I have a great educational opportunity to get you jump-started for the upcoming gardening season. It’s almost time for the Annual Central Ohio Perennial Flower School on March 7 in Springfield.
This daylong program features everything perennials, and you are guaranteed to learn at least one new tip for your garden.
Our first speaker is author, garden consultant and designer Kerry Ann Mendez. We are really fortunate to have Kerry this year, as her schedule fills up quickly. She has appeared on Home and Garden TV, hosted national webinars for Horticulture magazine and has written feature articles for Fine Gardening, Garden Gate, and Better Homes and Gardens.
Kerry will be sharing design tips from her before-and-after garden renovations as well showing spectacular perennials for sun and shade that look great in your garden spring through fall.
She is the author of “Top Ten Lists for Beautiful Shade Gardens” and “The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Top Ten Lists.” A limited number of these books will be available to purchase, and Kerry will be on hand all day to sign the books.
In addition to Kerry, a great friend of mine, Kathy Burkholder, will talk about some of the best and most reliable perennials found in these gardens. Kathy is the horticulturist of the Chadwick Arboretum on the campus of Ohio State University.
Kathy has been involved in the horticulture industry for more than 30 years. She is one of the hardest-working women I know and has tremendous hands-on experience in the gardens. She will share practical information with you.
Dr. Pablo Jourdan, associate professor at OSU and director of the Ornamental Germplasm Center, will talk about the incredible diversity in the genus Coreopsis. Pablo has been working on this genus in the past few years and has recommendations to use in your garden.
I will round off the program with a talk about perennial pests. I’ll focus on the top 10 pests in the garden and how to manage them. In addition, I will also give you an opportunity to bring your pest challenges up for discussion and help you determine a strategy (hopefully!).
The event is held in Springfield at the Courtyard by Marriott and costs $50. This includes a continental breakfast and lunch as well as a packet of handouts.
We’ll have gardening door prizes donated by our sponsors Bonnie’s Nursery, Crown Market, Knollwood Garden Center and Landscaping, MVG Meadowview Growers, and Wicklines Florist, Garden Center and Landscaping.
Class size is limited, and we typically fill up quickly and have a waiting list. The deadline is Feb. 28, but I recommend that you register soon. For more information and a registration form, go online to http://go.osu.edu/perennialschool.
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