NOTE: Please call the Guild office at 358-1479 for the latest information on speaker events and times (subject to change).

This year’s Showhouse Guest Speaker Series is offering a wide variety of topics – all centered around bringing a special, creative flair into your home and garden. The speakers are highly acclaimed in their respective fields and are eager to share their professional insights with us. Please join us at the Pablo Creek Reserve Central Park gazebo. Admission to a lecture of your choice is included with a tour of the house and gardens. You may attend an unlimited number of lectures by purchasing a $5.00 ticket at the Interior Design Boutique located within the Showhouse.

Container Gardening – Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers
Monday, April 21 at 10:15
Louise Johnson – Palm Valley Gardens

Now is the perfect time to bring spring and early summer plantings to those special areas of your home. Louise will share her secrets on creating the perfect container plantings that will be the envy of your neighborhood. What a great idea for creating a welcoming front entrance or an inviting deck!

Louise Johnson is a noted horticulturist and landscape designer. She studied extensively at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania and is a member of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Louise exhibited for many years in the nationally acclaimed Philadelphia Flower Show.

Imaginative Architectural Accents with Stone
Thursday, April 24 at 10:15
Elisa Waysenson – Francois & Co.

Accenting estate homes with architectural stone pieces has been a tradition for hundreds of years. Elisa Waysenson will discuss ways to incorporate stonework and hand-carved limestone into today’s homes for a truly distinctive, upscale flair.

Featured in the 2008 Showhouse, scagliola is a seventeenth century architectural technique that combines marble chips, stabilizing agents and pigments to form a material indistinguishable from the original stone. It is a noble, authentic stone product available in a variety of colors and finishes. Scagliola StoneTM lends itself to countless architectural applications such as mantelpieces, kitchen hoods, arches and columns, and bathtubs. Elisa Waysenson is recognized stonework professional that has consulted throughout the southeast.

Adapting the English Garden to Northern Florida
Monday, April 28 at 10:15
Louise Johnson – Palm Valley Gardens

Create a piece of England here in your own garden – lovely constant bloom with a natural, inviting flow. Louise Johnson will share secrets that she used in creating the delightful gardens at this year’s Symphony Showhouse. Take home more than pictures. Bring your pads, pencils, and questions to help you get started planting.

Louise Johnson is a nationally recognized horticulturist and garden designer. She studied extensively at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania and is a member of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Bringing the Garden into the Home
Tuesday, April 29 at 10:15
Liz Stewart – Liz Stewart Floral Designs

Spring is a wonderful time to accessorize your home with an English garden touch. Liz Stewart, highly acclaimed for her inspired flair, will share her thoughts and create a fresh floral arrangement that’s guaranteed to bring spring indoors.

Liz Stewart’s work is well known all along the First Coast as unique and varied, catering to her clients’ style and taste while bringing her own special touches to the floral designs she creates.

Creative Cooking with Herbs
Thursday, May 1 at 10:15
Noel Ridsdale – Certified Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Arts, First Coast Technical College

Herbs with their infinite blends of tastes and smells add personality to any dish — from the most humble to the gourmet. Noel Risdale, instructor and acclaimed gourmet chef, will offer insights to creative cooking with herbs.

Chef Risdale’s professional background includes chef for the TPC properties and Team Chef for the Jacksonville Jaguars for eight years. Currently he is responsible for operations at the First Coast Technical College conference center and oversees their culinary programs. Chef Risdale is a member of the American Academy of Chefs and of the Chaines De Rotissieurs, a gastronomique society.
The Passion of Collecting: Majolica Transferware Oyster Plates
Wednesday, May 7 at 10:15
Mimi Kersun – Owner of Mimi’s Antiques, San Marco

The appreciation of fine antique ceramics has grown steadily among discriminating collectors. Mimi Kersun will share her extensive knowledge and enthusiasm in a discussion of fine Victorian majolica, vibrant and richly colored glazed earthenware.

As a special favor, Mimi has graciously agreed to provide majolica appraisals immediately following her presentation.

Mimi Kersun is a nationally recognized specialist in Victorian majolica and porcelain oyster plates. She has traveled extensively throughout England and is a member of the Majolica International Society and of the Oyster Plate Collective Society. Additionally, Mimi taught cooking for 30 years. Her culinary credits include food columnist; restaurant critic; radio show hostess and her own TV series.

Unique Window Treatments with Exquisite Silk
Thursday, May 8 at 10:15
Mike Kohli – Drapery Ever After

Discover the many possibilities of unique window treatments centered on unique silks. Mike Kohli will share the fascinating history of Kohli Silk as well as demonstrate quick tips on designing window treatments for the home.

Kohli Silk is a premier supplier of quality silk and fine imported fabrics for many nationally recognized interior designers and decorators. The family has produced the finest quality silk and silk blends for three generations and offers traditional to contemporary styles based upon the latest designer trends.