The 2012

Featuring:

Educational Exhibits, Free Soil Testing, a Plant Clinic and Plant Sale. (Bring plant specimens and soil samples, call for instructions 631-727-7850, x 345 or 337).

Spring Gardening School

Brought to you by

for early birds that register on or before March 2, 2012). Includes four sessions, continental breakfast, box lunch, afternoon refreshments, soil tests, plant diagnosis and exhibits. Registration at the door $60. Classes are taught by Extension Master Gardener Volunteers and Extension Educators. Pre-registration is required. First-come, first-served. (No full-refund will be rendered after April 2nd.)
Cornell Cooperative Extension in Suffolk County provides equal program and employment opportunities. Please contact the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County office if you have any special needs.
Cornell Cooperative Extension is funded in part by Suffolk County through the office of the County Executive and the County Legislature.

Fee: $55 per person, per day. ($50

The Academy of St. Joseph, Brentwood Saturday, April 14, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM Riverhead Middle School, Riverhead Saturday, April 21, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM

www.ccesuffolk.org

8:30 - 9:00 Registration and Continental Breakfast

Morning Extended Sessions (9:00 AM - 11:45 AM)
1 & 2-A: Introduction to Floral Design: Alice Williams, CCE Horticulture Consultant. Using simple flower selection, conditioning, and design principles, youll learn how to turn cut flowers into beautiful, long lasting arrangements. Your one-of-a-kind creation is yours to show off. Bring floral knife, hand pruning shear, scissors, ribbon for a bow and your own water proof container if you wish. (A $10 fee covers flowers and materials.) 1 & 2-B: Organic Turf Management: Dr. Tamson Yeh, CCE Extension Specialist - Turf & Land Management. Organic Turf Management including insects, diseases, weeds, cultural management tips for turf & soil as well as how to renovate a lawn and site analysis. Lawn alternatives will be covered as well. 1 & 2-C: Starting Vegetable & Flower Seeds Indoors (Riverhead only): Using cheap fluorescent lights, you can start hundreds of healthy seedlings indoors! Start gardening in February and March, and grow healthy transplants for your garden! Peter Garnham, a Master Gardener Volunteer, farmer, & writer for national gardening magazines, explains why you should start with seeds and how to do it. He describes and demonstrates lighting, watering, containers, soil mixes, and everything else you need to know. This class is rated Excellent every year.

Session 1 (9:00 AM - 10:15 AM)

1-D: Introduction to Hydrangeas: Ellen Barcel, MGV. This class is designed as an introduction to growing & selecting hydrangeas for Long Islands soil & climate. This is a basic class for those with little or no experience in growing these showy flowers. Hydrangeas are great in the landscape & make beautiful cut and/or dried flowers. 1-E: Growing Azaleas & Rhododendrons: Valerie Ansalone, MGV. Basic care requirements for growing azaleas & rhododendrons including buying plants, selecting a site, soil preparation, watering, pruning, and landscape uses. 1-F: For the Beginner Gardening 101: Eileen Anders, MGV. This class introduces beginners to the world of gardening & will explain the hows, whats, whys & whens to grow a successful garden, whether it be an annual, vegetable or perennial. (NEW) 1-G: Growing Roses on Long Island: Robert Crawley, MGV. This lecture will present a brief history of the rose, types of roses, (e.g. hybrids, floribundas, shrubs, old garden roses, miniatures, etc.) How to grow and maintain your roses will be covered with a slide presentation. (NEW)

Session 2 (10:30 AM - 11:45 AM)

2-D: Figs, Figs, Figs: Peter Akras, MGV. Love fresh figs? Never tasted one? Fig lovers know that it wasnt an apple that tempted Adam and Eve but a fresh fig! Learn how to grow figs in pots to guarantee a bumper crop every year. 2-E: Gardening with Children (Riverhead only): Sharon Ott, MGV. This course will cover gardening indoors & outdoors with children. Activities such as mini gardens, petunia pig, personality pots, growing new plants from vegetables & fruits, etc. will be discussed. You will also learn about projects for rainy days painted stones, propagation, garden journal and pot decoration. Presentation will also cover the pros and cons of setting up a childrens garden at an elementary school, and some activities to do with students in a school club setting. 2-F: Indoor Gardening - Caring for House Plants: Betty Baran, MGV. The class features the major aspects of house plant care lighting, temperature, humidity, watering, fertilization, reporting, propagation, pests and disease control. 2G: Pruning: Ivan Frank, Retired Arborist. This lecture will teach individuals how to correctly prune trees and shrubs. Topics to be covered: selection of pruning tools, descriptions of various pruning cuts used during pruning, how weedy trees react to pruning and how wound closure occurs in trees, how to make proper pruning cuts to avoid damaging trees and shrubs, and how to get new trees off to a good start with proper pruning. (NEW)

