2021 Spring Gardening School

Saturday, March 13, 2021, 9:00 AM - 1:15 PM
Saturday, April 10, 2021, 9:00 AM - 1:15 PM
Saturday, May 1, 2021, 9:00 AM - 1:15 PM
Saturday, May 15, 2021, 9:00 AM - 1:15 PM

Join us for our 2021 Spring Gardening School Webinar Series.

All classes will be taught by Master Gardener Volunteers, Extension Educators and some guest speakers.

There will be four different workshops offering information for beginners to advanced gardeners, which will cover a variety of topics from soil testing to garden design. Each workshop will consist of three consecutive sessions.

Fee is $30 per session (includes all 3 presentations on that day)
Master Gardeners Discounted Fee - $25

Saturday, March 13, 2021 - Session 1
9:00-10:15 Wake up Your Garden - Start the season off with a strong, healthy landscape! Learn what needs to be done to get your garden up and growing in spring. Lawn care, soil testing, mulching, watering and the care of flowers and spring bulbs are some of the topics that will be discussed.

10:30-11:45 Making Black Gold with Backyard Composting - Home composting saves you money, reduces waste, and improves the health of your garden. Learn how to compost easily and correctly in your own backyard. Find out what to compost; how the process works; the importance of heat, oxygen and moisture; composting systems; uses of compost and its benefits.

12:00-1:15 Garden Soil and Testing Myth Busting - The soil on your property determines the success or failure of your plants. Understanding and testing your soil can provide you with vital information that saves you trouble and money in all your garden and landscape endeavors. Join CCE Nassau’s horticulture expert to get a clear understanding of what soil is, why it matters, and how to test and improve your soil.

Saturday, April 10, 2021 - Session II
9:00-10:15 Gardening In A Changing Climate - Climate change in our time is an unprecedented phenomenon that amplifies all those conditions that can make or break our gardening success. Deep reflection on our strategies in tending our lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables will be required to manage and adapt to this challenge. Join us in examining our gardening practices through the lens of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

10:30-11:45 Home Lawn Care and Our Environment - Lawns can be beautiful or scruffy, environmentally healthy or damaging. Learn how to have your beautiful lawn while caring for the environment, using proper lawn care techniques to avoid pollution and leaching of pesticides and fertilizers. Mowing, watering and fertilization, disease, insect and weed control, thatch and core aeration are just some of the topics discussed.

12:00-1:15 Season Long Color With Perennials - Herbaceous perennials plants bloom year after year. Although their tops die back to the ground each fall, they remain alive and dormant beneath the soil during winter. Learn how their needs (such as light, soil, fertilization, pruning, water and air circulation) are different from annuals or woody plants. Explore different perennial varieties while thinking about providing color throughout the growing season.

Saturday, May 1, 2021 - Session III
9:00-10:15 Growing And Using Herbs in the Home Garden - Gardening with herbs is fun, easy and useful. Find out about different herb plants, their uses and how to grow them. Some herbs are grown as edible, others as therapeutic and some for their fragrance. Basil, dill, chives, oregano, mint and marigolds are just a few of the many we will discuss that are suitable for Long Island.

10:30-11:45 Garden to Table Vegetables - Home Vegetable Gardening is on the rise, harkening back to our “Victory Garden” past. There is nothing like eating a slice of your own homegrown tomato. Are you thinking about starting a vegetable garden or just need a little advice? Let us help you learn to choose the right location for your veggies, prepare your soil, and decide between vegetables from seeds or transplants. Learn general maintenance that will lead to bountiful harvests.

12:00-1:15 Bushels of Berries from your Home Garden - Grow nature’s sweetest treats in your backyard! Find out how to choose the right berries for your home site, their needs, and how to care for them. Strawberries, currants, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and others will be covered.

Saturday, May 15, 2021 - Session IV
9:00-10:15 Rose Gardening Basics - Don’t let rumors about roses being “too much work” discourage you from enjoying the “Queen of Flowers”. Learn how to get your roses off to a winning start with careful selection, proper planting, pruning and maintenance. Earth-Kind roses and their easy care reputation will be covered.

10:30-11:45 Colorful Bouquets - Cut Flower Basics - Give yourself the gift of colorful flowers throughout the growing season – indoors and out! Learn about flowers for bouquets: how to start, care for, and arrange them.

12:00-1:15 Exploring L.I. Gold Medal Plants - Learn about the Gold Medal Plant Program for Long Island. Gold medal plants have proven performance, are pest-free, readily available, and have multi-seasonal ornamental appeal for Long Island gardens.

Choose which presentation you would like to register for, and the total will be calculated for you.

To register, click here and pay through PayPal. You do not need a PayPal account to continue and pay.

If you have questions, please contact Mary at mc2754@cornell.edu or by calling 516-565-5265 Ext. 18

Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities.