Find inspiration to repot that plant or kickstart a dream gardening project.
Gardeners manage a range of factors and elements to help plants grow. Extension helps bring all the pieces together in a one-day, nine-session webinar symposium, Gardening in the Air, led by horticulture experts from across the Midwest.
The 2026 fall edition will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Central time on Saturday, Oct. 24, featuring a wide range of topics, including runaway landscape management, tough trees and shrubs, herbs, growing perennials, tomato troubles, and more.
Gardening in the Air is a virtual event held seasonally and co-hosted by University of Illinois Extension and Iowa State University Extension.
Online symposium attendees can mix and match session topics to create an individualized experience. Three different topics happen at 9 a.m., 10:15 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. Virtual sessions include:
Track One: 9 a.m.
- Runaway Landscapes: Practical Strategies for Working with Nature, Not Against It
- Extension Master Gardener Program Demystified
- Tough Trees (and a Few Shrubs) for Midwestern Landscapes
Track Two: 10:15 a.m.
- Harvesting and Preserving Herbs
- Right Perennial, Right Place
- Extending the Season of Your Vegetable Garden
Track Three: 11:30 a.m.
- Introduction to Including Native Plants in Your Landscape
- Tomato Troubles... & Triumphs?
- From Tree to Table: Making Maple Syrup
Find full session descriptions at go.illinois.edu/GIA. All sessions will be offered via Zoom, requiring participants to have internet access and a valid email address. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required by Oct. 18 to receive link access. A program donation option is available and appreciated, but not required to attend.
Select programs will be recorded and made available to registered participants at a later date, following the addition of closed captioning.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, contact Tracy Jo Mulliken at tmully@illinois.edu or by phone at 309-756-9978. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet access needs.
About Gardening in the Air
Gardening in the Air is a virtual event held seasonally and co-hosted by University of Illinois Extension and Iowa State University Extension. The online event brings exclusive online sessions exploring today’s popular horticulture topics and environmentally responsible gardening practices. Tune in to the presentations from indoors, outdoors, or while enjoying a favorite view because any morning spent gardening is a great way to start the day. Learn more at go.illinois.edu/GIA.
