"Getting Down and Dirty - Gardening from the Ground Up"

"Getting Down and Dirty - Gardening from the Ground Up"

15th Annual Home Gardeners' School

8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Saturday, April 9.

The event is presented by Penn State Master Gardeners, Delaware County, with outstanding Delaware Valley Speakers. The location is the Conference Center - Penn State Great Valley Campus, 30 East Swedesford Road, Malvern, PA 19355. Registration forms can be printed at http://delaware.extension.psu.edu/MG/MG_events.html

Home Gardeners' School Program Highlights:
- My what great bone structure your garden has! Rick Lewandowski, Director of Mt. Cuba Center explores how the thoughtful choice and placement of native plants and shrubs in key areas can greatly enhance the quality and charactor of your garden throughout the year.

- 10 Tips for a More Bountiful Garden. When and how to amend the soil, judicious watering and best practices for keeping accurate garden records are just a few of the topics Penn State Senior Extension Educator Scott D. Guiser covers in his presentation of useful tactics that both novice and experienced gardeners can employ to improve the quantity and qualify of veggies from their home gardens.

- Sustainable Landscaping: What is it? How do I do it? For most homeowners, lawn is the default landscaping option. But there are so many other attractive and earth-friendly alternatives. Discover how to let site conditions guide your landscape choices while promoting biodiversity and creating a wildlife-friendly habitat from Susan Barton, PhD, a faculty member in the Dept. of Plant and Soil Science at the University of Delaware.

- Peonies, the unabashed "Queens of the Garden". Eleanor Tickner, owner of A Peony Garden, and a Master Gardener, gives you a glimpse of her newest passion, early blooning peonies, both species and hybrids.

- Lasagna Gardening. Forget digging and tilling! Master Gardener and science instructor Leslie Trimble describes how to prepare a new garden or enlarge an existing one by layering organic materials, then allowing Mother Nature to do the rest. This earth-friendly, back-saving technique produces rich, hospitable garden soil, saves time and money plus yields terrific crops.

Throughout the day, attendees will have the opportunity to browse and buy in the ever-popular Master Gardener Marketplace, featuring a variety of affordable plants, herbs, perennials, peonies and small shrubs; hypertufa container butterfly gardens; nature-inspired jewelry, and a unique blend of eco-inspired garden artwork and crafts that are truly one-of-a-kind.

The $50 registration fee includes conference materials, continental breakfast and box lunch. Register before March 25 and save $5 per person, paying just $45 for this information- packed program and fun-filled gardening gathering. Better yet, bring a friend – two registrations together, $80 by 3/25. Send checks, payable to DCCE, to: The Master Gardeners, Penn State Cooperative Extension Delaware County, Smedley Park, 20 Paper Mill Road, Springfield, PA 19064-2705.

For more information and /or to register, contact Master Gardeners at 610-690-7669, and visit our website: http://delaware.extension.psu.edu/

Thank you for your help in sharing the agenda for this fun and exciting event!
Brenda Smyth

HGS 2011 Publicity & Outreach team