2016 Classes in the

Classes and events are held at the: UT Gardens-Crossville: Plateau Discovery Gardens/UT PREC 320 Experiment Station Road Crossville, TN. 38571 931-484-0034

REGISTRATION: Registration is required for ALL classes. Registration fees (if any) will be collected at the door the day of class. You may register in person at the UT PREC office, or by phone/email to Jennifer Burns at 931-484-0034, [email protected].

WAITING LIST/CANCELLATION: A waiting list will be taken for all classes once the limit has been reached. If and when a cancellation is received, the first person on the waiting list will be given the opportunity to attend.

ADDITIONAL ’FROM TO TABLE’ CLASSES: Chef Dean Towers will be announcing classes throughout the calendar year. Please visit www.ccmga.org or plateau.tennessee.edu regularly for an updated class list, or, contact Bev at [email protected] requesting to be added to the Plateau Discovery Gardens email announcements and reminders.

TIMES: For those of you traveling to attend our classes, Crossville is in the Central Time Zone.

Sat., Jan. 16! All Season Beauty-Flowering and !!! Fee: None!Limit: 70 10 am - Noon! What are those gorgeous blooming trees and shrubs we see on the Plateau? Join Janet Dowlen as she shares !!Information about and performance for this area of Tennessee.

Sat., Jan. 30! Organic Growing!!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-10:30 am!Wanting to implement organic techniques? Carol Burdett has practiced organic gardening at her !!home for years. Join her as she shares her techniques and experiences.

TBD!! !! !!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 TBD!!Permaculture combines the best of natural landscaping and edible gardening. Diane Morey will share her !!passion of permaculture.

Sat., Feb. 13! Growing!!!!!! Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-11:30 am!Greenhouse growing can be twice as successful with half the trouble if you incorporate proper techniques. Join !!Fred Mullen as he shares his successful greenhouse strategies.

Tues., Feb. 16! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-11:30 am!Pruning is an essential gardening skill. Gregg Upchurch will explain the proper pruning techniques !!and timing to encourage healthy growth, flowering, and good looks.

Thurs., Feb. 18! Let’s Talk Bees!!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 1-3 pm!!Bees play a crucial role in our vegetable and fruit production. Sheila Ray will explain their unique habits, !!environmental requirements and ways we can support these vital insects.

Sat., Feb. 20! Fruit Trees!!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-11:30 am!Though fruit trees will bear fruit with only minimal care, Gregg Upchurch will discuss how paying !!paying attention to specific needs will reward you with a larger, more flavorful .

Sat., Feb. 27! Container Gardening!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-10:30 am!In a world of limited time and space, container gardens make sense, allowing you to create special !!gardens to fit any situation. Carol Burdett will share her experiences successfully!growing herbs !!and vegetables in containers.

Updated: February 15, 2016 Tues., Mar. 1! Turfgrass!!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-11:30 am!Whether you a cold or warm season , timing is everything to a beautiful yard as Gregg !!Upchurch will explain.

Wed., Mar. 2! Living WIth Wildlife!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 10-11:30 am!Why are we seeing an increase in wildlife populations (including black bear)? Join our TWRA Wildlife !!Information Specialist Mime Barnes as!she explains the reasons for these increases and steps homeowners !!can take to deter wildlife.

Sat., Mar. 5! Spring Plant Care! !!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 10-11:30!am!Get your landscape off to the best start using these hints and tips for the spring season from Janet !!Dowlen, horticulturalist.

Fri., Mar. 11! Riparian !!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-11 am!!Planting near a river or other body of water requires the proper selection of plant varieties. Join Bill !!Morgan as he shares recommended riparian plants for this area.

Sat., Mar. 12! Summer Vegetable and Raised Bed Gardening!!! Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-11:30 am!Fred Mullen and Sid Morgan return to share advice on planting, growing and harvesting summer !!vegetables. An thorough overview of raised bed gardening will also be provided.

Thurs., Mar. 31! Freezing and Drying!!!!!!Fee: $10 !! Limit: 50 10-Noon!!Kelli Bottoms and Crystal Blankenship will demonstrate the techniques of safe and successful freezing and !!drying.

Sat., Apr. 2! Ephemerals!!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 10-11:30 am!Perennial plants that emerge quickly in the spring and die back to their underground parts after a short growth !!and reproduction phase are known as Ephemerals. Janet Dowlen will share ephemerals (such as trillium) !!commonly found in this area of Tennessee.

Sat., Apr. 9! Small Fruits/Berries!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-11:30 am!Fred Mullen will share successful techniques for growing small fruits and berries.

