Minneapolis Home + Garden Show - Celebrities & Speakers

Take a look at our special guests for 2022; and check back in this space as we announce our 2023 speakers and celebrities later in the year!

Mina Starsiak Hawk is a home renovation expert, real estate agent, and star of the HGTV hit series "Good Bones." Currently airing its 6th season, the series follows Mina and her mother Karen, the co-founders of Two Chicks and a Hammer, a local home flipping business and brick-and-mortar store in their hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. The show follows the duo as they renovate and beautify old houses with "good bones" and transform them into their neighbors' treasured homes.

Mina is an HGTV staple and has appeared on various popular shows including "Brother vs Brother", "Rock the Block", "A Very Brady Renovation", "Martha Knows Best", "Renovate Like a Mother", "Small Space, Big Potential" and most recently she was a judge on HGTV's newest competition series "Battle on the Beach".

Mina lives in Indianapolis with her husband, Stephen, her son Jack, her daughter Charlotte, and their three dogs Frank, Beatrice, and Sophie. Mina recently wrote a Children's book called Built Together, which teaches young readers about diversity and acceptance, by encouraging them to embrace their own family and families that look different than theirs.

Mina appeared on Friday, March 4, 2022.

Drew Beson, Local Artist

The 2022 show was a showcase for the abstract artwork of local artist Drew Beson. Filled with vibrant colors and bold movement, Drew’s artwork can be found in private collections around the world. Visitors were able to watch Drew paint live on Saturday afternoon!

Nolan Miller Bathroom & Kitchen Trends presented by Miller Custom Remodeling

President/CEO, Nolan Miller is the definition of “can do”. With over 14 years experience in the Custom Remodeling business, Nolan has seen and dealt with it all. No job or task is too big, and he is always eager to get the customers just what they want. With 13 years in the military, it has helped Nolan grow into the leader he is today. In 2019, Miller Custom Remodeling was a Spark Award finalist for leadership and innovation, which is a direct reflection of Nolan Miller.

If you ask Nolan what are his two favorite jobs to complete, he would say kitchens and bathrooms. His experience with kitchens and bathrooms have helped out many homeowners across Minnesota to make their living space more usable. From small spaces to large spaces he has a solution for everything. These ideas include where to put your dishwasher and how to gain more storage in your kitchen. When it comes to bathrooms he has great experience with location and space to give you the optimal result for the tubs and toilets. Nolan prospers to learn new things, and is always wanting to keep up with the latest trends and desires for homeowners. He is never afraid to try new things with his customers, from tip out tooth brush holders to hidden doggy dishes. Let his experience drive your next kitchen or bathroom remodeling project.

When not at work, you can find Nolan in the outdoors hunting and fishing. He loves spending time with his beautiful family. You may even be lucky enough to see his adorable daughter Isabella or Aubree visiting their dad on the jobsite to bring him lunch. When it comes to the place you love the most, Nolan Miller is the person you can trust to get the job done.

Cheryl Culbreth, Landscape Restoration, Inc. Landscaping with Native Plants

Cheryl Culbreth, owner of Landscape Restoration, Inc., is driven by a desire to share with others a deep passion to restore and protect native woodland habitats. She is an experienced woodland restoration contractor, speaker, educator, and private landowner. She has consulted, worked and volunteered with municipal, state and federal government agencies, nature centers, schools, neighborhood associations, private landowners and non-profit organizations.

• Landscaping with Native Plants
Landscaping with native plants is growing in popularity. Learn how your plant choices can make a big difference to help native pollinators and wildlife, and even improve the effects of climate change! Lots of educational materials from the MN DNR and Prairie Moon Nursery will be available for attendees. People who newly sign up for the MNWWN newsletter will receive a free boot brush! A restoration contractor will be on hand to address questions about hiring a contractor for native habitat restoration and controlling invasive plants like buckthorn, garlic mustard, etc.

Russ Henry, Owner of Minnehaha Falls Landscaping Abundant Lawns, Landscapes, and Gardens

Russ Henry, Owner of Minnehaha Falls Landscaping

Russ Henry is the owner of Minnehaha Falls Landscaping. Through his company Russ has guided and performed organic transition in hundreds of home landscapes as well as several schools, parks, condos, and office landscapes. His practices are rooted in healthy soil, growing abundant and healthy landscapes without the use of any synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Russ is an advocate and inventor. His work has helped change Minnesota state composting laws, sprouted the statewide solar-pollinator program that has been adopted in 23 states, increased healthy food access throughout the Twin Cities, and won him several awards for garden design as well as a patent for a compost extract brewer. Russ is the author of the Soil Health Handbook and he’s a regular speaker with the Minnesota State Horticultural Society and the Minnesota State Fair’s Eco Experience partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Russ is passionate about Minnehaha Falls Landscaping organic lawn program which he designed utilizing training and consultation from renowned soil health and organic turf experts Dr. Elaine Ingham and Chip Osborne. To usher in the future of healthy lawn care, Russ helped the state of Minnesota launch Bee Lawns, a lawn care program that can protect bees and save landowners thousands of dollars per year.

• Abundant Lawns, Landscapes, and Gardens
This is a perfect presentation for homeowners. Learn how you can grow a healthy, thick lawn, luscious gardens, and thriving trees and shrubs. We’ll discuss best practices for dealing with all the common problems facing Minnesota homeowners including lawn issues like weeds, grubs, and diseases, invasive species including Emerald Ash Borer and buckthorn, and other pests. Presented by Russ Henry, owner of Minnehaha Falls Landscaping and founder of Bee Safe Minneapolis, this presentation is for everyone who ever wanted to learn how the top organic pros grow. Russ will help you turn your landscape into an abundant, organic oasis for you and your family.

