Dakota County Master Gardener Spring Expo 2018: Let s Get Growing Class Descriptions, Speaker Biographies & Photos

Transcription

1 Dakota County Master Gardener Spring Expo 2018: Let s Get Growing Class Descriptions, Speaker Biographies & Photos Keynote Speaker--1 p.m. Climate Change in Minnesota Ecosystems Dr. Lee Frelich, Director of the Center for Forest Ecology, University of Minnesota Dr. Frelich s timely presentation will start with a brief history of the science of climate change, followed by the projected impacts of low and high CO2 emission scenarios at global and local scales. He will explore how a warming climate will interact with several environmental factors, including deer, invasive species, storms, fires, droughts and habitat loss, to influence the future of Minnesota's forests and prairies. He will also show how natural areas in southern Minnesota inform us about the future of iconic places in northern Minnesota such as the Boundary Waters and Voyageurs National Park. Dr. Lee E. Frelich is Director of the University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology. He received his Ph.D. in Forest Ecology from the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Frelich s research includes over 160 publications with 200 co-authors, and he has been featured in venues such as The New York Times, Newsweek, CBS Radio Osgood Files and National Geographic. Frelich has provided consulting services on forest management for the U.S. Army, Air Force, National Forest Service and the National Park Service. His current research interests include largescale fire and wind, earthworm invasion, effects of deer and moose browsing and climate change. Session I-- 9:30 a.m.-- 10:30 a.m. Deborah Snow Class #1--Confessions Of a Hostaholic In Confessions of a Hostaholic, Deborah Snow will share information on how to create the perfect hosta garden. Come to this class to learn about hosta colors, shapes, sizes and companion planting. Learn how to divide a hosta and create a boarder from a single plant. Master Gardener Deborah Snow states that she has always loved plants. She worked in a hosta business several years ago and started collecting hostas on her own when she owned her first home. She kept records for them each year and expanded her collection in a second home, and expands each year. She is excited to share the many varieties she has come to love!

2 Barb Webb Class #2--Introduction To Seed Saving Barb Webb will introduce you to the wonderful world of seed saving. She will discuss some of the easier seeds to save and you will learn about the differences between saving seeds from heirloom, open pollinated and hybrid plants. Barb will talk about self-pollinating vs. crosspollinating flowers, and best practices for selecting, identifying and ensuring that the seeds you harvest and save will produce true plants the following year. You will leave with a better understanding on how to harvest, dry and store some of your favorite seeds. Barb Webb is a Dakota County Master Gardener and a huge fan and supporter of the goals and mission of organizations like Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Barb attends the annual three-day SSE Seed Saving Conference in Decorah, Iowa every July, learning about the method and importance of saving seeds to ensure the survival of heirloom varieties. Barb has a large urban vegetable and perennial garden in Eagan and enjoys experimenting with saving seeds of all kinds. Her goal is to someday start a seed lending library in her community so that all gardeners can share nature's greatest gift. Julia Bohnen Class #3--Sustainable Trees & Shrubs In Sustainable Trees & Shrubs, Julia Bohnen will begin by sharing how plants are crucial to the health of humans and earth. She will demonstrate how a single tree can provide property value of $219 annually. Julia will share information on how to make wise selections of both trees and shrubs for your property. There are many considerations including space, location, soil, root structure, shade density and more in these decisions. Julia will also talk about how property owners make site assessments which factor into planting decisions. Final considerations also include size of tree or shrub, bare root or container, and timing for planting. Don t miss this class if you are considering any changes to your landscape. Julia Bohnen, Research, University of Minnesota - M.S. from the University of Minnesota. She is involved in both research and teaching related to ecological restoration and invasive species management. Julia s current research seeks to engage professionals and volunteers throughout Minnesota in identifying and reporting locations of the European haplotype of Phragmites Australis (common reed) to understand its likelihood to spread and its potential to impair ecological functions. Previous projects include a restoration evaluation research project that sought to assess the outcomes of ecological restorations funded by the Environment and Natural Resource Trust Fund. She helped develop a series of online ecological restoration courses that are currently offered through the College of Continuing Education. She has 14 years of project management experience from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, where she was responsible for restoring and monitoring Spring Peeper Meadow, a landscape scale ecological restoration.

