House and Garden Events
2011 Events Master Gardeners of Mercer County
2011 Schedule of Events Thursday, February 3rd 7:30 – 8:30 pm Extension* Native Plants for Butterfly Gardens Butterflies have adapted over centuries to be dependent on specific native plants for caterpillar food. Similarly adult butterflies depend upon native plants for an abundant supply of nectar. Learn which plants are best for attracting butterflies to your garden and how native plants are well-suited to the local climate. Wednesdays, February 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd 7:00 – 8:30 pm Extension* Basics of Successful Lawn Care Barbara J. Bromley, Mercer County Horticulturist, teaches four lawn care classes for both lawn professionals and homeowners. The 1 ½ hour sessions are: 1) Management Strategies and Selection of Grasses; 2) Basic Maintenance Strategies: IPM-Based Practices; 3) Pest Control and Troubleshooting; 4) Lawn Renovation and Establishment. It is recommended, but not required, that participants plan to attend all four sessions, as each session is equally important to a basic understanding of how to grow and maintain a healthy lawn. Call (609) 989-6830 to pre-register as well as to obtain information on cost. Pesticide re-certification credits are being offered. Wednesday, March 2nd 7:30 – 8:30 pm Extension* Growing Plants From Seeds Get a jumpstart on your spring garden and save money by growing plants from seeds. Learn from a Master Gardener about new varieties of flowers and vegetables as well as how to provide the best care before and after germination. Resource information will be included.
Saturday, March 26th Come Garden With Me An All Day Garden Symposium 8:00 am-4:00 pm Stuart Country Day School Mercer County Horticulturist, Barbara J. Bromley, will be joined by garden photographer Rob Cardillo; Joe Eck, co-author of Our Life in the Garden; and award winning author and garden blogger Margaret Roach to present a day-long program. Details about our speakers and their lectures as well as registration information and fee can be found at https://www.mgofmc.org/symposium. Pre-registration is required.
Sunday, April 10th 11:00 am – Noon Mercer Educational Gardens Composting: Ultimate Recycling Household and yard waste like vegetable scraps, shredded newspapers and fallen leaves shouldn’t go to the landfill. Instead, turn them into compost to improve your garden soil. Horse manure is a useful addition to speed up the composting process. Master Gardeners will explain how to compost at home, and the Equestrian Center will introduce some of their horses and donate manure to participants who bring a lidded container. Saturday, May 7th 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Mercer Educational Gardens Spring Plant Expo The Best of the Best!...perennials, herbs, tomatoes and native plants for local gardens will be available to the public. Knowledgeable Master Gardeners will assist you in choosing the right plants that will be best-suited to the conditions in your garden. Barbara J. Bromley, Mercer County Horticulturist, will be on hand to answer your gardening questions. Saturday, June 18th 10:00 – 11:00 am Mercer Educational Gardens Herbs in Containers Herbs provide so much delight to the senses, they deserve a place close to your home to show off their beauty and impart their delicious fragrance. Many herbs have smaller varieties which can give all their benefits but not outgrow a container. A hands-on demonstration of planting herbs in containers and recommendations for herbs suitable for pot and basket planting will be given by members of the Master Gardener Herb Committee. Tuesday, July 19th 6:30 – 7:30 pm Mercer Educational Gardens Beneficial Insects: Good Guys in the Garden Yes, there are some insects that you want to keep in your garden! Beneficial insects are the natural enemies of some of your worst garden pests and they can reduce or eliminate the need for chemical pesticides. Ladybugs and their larvae keep aphids from destroying plants; bees pollinate flowers so plants can produce fruit; ground beetles destroy slugs. Barbara J. Bromley, Mercer County Horticulturist, will share information on how beneficial insects help the home gardener and how to attract them to your garden. Tuesday, August 9th 7:00 – 8:30 pm Extension* Lawn Renovation & Establishment Does your lawn need reseeding, renovation or sodding? Barbara J. Bromley, Mercer County Horticulturist, will share ideas on home lawn maintenance. Learn how to prepare your lawn for reseeding, renovation or sodding and when is the best time for these activities. The type of grass seed should be determined by site conditions, expectations of turf use and maintenance requirements. Learn how to keep your lawn looking great next year. Soil test mailers will be available so you can know if fertilizer or lime is really needed.
Saturday, September 10th 1:00 – 4:00 pm Mercer Educational Gardens 9th Annual Insect Festival Fun and fascination for all! Local naturalists and Master Gardeners will be on hand with insect related displays and games in seven beautiful gardens. Learn all about bees (native and honey), watch worms produce compost, touch beneficial insects, see butterfly metamorphosis. Enjoy an insect puppet show, crafts, mural painting, bee dancing, catch-a-bug in a meadow, hayrides and more. Barbara J. Bromley, Mercer County Horticulturist, will answer your garden questions. Free on-site parking.
Saturday, October 15th 11:00 – Noon Mercer Educational Gardens Attracting Birds to Your Garden Birds bring pleasure, song and baby birds into the garden! Do you know why New Jersey is such a ‘birdy’ state? Learn about food preferences among different species of birds and how their food needs sometimes change with the season. Native plants, natural cover and plant diversity help attract birds into the garden all year long. Learn more about what you can do to create an inviting, essential place for birds to feed, roost and raise their young. Wednesday, November 9th 7:30 – 8:30 pm Extension* Winterizing Your Garden Tools Cleaning and sharpening tools will make garden chores much easier next season. Preventing the development of rust can extend the lifetime of those tools. Learn the materials you will need and the proper techniques to use before putting your tools away for the winter. Your life will be easier next year! ALL EVENTS ARE RAIN OR SHINE *For programs scheduled at Extension, please call 989-6830 to pre-register. Soil Test Mailers will be available at all events for $20.00 Donations benefit educational programs of the Master Gardeners of Mercer County. Donation of $3.00 suggested for all programs unless noted. Rutgers Cooperative Extension 930 Spruce Street Lawrence, NJ Adjacent to the Trenton Farmer’s Market Mercer Educational Gardens (MEG) 431 A Federal City Road Pennington, NJ Site entrance is opposite the end of Old Mill Road on Federal City Road. The Mercer Educational Gardens has limited handicapped accessibility and it is open all year, dawn to dusk. To arrange for one of our programs at your site call our Speakers Bureau at (609) 989-6830 For more information call the Extension office at (609) 989-6830 Or the Master Gardener Helpline at (609) 989-6853 To be added to our mailing list, send an email to: mgofmcmailist@gmail.com Rutgers Cooperative Extension educational programs are offered to all without regard to race, religion, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
