Matthew Ross headshot

Matthew Ross

Matthew is the Executive Director of The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park and former Director of Continuing Education at Longwood Gardens.  He has over 20 years of experience in the Landscape, Nursery, and Public Horticulture arena. Ross is known for his extensive plant knowledge and innovative designs. He also built the urban agriculture program at Owens Community College in Toledo, Ohio where he taught the next generation of urban farmers top techniques for designing edible gardens including the creation of a 5-acre master plan that focused exclusively on edible and native plants. 

He is an avid traveler and photographer and is looking forward to sharing his knowledge with all of you.

The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park

Ephemeral Design: Moments in the Garden

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Finding the right accent in the landscape can enhance your garden and bring its aesthetic to new heights.  Whether you are sequencing the right addition to an existing garden or starting from scratch, we often forget about the possibilities that using bulbs, annuals, and even artwork can have when done throughout the season.

Landscape Design Charette

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Hone your design skills and focus your energy on time management through a series of guided design scenarios with Dr. Robert Schutzki and Matthew Ross from The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park.  Balancing the client’s needs within the constraints of the existing site conditions is a time-consuming process.  Learn tricks and techniques in this interactive design charette as we design collaboratively in small groups.  In order to enhance the process and encourage networking, you’ll be encouraged to work with colleagues from other companies during the session.

Great Gardens of the Great Lakes

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From the rushing waters of Niagara Falls through the turquoise shores of Lake Michigan, we are blessed to work in a community adjacent to the modern wonder that is The Great Lakes. In addition to being known for amazing boating, agriculture production, and recreation, the Great Lakes Region spans an incredibly diverse growing region with some truly amazing gardens.  Explore some of Canada and America’s most impactful horticultural displays and a few hidden gems.  We will explore over 20 gardens and parks that you’ll definitely want to add to your Botanical Bucket List!

Highlights from the Trade Show Floor

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Join Matthew Ross, Executive Director of The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park, as he shares the highlights he’s most excited about from the trade show floor for the 2025 season.