11:45 - 1:00 Lunch, Exhibits and Plant Sale

Afternoon Extended Sessions (1:00 PM - 3:45 PM)
3&4-A: Starting Vegetable & Flower Seeds Indoors (Riverhead only): Using cheap fluorescent lights, you can start hundreds of healthy seedlings indoors! Start gardening in February and March, and grow healthy transplants for your garden! Peter Garnham, a Master Gardener Volunteer, farmer, and writer for national gardening magazines, explains why you should start with seeds and how to do it. He describes and demonstrates lighting, watering, containers, soil mixes, and everything else you need to know. This class is rated Excellent every year. 3&4-B: The New Victory Garden: Peter Akras, MGV wants you to eat healthy, exercise and save money all at the same time! This food gardening course will take you through soil preparation, planting dates, garden layout and recommended vegetable varieties specific to Long Island. The best practices of times gone by will be presented together with the most up to date information to insure success in your very own Victory Garden. 3&4-C: Design Concepts for Sustainable Gardens: Glynis Berry, MGV & Caroline Kiang, Extension Educator. This course will cover the characteristics of what makes a homes landscape sustainable and discuss the preparation and design approach for sustainable gardens. Issues such as orientation, materials, resources, use of native vegetation, building integration, and the design of rain gardens will be discusses. Many drought tolerant and native plants that are attractive, versatile and tolerant of a variety of growing conditions will be mentioned as well.

Afternoon Extended Sessions (1:00 PM - 3:45 PM) - contd.

3&4-D: Floral Design for Beginners: Catherine Schneider, MGV: Lecture followed by hands-on workshop to include a take home arrangement. Also learn the bow-making technique. Bring floral knife, hand pruning shear, scissors, ribbon for a bow and your own water proof container if you wish. (A $10 fee covers flowers and materials.) (NEW)

Session 3 (1:00 PM - 2:15 PM)

3-E: Spring & Summer Flowering Bulbs: Ann Carpenter, MGV: Photos and discussion of spring, summer and fall bulbs to brighten your garden. We will discuss tropical bulbs like Canna and Elephant Ears and learn how to store them for winter. (NEW) 3-F: Container Gardening: Loretta Donnelly MGV. This presentation will show you how to enhance your garden with the flexibility of container grown plants and place floral and foliage accents throughout your garden by using side assortment of containers and plants. Information on appropriate soil mixture and how to be creative in your movable or stationary garden will also be covered. 3-G: Groundcovers & Lawn Alternatives: Dr. Tamson Yeh, CCE Specialist. Participants will learn how to plan, plant and maintain lawn alternatives including groundcovers, ornamental grasses, and low maintenance plantings for sun & shade. (Note: if participants wish to submit photos of their properties for suggestions please feel free to do so.) (NEW) 3-H: Orchids 101 the Basics: Alice Williams, CCE Horticulture Consultant. By selecting the right orchid for your growing conditions and providing the right care, youll see that orchids are easier than you think. This presentation will illustrate some of the dos and donts to help us all learn. Bring a sick orchid and orchid mix and we will demonstrate repotting. 3-I: Gardening for the Birds (Riverhead only): Nancy Gilbert, MGV. Would you like to hear birds sing in your garden and learn how to care for a garden that wild critters will call home? In addition, the instructor will share some of her gardening mistakes with you and talk about how they can become wonderful opportunities. 3-J: Organic Maintenance of Your Landscape: An Ecological Approach: Giacomo Mule, MGV. This class will cover practical organic strategies as well as conceptual approaches in the maintenance, health, appearance and productivity of your landscape, while incorporating simple ecological practices that can complement any landscape. Participants are encouraged to bring photos and soil samples from their own properties for the question and answer segment. 3-K: Garden Design - A Lesson in Patience (Riverhead only): Annette Pirrotta, MGV. The target audience for this course is the beginner gardener. The focus is how to begin to assess a site for creating a perennial bed/border. (NEW) 3-L: Creating a Suburban Sanctuary (Brentwood only): Sandra Bonczyk, CCE Horticulture Consultant. Your property is your property, but there were those who lived there long before you. Birds, bees, butterflies, turtles, frogs and everything else in between now depend on us to make it possible for them to survive. Consider dedicating some (or all!) of your property to these important species by creating a suburban sanctuary. By making your property a suburban sanctuary and by teaching those around you the importance of doing so, we can all begin to make a difference in our lives and our environment. (NEW)

Session 4 (2:30 PM - 3:45 PM)

