IDEAS in BLOOM
Horticultural Design & Services
About Us and Presentations
About Us and Presentations
With a Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania (1989) and a Doctoral degree in Education from Immaculata University (2002), Dr. McKnight-Seltzer is an experienced educator.
Mary L. McKnight-Seltzer, Ed.D.
Master Gardener, Penn State University (2003 to present). Consulting Rosarian (2011 to 2022) and Master Rosarian (2022 to present), American Rose Society. Current President of the Philadelphia Rose Society (2020 to present).
Established in 2007, Ideas in Bloom combines the science of botany with the art of design. So, your garden becomes a beautiful, welcoming, and rewarding place.
Our philosophy: There is a creative solution to every gardening problem, for example, a steep slope, a neighbor's less-than-attractive yard features, and heavy shade.The right plant for the right place assures success.
As a Master Gardener from Penn State University since 2003,and as a paid presenter for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society from 2008 to 2013, Dr. McKnight~Seltzer offers you competent, professional service. She welcomes the opportunity to deliver personalized and caring work, tailored just for the look you want for your garden. Also, a Certificate in Landscape Design and Master Home Gardening from Temple University (2010) helps her to bring you the most up-to-date offerings from the horticultural field. The photos on this website show examples of her work in her garden and those of her clients.
Our company is based on the belief that our customers' needs are of the utmost importance. Our entire team is committed to meeting those needs. As a result, a high percentage of our business is from repeat customers and referrals.
We would welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and deliver you the best service in the industry.
~AVAILABLE PRESENTATIONS~
PowerPoint presentations with handouts for attendees are available on a variety of horticultural topics for a fee of $225.00 :
New for 2023 **
**Composting 101
Adding compost to your existing soil not only results in healthier, more beautiful plants, but also saves money & time. And by recycling food scraps and newspapers, composting helps Mother Earth.
**For the Love of Peonies
Learn about America's second most favorite flower which is extremely hardy and reliable, easy to grow, and often delightfully fragrant.
**The Best Plants for Shade
Stop wasting money on the wrong plants for your garden. Discover beautiful plants---even flowering ones---to enhance your yard.
Lush Landscapes for Small Spaces
Want to do the most with the yard you have? Even "postage stamps" can become full, lush, creative, and rewarding. Learn techniques to enhance your yard with plants that bring color, interest, and cohesiveness: a cozy retreat!
The Cutting Garden
Interested in a garden to grow flowers and interesting plants for floral arrangements? Learn how-to establish a space for snipping & enjoying.
Colorful Shade Gardening
Too much shade need not be an obstacle to a colorful, fragrant, and enjoyable garden. This presentation demonstrates ways to brighten your outdoors with foliage, texture, and flowers.
Indoor Landscaping with Colorful & Flowering Houseplants
Utilize design concepts and suggestions to literally bring the outdoors in. Medicine for the winter blues.
All About Roses
How to select, plant, and maintain America's favorite flower!
Simply Roses
Features the easiest roses to grow in our area.
Preparing the Garden for Winter
Help plants survive the winter winds and temperatures & help the gardener to be set to hit the ground running the following spring.
Planting for Four Seasons of Interest
Regardless of the season your landscape should always have interest and give pleasure.
Dependable Perennials for Low-Maintenance Gardens
Plant the tried and true garden stalwarts and take the guesswork out of gardening. Save time, effort, and money.
Summer Bulbs
Learn what bulbs, rhizomes, and corms to plant in May & June for beautiful and often fragrant blooms in July, August, September, and October...tuberous begonias, gladiolus, and lilies, for example.
All About Houseplants
Tropical and subtropical plants enjoy warmth in summer and winter. Treat them properly and they will thrive.
Gorgeous Variegated Houseplants: Selection & Care
Love color inside your house? Share your home with these winners!
Everyday Composting
Don't throw out your vegetable & fruit scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds, and tea bags. Toss them with garden leaves and newspapers and voila la: black gold for the garden!
Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Garden Tools
They are expensive and a better help to you when clean and sharp.
Gardening for Beginners
Basics about soil, plant selection, and garden design.
Gardening Tips & Tricks
The right plant for the right place; put a 50 cent plant in a $5 hole; and other helpful hints.
Landscape Design
Garden styles, working with the existing features of your yard, and color combinations for the "WOW" factor or for serenity.
Fragrance in the Garden: the Nose Knows
Enjoy sweet scents as you relax in your yard: feel your mood lift.
Ask about other gardening topics!
Upcoming Presentations
( List is incomplete.)
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
8pm
Companion Plants for Roses
for the West Jersey Rose Society
Medford Leas
Medford, NJ
Saturday, March 9, 2013
12:30pm
Roses Q & A
Following a rose-pruning demonstration. A panel of rosarians from the Philadelphia Rose Society answer roses questions in an informal setting. Free with admission to the Arboretum
Morris Arboretum
Philadelphia, PA
Saturday, March 23, 2013
12noon
Everything's Coming Up Roses!
