Events - Event View

Cost is $30 for registration up to March 22nd and a Service Fee for credit card processing. If you wish to pay by check, download the flyer and mail in the registration. Preregistration is required as seating is limited. Register early to get first pick of workshops!

A service fee of $1.80 will be included in your final total, which covers the cost charged by your Credit Card Company for using a credit card. You will also see an additional fee charged to your credit card, which is the convenience fee charged by Club Express for using their online portal.

Speaker: Dan Ziomek, Manager at Sugarloaf Gardens in Sunderland

Many people enjoy feeding the birds in their yards throughout the winter months. But how can we feed and protect them throughout the year? Dan will explain what it takes to turn your yard into a year-round sanctuary for our feathered friends. Proper plant selection, placement and additional helpful hints will all be touched on and help you turn your backyard into an urban aviary.

Speaker: George Kingston, Master Gardener

Starting your own seeds is an economical and interesting way to diversify your garden. In this workshop you will learn when and how to start seeds, care for your seedlings, and plant them out in your garden. Each participant will prepare a peat pot and plant tomato seeds to take home with them.

Speaker: Jen Werner, Horticulturist, Retired Professor of Landscape Design Management at STCC

Learn to maximize the impact of shrubs in your home landscape through proper pruning! This workshop will demystify the "when, why, and how" to prune your shrubs to create the best flower show. We will review tools and techniques and specific pruning tips for popular flowering landscape shrubs. A sampling of specific plants covered includes: Hydrangeas, Lilac, Rhododendron, Red Stem Dogwood, and others.

Speaker: Priscilla Touhey, Master Gardener

Come join Priscilla as she shares and demonstrates how to create your own ornamental container garden just in time for spring and getting your hands back in the good soil. Get your creative juices flowing! Watch, listen, and learn - and ask questions! - about the nuts and bolts of container gardening, how to design your container with plants appropriate for your situation, and how to maintain it. Whether you are designing one pot or an array of them, this workshop will help you envision your own personal spotlight of nature where you can experience the joy plants bring to your home's outdoor space no matter the size.

Speaker: Kristen Nicholson, Blue Stem Natives Nursery, Owner

Native plants have immense value outside of just looking pretty. Having bountiful native plants in your garden helps to support beneficial insects, serves to conserve and improve water, reduces dependency on pesticide and so much more. We will discuss why it is important to chose native plants, how to choose the best plants for your space, and how to care for your garden.

Speaker: Ed Sourdiffe, Master Gardener, Green Thumb Guru

Change in the garden comes quickly, and there is no quicker time of change than springtime. This workshop will help you to know what to expect, how to prioritize, and what to do to ensure yourself of a successful gardening season ahead.

Speakers: Beth Carmichael, Margery Gerard, and JoAnne Palmer, Master Gardeners and Co-leaders of the Full Circle Food Pantry Garden

This practical workshop will help empower you to start your own garden or enhance your current gardens, helping to improve production and yields. Participants will learn:

1. How to begin and/or improve your own vegetable gardens
2. Strategies for increasing yields and quality
3. Problem solving -- existing conditions, planning the garden and managing the unexpected

Speaker: Dr. Olga Kostromytska, Entomologist, Extension Assistant Professor, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts

A wide variety of insects in your garden is a good indicator of a healthy ecosystem. Most of the insect species we see are beneficial for the plants and flowers in the garden. However, a few pest insects can cause damage to the plants or ecosystem. Understanding the difference between friend and foe in the insect world is crucial for maintaining a healthy garden. The talk will focus on an overview of both the beneficial and pest insects of managed landscapes and gardens in New England with a focus on the identification of invasive species. The non-insect bonus will be included, and the way of identification of the worm species and updates on the research on them will be provided.