Plant-O-Rama: General Information
Plant-O-Rama 2026
PLANT-O-RAMA is Metro Hort Group’s annual Symposium, Trade Show & Career Fair for Horticulture Professionals.
It is our largest program of the year attracting nearly 1,000 gardeners, designers, arborists, and educators working in public parks, botanical gardens, & private gardens and landscapes in the New York City Tri-State region.
TICKETS ON SALE IN DECEMBER!
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Symposium, Trade Show & Career Fair
9:00am – 4:00pm
At Brooklyn Botanic Garden
If you are interested in participating in the Plant-O-Rama Trade Show you can find more information, and the reservation form, HERE
If you are interested in participating in the Plant-O-Rama Career Fair you can find more information, and the reservation form, HERE
SCHEDULE COMING SOON!
FEATURED SPEAKERS
James Hitchmough
Horticulturalist, Author, and Emeritus Professor of Horticultural Ecology at the University of Sheffield.
Evaluating the Complexity and Diversity of Designed Herbaceous Plantings
Over the past 30 years there has been much progress in imagining and creating plantings that are spatially, temporally, and taxonomically complex; and in some parts of the world these plantings have become the zeitgeist. Though exemplary for supporting biodiversity and delivering high levels of aesthetic appeal, they can also be more demanding to design, implement, and successfully manage into perpetuity. James will explore where we are with these planting genres and how we can maximize the benefits and minimize the potential negatives.
James first job post his PhD was a lectureship in Environmental Horticulture at Burnley College, University of Melbourne, where he worked for 10 years and commenced his research into nature-like plant communities as an urban form. In 1995 he was appointed Associate Professor in the Department of Landscape, University of Sheffield, Professor in Horticultural Ecology in 2004, and Head of Department 2014-18. He retired in September 2022. In parallel with his academic career, James worked as a consultant on landscape projects around the world, often using these to translate his research into practice and policy. With Nigel Dunnett he was lead planting designer at the London Olympic Park (2007-14), following the publication of the first edition of The Dynamic Landscape (2004) a seminal text on the application of nature-like planting to the urban realm.
After 2010 he focused on projects in China, often in collaboration with Chinese Government agencies to advance the use of local native species in large scale nature-like design projects, involving more than 50 visits/expeditions. James designed the first native woodland garden in China at Lotus Lake, Beijing, the acclaimed “New Silk Road Garden” at the Beijing International Expo, and very recently the planting of the Monet Garden in Chengdu. James has used his extensive travelling to explore many of the temperate-Mediterranean world’s wild vegetation, as inspiration and ecological insight-understanding. Post his retirement James has been engaged in major design and management projects in the UK and internationally, for example the Melbourne Arts Precinct Project. He continues to speak and write on landscape and horticultural issues (the completely new version of the Dynamic Landscape has just been published), and was recently appointed to the Council of the RHS. When not working for others, he continues to develop a 2.5 acre garden and woodpasture-native meadow in rural Somerset.
James Hitchmough
Joseph Charap and Sara Evans
The Green-Wood Cemetery
Joseph is the Vice President of Horticulture. Sara is Director of the Living Collections and Curator.
The Graveyard Shift: Choosing Curiosity over Control
For generations, Green-Wood maintained the lawn-dominated landscape most Americans recognize - neat, controlled, unchanging. But it came at a cost. This presentation examines how Green-Wood has begun choosing curiosity over control: disentangling our historic character from harmful 20th-century landscape practices. Through memorial meadows, reforestation, and reconsidering invasive plant management, we're discovering that honoring the dead means protecting the living world they left behind.
Joseph Charap
Joseph Charap is the Vice President of Horticulture at Green-Wood in Brooklyn, NY, where he leads the care and strategic development of its historic 478-acre landscape. Overseeing all landscape operations—including arboriculture, meadow and turf management, monument restoration, and historic preservation—he integrates climate-adaptive strategies to enhance biodiversity and sustain Green-Wood’s living collection. Since joining Green-Wood in 2014, Charap has advanced resiliency initiatives, elevated the site's profile as an arboretum, and positioned it as a leader in urban green space management.
