2020 Let’s Get Growing SESSION DESCRIPTIONS & SPEAKER BIOS Adam Hjelm Pollinator Lawns and Turf Alternatives We love our lush green lawns, maybe a bit too much? Join us to learn what else we can plant to benefit the bees and birds, while also keeping some green turf. We will discuss lawn alternatives that are more environmentally friendly that will keep your backyard buzzing. Small changes can go a long way towards the environment while saving you time and money. Rain Barrels Rain barrels harvest rainwater from roofs and other structures that can then be used to water gardens, lawns, and potted plants. Installing a rain barrel is an excellent way to reduce run-off and pollution as well as save money. As much as 40% of residential water is used for irrigation in the summer. Participants will learn the ins and outs of rain barrels, site selection, and other tips to use rain barrels most efficiently. Bio Adam is the Education Coordinator for Sauk River Watershed District. Adam’s goal is to inform participants about the impacts of human activity on water quality and ways to improve our little pieces of the bigger picture while having fun and adding a bit of humor. Annalisa Hultberg Food Safety in the Garden and Farm: Keeping Your Produce Safe Through Good Agricultural Practices Food safety practices can improve the quality and safety of your fresh produce and protect your family and your customers from unintentional contamination and potential foodborne illness. Come to this engaging session for a discussion of science-based best practices that all gardeners and growers should take to keep their produce safe. Specific areas that will be covered include biological soil amendment applications like manure and compost, water testing, handwashing and cleaning and sanitation of tools and equipment. Bio Annalisa is a statewide Extension Educator in Food Safety at the University of Minnesota, where she co-coordinates the On-Farm GAPs Education Program and has worked since 2011 providing practical, science-based farm food safety education to gardeners and farmers around Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. She works with small to large scale fruit and vegetable farmers, farm to school programs, food hubs, agricultural professionals and others to provide outreach and technical assistance to ensure a safe, healthy supply of local food for all using GAPs. Becky West and Maureen Pierson Succulents – Fun Not Fussy Succulents are perfect plants for many people: they are easy to propagate and low maintenance. Some are known for amazing and long bloom time; others add garden interest with variety of leaf and stem shapes and colors. There are indoor houseplants or outdoor hardy varieties. This presentation will include growing needs and examples for use. Bio Becky and Maureen are the "Sedum Sisters". Becky is an active Extension Master Gardener in Kandiyohi County and has been a Master Gardener since 2003. She has written a weekly local newspaper column for 11 years as “Ramblings from an Eclectic Gardener.” She is a Sedum lover, succulent plant compulsive, and obsessive plant collector, whose greatest joy is finding a new succulent no one else has discovered, then sharing it with friends. Maureen has been an Extension Master Gardener in Kandiyohi County since 2000 who enjoys sharing advice on Ask a Master Gardener, at Farmer’s market, telephone answer line, local library, and radio. In addition to being a succulent lover, her current garden focus is gardening for pollinators and planting natives. Bill Cook Perennial Vegetables Most Minnesota gardeners think that other than asparagus and rhubarb, all backyard vegetables must be replanted every year. In fact, there is a surprising list of perennial vegetables which are hardy, taste great, and are not generally known because they are not appropriate for large-scale production. In this class, we will cover several categories of perennial vegetables including tubers, spring shoots and leaf crops. Seed Starting for Beginners Gardeners can get a jump on spring vegetables and flowers and save some money by starting seeds indoors. We will cover basics of soils, watering, using artificial lights, heat and getting those seedlings successfully outside with recommendations on when to start commonly grown vegetables. Bio Bill is a Professor of Biological Sciences at St. Cloud State University. He works with the Stearns County Extension Master Gardeners and currently has particular interests in little-known perennial vegetables, wild food-bearing plants and growing cacti and succulents in his home greenhouse. Carol Strong Growing and Enjoying Garlic, Leeks, Onions and Shallots This presentation describes the many flavorful and beautiful varieties available. Information includes what to consider when selecting which garlic types to grow, options and best practices for planting, storage and use. Bio Carol and husband Marty have been Douglas County Extension Master Gardeners and Tree Care Advisor volunteers since 2006. They share their love of organic