-Celebrate Gardening in the Natural State!
May 2-5, 2007 • Little Rock, Arkansas
The host committee has been working hard to make sure that this
will be a great conference with lots to offer our fellow Master
Gardeners from around the country and Canada.
Conference Site:
The conference will be hosted at the Peabody
Hotel/Statehouse Convention Center in downtown Little Rock
from May 2 to 5, 2007. Please save those dates, and think about
coming early and staying late. There is so much to see and do in
the Natural State. We encourage you to take advantage of this
opportunity to see Little Rock and other areas of Arkansas. We will
forward information about the pre- and post-conference tours in the
near future, and suggest things to do and places to see while you're
here. You are going to love our state and enjoy some real Southern
Hospitality! Statehouse Convention Center website: http://
www.littlerockmeetings.com/conv-centers/Statehouse/
IMGC Website
Official website of the 2007 International Master
Gardener Conference: http://mg2007.uaex.edu/
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask us. We hope to see
you in Little Rock, May 2007!
–Janet B. Carson
(Editor's note: This has been in the newsletter since Dec., so in this
issue I have deleted a lot of the info to make room for new items. If
you need more info, please refer to the Dec. and Jan. issues, or
contact them directly at the above website.)
- MG & FRIENDS TRIP TO ITALY:I need to make a committment to the airlines to finalize the Master
Gardener trip to Italy, May 1-12. The trip is nearly full but we have
a couple of spaces left. An itinerary maybe found on the MG
website. NOTE: Please note that the trip is open to the public and
participants do not need to be Master Gardeners. The deadline has
passed but if you are intrested contact:
–Monica David, Illinois Master Gardener Coordinator
1007 Plant Sciences Lab, 1201 Dorner Drive
Urbana, IL. 61801, 217-265-5256, Fax- 217-244-3469
- State Master Gardener Conference 2007:
Meeting date change: The 2007 Illinois State Master Gardener
Conference will be held September 6, 7 and 8 at the Crowne Plaza
Hotel in Springfield.
West Central Region Master Gardeners and Extension Staff
members are invited to help plan this yearly event. The first
steering committee meeting was held on Monday, October 9,
University of Illinois Extension Building, Illinois State Fairgrounds,
in Springfield.
This meeting was for those interested in planning the conference.
Involvement from all units is encouraged. If you are interested in
helping with the conference by being a worker bee, please let us
know how you would like to be involved. If you would like to assist with this conference, please contact
Jennifer Fishburn, phone, (217) 782-4617 or e-mail, fishburn@uiuc.edu .
–Jennifer Fishburn, Unit Educator, Horticulture
University of Illinois Extension, Sangamon-Menard Unit
- March 2-3: Garden Day 2007, Holiday Inn and Conference
Center , Urbana , IL . This biannual event features
nationally recognized speakers Stephanie Cohen, Roy Diblick
and Janet Machunovich. Sponsored by the Champaign County
Master Gardeners. 217-333-7672.
- March 3: St. Louis Gardening Symposium, St. Louis
Community College , Kirkwood , MO. Program highlighted
by speakers Dan Heims, Paul Cappiello and Richard Hartlage.
Breakout sessions, garden demos and vendors. www.hortcoop.
org
- March 3: Gardening for Food and Fun, Rock Valley
College, Rockford , IL . This all day event offers demonstrations,
workshops and lectures on 30 different exciting garden
related subjects. Sponsored by the Winnebago County Master
Gardeners. 815-986-4357.
- March 3: Gardener's Palette, John Wood Community
College, Quincy , IL . 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Carol Reese from
Tennessee Extension will present the keynote address "The
Wilder Side of Gardening". Attendees may select from 12
different breakout sessions including– Heirloom Tomatoes;
Raised Beds and Compost Piles; Landscaping with Perennials;
Coleus Move into the Light; All About Growing Herbs; Local
Flavors:Herb Butters and Breads; Rain Gardens and more.
Sponsored by the Adams-Brown Master Gardeners. Call 217-
223-8380 or check the website at www.extension.uiuc.edu/
adams
- March 10: Home, Lawn and Garden Day, Central
Catholic High School, 1201 Airport Rd., Bloomington, Il.Sandy Mason, Hort educator, will present the keynote address
and Don Schmidt, the "Dean of Green" from the Illinois State
Biology Department will deliver the closing remarks. Attendees
will select two 45-minute lecture and one 75– minute "handson"
session. Vendors will also be present. The $40 fee covers
breakfast beverages, lunch, educational materials and door
prizes. Sponsored by the Mclean County Master Gardeners.
www.mcleanextension.org or 309-663-8306.
- March 10–18th: Indiana Flower and Patio Show, Indiana
State Fairgrounds, West Pavilion and Expo Hall, 1202 E
38th St. Indianapolis, IN. More than 25 gardens based on the
theme "Gardens Gone Wild". Expect 450 exhibitors and
vendors. The show also features about 10 garden seminars each
day.
