Trial Garden Open House 2026

Art Vanden Enden is a retired senior executive from the Independent Garden Centre Sector. He has worked for 44 years primarily in retail operations for one of Canada's largest garden centres. In retirement, Art is only holding back a bit. He has served as a Board Member with Landscape Ontario representing the Garden Centre Sector Group. He is also involved with the CNLA with Garden Centres Canada as well as Communities in Bloom. Art is an instructor for pre-apprentices in landscaping. Two areas of interest for Art are Training new employees as well as Garden Centre product sustainability, specifically addressing alternatives to invasive plants.

Marcus Jansen, MS, was raised in Quincy, Illinois and is an alum of the Iowa State University Department of Horticulture. He now resides in Batavia, Illinois and works from the Ball Horticultural Company headquarters in West Chicago, Illinois. After serving as a product manager for PanAmerian Seed for the past 5 years, Marcus recently joined the Ball Seed team as the Landscape Business Manager where he will provide resources and support for the landscape sector across North America.

With 40 years working in the horticulture industry, Joy has experience in all aspects of greenhouse production, from seeding, planting, and growing crops, to selling, marketing, advertising, and purchasing, Formerly employed by two different large growing operations: Jolly Farmer Products in New Brunswick and Colonial Florists in St. Catharines, she is now the product rep and key accounts manager for Danziger in Canada. Danziger Flower Farm is a breeder and young plant supplier of annuals, perennials and foliage plants with locations all around the world.

Rachel leads Lakeview Roses' day-to-day operations, from logistics and exporting to the website, fulfillment, and customer service, alongside 20 years working hands-on with roses. She oversees the evaluation, selection, and description of the company's rose lineup, working closely with hybridizers to bring in new selections and ensuring every description reflects direct field observation.

Tara is the Regional Account Manager for Canada, ensuring our customers are made to feel like a priority by fostering positive relationships with growers and partners. With over 10 years of integrated pest management experience in the horticultural industry, she is excited to now be part of the floriculture industry.

Tim is the Director of Grower Accounts at Proven Winners, where he fosters brand loyalty among growers and brokers. With a focus on education and innovation, Tim plays a key role in introducing new plant varieties across all company programs. He brings over 20 years of industry experience to his work, combining deep knowledge with a passion for helping growers succeed.

Terry is proud to be a part of the floriculture industry more than 25 years, the last 13 at Syngenta Flowers, where he is the Canada Business Manager.

Anik, ThinkPlants Program Manager, works to promote exciting new perennial genetics across North America. Anik earned her Honors BSc in Biology at Algoma University and has since worked as a grower at Linwell Gardens before joining ThinkPlants.

In her current position at ThinkPlants, Anik helps to bridge the gap between growers, suppliers, and breeders, and enjoys presenting fun new perennials to suit every program.

Joe Salemi, Executive Director of Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association, is a dynamic leader committed to the advancement and prosperity of the landscape horticulture sector in Ontario. He believes in a people-first leadership philosophy and has a proven track record of scaling businesses through streamlined operations and fiscal management.

Astri’s interest in agriculture began while working as a tree planter during summers off from her undergraduate degree. She has built a diverse career in the horticulture industry, starting with a focus on plant health and integrated pest management focused in greenhouse vegetable production. She later transitioned into technical sales roles, providing support and solutions in crop nutrition, biological control and sustainable growing practices. Now serving Eastern Canada for ICL Growing Solutions, Astri works closely with growers to deliver customized programs that enhance plant quality and production efficiency. Her hands-on experience, combined with a strong foundation in applied research and grower relations, makes her a trusted resource in the industry.

Heather Jerrard is a Landscape Designer, owner of My Landscape Artist, Podcaster, Presenter and to her credit a very entertaining theater Actress and Producer. Her passion and enthusiasm for people and plants are undeniable!
She has studied Landscape Design at Fanshawe College, Garden History in Italy & Spain, worked at a design firm in Cairo, Egypt, lived in India, and volunteered in Haiti. She started her business during the pandemic in 2020 and hasn't looked back.
Now she teaches, designs, builds gardens, and speaks virtually/in person all over Ontario - and one day - the world!"

Ben Hutchinson is the Operations Manager at Ontario Seed Company (OSC Seeds), bringing a background in land use planning and business management. Starting as a summer co-op student in 2008, Ben has helped modernize facility operations, e-commerce, IT infrastructure, and inventory management. Celebrating its 135th year, OSC Seeds remains rooted in Uptown Waterloo—home to its original retail location and historic PO Box 7—supplying garden, lawn, and native restoration seeds across Canada.

Brandon is the Grower Specialist at Sun Gro Horticulture covering Canada. In this role he provides technical support for growers on all things substrate related and helps develop new mixes for emerging markets. Having received both his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and master’s degree in Horticulture Sciences from the University of Guelph, Brandon is proud to partner Sun Gro with the university to support trials and innovation in the floriculture industry.