Gardening in the Air

Tired of dragging the hose around and hauling buckets of water to parched plants? Then learn how you can incorporate xeriscaping into your home garden. Whether you desire a minimalist landscape approach or crave a lush garden, explore design strategies and proper plant selection to minimize your water usage and make every drop count. Presenter: Chris Enroth, Horticulture Educator, University of Illinois Extension.

There is a water feature for every landscape. Water Gardens are certainly popular but not for everybody. Adding water to a garden has changed over the last 100 years or so because of advances in technology and construction materials. Jamie will quickly take you through the evolution of adding water to a garden but then focus on what is available today and what is popular, and the maintenance involved with several different types of water features including water gardens will be an important part of the discussion. Presenter: Jamie Beyer, author.

There is more to drought-tolerant plants than just succulents. These annual and perennial species not only survive in dry soils – they thrive!  Once established, these plants are tough, self-reliant, and loaded with beautiful blooms. Learn more about some of these species and how best to incorporate them into your home landscape. Presenter: Dr. Cynthia Haynes, Professor, Department of Horticulture and Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist, Iowa State University.

Topics covered include: proper identification of grasses and common weeds and what they tell you about your yard, when to fertilize and seed, how to improve growing conditions, and identifying pesky turfgrass insects and diseases through a mix of trivia as well as question and answer moments. We also will discuss turfgrass in the shade and when ground cover or mulch is your best option. Presenter: Dr. Adam Thoms, Associate Professor, Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University.

This presentation will outline new methods to increase the ecological sustainability of lawns, like low-maintenance grasses, flowering bee lawns, and water conservation strategies. Presenter: Maggie Reiter, Former Extension Educator, University of Minnesota Extension.

Lawn to Lake program that covers environmentally friendly ways to take care of your lawn. We can discuss the basics of natural lawn care and how this approach works with nature to grow a healthy lawn while protecting lakes, rivers and streams. Presenters: Sarah A. Zack, Pollution Prevention Extension Specialist; Janice Milanovich, Pollution Prevention Assistant; both from Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, University of Illinois Extension.

Decisions about what trees to add to the landscape often revolve around spring flowers, but an equally important consideration is fall leaf color.  In fact, it’s hard to imagine autumn in Iowa without the warm and vibrant tones and shades of yellow, orange, and red many of our deciduous shade trees provide.  This session will begin with an explanation for why and how fall color in leaves develops.  Then we will cover some of the best trees for fall color expression.  You can add to the beauty of the fall season by adding one or two of these trees to your own home or community landscape. Presenter: Dr. Jeff Iles, Professor and Chair, Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University.

As nocturnal raptors, owls have many amazing adaptations to hunt prey at night. Learn about the species that are found in our region. Presenter: Jimmy Wiebler, Naturalist and Research Coordinator, Nahant Marsh Education Center.

Incorporating grasses into your home garden is nothing new – but what are your options? Come learn more about what these four-season interest plants have to offer, and get some ideas about which native grasses you can choose to incorporate into your landscape. Presenter: Erin Garrett, Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy Extension Educator, University of Illinois Extension.