2013 Garden Day Workshops
1. Exploring the World of Herbal Vinegars
Vinegars have always been with us. We will explore their history, how they came to be, sample several herbal vinegar and create an herbal vinegar for you to take home.
Julie Krist, Advanced Master Gardener
Board Member, Michigan Herb Associates
2. Herbaceous Perennial Garden Tour
Join Dr. Art Cameron, Director of the MSU Horticulture Gardens, and Renata Reibitz, MSU Perennial Garden Manager, on a tour of our perennial collections in the MSU Horticulture Gardens. Each will share some of their favorite plants with tips on garden design and maintenance. Learn the latest about great herbaceous perennials, popular and rare, sun and shade, texture and color, that have performed well in our display gardens. This entertaining and informative garden walk will give you plenty of ideas for your own home gardens!
Dr. Art Cameron, Director of the MSU Horticulture Gardens
Renata Reibitz, MSU Perennial Garden Manager
3. Growing Small Fruits for the Home Garden
Did you ever want to produce your own fresh small fruits in your home garden? Learn how MSU Horticulture professor Brad Rowe grows strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, hardy kiwis, and more in his back yard.
Dr. Brad Rowe, Professor, Michigan State University, Department of Horticulture
4. Organic Pest Control for the Backyard Vegetable Garden
Vegetable garden pests can turn a bountiful harvest into a home gardener's nightmare. Come learn about simple solutions to keep your vegetables growing ranging from how to keep pests out of your crops from the start to chemical options allowable for organic production.
Adam Montri, Hoophouse Outreach Specialist, Michigan State University
5. The Flower Fairy Garden
Fairy gardening is gardening on a miniature scale. The gardens are designed with miniature dwellings, garden furniture and plants. Miniature plants and garden accessories will be available for purchase.
Beulah Hargrove, Grand Oak Herb Farm, Owner/Operator for 33 years
6. Dividing Perennials
Learn the various types of perennial root systems and how to divide them. From this hands-on demonstration, learn how, when and why to divide for the health of the plants and to save money.
Class offered ONLY in the morning.
Karen Bovio, Owner, Specialty Growers
7. Medicinal Plants
Many medicinal plants are not just from folk lore, and have proven effects that can be quite safely explored. This workshop introduces the participants to several that can be grown in the Mid-Michigan climate.
Peter Carrington, Assistant Curator, W. J. Beal Botanical Garden at Michigan State University
8. Rediscovering the Sweet Herbs
Come and celebrate the sweet herbs as we demonstrate some creative ways in which you can use these culinary wonders. We will be focusing on using sweet herbs in deserts but also sharing cocktails, appetizers, and many more ways in which these herbal gems can be used to enhance your cooking.
Jessica Wright, Education Coordinator, 4H Children's Garden
Val Albright, Program Assistant, MSU Extension
9. Tom's Top Ten Trees and Shrubs
Dr. Tom Fernandez will discuss his ten favorite trees and shrubs for Michigan Gardens. Other plants will of course be discussed since it is difficult to limit the list to just ten. Join Tom as he explains why both new introductions and old favorites make up his top ten, and think of your own favorites to add to the discussion!
Dr. Tom Fernandez, Associate Professor, Department of Horticulture
10. Not in Your Parent's Produce Market
Do you know what cucuzzi, celeriac, sculpit, salsify, bulam, or molokhia are? Now it's time to find out! Learn about these vegetables and others growing in the MSU Horticulture Demonstration Gardens. We'll be outside, weather permitting.
Dan Bulkowski, Teaching Greenhouses and Gardens Manager, Horticulture Demonstration Gardens
11. Growing Grapes in Michigan: from Planting to Squeezing the Fruit!
Growing grapes in Michigan is a wonderful job and a challenging experience. We can grow many cultivars (varieties) of grapes in our climate and each cultivar has a distinctive aroma, flavor, and other important qualities. We can eat fruit fresh or use it for jellies, juices or wine. This class will describe all the fundamental steps for producing grapes; from planting a new vine, to pruning and training, to harvest and finally how to squeeze the juice out of the fruit to make wine.
Paolo Sabbatini, Assistant Professor of Horticulture, Michigan State University
12. Wedding Flowers with a Garden Flair
Join Tim Latimer, Certified Florist, and learn how to create floral designs for use in weddings. Tim will demonstrate making Bridal Bouquets, Centerpieces, Corsages, and boutonnieres using flowers that have a garden theme. Flowers make every event special! The tips you learn in this workshop will help you to make your event outstanding.
Tim Latimer, Certified Florist