Joe Furey Sunday 12-3

Joseph Thomas Furey Jr. aka Joe, or @StormFurey on Twitter, joined News 8 in October 2017.

As for Furey’s hobby, it’s weather!  One of his favorite weather stories is when Dr. Mel put him in charge of setting-up their big-brand new weather data recording station on the roof above the weather office at WCSU. A few weeks later Hurricane Gloria showed up. They were all excited when the anemometer registered an 83 mph wind gust and then the weather station flew past the window they were looking out of and smashed on the ground. Furey had forgotten to secure it to the roof! Ever see Dr. Mel mad??

Another one of Furey’s favorite stories is when he forecasted 1 inch of snow and we got 1 foot. The next day on-air a bucket of snow landed on his head while he was doing the weather live on TV.

Furey also loves going out to schools across Connecticut and talking about weather and other stuff.

Furey says it was probably his grandparents who inspired his love for weather. They came from Newfoundland, Canada and would sleep with a window open during the winter. They talked about icebergs that went by their house in St John’s, Newfoundland. They even had stories about times in winter when the snow was so deep and drifted so the only way out of their house was from a second floor window.

Lorraine Ballato; Sunday 12:45 – 1:00 Success with Hydrangeas

As a professional horticulturist, Lorraine’s obsession with plants comes through in her lectures, social media writings, magazine articles and photographs which you can find in Connecticut Gardener, Edible Nutmeg, Coast of Maine, and elsewhere. Her weekly gardening columns ran for over ten years, reaching more than 15,000 homes in northwest Connecticut. Lorraine is an instructor at the New York Botanical Garden and in the Connecticut Master Gardener Program as well as for the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut. Lorraine has spoken on numerous gardening radio programs and podcasts from Alaska to Connecticut and delights audiences at regional symposiums, flower shows, civic gatherings, and garden clubs.

Besides tending the Connecticut garden which Lorraine and her husband have created (including many plants under trial conditions), Lorraine’s organic home garden includes seasonal vegetables, her beloved hydrangeas and all manner of ornamentals, which have informed her writing, lectures, and radio guest spots. Their garden is not only a laboratory but has been the subject of magazine articles and has been on several garden tours.

Lorraine’s latest book is the best selling Success With Hydrangeas: A Gardener’s Guide. Her previous book is Successful Self Watering Containers: Converting Your Favorite Container to a Self-Waterer. You can learn more about Lorraine on her website where you can also sign up for her free hydrangea blog.

Mike and Angela Chute

Six Simple Steps to Successful Rose Gardening Saturday 2:45-3:45

Program explains everything you need to know in six easy-to-follow steps that take the mystery out of rose gardening. Encourage home gardeners to grow sustainable roses.

Mike and Angelina Chute are co-owners of RoseSolutions, a landscape consulting company that specializes in roses. They are both certified American Rose Society Master Rosarians. Mike is an accredited ARS horticultural rose judge. They also serve as consultants for both municipal and private rose gardens. Accomplished garden writers, the Chutes’ second book, Rose Gardening Season by Season: A Journal for Passionate Gardeners joins Roses for New England: A Guide to Sustainable Rose Gardening. In addition to their books, the Chut’s were recently Contributing Editors to the American Rose magazine, have written numerous garden articles and authored the chapter “Roses” in the University of Rhode Island Sustainable Gardening Manual. They maintain a web site (www.rosesolutions.net), a blog (www.therosejournal.wordpress.com) and publish a quarterly e-newsletter, The Northeast Rose Gardener. They were also co-founders and past presidents of the Rhode Island Rose Society.
Mike and Angelina maintain an active schedule of lectures and workshops throughout the New England area, including the Boston Flower & Garden Show, the Southeastern Connecticut Home & Garden Show, the Connecticut Flower & Garden Show, the Newport Flower Show, the Maine Flower Show, the RI Home, Flower & Garden Show, landscape and gardening conventions as well as numerous garden clubs and other horticultural organizations.

