$55 per person or $50 each for two or more, includes lunch

Registration closes Febuary 16; no refunds after February 13

*Snow date – February 27, 2016 (In case of inclement weather, we follow Montgomery County Public Schools’ Weekend Activity Policy.)

Schedule of Events

Registration & Refreshments (8:30 – 9:00)
Welcome & Opening Remarks (9:00 – 9:15)

Session I (9:25 – 10:30)

A. Lawn vs Lore – Patricia Eng and Eric Wenger  Do luscious lawns really require constant chemical care? Find out the truth about maintaining healthy turf in your landscape.

B. Designing a Right-Sized Garden – Susan Bell  Overwhelmed at the prospect of gardening? Wondering how to downsize your landscape maintenance duties? Susan explores what elements create the most work in a garden and then discusses how to reduce or eliminate those tasks until you have a ‘right-sized’ garden that you can manage easily.

C. Healing Herbs – Heather Whirley Using herbs for healing is shrouded in mystery, going back centuries. Heather will highlight 15 herbs that can be grown in our area, with unique scientific properties that can aid in preventative medicine for overall health. This interactive class will include live and dried samples to smell and touch.

Session II (10:40 – 11:45)

D. Making the Most of the Soil You’ve Got – Mary Hagedorn  Many folks bemoan “Maryland clay,” despite the fact that it has many advantages!  And we actually don’t all have the same soil. There are many different soil types in our area.  Find out how to tell what type of soil you have and tips to make the most of what you’ve got.

E. Creating a Children’s Garden: Growing Gardeners – LeeAnne Gelletly and Merikay Smith Gardening isn’t just for grownups! Inspire kids to learn more about the world of dirt, plants, and bugs. What makes a garden child-friendly? We’ll share garden elements that appeal to kids and ideas on how to incorporate these into your garden. Includes inspirations from public children’s gardens.

F. Managing Garden Pests – Marie Rojas Are organic pesticides always safer than synthetic ones? Come and discover what works and what doesn’t; which insects and diseases are common in our landscapes, and how to prevent them from becoming a problem in yours.

Lunch (12:00 – 1:00)

Informal lunchtime talks are open to anyone interested; register for one or both

Lasagna Gardens – Heather Zindash. Learn the “lasagna method” of gardening! Heather will show you how to create easy, no-till garden beds for food, flower, or ornamental plants.
Tools of the Trade – Joe Ginther. Get ready for spring! Joe will discuss and demonstrate garden tool sharpening and maintenance.

Session III (1:00 – 2:05)

G. Proper Pruning Practices – Do Plants Care? – Eric Wenger  Is pruning harmful to plants? Find out the truth about how plants really feel about “surgery!”

H. Simple Seed Starting – Terri Pitts Think indoor seed starting takes lots of time and effort? Think again! Learn simple ways to start your seeds indoors and get a jump start on the growing season.

I. Going Native – Merikay Smith Do native plants really thrive in our gardens without care? Will planting natives really bring in more butterflies, birds, and pollinators? Come and learn how to successfully use native plants in your landscape – be it deer-ridden, shady or sunny, wet or dry, or sloped.

Wrap-up (2:15 – 2:30)

Open question-and-answer forum with presenters. Last of the fabulous door prizes will be awarded.