Session 1: 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Transcription

1 Session 1: 8:30-9:30 a.m. A Taste of Herbs - Judy Bemer, Linn County Master Gardner Learn how and where to grow herbs, as well as how to use and preserve them. Judy will introduce some new herbs and discuss those that may be familiar as well. A cuppa tea and a plate of herbal goodies will be served while enjoying the class. Beginning Vegetable Gardening - Diane Wiesenfeld, Linn County Master Gardner Diane will present information and ideas for the beginning gardener who wants to grow produce and isn t quite sure how to start. Included will be a discussion about site selection, soil amendment, containers and raised beds, planting schedules and proper care for plants as they grow and produce. Birthplace of Hostaholics - Jay McWherter, Linn County Master Gardner History, size, colors, sun/shade requirements, soils, division & seed reproduction, moisture & fertilizer needs, compost & mulch, pests & diseases, virus x. Many home garden photos with before & after garden shots. Creating Black Gold Compost - Wil Carew, Linn County Master Gardner Ever wondered, What am I going to do with all this yard and kitchen waste? The answer is composting; discover what it is, types of bins available, what to put in it. Vermi-composting using red wigglers with food scraps will also be covered. Everything Whimsical - Lori Bailey, Linn County Master Gardner Let the fun begin! How about putting a little whimsy in your garden! Lori Bailey, Linn County Master Gardener will share how to put your own personal style and artful fun into your garden. Learn how to accent your favorite plants with colorful, purposeful and whimsical garden art. It will turn your garden into a unique, one of a kind backyard retreat! Fabulous Foliage - Carol Elliott, Linn County Master Gardner As we dream of warmer days, let s look at Fabulous Foliage and how we can incorporate new color, height, and variety to our own landscapes. We ll share ideas for improving your view during each season. Bring your sunglasses! Here comes the sun! Growing Vegetables in Containers - Judy Stevens, Linn County Master Gardner Growing vegetables in containers is a great way to have fresh veggies available at your backdoor and know how they are grown. No need to wish that you had a homegrown tomato or a green pepper when you can grow one on your deck or patio with very little effort. Learn how in this fun class. New Perennials Deb Walser, Linn County Master Gardner Garden Catalogs are full of amazing perennials. Learn how to select the best for your garden. Deb will show some of the newest and coolest perennials available in nurseries near you and talk about her favorite plants that grow in her gardens. Seed Starting at Home - Shelby Foley, Linn County Master Gardner Get started on your gardening season by learning the basics of seed starting, transplanting and starting cuttings. You will leave this session with seeds and a 6 pack of cuttings. Tips To Help You Maintain and Sharpen Your Garden Tools - Doug Smith, Linn County Master Gardner Have you ever tried pruning your shrubs with loppers and hand pruners that are gummed with sap, have rusty, dull cutting edges and just don t work the way they should? Your work becomes a lot harder. Learn how to clean, disinfect, remove dirt and rust and to sharpen them so they are ready to go at the beginning and during the garden season. Weed It and Eat It - Fran Potratz & Karla McGrail, Linn County Master Gardners It s surprising how many of our commonly encountered weeds are actually edible. In this fun and informative class, you will learn about weeds you can eat and some that you need to avoid.