Laurie Masciandaro Connecticut’s Historic Gardens: an overview Sunday 2:00-2:45

Laurie provides a brief introduction to Connecticut’s historic gardens, and the historic sites they occupy. Connecticut is home to many beautiful and unique gardens. Fifteen historic sites dotted throughout the state with historically significant gardens have joined to form Connecticut’s Historic Gardens. These delightful places offer visitors an opportunity to explore a variety of garden styles and time periods. Laurie Masciandaro, Site Manager of Historic New England’s Roseland Cottage, introduces you to the history and beauty of these fifteen distinctive historic sites and gardens that have charmed and inspired visitors for a century or more.

Joseph Lombardi IronHawk Financial Navigating taxes and foundational planning in todays markets: Friday 5:30-6:15 and Saturday 4:00-4:45

Showing a proprietary strategy focusing on tax savings and protecting your assets from government codes and leaving a legacy to the people you love most. Provide factual strategies to immediate risk and build long term wealth

Joseph started his mission and passion back in 2004 with a simple goal in mind; to help build strong financial foundations for his business and individual clients. Seeing his father, who owned J.V Lombardi builders, fall 30 feet and become permanently disabled and lose his million dollar business had a huge impact on him. Seeing his mother pass away at 52 years old with no life insurance and his grandmother have a stroke and lose 2 million dollars to a nursing home fueled his fire to help as many clients as possible.

Paul Split Teaching throughout the day in Booth 912

About Paul….

Paul has been part of the Green Industry since 1971 and Director of Horticulture for Live Nation at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Ma. from 1987 to 2015. Then continuing as Horticultural Consultant for Live Nation of NE at the Xfinity Center until March 2020. He has been principal of Walden Gifts and Nursery. Paul is a Nationally recognized Designer and Presenter of green workshops and lectures for Garden Clubs and organizations since 1971.

Now Celebrating 52 years of Horticultural presentations, Paul continues to write and produce from his home in Cape Cod Massachusetts.

Paul has served as judge at the Boston Flower Show. He has been an instructor for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Master Gardener’s Class and the Natick Community Organic Farm.

Paul is scheduled to lecture at the Connecticut, Philadelphia and New York Flower Shows this year 2023-2024.

UConn Master Gardeners

“Welcome to the UConn Master Gardener Program.” Booth number 428

Christopher Dustin — Advanced Master Gardener and UConn County Coordinator — will joined by a team of Certified Master Gardeners to present an overview of the UConn Master Gardener Program and what it can do for you and your community.

https://mastergardener.uconn.edu/master-gardener/

Friday, 2/17: 6:00, 8:00

Saturday, 2/18: 12:00, 3:00, 8:00

Sunday, 2/19: 12:00, 2:00

Kerry Ann Mendez Power Up Garden Beauty; Power Down Garden Maintenance Saturday 12:30-1:30, 6:00-7:00 and Sunday 11:30-12:30

Get more bang for your buck, and less backbreaking maintenance, with these amazing perennials, flowering shrubs and annuals that provide much more color than commonly planted varieties. Plus, these underused beauties (many of which are natives or nativars) are pollinator friendly, and most require less water. Enjoy more time relaxing with family and friends as they admire your handiwork!

About Kerry:

Kerry Ann Mendez is an award-winning garden educator, author, design consultant and proprietor of Perennially Yours based in southern Maine. As an exceptionally popular educator and communicator, she has presented hundreds of lectures to thousands of gardeners in 23 states. In 2014 she received the Gold Medal award from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for “Exceptional teaching and writing that increases public enjoyment and appreciation of horticulture.” Kerry Ann has written four gardening books, the most recent being The Budget Wise Gardener and The Right-Size Flower Garden. Her e-newsletters go out to over 10,000 subscribers throughout the United States. In 2016 Kerry Ann started producing international gardening Webinars that have been enjoyed by thousands. In addition to local design consultations, she also offers virtual design services to those in hardiness Zones 3 – 7. To learn more about Kerry Ann, please visit her web site pyours.com.