Event Date(s)
Event Time
-
Location
Spoon River College, Conference Center in Engle Hall
Event Fee
$25.00
County
Fulton
Mason
Peoria
Tazewell
$20 Early Bird by Mar. 1
$25 through deadline March 24
Sorry, no walk-ins.
Gardeners of all skill levels are invited to Gardeners’ BIG Day. The day includes a keynote address, three educational sessions, snacks, door prizes, and vendors. Sessions filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Doors Open at 8 AM; First Session at 8:30 AM
Mid-morning time to shop, enjoy snack, and network
Keynote Speaker at 11:30 AM
$25 through deadline March 24
Sorry, no walk-ins.
Gardeners of all skill levels are invited to Gardeners’ BIG Day. The day includes a keynote address, three educational sessions, snacks, door prizes, and vendors. Sessions filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Doors Open at 8 AM; First Session at 8:30 AM
Mid-morning time to shop, enjoy snack, and network
Keynote Speaker at 11:30 AM
SESSION 1 - 8:30 AM
A. Water management in the Home Landscape
Chris Enroth will address the issues surrounding the pressures on our nation’s water quality and provide design solutions for homeowners to reduce their impact on those downstream. Learn the fundamentals and creative design strategies of bioswales, living roofs, rain gardens, permeable paving, and rain barrels.
B. Carrots Do Not Love Tomatoes
John Curtis from The Giving Gardens debunks common gardening myths and other misinformation while sharing a few secrets about how to make your garden healthier and more vibrant.
C. Botanical Prints: Creating prints of garden plants on a gel plate (+$13)
Allie Goudy will lead you in a fun and creative print making class using plants from the garden, a gel plate, and acrylic paint. Bring an apron or old shirt to use when painting.
D. Gnomes that Rome (+$13)
Julie Wasson Did you know that Gnomes like to roam? Are they “Roman” gnomes in togas and laurels on their heads or are they “roaming” gnomes that travel around your yard and back deck? Come play with us and create your own gnome that can be placed in your potted plants. The self-hardening clay sets in 24 hours so your little guys and gals can be finished at home.
SESSION 2 - 9:20 AM
A. Native Seed Saving
Holly Frainer will present on native plant seed collection, preparation, and storage. Learn about the essential tools used in the field, techniques for drying seeds with specialized screens, and key phrases for researching
B. Beneficial Insects: Garden Warriors
May Bach will teach about the most common beneficial insects and never accidentally kill a good bug again. Gardeners tend to focus on insects that eat their plants without paying attention to insects that act as warriors in the garden by either eating the bad bugs or parasitizing them.
C. Tip Toe through the Tulips! Designing with fresh cut tulips, iris, hyacinth and daffodils (+$13)
Christine Wright will lead this hands on floral design workshop and fill you in on the history, care and design tips for fresh cut bulb blooms
D. Gnomes that Rome (repeated from Session 1.) (+$13)
SNACKS AND VENDOR SHOPPING - 10:10 AM
SESSION 3 - 10:40 AM
A. Native Trees and Shrubs: Plant this, Not that
Karen Weigelt will help you discover which native trees and shrubs are most beneficial in our home landscapes and survive successfully in our region. Understand how to choose plants to provide pollinators and wildlife with food sources and habitat, while requireing only minimal maintenance and resistance to disease and pests
B. All about Culinary Herbs and How to Use Them
Patricia Melaik invites you to the world of culinary herbs to learn about ten easy, popular herbs to grow and use. We will discover the “joys” of growing herbs, the various kinds of herbs, and how to cook and store them. Charlemagne once said, “An herb is the friend of physicians, and the praise of cooks”. In our world today, herbs are highly valued not only for cooking, but also for their nutritious qualities.