Sara Evans
Born and raised in Maryland, Sara Evans developed a deep sense of environmental stewardship and community responsibility through her involvement in Chesapeake Bay, Patuxent River, and Potomac River conservation projects with her church and school volunteer groups. She completed her undergrad degree at Brooklyn College where she earned a BA in Urban Sustainability with concentration in environmental science and sociology. As the director of living collections and curator at Green-Wood, Sara’s passion for understanding intricate connections between nature, people, and their interactions comes to life. She manages the plant records of Green-Wood’s arboretum, supervises environmental research initiatives, curates the living collections, and oversees the operations of the horticulture department.
Joseph Charap
Sara Evans
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PANEL DISCUSSION
Gardens: Nurturing Plants, Communities, and People
How can we ensure that urban green spaces remain community focused, accessible to all, and provide pathways to meaningful employment in the green industry? These challenges are daunting, but New York City nonprofits are tackling the issue and developing strategies for success. Join us for a lively conversation where our panelists will reflect on the challenges and successes they have had in cultivating community, the environment, and the next generation of horticultural professionals.
Moderator: TBC
Panelists: Andrea Parker, Gowanus Canal Conservancy; Jennifer Beaugrand, The Bronx is Blooming; Lisa Bloodgood, North Brooklyn Parks Alliance; and Tonya Gayle, Green City Force.
Andrea Parker
Andrea Parker serves as the Executive Director of Gowanus Canal Conservancy (GCC), a community based non-profit that advocates for and stewards ecologically sustainable parks and public spaces in the Gowanus lowlands, by engaging those who live, work and play here. Since 2006, GCC has served as the lead environmental steward for the neighborhood through leading volunteer projects, educating students on environmental issues; and working with agencies, elected officials, and the community to advocate for, build, and maintain innovative green infrastructure around the Gowanus Canal. Parker received her undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago and her Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Virginia. Currently, Parker lectures at the City College of New York’s Bernard & Anne Spitzer School of Architecture.
Jennifer Beaugrand
Jennifer Beaugrand is the founder and Executive Director of The Bronx is Blooming, a nonprofit organization dedicated to growing and supporting a culture of environmental stewardship in The Bronx since 2011. A native New Yorker, Bronx resident, and certified landscape designer and horticulturist, Jenn is passionate about the intersection of plants, people, and community. Inspired by the Bronx communities she worked alongside, Jenn founded The Bronx is Blooming as an avenue for residents—especially young people—to revitalize parks, build leadership skills, and pursue green careers. What began as small, community-driven planting projects has grown into a borough-wide initiative that brings people together to restore local ecosystems. Under Jenn’s leadership, The Bronx is Blooming has engaged over 26,000 volunteers, revitalized more than 20 parks and green spaces, and provided green jobs and leadership training to more than 675 Bronx youth. Together, staff, students, and volunteers have planted more than 26,000 native plants—including over 1,000 trees—and stewarded tens of thousands more. Beyond her work with The Bronx is Blooming, Jenn collaborates with The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College to expand access to native species and serves on the board of the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality, advancing efforts to ensure a healthier, more resilient Bronx.
Lisa Bloodgood
Lisa Bloodgood is an urban ecologist, educator, and an advocate for advancing community-centered horticulture and ecological resilience across New York City. As Director of Horticulture & Stewardship at North Brooklyn Parks Alliance, she leads ecological gardening teams at Under the K Bridge Park and throughout North Brooklyn. Lisa founded the Alliance’s native plant nursery and horticultural fellowship programs, providing hands-on learning opportunities in native ecology for New Yorkers through seed collection and propagation, seasonal cycles in nursery practices, and small-scale research. Her work bridges ecological design and community engagement, resulting in diverse and biologically rich urban public spaces. She teaches Green Infrastructure and Nature-based design at Pratt Institute and urban sustainability at Brooklyn College, and her practice is rooted in reciprocity with the more-than-human world.
Tonya Gayle
Tonya Gayle is Executive Director of Green City Force (GCF) and previously led its development team (2014–2020). She serves on the boards of The Corps Network and Environmental Advocates of NY, focusing on national service and environmental justice. A former NYCHA and SEO Career Program leader, Tonya has dedicated her career to economic justice for young people of color. A Wesleyan graduate, Circle of Sisters member, and Brooklyn native, she serves on environmental justice advisory boards and co-produced The Perfect Life (2006). Tonya is passionate about empowering young people to build a just, equitable world.