2 Session 2: 9:45-10:45 a.m. 10 Mistakes I made in Vegetable Gardening so you won t have to - Megan Cain, Author & Educator, Madison, Wisconsin If you re not getting real results from your garden then gardening isn t as rewarding of a pastime as it could be. Although trial and error is often a part of the gardening experience, you can skip over some of the beginner mistakes and move straight to the more advanced ones! Megan Cain will share the top 10 mistakes she s made in her (and others ) gardens so you can avoid them in your own and have lots more fun and success each season. A Few of my Favorite Things - Wil Carew, Linn County Master Gardner Raindrops on roses and fungus on leaves. Bright copper ninebark and cottonburr compost. Wil talks about coralbells, tied up tomatoes on netting, flowering weigelas and hydrangeas, fruit, vegetables, tools, trees and gardening in general. These are just a few of his favorite things. Arranging Your Own Bouquets - Judy Stevens, Linn County Master Gardner Learn tips to preserve and arrange your bouquets whether from your backyard or gathered from the roadside. Various devices available on the market to assist in creating professional bouquets will also be demonstrated. Beginning Garden Photography - Jay McWherter, Linn County Master Gardner Helpful tips & info for novice photographers so you can take better garden photos with your point and shoot cameras. Many home garden photos with before and after garden shots! Establishing a Small Prairie in Your Backyard - Doug Smith, Linn County Master Gardner Learn some history of Iowa s prairies. Learn about the many advantages to you and the community of having and maintaining a prairie. Find out what plants would be suitable for your soil and surroundings and when the best time would be to plant your prairie. Gardening in Challenging Conditions - Dr. Denny Schrock, State Master Gardener Coordinator Weather extremes have become the norm rather than the exception to the rule. Whether it s extended drought, flash floods or temperature extremes, Midwest gardeners need to deal with whatever Mother Nature throws at them. In this class we ll discuss some techniques and plants to use to adapt to unfavorable growing conditions. Gardening on the Wild Side - Sandy Holterhaus, Linn County Master Gardner Join Sandy as she discusses the extreme nutrient density of early, wild vegetables and fruits. We have bred out much of the nutritional value over time! Sandy will review popular garden varieties and show how to select the most wild varieties available today to maximize nutrition. Sandy is a registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Green with Envy - Devon Dietz, Linn County Master Gardner Everyone loves a beautiful lawn. How to start one? How to encourage it? How to maintain it? How to deal with invaders (weeds)? Hardy Roses - Deb Walser, Linn County Master Gardner Are you in love with roses but not the work required? Learn how to plant, where to plant and the many types of hardy, more disease resistant and compatible roses to grow in today s gardens. Healthy Soil and Growing Practices - Scott Koepke, Education Coordinator, Grow: Johnson County How to prep the garden area, what to do and not do, best practices for fertilizer, pest control and use of organic matter. Organic Vegetable Gardening - Phil Pfister, Linn County Master Gardner In this session, Linn County Master Gardener, Phil Pfister will discuss approved and proven organic gardening techniques and practices to help you achieve a productive vegetable garden without using harmful chemicals and spending a lot of time.

3 Keynote A: 11 a.m.-12 p.m. (Lunch 12-1:30 p.m.) Design Inspiration for Creative Vegetable Gardening - Megan Cain, Author & Educator, Madison, Wisconsin Your vegetable garden should be a source of beauty in your life, not something shoved away in the corner of your yard. This workshop will showcase fresh ideas to elevate an ordinary garden to an extraordinary one with plenty of photos to get the creative juices flowing. Learn how to design a garden that inspires joy, tips for adding artistic touches, where to go for inspiration, and favorite colorful and unique vegetables to grow. Keynote B: 12:30-1:30 p.m. (Lunch 11 a.m.-12 p.m.) Feeding Soil, Feeding Souls: Values/Pillars of Gardening - Scott Koepke, Education Coordinator, Grow: Johnson County Scott will talk about his garden & life skills focus with food insecure and incarcerated groups. Session 3: 1:45-2:45 p.m. Critter Control - Devon Dietz, Linn County Master Gardner We have built our homes and created our landscapes in wildlife territory. Now we need to learn how to deal with them, how to control what they do to our landscape and how to keep them from invading our homes. Eat Your Flowers - Dr. Denny Schrock, State Master Gardener Coordinator Mom always said Eat your vegetables. Perhaps she d have had more luck by including edible flowers in her directive. With bright colors, exotic fragrances and intriguing flavors, beautiful blossoms perk up otherwise humdrum dishes. From herbal delights such as chives, basil and dill to garden standbys such as rose, daylily and violet to less known blooms, this class will teach you how to identify, grow and harvest edible flowers. Rather than providing a collection of specific recipes, usage information will be general. Learn how to please your palate with edible flowers! Emerald Ash Borer and Your Ash Tree - Mark Vitosh, Department of Natural Resources Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was recently found in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City corridor. How will this pest impact ash trees in this area? Can the ash tree in your yard be protected and is your ash tree worth protecting? What species of trees are good replacements for ash? Come listen to answers to these questions and any more related to EAB. Gardening with Color - Mike Anderson, Linn County Master Gardner Learn how the use of color can enhance and add pizazz to your overall landscape design. Mike will cover some basic color theory and describe the principles of using color in creating an inviting and interesting garden design. Heavenly Hydrangeas - Wil Carew, Linn County Master Gardner Hydrangeas bloom in a variety of colors including white, blue, pink, green and red too. Join Wil as he discusses the how-tos of planting and pruning. He also shares those varieties which are his personal celestial favorites and are locally available. Nature and Nuture: The Surprising Rewards of Living Close to Native Plants - Dr. Laura Jackson, Linn County Master Gardner Landscaping with wild plants poses many challenges, but the rewards can be even greater. Dr. Laura will talk about her professional and personal relationship with native plants of the plains and prairies, and why they are so important for our communities, our kids and our society. Whether or not you decide to get up close and personal with wild plant materials or simply enjoy them in parks and natural areas, native can bring joy and a deeper appreciation for our natural world. Plants That Have Changed History - Judy Stevens, Linn County Master Gardner Learn about the many plants that played a part in moving our civilization to where we are today. Plants played an important role in discovering the new world and world trading. This is not a boring history class but a refreshing approach to the important role plants have played in our past. Pretty Poisons, Lurking in Your Garden - Jean Wilson, Linn County Master Gardner Many plants we use in our gardens aren t only pretty, they can also be useful and healthy. But sometimes they can also be very

