Horticulture Telenet Classes
Peoria, Pekin & Woodford Counties

2005 Four-Seasons Gardening Telenet Series

These are telenet programs that feature color power point slides accompanied by the live voice of the instructor as people from all over the state participate at once.

All topics will be presented by University of Illinois Horticulture Educators or State Specialists. The Peoria series will be located at the Peoria Extension Office. This FREE series is open to the public, so bring a friend! Please RSVP by the day before the class so printed materials can be made ahead of time. Please show up 15 minutes prior to the presentation.

WINTER 2005

Feb. 15 1:00 p.m. @ Peoria
Feb. 17 7:00 p.m. @ Woodford & Tazwell
Flowering Trees and Shrubs for the Home Landscape - Learn how to select woody ornamentals for the home landscape that offer attractive flowers. David Robson, Horticulture Educator

March 1 - 1:00 p.m. @ Peoria
March 3 - 7:00 p.m. @ Woodford & Tazwell
Re-blooming Holiday Plants - How to care for and re-bloom your holiday poinsettia, amaryllis, Christmas cactus and more will be discussed. Greg Stack, Horticulture Educator

March 15 - 1:00 p.m.@ Peoria
March 17 - 7:00 p.m. @ Woodford & Tazwell
Low Input Landscaping with Groundcovers - Tired of mowing and watering turf? Why not try a groundcover that requires lower care and offers positive environmental qualities. Barb Bates, Horticulture Educator

SPRING 2005

April 19 - 1:00 p.m. @ Peoria
April 21 - 7:00 p.m. @ Woodford & Tazwell
Spring Wildflowers - Learn how to identify common Illinois spring wildflowers. Jennifer Fishburn, Horticulture Educator

May 3 - 1:00 p.m. @ Peoria
May 5 - 7:00 p.m. @ Woodford & Tazwell
Ornamental Vines for the Home Landscape - Give a lift to your garden by planting vines. Greg Stack, Horticulture Educator

May 17 - 1:00 p.m. @ Peoria
May 19 - 7:00 p.m. @ Woodford & Tazwell
Vegetable Garden Design - Beyond the Straight and Narrow
Who says vegetable gardens have to be all straight rows? Attractive vegetable garden design possibilities will be discussed. Jim Schmidt, Horticulture State Specialist

SUMMER 2005

June 28 - 1:00 p.m. @ Peoria
June 30 - 7:00 p.m. @ Woodford & Tazwell
Pests of Woody Landscape Plants - Learn what's "bugging" your trees and shrubs. Diseases will also be presented. Jim Schuster, Horticulture Educator

July 12 - 1:00 p.m. @ Peoria
July 14 - 7:00 p.m. @ Woodford & Tazwell
Good Guys/Bad Guys – Learn how to identify the beneficial insects from the harmful insects. Sandy Mason, Horticulture Educator

July 26 - 1:00 p.m. @ Peoria
July 28 - 7:00 p.m. @ Woodford & Tazwell
Common Lawn and Garden Weed ID – Knowing what needs to be controlled in our gardens is half the battle. Learn how to identify common garden and lawn weeds. Michelle Wiesbrook, IPM State Specialist

FALL 2005

September 6 - 1:00 p.m. @ Peoria
September 8 - 7:00 p.m. @ Woodford & Tazwell
Invasive Plants – Find out how to identify invasive plants in your
lawn and garden.

September 20 - 1:00 p.m. @ Peoria
September 22 - 7:00 p.m. @ Woodford & Tazwell
Tree Fruits for the Home Garden – Tips on selecting and planting fruit trees for the home garden. Maurice Ogutu, Food Crops Educator

October 4 - 1:00 p.m. @ Peoria
October 6 - 7:00 p.m. @ Woodford & Tazwell
Easy Care Native Plants –This presentation focuses on low maintenance natives that were selected because they have few disease & insect problems and are adaptable to a range of growing conditions. Sharon Yiesla, Horticulture Educator

ORCHID SOCIETY MEETINGS - The Peoria Orchid Society would like to invite all Master Gardners to their monthly meetings. They meet every third Sun. at 1 pm at the Lakeview Museum. For more info, please contact Jane Jones @ 383-4022 or Elliot/Pam Fox @ 689-0733.

