2011 Featured Speakers

Sharyn Altman

Plants have always played an important part in Sharyn Altman’s life. Her father’s family had an evergreen nursery south of Atlanta, her father was horticulturalist for Emory University, and her uncle had an orchid nursery and florist business where Sharyn spent many hours. She is active in numerous CSRA plant groups and among her many accomplishments are: 2008 President of the Georgia Master Gardener Assoc., a Lifetime Master Gardener, Accredited Flower Show Judge, and she is a Ga. Garden Club Landscape Design and Garden Design Consultant and was the Sacred Heart Garden Festival Honorary Chairman in 2005.

Dr. Ken Perrine

Dr. Ken Perrine, a native of Miami FL, studied at Duke, UNC and USC. He shares his interest in Carolinas’ wildflowers with his wife (Nancy Lefler, of Aiken), and is the author of Trailside Wildflowers of the Hitchcock Woods. Ken has contributed his photography expertise to the Hitchcock Woods Foundation annual calendar every year since he conceived the idea in 2007, and his photos play a prominent role in the Natural History room in the Aiken County Historical Museum. He is very active in support of the Hitchcock Woods Foundation’s preservation efforts.

Everette Jones

Everette and Karen Jones own and operate "Shady Characters" nursery located at 2771 Wire Road, about 15 miles northeast of Aiken and 1000 yards from I-20 off of Exit 29. After years of gardening in the shade at their home, Everette and Karen ran out of space and decided that they would expand their selection of shade perennials at the farm in Aiken County where Everette grew up. After years of neglect, they began the task of reclaiming the land that had become overgrown. Several years later, they opened Shady Characters as a weekend nursery. Recently, they left their full time jobs, to pursue their love of plants on a full time basis. Shady Characters specializes in herbaceous perennials for the shady woodland garden. With an original emphasis on Hostas, the nursery has expanded to include other companion plants including numerous Heucheras, Tiarellas, Ferns and other woodland plants.

Ted Stephens

Ted travels the world for unusual and beautiful shrubs and trees to bring back to the nursery to cultivate and introduce to gardeners throughout the United States. He has many patented plants and will be telling us about some of the new cultivars he will be introducing from his latest trip to Japan. You won’t want to miss this very engaging speaker. Read much more about Ted's travels and works here!

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