4 unhealthy. Come learn about which common plants, such as hydrangeas and lily of the valley, can be deadly and dangerous if not handled properly. Rain Gardens - Karla McGrail, Linn County Master Gardner Learn the basics about designing, constructing and planting this landscaping feature that can capture rain water runoff on your property and do your part to help improve water quality downstream. Raised Bed Gardening - Deb Walser, Linn County Master Gardner No space for a garden? You can plant enough vegetables in a 4 x4 garden to feed 2 people or 4 x8 for a family of 4. Hate the weeding and bug control? Having trouble getting up from the ground? Raised bed gardening is for you. Learn the how to's with Deb Walser. Steps & Stones - Debbie Main, Linn County Master Gardner Less mowing and less weeding. Learn ways to incorporate paths and steps into your existing landscaping. Debbie will cover materials and preparation, as well as design elements to enhance your home and garden style. Water in the Garden - Rose Milden, Linn County Master Gardner Water features are as varied and unique as the gardens they inhabit. From bird baths to fountains, rain chains to ponds, explore water feature possibilities for your yard and garden. Come and learn about why a water feature may be that extra something missing from your space. Session 4: 3-4 p.m. Broken Pot Succulent Garden-Hands On - Josh Spece Additional fee of $40 covers the basic starter kit: includes broken terra cotta pot, 3 succulent plants, succulent soil mix, and an assortment of gravel, stones and decorative moss. Additional plants and fairy garden accessories can be purchased, if desired. Please note: in order to ensure adequate supplies for the workshop, REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS CLOSES FERUARY 1, Build a Fun and Functional Tower Trellis - Karla McGrail, Linn County Master Gardner Hands On- Construct a small garden tower for a climbing vegetable or flower. We ll bring all the tools and supplies needed, you provide the creative spirit and craftsmanship. Material fee $20. Flowers with Interesting Names and Shapes - Judy Stevens, Linn County Master Gardner The Latin names for flowers are the correct name but the common name used by gardeners are a lot more fun. Attend this class to learn some of the folklore, details you may never have observed and pictures of common flowers with interesting shapes that are found in Eastern Iowa. Gazing Globe- Hands On - Sylvia Kelley, Linn County Master Gardner Make your own garden art using a glass globe and colorful beads and tiles, during this fun filled class. Material fee $20. Have Fun Creating a Theme Garden - Jane Schildroth, Linn County Master Gardner You already know about plants for sun and shade and you have decided how many veggies you can manage along with your perennials and annuals. Next, begin exploring a theme garden to add a special element to your space. Have fun searching for unique ways to carry out your chosen theme. Join Jane as she shares tips and photos on selecting and putting together your new theme garden. Landscaping with Shrubs - Mike Anderson, Linn County Master Gardner Discover the many uses of shrubs in the home landscape. Mike will cover some basic landscape concepts using shrubs and review several species of shrubs that do well in Iowa gardens, including some that may be unfamiliar as well as many recognizable longtime favorites.

5 Managing Backyard Woodlands - Mark Vitosh, Department of Natural Resources Do you have a small woodland in your backyard ( ¼ acre to 10 acres in size) Participants will be introduced to the benefits and challenges of managing smaller backyard woodlands, and to the opportunity to protect and manage these important natural resources. Moonlight Gardens - Debbie Main, Linn County Master Gardner Love your gardens from warm summer evenings through snowy winter nights by choosing elements and plantings to take advantage of romantic moonlight. Lots of ideas on how to love your gardens every hour of the day. Ornamental Grasses - Larry Dawson, Linn County Master Gardner Do you want to plant ornamental grasses with wonderful fall seed heads? Larry will show you which grasses are nonspreading/clump forming and hardy in Eastern Iowa. Larry Dawson Terra Cotta Fountains-Hands On - Deb Walser, Linn County Master Gardner Gardens of all sizes can have water features in them. The relaxing sound of water has a way of attracting us and wildlife to your garden. Come build a simple terra cotta fountain for your garden. Bring your own drill and safety goggles. Material fee $30. That about Covers It - Barb Wing, Linn County Master Gardner From ajuga to zinnias, perennials to annuals, find out how ground covers can work for you as a lawn alternative. Join Barb and discover the use of living mulch in your landscape.