PEORIA GARDEN CLUB: The Peoria Garden Club is having guest speaker Doug Hoerr, from Chicago, the landscape architect who put magnificent into the Michigan Ave. mile, at their Thurs. March 3 meeting. The event starts at 12 noon at the Lakeview Museum with coffee, tea and a few goodies, followed by Mr. Hoerr, whose topic is "Designs which Dazzle." All are welcome to attend. Garden Club members are free, nonmembers pay a small fee of $5 at the door to help offset the costs. To R.S.V.P., contact Program Chair Barb Ruff @ 691- 7571. The Garden Club meets every first Thurs. at 12 noon at the Lakeview Museum, and guests are always welcome. For more info, please contact: Lori Gangloff, President @ 444-4563

LOCAL GARDENING RELATED ACTIVITIES - cont. U of I MG Workshop, "Pushing the Boundaries," Champaign, March 4 & 5.

CHICAGO FLOWER SHOW BUS TRIPS: The following are local bus trips up to the Chicago Flower Show. (Flower Show is from March 12 - 20)

Tues. March 15:
Mclean Co. MGs: Leaves from Mclean Co. Farm Bureau, 402 N. Hersey Rd., Bloomington @ 7:30am, returning around 5:30pm. $40 fee includes bus ride, driver tip, Avanti's bag lunch, bottled water and admission to show. Call Ed Decker 309 963-6380. RSVP by Feb. 9. Peoria Garden Club: Leaves from Lakeview Museum @ 7:00am, includes a shopping trip on Michigan Ave., returning around 10pm. More info, call Barb Ruff: 309 691-7571.

Thurs. March 17:
Henry-Stark Co. MGs: Bus leaves from Grand Prairie Mall @ 7:00am, Princeville @ 7:30am and Wyoming @ 7:40am and retuning around 5:30pm. For more info call: 309 853-1533, or email: jwest@uiuc.edu. Early bird rate by March 1 is $33, after March 1 and by March 11, $38.

State Wide Seminars and Workshops
February 19: Home, Lawn and Garden Day, Community Commons Building, Heartland Community College, Normal, IL. 8 am to 3 pm. Keynote speaker Dianne Noland. Sponsored by the McLean County Master Gardeners. 309-663-8306.

Feb. 19: Spring into Gardening- Gardener's Day 2005
U of I Extension Bld. #30, IL. State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL. Registration begins at 8:00 am, sessions are from 8:45 am to 12:05 pm. Fee is $5 in advance or $10 at the door. Sponsored by the Sangamon-Menard Master Gardeners. 217-782-4617.

Feb. 22-23: Southern Illinois Grounds Maintenance School Gateway Convention Center, Collinsville, IL. 618-650-7050.

Feb. 26: Gardeners Pathway Workshop
Kishwaukee College, Malta, IL. 7:30 am to 3:30 pm. Sponsored by the DeKalb County Master Gardeners. 815-758-8194.

Feb. 26: Joys of Gardening, Highland Community College, Freeport, IL.
The keynote address: "The Use of Natural Patterns in Japanese Gardens" by Tim Gruner from Anderson Gardens. Sponsored by the Stephenson County Master Gardeners. 815-235-4125.

Feb. 26: Macoupin & Montgomery Garden Day, Lincoln Land Community College Southern Region Center, Litchfield, IL.
For a brochure, contact the Macoupin (217-854-9604) or Montgomery County Master Gardeners (217-532-3941).

February 26: Nursery School- Lessons in Gardening, The Mark of the Quad Cities, Moline, IL. 8 am to 4 pm.
A wide array of sessions to choose from. Cost of $40 includes all materials, breaks and lunch. Registration deadline Feb 1. Sponsored by the Rock Island Master Gardeners. 309-796-0512.

March 1-2: Illinois Small Fruit & Strawberry School Holiday Inn, Mt. Vernon, IL. 618-692-9434.