3 Julie Harris and Dan Johnson-- Class #4--Tips & Challenges for a Successful Vegetable Garden Tips & Challenges for a Successful Vegetable Garden is a class developed from the experiences Master Gardeners had in their 2017 Seed Trial Garden. Julie Harris and Dan Johnson will talk about the steps taken to create a successful garden, starting in April with garden planning, soil tests, early plant seeding; then to planting at appropriate times, mulching, checking for disease and insect issues; then to harvesting. Photos of the garden will be shared along with great handouts for each step in the garden, also including mulch information sources and soil testing procedures. Julie Harris has been a U of MN Extension Master Gardener since During that time, she has worked on a wide variety of volunteer gardening and administrative activities, including four years as Leadership Team Chair of the Dakota County Master Gardeners, and several years as chair of the Flower Trials. Julie has worked on the South St. Paul Vegetable Trials committee for 3 years. Daniel Johnson is a lifelong gardener and outdoor adventurist. Following a long career as a nonprofit health executive, Dan worked at a regional garden center and became a U of MN Extension Master Gardener, where he is a member of the South St. Paul Seed Trials team. His business, Green Man Gardening, provides residential garden consultation and design.

4 Session II--10:45 a.m.--11:45 a.m. Christy Marsden Class #5--Heritage and Heirloom Vegetables From funky looking tomatoes to stories of generational sharing, what s the deal with heritage and heirloom vegetables? Christy Marsden will explain the hows and whys of heritage and heirloom vegetable gardening, sharing her insider experience from working at Seed Savers Exchange. Learn about Christy s favorite heirloom cultivars from her own gardening experiences that may just work for you too! Christy will also discuss basic seed saving concepts that will change the way you look at your garden and inspire you to do some seed saving of your own. Christy Marsden, Master Gardener Extension Educator and Education Manager, comes from the University of Wisconsin Extension, where she served as a county-based Horticulture Educator in Rock County for three years. Prior to that, she worked at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa. Originally from California, Christy discovered her love of plants while volunteering at the arboretum on the University of California, Davis campus. She has Masters Degree in Horticulture and Agronomy from the University of California, Davis. Christy has a passion for connecting people with plants through what we eat and grow, and is excited to continue this work at the Minnesota Arboretum with the UMN Master Gardener program. Stan Tekiela Class #6--Amazing Hummingbirds: Unique Images & Characteristics This presentation takes a fun and entertaining look at the world of hummingbirds. Stan Tekiela has traveled all over the US to study and also capture the many dazzling images of hummingbirds that adorn his book and presentation. Stan will talk about how hummingbirds feed, catch insects, mate, migrate and so much more. (Note: Stan s books will be sold at the event.) Naturalist, wildlife photographer and writer Stan Tekiela is the originator of the popular state-specific field guides such as Birds of (state name) Field Guide, Wildflowers of (state name), and Trees of (state name). Stan has authored more than 130 field guides, nature books and wildlife audio CDs. Stan has a B.S. Degree from the U of MN, and he has been an active professional naturalist for more than 25 years. Stan has received various national and regional awards for his books and photographs.

5 JoAnne Sabin Class #7--The Secret Lives of Bees and Wasps JoAnne Sabin has investigated the many intricate and fascinating bee activities through classes, research, and personal experience with keeping honey bees. JoAnne will answer many common questions about bees and wasps in this talk. JoAnne has had many questions about the good and bad insect. She finds most people confuse bees and wasps and know very little about their lifestyles, behaviors and benefits. She will help her audience sort out information on both insects. JoAnne Sabin s love of gardens, nature, and nutrition led her to become a University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener in 2004 and a beekeeper in She has been teaching gardening and honeybee related topics throughout Minnesota since 2004, including presentations at garden expos, garden clubs, beekeeping groups, schools, community education, master gardener meetings, and both the Dakota County and the State Fair. She has been gardening in Minnesota for 30 years and her other interests include photography, camping, and volleyball. Larry Cipolla Class #8--Hydroponic Gardening the Easy Way Imagine growing your own veggies and herbs year-round--no weeding, no soil problems, no pesticides, or gardening experience required. Larry Cipolla s presentation, Hydroponic Gardening the Easy Way, takes a fresh look at the age-old practice of gardening in water. It is the least expensive, lowest maintenance, and easiest system to build yourself. Start small and expand as you want. You will learn about successful practices, fertilizers, how to use portable PVC light frames, lights to buy, and much more. Have fun gardening! Larry Cipolla is a life-long learner and gardener. He is an international speaker, published author, hydroponics expert, and has served as the Chair on the Master Gardener State Advisory Board. Larry's specialties include all aspects of vegetable gardening. His Japanese garden with ten water features has been on 25 garden tours, featured on Rebecca's Garden three times, and written up in the Star Tribune, Sun Current, Pond and Midwest magazines. Larry was born and raised in Connecticut and moved to Minnesota in 1970.