C. Tip Toe through the Tulips! Designing with fresh cut tulips, iris, hyacinth and daffodils (repeated from Session 2.)(+$13)
D. Botanical Prints: Creating prints of garden plants on a gel plate (repeated from Session 1.) (+$13)
KEYNOTE ADDRESS - 11:30 AM
Butterfly Buffet for Native Butterflies
Gayle Blodgett
U of I Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist
Let’s talk about how to attract Illinois butterflies to your yard. Butterflies need water, shelter, host plants, and nectar. Like us, not all butterflies are looking for the same plants. Come find out what will attract them and provide what they need. The more you provide, the more varieties you will enjoy.
A. Water management in the Home Landscape
Chris Enroth will address the issues surrounding the pressures on our nation’s water quality and provide design solutions for homeowners to reduce their impact on those downstream. Learn the fundamentals and creative design strategies of bioswales, living roofs, rain gardens, permeable paving, and rain barrels.
B. Carrots Do Not Love Tomatoes
John Curtis from The Giving Gardens debunks common gardening myths and other misinformation while sharing a few secrets about how to make your garden healthier and more vibrant.
C. Botanical Prints: Creating prints of garden plants on a gel plate (+$13)
Allie Goudy will lead you in a fun and creative print making class using plants from the garden, a gel plate, and acrylic paint. Bring an apron or old shirt to use when painting.
D. Gnomes that Rome (+$13)
Julie Wasson Did you know that Gnomes like to roam? Are they “Roman” gnomes in togas and laurels on their heads or are they “roaming” gnomes that travel around your yard and back deck? Come play with us and create your own gnome that can be placed in your potted plants. The self-hardening clay sets in 24 hours so your little guys and gals can be finished at home.
SESSION 2 - 9:20 AM
A. Native Seed Saving
Holly Frainer will present on native plant seed collection, preparation, and storage. Learn about the essential tools used in the field, techniques for drying seeds with specialized screens, and key phrases for researching
B. Beneficial Insects: Garden Warriors
May Bach will teach about the most common beneficial insects and never accidentally kill a good bug again. Gardeners tend to focus on insects that eat their plants without paying attention to insects that act as warriors in the garden by either eating the bad bugs or parasitizing them.
C. Tip Toe through the Tulips! Designing with fresh cut tulips, iris, hyacinth and daffodils (+$13)
Christine Wright will lead this hands on floral design workshop and fill you in on the history, care and design tips for fresh cut bulb blooms
D. Gnomes that Rome (repeated from Session 1.) (+$13)
SNACKS AND VENDOR SHOPPING - 10:10 AM
SESSION 3 - 10:40 AM
A. Native Trees and Shrubs: Plant this, Not that
Karen Weigelt will help you discover which native trees and shrubs are most beneficial in our home landscapes and survive successfully in our region. Understand how to choose plants to provide pollinators and wildlife with food sources and habitat, while requireing only minimal maintenance and resistance to disease and pests
B. All about Culinary Herbs and How to Use Them
Patricia Melaik invites you to the world of culinary herbs to learn about ten easy, popular herbs to grow and use. We will discover the “joys” of growing herbs, the various kinds of herbs, and how to cook and store them. Charlemagne once said, “An herb is the friend of physicians, and the praise of cooks”. In our world today, herbs are highly valued not only for cooking, but also for their nutritious qualities.
C. Tip Toe through the Tulips! Designing with fresh cut tulips, iris, hyacinth and daffodils (repeated from Session 2.)(+$13)
D. Botanical Prints: Creating prints of garden plants on a gel plate (repeated from Session 1.) (+$13)
KEYNOTE ADDRESS - 11:30 AM
Butterfly Buffet for Native Butterflies
Gayle Blodgett
U of I Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist
Let’s talk about how to attract Illinois butterflies to your yard. Butterflies need water, shelter, host plants, and nectar. Like us, not all butterflies are looking for the same plants. Come find out what will attract them and provide what they need. The more you provide, the more varieties you will enjoy.
If you would like to invite others, here are some helpful marketing tools:
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact
