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Sunday Workshops
A Prairie in
Your Front Yard?
Given that lawns are environmentally unfriendly, labor intensive
and prone to fertilizer excesses, establishing a prairie in your
yard is one healthy alternative. You will learn all the steps,
from planning and soil preparation to planting and maintenance,
and find that a prairie is not too difficult to create. Marie
Frye, Plant Recorder and Propagator at Powell Gardens, Kansas
City's Botanical Garden, is passionate about plants, especially
native plants. Recently, she helped volunteers install and
maintain a prairie area at "Blind" Boone Park in Warrensburg,
Missouri.
Everyone Has
Room for a Few Vegetables
Whether you live in an apartment or have a large yard, at least
a few vegetables are a wonderful treat. The vegetable garden
can be as pretty as any flower bed and does not have to be a
rectangular spot in your backyard. Master Gardener Rosalee
Mason has been raising vegetables with an intensive, organic
method since 1980. She will discuss companion planting, raising
vegetables in containers, using raised beds and handicap
accessible beds. She will share creative ideas for garden
layouts that will inspire you. Informative handouts and charts
will help you apply what you learn.
Flora of the
Costa Rica Rain Forest
In the past few years, several Master Gardeners have traveled to
Costa Rica to enjoy the biodiversity of the rainforests. Many
unique plants are found in Costa Rica, with 10,000 species found
in an area slightly larger than New Hampshire. Trees, shrubs,
liana, fungi and many other ornamental plants typical of the
montane and lowland rainforest will be explored during this
presentation, as well as new and unusual food crops. Michele
Warmund is a Professor of Horticulture and State Fruit Extension
Specialist at the University of Missouri.
Flying
Rainbows: Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Hummingbirds
Robin Walker will provide information on attracting birds,
butterflies and beneficial insects to your garden. Her talk
will include photos, plant lists, as well as other necessities
to attract nature to your garden. Presented in a fun, relaxed
manner, the audience will enjoy learning how to put color in the
air above their gardens. A motivational and inspirational
speaker for over 20 years, Robin educates and entertains using
her skills as a variety artist. As an Illinois Master Gardener,
Robin has presented programs on many topics related to
gardening. She is also our keynote speaker.
Focus on
Photography
Jim Rathert will explore the natural history and the sheer
beauty of wild Missouri in a visual presentation featuring his
photography. He will make the connection between exploring the
purely natural wild landscape and the more controlled environs
of the garden landscape. Both experiences offer incredible
richness and beauty. The program promises to inspire and
delight the audience as well as provide basic tips on how to
take better photos.
Jim’s photos
have appeared in the MISSOURI CONSERVATIONIST magazine as
well as many other publications and exhibits.
Growing-Harvesting-Enjoying Culinary Herbs
Tickle your taste buds with this informative culinary
experience. Barb Kribbs and Carolyn Oates, Master
Gardeners/Herbalists, will discuss growing and harvesting your
favorite herbs. They will provide handouts with recipes and
helpful suggestions, as well as samples of foods to taste and
enjoy. Barb served on the Master Gardener State Advisory Board
and has attended ALL of the Missouri State Master Gardener
Conferences. Carolyn has taught seminars on cooking and growing
herbs at Superior Garden Center in Columbia.
Hot Plants
That are Cool for Missouri
Mary Kroening will talk about plants that do well under
Missouri's bizarre weather extremes, including the erratic
temperatures of spring, the heat and humidity of summer, and the
rain that can never make up its mind when it should fall. The
primary plants she will discuss include native plants and summer
annuals - with an emphasis on her favorite plants originating
from tropical locations. Mary has a Master’s degree in
Entomology and is a Horticulture Specialist at the University of
Missouri in Columbia. She has been the
State
Master Gardener Coordinator since 1999.
Hydroponics
and General Plant Growth
Joe Rains will discuss similarities and differences in how
plants grow in a greenhouse setting using a hydroponic culture
versus how plants grow in a field setting. Joe has a Master's
degree in Agronomy and has conducted extensive research on field
crops,
as
well as vegetable and citrus crops, turf, ornamental and
industrial vegetation.
He will share his years of experience to give you a
common-sense, workable plan for your greenhouse. Along with
contract research services, Joe operated an 8,000 square foot
green house that specializes in hydroponic vegetables.
Innovations
in Global Fruit Production – What Do They Mean to Missourians?
Within the past few years many changes worldwide have affected
the way Missourians grow and consume fruit. Global warming,
shifting production areas, plant waste reduction, nutraceuticals,
source labeling, club varieties, and organic production are a
few of the factors that have changed the type of produce grown
in Missouri and the type of fruits available at grocery stores.
Michele Warmund, Professor of Horticulture and State Fruit
Extension Specialist at the University of Missouri, will discuss
global innovations in fruit production and explore the impact of
these changes on consumers.
Installing
and Renovating Your Lawn
Want to have the best lawn in your neighborhood? Tony Sloan,
Director of Moberly Parks and Recreation Department, will
discuss the various stages of installing a new lawn and
renovating a current lawn from a homeowner’s perspective. He
will cover the advantages of sod versus seed, differences
between cool season and warm season grasses, and irrigation
installation. If you do not have the time to do it yourself,
this turf expert will tell you when to hire a contractor for the
work.
Managing and
Enjoying Northeast Missouri's Native Grassland Communities
Despite more than 150 years of often heavy agricultural use,
northeast Missouri still supports many examples of restorable
prairie and savanna communities. This presentation will
highlight several such areas on Conservation Department lands,
providing a look at their flora, as well as discussing specific
management practices and challenges. Greg Gremaud, Natural
History Biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation,
Northeast Region, has a Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and
Wildlife and a Master’s degree in Wildlife Biology.
Prairie
Plants to Know and Grow
With so many prairie plants to choose from, how do you select
the best ones for your site and situation? Marie Frye will show
you a panorama of prairie flowers and grasses, describing their
needs and habits, which to avoid, and which will form the
backbone of your next prairie adventure. Marie has worked at
Powell Gardens, Kansas City's Botanical Garden, as Plant
Recorder and Propagator for 13 years. She has an extensive
knowledge of native plants and is a member of the Kansas City
chapter of the Missouri Native Plant Society.
Tale of Two Gardens
Martha Smith, Extension Educator in Horticulture for the
University of Illinois at Macomb, will take us through the
seasons of two different gardens. Her presentation will show
how gardens come in and out of visual interest during spring,
summer, fall and winter. Martha has a Bachelor’s degree in
Ornamental Horticulture and a Master’s degree in Adult
Education. She has worked as a horticulture sales
representative, nursery manager, and landscape designer. Her
current responsibilities include horticulture programming and
Master Gardener training.
Telling Time with Flowers in Truman State University’s Clock
Garden
Steve Carroll, Professor of Biology and Master Gardener,
directed the installation of Truman State University’s clock
garden, in which selected plants were placed within a large,
horizontal sundial. These plants, which number over 40 species,
open their flowers in such a way that a visitor can tell time
not only using the sundial’s shadow, but also by noting which
flowers are open. In this talk, Steve will show images from the
garden, describe the garden’s history, and explain how it
works. Steve has co-authored the book Ecology for Gardeners.
Vegetative
Reproduction
Want to learn more about
vegetative
propagation of plants?
Clayton
Dillavou will provide an overview of making and
rooting cuttings, plant division methods, grafting, layering,
bulb reproduction, offsets, and micro-propagation. He will also
cover general propagation topics including water, air, light,
soil, fertilizer, equipment, and recommended references. His
demonstrations and handouts on basic techniques will show you
how to do it. Clayton has a Master’s degree in Microbiology and
is a Visiting Scholar in the Biology Department at Truman State
University. |