Fri., Apr. 15! Native Plants!!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-11 am!!Back by popular request, Bill Morgan will identify native plants to this area, and the benefit of including them in !!the home landscape.

Mon., Apr. 18! Rain Gardens!!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-11:30 am!Rain gardens take advantage of rainfall and stormwater runoff in its design and plant selection. Gregg Upchurch !!will teach us how to design a garden able to withstand these extremes of moisture.

Thurs., Apr. 21! Canning-Waterbath!!!!!!Fee: $10!!Limit: 50 10-Noon!!Join Kelli Bottoms and Crystal Blankenship as they demonstrate the techniques of safe and successful !!waterbath canning.

Thurs., Apr. 28! Hydrangeas!!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-11 am!!UT Ornamental Specialist Mark Windham will not only talk hydrangeas but will answer all of our questions, !!including, “Why won’t my hydrangea bloom?”

Sat., May 14! Tomatoes! !!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-11:30 am!Heirloom versus hybrid, planting and fertilizing, watering and mulching, pinching suckers, common problems !!and solutions...Fred Mullen will share everything you need to incorporate when growing tomatoes.

Sat., May 21! Butterfly Roundtable!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 50 9:30-11:30 am!Join master in a discussion of components needed to create a 5-star butterfly bed and breakfast!

Fri., June 3! Insects: Beneficial or Detrimental!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 10:30-Noon!UT Entomologist Frank Hale explains not all insects are detrimental to our gardens but quite the opposite, very !!beneficial!

Sat., June 25! Shade Gardening!!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-10:30 am!Master Carol Burdett will share ideas that can transform that shady area into a WOW garden!

Updated: February 15, 2016 Thurs., June 30! Canning-Pressure!!!!!!!Fee: $10!!Limit: 50 10-Noon!!Kelli Bottoms and Crystal Blankenship will demonstration techniques of safe pressure canning.

Sat., July 9! Fall Vegetable Gardening!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-11:30 am!Now is the time to prepare for a cool season vegetable garden. Fred Mullen will discuss the best varieties and !!tips for successful growing.

Thurs., July 28! Fermenting!!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 10-Noon!!Kelli Bottoms and Crystal Blankenship will explain the steps of this safe and healthy food preservation !!technique.

Sat,, July 30! 10 Common Landscaping Mistakes!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-10:30 am!Carol Burdett will describe the most common landscape mistakes and share advice on how to avoid them.

Tues., Aug. 30! 8th Annual Fall Gardening Festival!!!!!Fee: None Limit: None 9 am-3 pm!12 topics chosen for the home gardener will be presented under tents throughout the gardens, along with !!wagon tours of the facility, opportunities to shop from garden vendors, educational exhibits, and so much more. !!Bring a friend or two and join us for a day in the gardens!f

Sat., Sept. 10! Trees for the Plateau!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 10-Noon!!Fall is the best time to plant trees. Before planting, Janet Dowlen will provide examples of trees that do well on !!the Plateau.

Sept. TBD! Tree Identification! !!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 24 9-11:30 am!Guided walk through the woody area near the Gardens will identify and discuss native trees common in this !!area. Dress appropriately.

Sat., Sept, 24! Fall Gardening!!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-10:30 am!The summer flowers are losing their impact. Join Carol Burdett as she shares plants that bring excitement to !!the autumn garden.

Thurs., Sept. 29! In a Pickle! It’s Pickling Season!!!!!!!Fee: $10!!Limit: 50 10-Noon!!Pickling is not just for cucumbers! Kelli Bottoms and Crystal Blankenship will share one of the best ways to !!preserve foods.

Oct. TBD!! Tree Identification! !!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 24 9-11:30 am!Guided walk through the woody area near the Gardens will identify and discuss native trees common in this !!area. Dress appropriately.

Thurs., Oct. 27! Dining with Diabetes!!!!!!Fee: $10!!Limit: 50 10-Noon!!Being diagnosed with diabetes is not an end to enjoyable eating. Join Kelli Bottoms and Crystal Blankenship as !!they share tasty recipes approved for diabetic diets.

Sat., Oct. 29! Big Gardens, Little Soil!!!!!!Fee: None!Limit: 70 9-10:30 am!Gardening with a shallow (or non-existent) soil depth is challenging, yet so many have gorgeous gardens! !!Carol Burdett will share creative ways to enhance these challenging areas.

Thurs., Nov. 17! Cooking Healthy for the Holidays!!!!!Fee: $10!!Limit: 50 10-Noon!!It’s that time of year. Celebrating meals with friends and family often results in weight-gain. Join Kelli Bottoms !!and Crystal Blankenship as they share recipes for tasty healthy cooking over the holiday season.

Updated: February 15, 2016