Bennett, of Springfield, co-authored the book with horticulturalist Maria Zampini of Madison. “Maria had always wanted a handy resource for her employees, and when she asked me about co-authoring, I suggested we expand it to Master Gardeners and new gardeners,” Bennett said of the collaboration. “We wanted something that was user-friendly [with] lots of color photos and didn’t just give the definition of the term, but also told the reader how it applied to their garden.”
The book is geared toward both beginning and experienced gardeners in need of a quick reference guide for gardening terminology and its applications.
Half of the proceeds from the book will benefit the programs of the Ohio State University Master Gardener Volunteer program. “Ohio State University Extension offices around the state offer the MGV program,” Bennett said. “Projects that our volunteers do include horticulture help lines, demonstration gardens, neighborhood community gardens and many more. Our mission is to teach people about research-based gardening practices.”
Zampini is president of UpShoot, a “boutique horticulture marketing firm focused on new plant introductions and gardening-related products.” She also serves as director of plant development for the HGTV Home Plant Collection.
In addition to writing this newspaper’s gardening column, Bennett serves asstate master gardener volunteer coordinator for Ohio State University Extension in Springfield. She is also the horticulture educator and director in Clark County.
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