Meet Chris Olsen, born in West Harford, Connecticut, Chris graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in business. With a passion for plants and landscape architecture, Chris was honored with acceptance to Oxford University in England. There Chris excelled in landscape architecture, landscape principles, and philosophy. Soon after graduation, Chris moved to the mid-west, and has called it home ever since.

In partnership with his father, Chris obtained a landscape company. 10 years he opened his second Home & Garden store, and a few years later sold his first landscape company. Chris runs his business while actively pursuing speaking engagements, TV and media opportunities. 

For the past eleven years, Chris has been known as the “Garden Guru” on the CBS affiliated station, where he is featured on the morning, noon, and evening segments giving people gardening, home and decorating ideas.

This years is TV topics will cover everything from interior and exterior design, holiday decorating – and even cooking! Keep an eye out for these new segments titled “Today’s Home with Chris Olsen”.

Chris has also produced and narrated several 30 minute TV shows such as “Spring Spruce Up with Chris Olsen” and numerous holiday half-hour TV specials featuring Chris and his “over-the-top” decorating ideas for the Christmas Season.  

Other media credits include two national DVD’s produced by Leisure Arts and hosted and designed by Chris himself: “Refresh, Remix, Restyle” and “The Creative Party Guide”. Chris is known for his delightfully innovative ideas, but also for keeping it simple so that everyone in the audience understands and learns. 

Chris is also known for his unique and humorous writing style. He has written for several state and national magazines. Currently, Chris is a regular contributor for the State-by-State Gardener series magazine. This publishing company distributes garden magazines nationwide, where Chris is one of the main feature writers.  Chris is currently working on his first book which will be available late fall of this year 2010. 

Chris offers an unusual blend of creativity, professionalism, and down-home charm that makes his presentations a natural for garden shows, service clubs, social occasions, and corporate meetings alike. Chris is practical, inspiring, and informative, yet at the same time, his enthusiasm is infectious which causes the audience to feel they can take Chris’ special brand of gracious home living and apply it to their own lives.  

Chris’ topics range from planting a shade garden to over-the-top-all-out holiday decorating, home tours to expert gardening issues. His top four requested presentation topics include: “Jealousy in the Garden is a Virtue”, “Jhmemajang and Pop!! The Perfect Garden Combination”,  “Border Patrol”, and “Color Your World”.  His exceptional designs received the “People’s Choice Award” at the Flower and Garden Show nine years running. 

Chris’ print credits include local, regional, and national publications:
Better Homes and Gardens
Southern Living Magazine
Real Living
Fine Gardening
Health and Living Magazine
New Home

Chris has been active in the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation designing and installing the landscape for the “Build for a Cure” projects. In addition, he has been active in the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Lung Association. Chris’ design worked has been featured in several of the Symphony Design Houses.