University of Illinois Extension welcomes spring at its 40th annual garden day, Gardening for Food, Flowers & Fun. This one-day event offers inspiration, ideas, and innovation for area gardeners. U of I Extension educators, Master Gardeners, and other plant experts will present a variety of education sessions and hands-on workshops.

Gardening for Food, Flowers & Fun is on Saturday, March 4 from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at NIU Rockford (8500 E. State St., Rockford). Registration is $40 per person and includes lunch, a keynote presentation and attendee's choice of three additional education classes. Register online here or by calling the Winnebago County Extension Office at 815-986-4357.

Gardening for Food, Flowers & Fun opens with a special keynote presentation, "Proven Perennials for Northern Gardens" presented by Richard Hawke, Chicago Botanic Garden's Plant Evaluation Manager. Richard will share a variety of perennials that have been proven to do well in northern Illinois gardens, including new selections and old favorites, from over 25 years of comparative trials at Chicago Botanic Garden.

Attendees will select three classes, in addition to the keynote, to round out their day.

Breakout sessions include:

Herb Overload! (make and take workshop!)

Pruning the Old Apple Trees

Vegetable Gardening: A Year in the Life

When Pretty Isn't Enough: Comparative Trials at Chicago Botanic Garden

Floral Therapy

Floral Design Workshop (make and take!)

Co-Existing with Backyard Wildlife

Patterns in Nature that Inspire Japanese Design

Native Pollinators

Some sessions fill early so reserve your spot today!

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, please contact the Extension office at 815-986-4357.