Floral & Hardy
4007 Skippack Pike
Skippack, PA
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
7pm
All About Shade Gardens
Elkins Park Public Library
Elkins Park, PA
Thursday, April 11, 2013
2:00pm
Summer Bulbs: Plant in Spring for Summer Bloom
Lower Gwynedd Township Building
Springhouse, PA
Monday, April 15, 2013
7pm
Lush Landscaping for Small Spaces
Roslyn Free Library
Roslyn, PA
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
7pm
Roses Made Easy
Elkins Park Library
Elkins Park, PA
Monday, April 22, 2013
6:30pm
Roses 101
Tacony Free Public Library
Torresdale Avenue & Knorr Street
Philadelphia, PA
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
7pm
A Four Season Garden
Glenside Public Library
Glenside, PA
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
For The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Summer Bulbs: Plant Now for Summer Enjoyment
KROC Center
Philadelphia, PA
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
7pm
Lush Landscapes for Small Spaces
Fox Chase Public Library
Philadelphia, PA
Thursday, June 13, 2013
2pm
Lush Landscapes for Small Spaces
Lower Gwynedd Township Building
Bethlehem Pike
SpringHouse, PA
Examples of Earlier PowerPoint Presentations
Simply Roses
Roslyn Public Library
Roslyn, PA
For the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
All About Roses
Conshohoken Library
301 Fayette Street
Conshohocken, PA
For the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Small-Space Gardening
PHS Philadelphia International Flower Show
Convention Center
Philadelphia, PA
Indoor Gardening with Colorful & Flowering Houseplants
Old York Road Garden Club Grace Presbyterian Church
Old York Road
Jenkintown, PA
Simply Roses
Springfield Public Library
Papermill Road
Springfield, PA
For the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Dependable Perennials for Low Maintenance Gardens
Holmesburg Free Library of Philadelphia
7810 Frankford Avenue
Philadelphia
For the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
All About Roses
Old York Road Garden Club
Grace Presbyterian Church
Old York Road
Jenkintown, PA
For the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Yet More About Roses
Dickinson Square
4th & Tasker Streets
Philadelphia, PA
For the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
The Four Season Garden
Wadsworth Free Library
1500 Wadsworth Ave.
Philadelphia, PA
For the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
A Garden for All Seasons
Whitemarsh Township Bldg.
616 Germantown Pike
Lafayette Hill, PA
Indoor Landscaping with Colorful & Flowering Houseplants
Maple Glen Garden Club
Springfield, PA
Fun with Holiday Flowers and Houseplants
Ambler Senior Activities Center
45 Forest Avenue
Ambler, PA
For the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Your Indoor Garden
Norristown Public Library
Swede St.
Norristown, PA
For the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
All About Houseplants
Whitpain Farms
Butler Pike
Blue Bell, PA
Gardening in Small Spaces
North Wales Library
Lansdale, PA
For the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Variegated Houseplants
Glenside Library
Keswick Avenue
Glenside, PA
For the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Container Gardening
Blue Bell Public Library
Skippack Pike
Blue Bell, PA
Beautiful Container Gardens
Gwynedd Estates
Norristown Road
Ambler. PA
For the Philadelphia Horticultural Society
The Cutting Garden
Morris Arboretum
Northeastern Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
Let's Get Growing: A Gardening Lecture Series for 2011
12:30pm to 2pm
Lectures below are in the Center on the Hill in
The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill
8855 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118
Cost: $15 per person/per lecture which includes detailed handouts
Please register with Jackie Yorko at 215-247-4654
Tuesday, April 12.....Easy Indoor Landscaping with Colorful & Flowering Houseplants.....Practical advice about selecting, caring for, and
arranging houseplants to add beauty and life to your home, including the best plants for the best places.
Tuesday, April 19.....Gardening in Smaller Spaces.....Small gardens can be intimate and charming with some simple designs and gardening "tricks of the trade."
Tuesday, May 3.....Roses Made Easy.....Simple and straightforward steps for enjoying roses from May through October, including rose selection, planting, care, and maintenance with a What to do When calender.
Tuesday, May 17.....Four Seasons of Interest.....Learn to select plants and design your garden so that you can enjoy your landscape more and have flowers blooming from January to November.
Tuesday, May 24.....Success with Shade Gardening.....Brighten up dark areas of your landscape with the best plants for shade in our growing area---even many flowering plants!
Tuesday, June 7.....Container Gardening.....Containers can be an attractive, practical
, space-saving, and versatile way to grow plants---from small trees and shrubs to flowers to vegetables and herbs. Our class will explore this portable world.
Earth laughs in flowers.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Hamatreya"