Join Livingston County Master Gardeners on Saturday, April 7 for a morning filled with colorful plants and new gardening ideas just in time for spring.The University of Illinois Extension is proud to present Wild One's President and esteemed Master Naturalist, Sherrie Snyder, for her presentation entitled "Let's Get Wild."Learn to incorporate native plants into your yard that add beauty as well as support to the natural world around us.You will figure out how to select the right native plants for your yard, the benefits of native plants, and just where to purchase native plants.She will also share her lessons learned as well as her personal favorite native plants.

Just to give you a little preview, one of Sherrie's favorite native plants is the prairie blazing star because it is easy to grow, long blooming and great at luring the pollinators to the garden. Sherrie started a native garden, 12 years ago, when she moved into the middle of a natural area and wanted to replicate that in her landscape. She soon learned native in the right place will be reliable year after year and sometimes may cause the gardeners to have to take steps to corral them.

Wild Ones is a club dedicated to education and promotion of Native plants. Sherrie put together an organizational meeting and with the support of her fellow, Master Naturalists, it became an official charter in 2010. Sherrie encourages Illinoisans to go see the spring ephemerals in Fugate Woods this April.

In addition to Sherrie's workshop, University of Illinois Extension Livingston County Master Gardeners Cathy Montgomery and Connie Kostelc will teach gardeners how to enhance their outdoor living spaces while using edible ornamentals. After the class, you are sure to learn unique ways to incorporate edible plants into the landscape whether along a strolling pathway, within an existing flower bed or right around the deck and patio.

To conclude the event, Livingston County Master Gardeners will lead an edible container garden making party. The Master Gardeners will provide tips on growing your new container, container ideas and great color combinations sure to make the neighbors envious. Each attendee will leave with a container planted with beautiful edibles ready to brighten any spot.

A $20 registration fee includes morning refreshments, three workshops, and supplies for a container garden. Check-in and light refreshments will be available at 8:30 a.m., with the workshops, beginning at 9 a.m. The program will be at the University of Illinois Extension-Livingston County Office at 1412 South Locust Street, Pontiac, IL 61764. Pre-registration is required online atgo.illinois.edu/RegisterLMWor by contacting the Livingston County Extension Office at (815) 842-1776 by Wednesday, April 4.