Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
The summer series of University of Illinois Extension's Four Seasons Gardening program, which focuses on environmental stewardship, home gardening, and backyard food production, gets underway soon. As always, programs are available live or on YouTube following the live presentation.
The first session of the series is titled Beneficial Insects: Garden Warriors. Join extension horticulture educator, Kelly Allsup, as she insects that act as warriors in the garden by either eating the bad bugs or parasitizing them. The program is offered twice – on July 10 at 1:30 p.m. and again on July 12 at 6:30 p.m.
The second program in the spring series is Urban Soil Safety on July 31 at 1:30 p.m. and again on August 2 at 6:30 p.m. Gardening in urban environments has unique risks and rewards. Gardeners can increase food security, build community, and increase local green spaces, but need to be cautious because of soil contamination and quality. Join extension horticulture educator, Gemini Ghalsod, to learn about common soil contaminants and recommended best practices.
The final program in the spring series is At-Home Micropropagation: InVitro Plants on August 14 at 1:30 p.m. and again on August 16 at 6:30 p.m. Micropropagation is a form of growing plants using tissue culture in sealed containers. This method allows for new plants to be grown using cuttings down to a number of cells. Join extension horticulture educator, Bruce Black, as he discusses micropropagation and how you can do this at home using common household items.
All webinars may be viewed from home by pre-registering at go.illinois.edu/4seasons_webinars. Recorded videos of these sessions can be viewed following the program at go.illinois.edu/fourseasonsrecordings.
MEET THE AUTHOR
As horticulture educator, Rhonda Ferree inspired citizens in local communities to grow their own food and improve their home landscapes. She focused on high quality, impactful programs that taught homeowners how to create energy-efficient landscapes using sustainable practices that increase property values and help the environment.
After 30 years with University of Illinois Extension, Rhonda retired in 2018. She continues to share her passion for horticulture related topics as “Retro Rhonda” on social media.
ABOUT THE BLOG
ILRiverHort is a blog that helps people connect to nature and grow.