Get Growing!

The Quest for New Plants, Their Discovery, Selection and Evaluation

These educational and often hands-on weekly gardening programs are held every Thursday throughout the summer and feature guest speakers and a variety of gardening topics.  The programs are held from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. at the Train Station unless otherwise noted. Programs are free of charge and registration is not required.

In this program Tim will review aspects of early plant exploration and how modern breeder continue to cross frontiers in bringing us a wealth of new and exciting ornamental trees and shrubs.

Tim Brotzman is President and General Manager of Brotzman’s Nursery, Inc, located in Madison, Ohio.  The nursery was started in 1955 by his parents, Charles and Dorothy Brotzman and remains a family business involving his brother, Jeff, sister, JoAnna, wife, Sonia and their daughter, Hillary.  Approximately 80 acres are cultivated using 6 seasonal employees.

Tim is a 1973 graduate of The Ohio State University, Department of Horticulture. He has participated in many prestigious breeding programs and has traveled the world and been involved in many educational projects. Brotzman’s have introduced over a dozen distinctive plants into cultivation Most notable is the collection of Hamamelis (Witch Hazels) which after more than 30 years now exceeds 150 named cultivars.

Tim has been a member of the Eastern Region of the International Plant Propagators’ Society since 1976 and has served as its president.  He feels that for him, this organization’s motto of “To Seek and To Share” best represents the strengths, values and inter-connectivity of our amazingly diverse plant industries. He is saddened to see the shrinkage in the number of nurseries and propagators that is occurring around the world today.