Workshops

Adventures in the Storybook Garden 
Garden stories are a terrific way to get young gardeners into the garden and getting dirty. Explore the wonderful world of garden literature with old and new stories from the garden.  Hands- on activities and take home materials will be provided in this session.

Growing Herbal Gifts
See how you can easily prepare wonderful, fragrant gifts, compliments of your herb garden. Everyone will love receiving such herbal treats as Layered Fragrant Bath Salts, Herb-Infused Nail Oil, Lip Balms, Hand Treatments, Spa Foot Soaks, and More! These gifts are fun to make, and are definitely more popular than a new pair of socks! Learn how to make at least five herbal treats, and take home recipes and instructions.

‘Behind the Scenes’ Garden Tour
Doug Badgero, former Greenhouse and Gardens manager will take you on a tour and tell you what really happens to keep the Horticulture gardens growing!

Sensible Landscape Maintenance: When to take Notice, Action, or a Nap
Tour the gardens and Arboretum with experienced arborist Irene Cahill, Forester for the City of Lansing. She will discuss trees, plants and problems along the way, offering practical advice about mulch, insect damage, fungus problems, and pruning. *Rain or shine:  extensive walking required.*

Bring your garden to Life at night with landscape lighting
Enjoy your garden in a whole different dimension - after dark!   Mike Grizwak of Vista Professional Lighting will discuss  many aspects of garden lighting, from soft path lights to highlighting features such as specimen trees or sculptures.

Edible Landscaping
This Edible Landscape presentation is intended to address the desire of “city slickers’ to integrate edibles into in the landscape in a design -sensitive way . Margaret Realy, St. Francis Garden Society Coordinator, will show you how to incorporate the bounty of vegetables as a part of your landscape design.

Vegetable Gardening
Try something different, new or old, in your vegetable garden this year. In this talk Dr. Bob Herner, Emeritus Professor of Horticulture, will make suggestions about growing some different or new vegetable varieties to spice up your gardening. Tips about growing these vegetables will also be given.

Native Plant Rescue
To The Rescue! This workshop is for anyone who has watched in dismay as a natural site is cleared for development. Jennifer Silveri of Michigan Environmental Stewardship AmeriCorps will  discuss Plant Rescue groups and how you can volunteer for them.  She will also describe creative design uses for the natives  which are rescued. Your garden can become a refuge,  with a little planning!

Lost in Paradise": Bringing the Tropics to Michigan
So you want to bring the tropics home?? Join Dr.  Art Cameron as he takes you on a journey to the tropics nestled in the MSU gardens! You will learn how to identify and grow many interesting tropical plants in your own front yard. We will take a stroll through the gardens and see how tropicals can be combined with annuals and perennials to make unique garden displays.

Grow Organic! - Gardening with What You've Got
After completing this workshop gardeners will be able to practice organic gardening with a greater understanding of how and why it works. Learn how to build soil organic matter, cultivate the soil food web, plan for crop diversity and rotations, and other steps to efficiently and economically nurture fertile soil and healthy plants with locally available resources.

Conifers for Connoisseurs
Burnt out on blue spruce? Pining for something different? Join Dr. Bert Cregg for this fast-paced and fascinating glimpse of dwarf, weeping, spreading, deciduous, and otherwise unusual conifers.

Tackling Tough Lawn Problems
There are numerous stresses that lawns experience each and every year and often the solution to the problem may be in basic management practices such as mowing, irrigation, cultivation, and fertilization. This talk will look at different stresses that occur during a “typical” season and offer options for growing a healthier, more vigorous turf. Taught by Professor Kevin Frank.

Norm Lownds: Computer Gardening Resources
Explore the amazing resources available to enhance and expand your gardening.   Explore on-line plant information and plant photos, visit gardens around the world and discover how you can make your own garden resources available to others.

Five (5) credit hours are granted to Master Gardeners for participation in Garden Day.