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Though you may not be able to engage in many outdoor
gardening activities at this time of year, this period of enforced
inactivity is a great time to learn more about your favorite hobby.
University of Illinois Extension is offering several programs for
gardeners. Garden Basics — In
cooperation with the Springfield Civic Garden Club, the extension’s
Sangamon-Menard Unit is offering a series of seminars designed to provide basic gardening
information to home gardeners. Seminars begin on Thursday, Jan. 25, and run for five
consecutive Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. Topics are “Plant
Basics,” “Soil Basics,” “Flower Basics,”
“Tree Basics,” and “Pest Basics.” The presenters
are extension educators. Participants are highly encouraged to attend all five
sessions. The registration fee of $25 covers the cost of all five sessions
and the class notebook. Seminars will be held at the Extension Building 30,
on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Participants are encouraged to register
by Jan. 19. Send the registration fee to Sangamon-Menard Extension Unit,
P.O. Box 8467, Springfield, IL 62791. For more information, call
217-782-4617. Herb Day — Herb experts will present
five educational sessions at this year’s Herb Day 2007. The extension
has scheduled this popular event for 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, at
the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center in Urbana. Caroline Holmes, a noted garden designer, author, and
speaker from Bury St. Edmunds, England, will give two talks. Her morning
presentation, titled “A Zest for Herbs,” will include her
garden designs at Alnwick. In the afternoon, Holmes will discuss
“Herbs from Monet’s Garden at Giverny.”
Kathleen Hull, M.D., of Indianapolis, Ind., will give
a historical perspective in “Female Complaints in the Garden,”
explaining how different plants have been used to treat disorders that
affect women. Employing tact and a professional style, Hull ensures an
enjoyable experience for audience members of both sexes. Deanna House will again delight participants with
some “House Specialties with Herbs.”
Art Tucker, a Delaware State University professor and
world-renowned herb scholar, has put together a talk, exploring what
Linnaeus himself might say about some of the medicinal plants of the world,
titled “Linnaeus’ Thoughts on Herbs.”
Registration, including lunch, costs $49 per person.
This includes seating in the lectures, coffee, tea, and rolls during
morning registration, an herbal-theme lunch buffet, and access to the
retail area. Reservations must be received by Jan. 12 for a guaranteed spot
at lunch. Registrations will be allotted on a first-come, first-served
basis. Send checks, payable to the University of Illinois, to: Herb Day
2007, Attn: Carol Preston, S-406 Turner Hall, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana,
IL 61801. For more information or to confirm receipt of registration, call
217-333-7738 or e-mail preston1@uiuc.edu. Registrations may be transferred
to another individual as long as Carol Preston is notified of the name
change by Jan. 12. Cancellations will not be refunded. No confirmation of
registration will be sent. Grounds Maintenance School — If you work in the horticulture industry or are an
avid gardener, you can get new ideas and research-based information at the
Southern Illinois Grounds Maintenance School. The school is set for Jan. 23
and 24 at the Gateway Convention center in Collinsville. Registration for
the two days is $70; cost is $55 for one day if registration is completed
by Jan. 12. Additional fees are required after Jan. 12. Among the speakers are Rick Darke, a well-known
horticulturalist and author, and Scott McElroy, turf specialist from the
University of Tennessee. Breakout sessions and a commercial trade show will
provide excellent opportunities to sharpen the skills of business owners
and employees in the field of grounds maintenance. For information, call
618-650-7050 or go to www.extension.uiuc.edu/madisonstclair.
Jennifer Fishburn is a horticulture educator with the
University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit. Contact her at
www.extension.uiuc.edu/Sangamon.
This article appears in Jan 4-10, 2007.
