "Cultivating Life," Martin shares secrets from the country's top "green" experts and shows how to bring gardens with a past into the future.

Felder Rushing (April 25-27): Slow Gardening -- Renowned horticulturist, NPR host and author of award-winning Passalong Plants, Rushing shares practical tips for all-year beauty using tough shrubs, flowers, herbs and even "designer" vegetables grown in containers and flower beds.

Tom MacCubbin (May 2-4): Whole Garden Foods -- Florida garden writer, media personality and extension agent Tom MacCubbin shares how to make your landscape pay its way by growing foods you can put on the table.

Raymond Western (May 9-11): Plants and Perfume -- Guerlain perfume expert Raymond Western offers insights into the history of fragrances and explores the relationship between plants and perfume.

Robert Bowden (May 16-18): Maximizing Weekend Gardening -- Gardening expert, author and director of lush Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, Bowden discusses plants with unusual textures, habits and colors for weekend fun with the home landscape.

Melinda Myers (May 23-25): Saving Space -- TV host and nationally known gardening expert Myers shares simple, creative ideas for packing a lot of garden into a small space or creating an intimate garden within a large lot. Discover tips and techniques for designing and maintaining year-round gardens from ground to roofline.

Jon Carloftis (May 31-June 1): Integrating Nature Inside and Out -- Author of First A Garden and Beyond the Windowsill, Carloftis offers insightful tips to integrate plants and nature in every aspect of life -- from interior spaces to urbanscapes.

The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is included with regular Epcot admission.