Come join the group and make an attractive quilt block that is tied on the sides to form a basket for holding Easter eggs, candy or bread. You will learn to piece angles and sew corners. The class will be held April 3, 9:00 a.m. to noon, and is taught by Alice Hunt. Call to register at 439-3178 before April 1 to reserve a space. A fee of $5.00 will cover all supplies, and sewing machines are available.

Last Chance This Spring for Pesticide Use Licensing

Next week is one of the last chances to take the tests for applying restricted use chemicals. Dan Connelly, Illinois Department of Agriculture representative, will be at the Extension Building on Wednesday, March 18, at 9:00 a.m. to give any test that may be needed. There is no training and no fee. The only other session left in Southern Illinois this spring is March 19 in Williamson County.

Learn to Grow Small Fruits in the Home Garden

Growing small fruits in your home garden is easier than you think. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and grapes are small fruits well-adapted to our Illinois climate. Once established these perennial fruits can provide years of bountiful harvest with a minimum amount of care. This lesson will provide many valuable tips on varieties, planting and care of these garden crops. You can soon be growing and harvesting fresh, inexpensive fruit right from your own backyard!

Plan to attend the session titled Growing Small Fruits for the Home Garden. It will be presented on Tuesday, March 24^th at 10:00 a.m. in the Extension Building. Growing small fruit is a rewarding aspect of home gardening, which can provide summer-long, fresh eating treats. With today's prices for fruit, growing your own helps trim the grocery bill, providing fruit for eating right off the plant, as well as for preserving in jams, jellies, or canning and freezing.

The workshop will be taught by Marc Lamczyk, Ag. Program Coordinator. Any

interested person is welcome to attend. There is no fee. Call 439-3178 to let us know

you would plan to join us so that we can have materials for everyone.

Shopping for Garden Success

When spring is in full swing, garden centers and mass-market stores overflow with colorful bedding plants. Some people buy a few petunias or geraniums on impulse to color up their yard or windowsill. Others set out with determination and a page-long list of plants to purchase. No matter which category you fit into, there are some tips to consider when buying flowers for your garden.

Often shoppers buy a plant for its flower color, giving little thought to what amount of light or water it requires, states David Robson, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.

Take a little time to walk around your yard before embarking on your shopping spree, and note all the flower beds, window boxes, etc. that need a splash of color. Jot down what type of light each area receives and the approximate dimensions.

Also try to envision color schemes, growth habits (cascading, climbing, upright, mounding), and heights that would work well.

A little bit of homework saves wasted time and money at the store. Make sure you read the plant tag before purchasing, matching the plant's cultural requirements and growth description to your needs.

A major mistake most people make as they survey the array of pots and flats is to immediately choose plants in full bloom. Perhaps these appear largest and healthiest.

Resist the temptation and search for plants just beginning to bud; these perform better in the garden. The plant's energy is still geared toward the root system and leaves and not for seed production.

Also hunt down the more compact, fuller plants instead of those with "leggy" stems. Choose plants with a dark green color and short compacted stems with several good sets of leaves. It doesn't hurt to see roots come out of the bottom of the pot, but avoid plants with masses of roots at the bottom. Those roots will be destroyed when transplanting and that may cause plants to wilt.

Once you decide which flowers to buy, figure out the quantity you need. When you know the mature plant size, calculate how many full-grown plants would fill the allotted flowerbed or planter.

Avoid the common tendency of buying a little of this and a few of that. Most people agree that a large block of one color gives a bigger impact than a hodge-podge of many different varieties.

If you take a little time to think about your flower garden before you shop, and choose healthy, well suited plants before you buy, your garden should bloom successfully all season.