During the winter months, outdoor garden activities
are few, but it’s still a great time to learn. Books, garden
catalogs, and seed catalogs are a good way to start, but a more exciting
option is to learn with others in a gardening program. Registration for an
upcoming program would make a great gift for a gardener.
Here are some suggestions:
• Held Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Urbana Holiday
Inn, Herb Day 2006 will feature two talks by talented herb-and-gardening author
Sharon Lovejoy, a past president of the International Herb Association. Pat
Lanza, author of the popular book Lasagna
Gardening, will speak about her most recent
publication, Lasagna Herb Gardening, and Susan Belsinger, author of Just Desserts, will present a
demonstration on using herbs in sweet treats. Carolee Snyder, owner of
Carolee’s Herb Farm in Hartford City, Ind., will describe her
herb-garden tour of England. The cost of registration, $49 per person,
includes seating in the lectures, refreshments, an herb-themed lunch buffet
(including vegetarian options), and access to a retail area. Mail checks,
payable to the University of Illinois, to Herb Day 2006, attn: Carol
Preston, S-406 Turner Hall, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61801.
For more information, call 217-333-7738 or e-mail preston1@uiuc.edu and
mention Herb Day 2006. Credit-card orders cannot be accepted, and
cancellations will not be refunded; reservations must be made by Jan. 13 by
those who wish to attend the luncheon.
• The University of Illinois Extension
Sangamon-Menard Unit and the Springfield Civic Garden Club are sponsoring a
Garden Basics
series of five seminars for home gardeners. (This series would be
especially helpful for anyone planning on participating in the Illinois Times-sponsored
“Yard to Yard Challenge.”) Seminars will be held 6-8 p.m. on
five consecutive Thursdays, beginning Jan. 26. Topics include: plant
basics, soil basics, flower basics, tree basics, and pest basics, and
participants are encouraged to attend all five sessions. University of
Illinois Extension educators and specialist are the presenters. The $25
registration fee covers the cost of all five sessions and the class
notebook. Seminars will be held at Extension Building No. 30, on the
Illinois State Fairgrounds. Because class size will be limited,
registration by Jan. 18 is encouraged. For information, call 217-782-4617.
Send your registration fee, payable to “Sangamon-Menard
Extension,” to the Sangamon-Menard Extension Unit, P.O. Box 8467,
Springfield, IL 62791.
• The Illinois Specialty Crops Conference will be held Jan. 17 and 18 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield. A one-day postconference workshop on tomatoes and sweet corn will be held on Thursday, Jan. 19. This conference, designed for commercial growers and diehard amateur gardeners, includes a trade show; educational sessions on fruits, vegetables, and herbs; and workshops on irrigation, risk management, and labor issues. The conference agenda may be reviewed at www.specialtygrowers.org/confagenda.htm, or you may contact Diane Handley at 309-557-2107 or e-mail handley@ilfb.org for additional information.
• The Illinois Specialty Crops Conference will be held Jan. 17 and 18 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield. A one-day postconference workshop on tomatoes and sweet corn will be held on Thursday, Jan. 19. This conference, designed for commercial growers and diehard amateur gardeners, includes a trade show; educational sessions on fruits, vegetables, and herbs; and workshops on irrigation, risk management, and labor issues. The conference agenda may be reviewed at www.specialtygrowers.org/confagenda.htm, or you may contact Diane Handley at 309-557-2107 or e-mail handley@ilfb.org for additional information.
