As the summer season winds-down, there’s no reason to slow down in the garden. Master Gardeners in Monroe, Orleans and Genesee counties have special events planned into the fall which offer inspiration and guidance to keep your garden growing.
Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County will hold their 18th annual fall symposium Saturday, September 13 at the Eisenhart Auditorium, Rochester Museum and Science Center, 657 East Avenue, Rochester.
This year’s theme is “Gardens For All Spaces” and features speakers David Culp and Elizabeth Licata.
The symposium will appeal to beginning gardeners as well as those who could be classified as professionals, says Glenda Ross, symposium coordinator.
“It won’t overwhelm the newbies and won’t bore those who know a lot,” Ross says.
David Culp will lecture on “The Layered Garden” and “Shade: Don’t be left in the Dark.” Culp was recently honored by the Perennial Plant Association with its 2014 Media Award and is the author of The Layered Garden, winner of the 2013 Best Overall Book award by the Garden Writers Association. He is vice-president of sales and marketing at Sunny Borders Nurseries in Connecticut and a herbaceous perennials instructor at Longwood Gardens.
Elizabeth Licata resides in an Italianate-style home in the Allentown neighborhood of Buffalo and is editor of Buffalo Spree magazine. She helps run Garden Walk Buffalo and shares her garden triumphs and frustrations on her blog – Gardening While Intoxicated. She will discuss “Bulbs for the Summer Garden” and “Front Yard Gardens” during her talks.
The symposium includes a “parking lot sale” raffles and a book signing by David Culp, Ross says. The parking lot sale is “one-stop shopping,” for gardeners, she notes. Vendors “know the audience and bring in special stuff.”
Tickets are $50 ($45 for Master Gardeners of Monroe County Cooperative Extension) and are available in advance until September 5 and can be purchased at Monroe County Cornell Cooperative Extension, 249 Highland Avenue in Rochester or by going to:www.gatheringofgardeners.com/tickets.php.
In Orleans County, Master Gardeners will host their annual Fall Plant Sale, Saturday, September 6 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds, 12690 State Route 31, Albion. Gardeners needing homes for their perennials can donate plants September 2 to 5 at the Extension Office on the fairgrounds.
Organizers say a wide selection of perennials and garden related items will be on sale for fall planting as cooler temperatures offer an excellent opportunity for planting and dividing perennials before winter. Master Gardeners will also be available to answer questions.
Master Gardener training begins October 2. The 16-week course will be held Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Education Center on the fairgrounds in October and November 2014 and March and April 2015. In honor of Extension’s centennial, the $300 fee will be reduced to $100 for those entering the Master Gardener Program and $200 for other participants. Residents outside Orleans County are welcome. For details go to:http://cceorleans.org/portfolio/mastergardener-training-starts-oct-2/.
Orleans Extension’s new Home and Garden Hour is held the first Thursday of every month. Thursday, September 4 at 7 p.m. Master Gardener Michael Klepp will be presenting “Putting Your Garden to Bed” at the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina.
For other information call the Extension Office at 585-798-4265.
Genesee County Master Gardeners will be hosting their Fall Garden Gala on Saturday, September 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, 420 East Main Street in Batavia.
There will be a plant sale featuring hardy perennials, house plants and locally grown mums. There will also be a Chance Basket Auction, free soil pH testing and plenty of gardening advice from Master Gardeners.
Plant sale starts promptly at 10 a.m. No early birds please. The Chance Auction drawing will begin at 12:30 p.m.
Stop by for “Flower Arrangements from the Garden” demonstration at 11 a.m. Learn how to artfully arrange fresh flowers from the garden. A variety of fresh flower arrangements will also be available for sale.
For information contact Brandie Schultz at CCE of Genesee County, (585) 343-3040, ext. 101, stop by the Extension office at 420 East Main Street in Batavia, or visit http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/gardening or Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/CCEofGenesee.