4-E: Gardening for the Birds (Riverhead only): Nancy Gilbert MGV. Would you like to hear birds sing in your garden and learn how to care for a garden that wild critters will call home? In addition, the instructor will share some of her gardening mistakes with you and talk about how they can become wonderful opportunities. 4-F: Low Maintenance Shade Garden: Ann Carpenter, MGV. Using slides, we will discuss some methods to lower the maintenance and still have a beautiful garden throughout the season. We will talk about using mulch, shrubs and ground covers to reduce weeding and watering. Plants that are easy to care for and do well on Long Island will be emphasized. (NEW) 4-G: Home Composting: Loretta Donnelly MGV. This presentation will answer your question on Why do you need compost? The instructor will also cover aspects on soil characteristics that make compost superior to any type of fertilizer, how to make a compost pile and maintain it as well. 4-H: The Three Season Border: Sherry Thomas, MGV. Participants will learn how to use unusual annuals in the perennial border to increase bloom and interest. (NEW) 4-I: Edible Flowers: Collette Mealy-Wampole, MGV. A Keynote presentation on growing, harvesting and using edible flowers. Add color, flavor and pizzazz with flowers from our garden to your table. 4-J: Soil Makes a Garden Grow: Roxanne Zimmer, MGV. Learn how to build healthy soil on Long Island in this class. Soil is the underlying secret of garden success. Discover what improves soil structure, fertility and water retention. Find out what you should know beyond soil pH. Learn what your weeds reveal about the soil. Get ready to get your hands dirty. 4-K: Bonsai Workshop with Woody Herbs: Giacamo Mule, MGV. A brief history of bonsai, including a little known association with India and a 5000 year old practice of Ayurvedic medicine will be reviewed. Each participant will take home a woody herb that he/she has pruned, shaped and potted using traditional horticultural techniques reaching back centuries. (A $10 fee covers pot, soil, plant and wire.) 4-L: Organic Vegetable Gardening: Sandra Menasha, CCE Specialist - Vegetable/Potato. Learn to produce nutritious, healthy, and environmentally sound vegetables through a holistic and natural approach to vegetable gardening. Topics to be discussed include soil health, organic fertilizers, cultural practice techniques, compost, and pest management tactics.

REGISTRATION FORM Spring Gardening School

Please check your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices for each time slot for the campus of your choice. Fees must accompany your registration form. Add $10 materials fee for the Intro to Floral Design (1&2-A), Floral Design for Beginners(3&4-D) & Bonsai Workshop with Herbs (4-K). Limited enrollment all classes will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Class confirmation and directions to locations will be mailed to each applicant. Please fill out this page and mail to: Cornell Cooperative Extension, 423 Griffing Avenue, Suite 100, Riverhead, NY 11901-3071, Attn.: Spring Gardening School For more information, or registration form, please contact Julie Nichols, at 631-727-7850, ext. 345; Email: jn345@cornell.edu
LOCATION/DATE
The Academy of St. Joseph Brentwood April 14 Riverhead Middle School April 21

9:00 AM to 11:45 AM - Morning Extended Sessions 1& 2-A Introduction to Floral Design 1& 2-B Organic Turf Management 1& 2-C Starting Vegetable & Flower Seeds Indoors (Riverhead only) 9:00 AM to 10:15 AM (Session 1) 1-D Introduction to Hydrangeas 1-E Growing Azaleas & Rhododendrons 1-F For the Beginner - Gardening 101 (NEW) 1-G Growing Roses on Long Island (NEW) 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM (Session 2) 2-D Figs, Figs, Figs 2-E Gardening with Children (Riverhead only) 2-F Indoor Gardening 2-G Pruning (NEW) 11:45 AM to 1:00 PM Lunch & Exhibits Be sure to check out the Plant Sale & Horticulture Exhibits 1:00 PM to 3:45 PM - Afternoon Extended Session 3&4-A Starting Vegetable & Flower Seeds Indoors (Riverhead Only) 3&4-B The New Victory Garden 3 &4-C Design Concepts for Sustainable Gardens 3 &4-D Floral Design for Beginners (NEW) 1:00 PM to 2:15 PM (Session 3) 3-E Spring & Summer Flowering Bulbs (NEW) 3- F Container Gardening (NEW) 3-G Groundcovers & Lawn Alternatives (NEW) 3-H Orchids 101 the Basics 3-I Gardening for Birds (Riverhead only) 3-J Organic Maintenance of Your Landscape: An Ecological Approach 3-K Garden Design A Lesson in Patience (NEW, Riverhead only) 3-L Creating Suburban Sanctuary (NEW, Brentwood only) 2:30 PM to 3:45 PM (Session 4) 4-E Gardening for Birds (Riverhead only) 4-F Low Maintenance Shade Gardens (NEW) 4-G Home Composting 4-H The Three Season Border (NEW) 4-I Edible Flowers 4-J Soil Makes a Garden Grow 4-K Bonsai Workshop with Woody Herbs 4-L Organic Vegetable Gardening Please make check payable to: Cornell Cooperative Extension Name ________________________________________________ q Total Class Fee Enclosed @ $55 per person (plus any material fees)$ ________ Address ______________________________________________ q Early Bird Special @ $50 (must be postmarked on or before 3/2/12 $ ________ q I would like to subscribe to Long Island Gardening Quarterly @ $25 $ ________ CityStateZip ___________________________________________ TOTAL ENCLOSED: $ ________ Telephone ____________________________________________ Please charge to my: q VISA q MasterCard Account # _________________________________________________________ E-Mail address_________________________________________ Expiration Date _____________________________________________________ q I require a vegetarian lunch q Gluten free q Vegan Signature __________________________________________________________