- March 10: Ready Set, Grow--Gardening 2007, Sauk
Valley Community College , 173 Il. Rt. 2, Dixon, IL. 9 a.m. to
3 p.m., Sponsored by the Lee, Ogle and Whiteside County
Master Gardeners. Contact Vicki Broos at 815-732-2191 or
broos@uiuc.edu to receive a brochure.
- March 10: Weekend Gardener, Gateway Convention
Center, Collinsville , IL . 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. A full educational
day of seminars including A Tale of Two Gardens; Body Smart
Gardening; The Right Perennial; Ready, Set, Go for Home
Lawn; Captivating Containers; Composting, Herb and Garden
Design; Water Gardening; Native Gardening and more. Fee $30
includes lunch. Sponsored by the Madison-St. Clair Master
Gardeners. 618-650-7050.
- March 12: Seven Week Spring Home Horticulture SeriesThe programs begin March 12 and continue for 7 consecutive
Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. Topics include Plant Q & A;
Turf; Japanese Gardens & Bonsai; Perennial Garden Design;
Garden Art; Year-Round Garden Design; Birds and Blooms and
Natural Pesticides. Cost is $2 for Master Gardeners. Sponsored
by the Rock Island Master Gardeners.
To register, call 309-796-0512.
- March 17: McDonough County Gardener's Day, Western
Illinois University Student Union, Macomb, IL. 9 a.m. to 3
p.m. Cost is $30. Lots of educational sessions and vendors.
Sponsored by the McDonough County Master Gardeners.
309-837-3939.
- March 24: Gardener's Big Day, Spoon River College 's
Canton Campus, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The day begins with a
keynote speaker which will be followed by several breakout
sessions. Vendor displays and door prizes included. Fee is $22
and includes lunch. Sponsored by the Fulton County Master
Gardeners, Spoon River College and the Spoon River Garden
Club. 309-547-3711.
- March 24: Potpourri of Gardening, Lutheran School
Association, 2001 E. Mound Rd., Decatur, IL. A broad range
of topics covered by local and regional specialists includes:
Effective Use of Microclimates in the Garden; Earth Boxes;
Home Vegetable Gardening; Attracting Wildlife to the Urban
Garden and several more. Participants will be able to attend
three 45-minute sessions. Cost is $10 or $12 at the door. Sponsored
by the Macon County Master Gardeners. 217-877-6042
- March 31: Dig into Spring, Sponsored by the Knox
County Master Gardeners. 309-342-5108.
- April 11: Annual Spring Garden Seminar, Celebrations
150 Banquet Hall, Utica , IL . Sessions include: Colorful
Shrubs & Small Trees for the 4 Seasons; Deciduous Tree
Diseases; Soil & Rain Gardens and Complete Container Gardens.
Cost is $25. Sponsored by the LaSalle County Master
Gardeners. 815-433-0707.
- April 12: Annual Garden Seminar, Edgar County 4-H
Fairgrounds, Paris, IL. Sponsored by the Edgar County Master
Gardeners. 217-465-8585.
- May 2-5: International Master Gardener Conference,
Peabody Hotel, Little Rock, Arkansas. Final registration
deadline is April 1, 2007. http://mg2007.uaex.edu
- September 6-8: Illinois Master Gardener Conference,
Crowne Plaza, Springfield, IL .? Jan. 21-31, 2008:Costa Rica Horticulte Tour for Illinois
Master Gardeners - www.extension.uiuc.edu/mg/
NON-MG SPONSORED FLOWER SHOWS:
- CHICAGO FLOWER & GARDEN SHOW
"Blooms of Brillance - A Fresh New Look"
March 10-18
Su-Th 9:30am-6pm • Fri-Sat. 9:30am - 8pm
$12 weekdays • $14 weekends • $11 parkingThe Chicago Flower & Garden Show WAS NOT cancelled this
year, as mentioned in the February newsletter...OOPS!!!
(...editors hate these moments when they have to admit printing
a boo-boo! Sorry about that...that's what the flyer I was given
seem to say...). It is alive and happening with the updated
displays, seminars, vendors...just the venue has changed to the
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Rd,
Rosemont.
See their website: www.chicagoflower.com for more
details...or call: 773-435-1250. 15+ group rates available.
(Henry-Stark Co. Extension is offering a bus trip to this event on
Tues. March 13 for $43, leaving from Kewanee &
Annawan...call 309-853-1533 or email jwest@ucui.edu
ASAP, the deadline is March 2)
- CINCINNATI FLOWER SHOW
"Stop and Smell the Roses"
April 23-24, 2007(Details of this event were in the Jan. & Feb issues of this newsletter.
For more infor refer to those newsletters or contact the
University of Illinois Extension - McLean County)