Rawley Rohan - Dirty Boys Landscaping Creating and Budgeting a Strategic Landscape Plan

Bjorn Freudenthal - New Spaces Design - Build - Remodeling Planning and Renovation Presentations

HOMEOWNER ADVISOR / VP – NEW SPACES DESIGN/BUILD/REMODEL

Bjorn is a dual citizen who grew up in Helsinki, Finland and will always feel at home in the Scandinavian countries. He has an appreciation for cultural differences and loves spending time fishing & boating with his wife and 2 grown children at the family Cabin in Finland, on The Gulf of Finland/Baltic Sea.

Professional Profile: Bjorn is a Qualifying Builder, Certified Aging in Place Specialist, who loves good design and he has been building and remodeling design award winning projects all over the Twin Cities for over 20 years. Bjorn has served on the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI MN) Board of Directors between 2006-2011, as President of NARI MN in 2007, and as Vice-Chair for the Strategic Planning Committee for NARI National 2011-2013.

Bjorn is a frequent speaker on topics like Remodeling Design for all project types & ages of housing stock, Remodeling Process, and the importance of creating a Master Plan for your Forever Home and he has been quoted in National & Local Industry Publications and Media Appearances, on topics such as Remodeling Industry Trends, Sales Leadership & Growth, Management strategies and Business Development, Strategic Vendor Relations, Market positioning and Sales & Marketing.

Bjorn will have 3 different presentations; please see full stage schedule

Jenn Hovland, CPFD, founder and creative designer of Studio Louise Plan a Stunning Cut Flower Garden

Lisa Philander, PhD Curator of the Conservatory & Botanical Collection at the University of Minnesota The Power of Healing Gardens

Lisa Philander, PhD Curator of the Conservatory & Botanical Collection at the University of Minnesota

Dr. Philander is curator of the brand-new Conservatory & Botanical Collection at the University of Minnesota. The publicly accessible greenhouse showcases four exotic biomes and rare plants from the southern hemisphere. Lisa holds degrees in horticulture, agriculture and ethnobotany. She lived in Cape Town South Africa, where she conducted graduate study on ethnomedicine and the trade of medicinal plants. Lisa has worked at two botanical gardens in Los Angeles, had a landscape design business, and currently teaches for the Center for Spirituality and Healing. Interested in the role plants and gardens play in healing, she has created participatory plant-based art installations that focus on transformations of intergenerational trauma.

• The Power of Healing Gardens
This talk will look at gardens from a healing perspective, how do gardens impact individuals, society, culture, and the environment. What can we learn from garden movement of the past as symbols of hope and rejuvenation?

James Wolfin Planting for Pollinators

James Wolfin is a Conservation Specialist with Twin City Seed Company where he aims to bring more visibility to bee lawns and other lawn alternatives as a conservation tool for residents and land managers. Before his time with Twin City Seed, James was the Director of Education with Metro Blooms, a Minneapolis based nonprofit that aims to bring green infrastructure and native plants to our landscapes. During his time with Metro Blooms, James helped to lead many educational workshops including the educational programming for the Lawns to Legumes program, a statewide initiative that aims to help residents convert their traditional turfgrass lawns into pollinator-friendly plantings. James completed his MS in Entomology at the University of Minnesota where he was advised by Dr. Marla Spivak (UMN bee lab) and Dr. Eric Watkins (UMN turfgrass science lab). His research aimed to describe the bee communities that visit and feed on bee lawns.

Gail Hudson, Writer & Horticulturist, Northern Gardener Magazine Coming soon to a MN backyard near you: The Invasive Jumping Worm

Gail Hudson, Writer & Horticulturist, Northern Gardener Magazine

Award-winning writer, photographer and video producer Gail Hudson has a Masters degree in Horticulture from the University of Minnesota. She writes and photographs gardens for Northern Gardener magazine and Greenhouse Grower, a green industry publication, and produces horticulture videos for the University of Minnesota Extension. Gail is a popular speaker for garden clubs and other organizations on current gardening topics. She’s a garden coach/consultant for homeowners in the metro area. She also runs a community garden, helps care for the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s grass collection, and loves to grow perennials, vegetables and water garden plants.

• Coming soon to a MN backyard near you: The Invasive Jumping Worm
The invaders are here! Learn about this highly invasive pest called the jumping worm or “crazy worm.” They can kill plants, young trees, transform our soils, erode slopes, and even damage our forest ecosystems! Horticulturist and garden writer Gail Hudson gives the latest information from researchers in Minnesota and beyond about what you can do to protect your garden.

Rick Juliusson Tips for New Northern Gardeners

Matt Kline, Legacy Restoration LLC Green Alternatives for Exterior Restorations

Courtney Tchida Outdoor Winter Seed Starting

Courtney Tchida is the Community Programs Director for the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. Courtney has over 20 years of experience working in horticulture and food-systems education. She spent 16 years at the University of Minnesota coordinating the Student Programs in Sustainable Agriculture and managing Cornercopia Student Organic Farm. She has experience growing a wide variety of edible crops, planning, and implementing gardens for schools, farms and food shelf gardens.

• Outdoor Winter Seed Starting
Sowing seeds outdoors in the winter is easy, rewarding, and inexpensive. This method of growing seeds uses recyclables to make mini greenhouses. The greenhouses are placed outside in the winter and spring months. Because nature controls the germination of winter-sown seeds, plants are hardier than artificially forced indoor plants. Outdoor sowing is fun, rewarding, and takes a much more leisurely pace than inside sowing.

Speakers & Celebrities