Sept. 8 Column: Fall Banquet with Joe Lamp’l

Inland Northwest gardeners are in for a treat when Oct. 10 rolls around. Joe Lamp’l, host and executive producer of the popular PBS program, “Growing a Greener World” will be here! He’ll the keynote speaker for this year’s Spokane County Master Gardener Fall Banquet! Yes, “that” Joe. That’s the topic of my garden column, which you can read in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review. Lamp’l will bring behind-the-scenes stories to Master Gardeners banquet. (or you can read my column lower in this post)

Everyone organizing the banquet is over the moon about Joe’s visit, and understandably so! I’ve known him for a few years and think he is just the nicest guy. He has been spreading a very important message over the past 10 years. And that’s the importance of being good stewards of the environment and doing good things for our communities.

To learn more about the banquet and to purchase tickets, go to the Master Gardener Foundation of Spokane County website. This is an event you won’t want to miss!

If you’re wondering about the photo at the very top of this post, that is Joe’s gorgeous raised bed garden! Can you say “envious”?

In 2017, our garden was featured on “Growing a Greener World” (episode 809). Joe and his cameraman Carl flew out from Atlanta and spent two very long, hot days here. They were trying to capture what Bill and I have accomplished in our garden. Joe also helped me spread the word about avoiding the use of pesticides and other chemicals. And, of course, learning how to grow your own food.

This week’s video is an update on growing apples organically. Earlier this year, I shot a video detailing what we do in our own small orchard. The video is directly below. I realize this won’t be a topic of interest to everyone. But here’s my message: It IS possible to grow apples without the use of chemical pesticides!

Garden column: Joe Lamp’l and the Master Gardener Fall Banquet

by Susan Mulvihill

It’s not often gardeners get to meet and mingle with one of their superheroes. I’m talking about the folks who have inspired us to grow better gardens while being good stewards of our environment.

Joe Lamp’l will be in Spokane!

For this year’s fall banquet, the Spokane County Master Gardeners are bringing in Joe Lamp’l, host and executive producer of the Emmy award-winning PBS program, “Growing a Greener World.” The banquet will take place on Oct. 10 at the Spokane Convention Center and all are welcome.

Well-known as an educator of organic practices and sustainable living, Lamp’l has profiled individuals and organizations making a difference in their communities throughout the 10 seasons of his popular program.

Meet Joe Lamp’l at the Fall Banquet

The title of his keynote presentation is “Growing a Greener World: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Some of Our Most Popular Stories from the Past 10 Seasons.”

As Lamp’l explained in a recent email interview, “with an extensive collection of stories over 175 episodes, through beautiful high-definition video and award-winning photography, you’ll meet some of the most fascinating people, see some of the most interesting places and discover organizations doing great things for the planet — all with an emphasis on gardening and a common thread that will empower each of us to advance the cause of these gardening heroes in our own communities.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet Lamp’l beginning at 5 p.m. This event, which is a fundraiser for the Master Gardener program, includes a catered dinner at 6 p.m., followed by his keynote presentation at 7 p.m. There will also be a live auction and no-host bar.

Fall banquet chair and Master Gardener Julie McElroy is delighted about this year’s special guest.

“We think Joe is a perfect fit for us because he has the same message as the Master Gardener program: sustainable gardening, research-based information and an emphasis on doing no harm,” she said. “We want to grow a greener world.”

More about Joe Lamp’l

Prior to the current series, Joe Lamp’l was host of “Fresh From the Garden” on the DIY network and has authored several books. He has also been an on-air contributor for the Today show, Good Morning America and the Weather Channel. Lamp’l is the “Joe” behind joegardener.com, which is a gardening-intensive website with a focus on how-to videos, podcasts and blog posts on a wide range of topics.

I first met him at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show several years ago. I’d been following him on social media and soon discovered he’d been keeping an eye on my gardening exploits as well. It wasn’t long before he and his cameraman were standing in our garden filming an episode for the eighth season of “Growing a Greener World.” It aired in 2017.

Over the course of two very long days of filming, I discovered Joe Lamp’l is just as passionate about the message he’s been delivering to gardeners everywhere as he comes across on his television programs.

The fall banquet is an excellent opportunity to share that passion.

“Joe will be speaking to anyone who loves the planet and wants to beautify our spaces,” McElroy said. “His presentation will appeal to everyone, not just gardeners.”

Susan Mulvihill is co-author, with Pat Munts, of “Northwest Gardener’s Handbook.” Contact her at Susan@susansinthegarden.com. Watch this week’s “Everyone Can Grow a Garden” video on youtube.com/c/susansinthegarden.

Details: Fall Banquet with Joe Lamp’l

When: Oct. 10 from 5 to 8:30 p.m.

Where: Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

Details/tickets:Go to the Master Gardener Foundation of Spokane County’s website, mgfsc.org/fall-banquet. Tickets cost $50 plus a service fee.

Learn more about Joe Lamp’l: Visit joegardener.com and growingagreenerworld.com.