March 4-5: Pushing the Boundaries, Holiday Inn, Urbana, IL.
Friday March 4 is for Master Gardeners only ($20 fee) and features Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery. March 5 is a public program and the fee is $55/Master Gardeners and $65 for the public. Speakers include Ken Druse, garden writer and photographer, Tony Avent, an international plant explorer and owner of Plant Delights Nursery, Erica Glasener, horticulturist, garden designer, writer and television personality, and Carol Reese, a horticulture specialist with the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Fee includes handouts, continental breakfast, buffet lunch and time to shop among garden vendors. Sponsored by the Champaign County Master Gardeners. For registration information call 333-7672, e-mail champaign_co@extension.uiuc.edu.

March 5: Gardening for Food and Fun
Stenstrom Center for Continuing Education, Rockford, IL. More than 20 workshops and seminars to choose from. Participants can learn about topics such as Container Gardening, Seed Starting, Cooking with Herbs, Water Features, Roses, Orchids and much more. The $25 fee includes four sessions, continental breakfast, and Italian lunch buffet. Sponsored by the Winnebago County Master Gardeners. 815-986-4357.

March 5: Gardener's Palette
Paul Heath Fine Art Center, John Wood Community College, Quincy, IL. Nationally known speaker and author, Pam Duthie will present the keynote address. Other sessions include orchids, learning to make leaf castings, perennial gardening, making your own gardening containers, blue gardens, roses, backyard vegetables, healthful herbs and more. Exhibits and vendors will be present. Advance registration (Feb 25) is $25 and includes lunch, breaks and handouts. Walk-in registration will also be $25 but will not include lunch. Sponsored by the Adams- Brown Master Gardeners. 217-223-8380.

March 5: St. Louis Gardening Symposium
New Perspectives on Plants and Landscapes St. Louis Community College at Meramac, Theater Auditorium, St. Louis, MO. 8 am to 4 pm.
Five know speakers will present lectures. C. Colston Burrell- "A Whole New Perspective for the Home Front Landscape;" Ping Lim- "Shrub Roses;" Steve Vander Woude- "Compatible Shrubs and Trees;" Dennis Schrader- "Hot Plants for the Midwest- Tropicals" and Katy Moss Warner- "Horticulture and Gardening- Past, Present and Future." Presented by the Horticulture Co-op of metro St. Louis. 314-487-7848 or www.hortco-op.org.

March 10-13: The Midwest Gardening Symposium Thornhill Education Center, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
This symposium is sponsored by the Morton Arboretum and Fine Gardening magazine. Featured speakers include Keith Wiley –"On the Wild Side;" Rick Darke- " The Luminous Landscape: Darke on Light;" Chicagoland Grows – "New Plants for Midwest Gardens;" Bill Mitchell- " The Structure of the Garden;" Virginia Small- "Secrets to Successfully Combining Plants;" John Ball- "Trees: Selection and Planting; Kris Bactell- "Hydrangeas" and Rosemary Alexander – "The Essentials of Garden Design." Register online at www.mortonarb.org or call 630-719-2468.

March 12: Weekend Gardeners Expo
Gateway Convention Center, Collinsville, IL. Each participant will be able to choose four class sessions. Lunch is included and vendors will be present. Sponsored by the Madison- St. Clair Master Gardeners. 618-650-7050.

March 12-20: Chicago Flower Show
Navy Pier, Chicago, IL. www.chicagoflower.com

March 19: Macomb Gardeners Day, Western IL University, Macomb, IL.
Registration 8:30 am, sessions begin at 9 am and run till 4 pm. Session topics are Salsa Gardening, Invasive Plants, Soil Testing, Four Seasons Gardening, Ornamental Grasses, Garden Photography, Heirloom Gardening, Fruit Tree Pruning and Must-Have Plants. Sponsored by the McDonough County Master Gardeners. 309-837-3939.

March 26: The Practical Side of Gardening
Danville Area Community College, Bremer Conference Center, Danville, IL. 8 am to 4 pm. The keynote speaker will be HGTV's Felder Rushing "Down Home Style Gardening." Other speakers include: Chicago Botanic Garden's Richard Hawke- "Perennials for All Seasons;" Country Arbors Shane Cultra-"New Plants for 2005" and Bob and Becky Whitmore from the American Hosta Society- "Hosta's of the Future." Cost is $30 and includes lunch. Pre-registration is important- seating is limited. Sponsored by the Vermilion County Master Gardeners. For information call Jan Bennett at 217-443-8778.