gardening and broader horticultural experiences. Carol has been growing garlic for 25 years and enjoys sharing this passion with others thru education and culinary pursuits. Christy Marsden Introduction to Growing Vegetables in Containers Who says you need a yard to grow a vegetable garden? Learn how to grow vegetables in containers no matter where you live. Christy Marsden will cover the basics of growing vegetables in containers, including an overview of how to choose the best containers, soil, and plants to grow. Bio Christy is a Horticulture Educator with the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener Program and works as the Education Manager. Christy comes from University of Wisconsin Extension, where she served as a county-based Horticulture Educator in Rock County for three years. Prior to that, she worked at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa. Originally from California, Christy discovered her love of plants while volunteering at the arboretum on the University of California Davis campus. She has a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Masters in Horticulture and Agronomy from the University of California, Davis. Dave Vaske Basics of Plant Propagation The most common way to propagate a plant is to start with seed, and for many plants, this is the best way. However, in many situations starting from seed is a poor choice. The whys and how’s of multiple types of plant propagation will be covered, and techniques for home gardeners to successfully propagate almost any plant will be introduced. Basics of Plant Propagation Demo Demonstration of techniques discussed today in Dave’s earlier session on the Basics of Plant Propagation class. Bio Dave along with his wife Teresa are the owner/operators of Miltona Greenhouses and Nursery, which is a seasonal retail greenhouse and nursery business located north of Alexandria in rural Parkers Prairie. Dave has a scientific background with over 20 years’ experience in the genetics field. Growing plants has always been a passion and hobby, and now with five greenhouses it has become a full-time endeavor. Dr. Joe Storlien Gardening in Minnesota’s Changing Climate Gardening is risky business, as Mother Nature always seems to throw plenty of obstacles at gardeners each year. As Minnesota’s climate changes, some challenges will be amplified, and new challenges will arise. We will discuss some of the basics of Minnesota’s changing climate, how it relates to our gardeners, and focus on how to make our gardens resilient against these future challenges. Building Healthy Soils Healthy soils are the foundation for a successful garden each year. Understanding your soils a nd how to build soil health is an important part of getting the most from your gardens. Join us to learn how gardening activities, such as adding amendments, rotating, planting diversity, tilling or compaction, affect the soil and the invisible life below ground. No matter how large or how small your garden aspirations, this talk will give you the keys to having healthy soil and healthy plants. Bio Dr. Joe Storlien received his Ph.D. in Soil Science from Texas A&M University and is currently a Professor of Environmental Studies at St. John’s University and a University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener. Jayme Hennek Orchid Growing in the Home You will get the basics on orchid growing. Learn how to grow indoors and outdoors, light required from windowsill or artificial, when and how much to water, along with tips on temperature and potting of your orchids. Bio Jayme has been an active Stearns County Extension Master Gardener for 28 years and has grown orchids for the same years. He has received five awards from American Orchid Society (AOS) for growing orchids along with numerous ribbons and trophies from St. Paul Winter Carnival and Minnesota State Fair and has been featured in Prairie Yard & Garden 2014 Raising Orchids. He has traveled to South America and Costa Rica to see how tropical orchids grow in the wild. Jennifer Knutson Miniature Gardens Enter the magical world of miniature gardens! Ideas will be presented on how to design a terrarium, dish garden and outdoor miniature garden. Create a charming, whimsical miniature landscape using dwarf plants and accessories. Creative ideas on how to accessorize with items found on hand will be presented. Adding a Vertical Element to the Garden with Vines Climbing vines have a special charm that goes beyond adding vertical interest to a garden. They can have a softening effect on a fence, add beauty to garden structures, or act as a screen. Their lush leaves and appealing flowers decorate the landscape with color and texture. Some provide edible or ornamental fruit, late-season decorative seedpods, colorful fall foliage, or fragrance. Perennial and annual vines that do well in Minnesota gardens will be presented. Bio Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has been a certified University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener since 2007.