University of Illinois Extension is pleased to present these horticultural programs to educate and entertain your Lake County group. Contact  Carolina Schottland to schedule a class or series of classes. You can also fill out our Speaker's Bureau Program Interest Form. Volunteers are happy to present the topics listed to community groups in Lake County. Other topics may be considered upon request.

General Garden Topics

• Attracting Butterflies to the Garden
  Brightly colored butterflies are not only an attractive addition to your garden; they are also useful pollinators. Learn about Illinois butterflies and how to design your garden to attract them.
• Be Happy and Healthy with Houseplants                                                                                                                                                                                                              Plants inside the home can clean the air and bring color and warmth as well. Discover what plants are the healthiest for you and how to select and care for the right plants for your space.
• Body Smart Gardening
  Gardening can be one of the most rewarding activities with fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers,  and expanses of lawns dotted with trees. However, gardening can take a toll on the body, whether you are young or old. This program will give your group steps to make gardening more enjoyable. Topics will include clothing, tools, and methods.
• Composting                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Discover the many benefits of home composting. A Master Gardener will discuss how to turn landscape waste into high-quality compost that can enrich your soil.
• Body Smart Gardening
  Gardening can be one of the most rewarding activities with fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, and expanses of lawns dotted with trees. However, gardening can take a toll on the body, whether you are young or old. This program will give your group steps to make gardening more enjoyable. Topics will include clothing, tools, and methods.
• Edible Ornaments                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Carrots in the front yard? Enhance the bounty of your landscape by growing and eating ornamental flowers, herbs, vegetables, and vines that look and taste terrific.
• Growing and using Herbs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Herbs are a healthy way to introduce new flavors into your diet, new fragrances into your home, and add texture to your garden. This class will discuss growing, collecting and preserving techniques for all kinds of herbs and offer suggestions for using herbs in cooking. This is one of our most popular, highly attended programs.
• Insect Hotels                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Did you know that there are many insects that help control pests? In fact, they outnumber damaging insects, especially in the right habitat. We can greatly increase the number of beneficial insects in our gardens by providing a place for them to live and thrive. Insect hotels promote populations of the “good guys,” including pollinators.
• Landscaping for Dogs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       You can have a dog and a beautiful yard at the same time. A U of I  Master Gardener will present ideas on how to share your outdoor living space with your four-legged friends. The presentation will include tips for choosing plants, strategic plant placement, and dog-tolerant plants to create a place for both two and four-legged members of the family to play and relax.
• Native Pollinators                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Insects make up the vast majority of animals that pollinate plants. Find out how you can support our native pollinators in your own backyard.
• Planning and Planting a Vegetable Garden                                                                                                                                                                                                         Feed your whole family the fruits and vegetables they enjoy from your own garden. From site preparation (size, location, and soil) through harvest, a Master Gardener will give your audience the tips and tricks for successful vegetable gardening.
• Prariescape - Grow Native!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Discover the advantages of using prairie plants in the home landscape. Learn how to incorporate prairie plants into an existing garden, the fundamentals of starting a new prairie bed, why prairie plants have survived for 8,500 years, and how to be a part of preserving Illinois’ heritage.
• Preparing Your Garden for Spring                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Learn the seasonal chores that should be done in the spring to get your garden off to a good start. Topics covered include planting seeds indoors and out, planting cool-season flowers, and seasonal lawn care. Also covered are watering, fertilizing, dividing, and pruning.
• Preparing Your Garden for Winter                                                                                                                                                                                                                              End-of-season tasks prepare your garden for winter and make next season's garden more successful. Topics include fertilization, watering and weed control, care of perennials, planting spring bulbs and more!
• Seed Saving                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Saving your own seeds is easy and free. A University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener will discuss how to save seeds from your own garden. Find out which seeds are worth the effort and which are not along with methods of cleaning and storing your seeds.
• Seed Starting                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Starting your own seedlings for the garden is a great way to save money and grow varieties of flowers, vegetables, and other plants not usually found in stores or garden centers. A University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener will present tips on starting your own plants from seed, including soil preparation, container selection, lighting options, and troubleshooting.
• Sustainable Gardening                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Resilient gardeners deal with unpredictable issues to produce food that can sustain during challenging times. Health, diet, weather, and financial situations are taken into account as Master Gardeners discuss sustainable gardening techniques. Learn concepts such as watering, soil fertility, seed selection, seed saving and harvesting, and storage.
• Vermicomposting                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Start making the richest soil around. Let worms recycle your kitchen waste and newspapers into something you can use. Vermicomposting is a great learning experience for kids and adults. Learn how to keep happy and productive worms that will create rich castings to use as fertilizer in your houseplants and garden.
• Wildlife Habitats in Home Spaces                                                                                                                                                                                                                            No matter what size your yard is, you can create an environment that attracts and sustains beautiful and interesting wildlife. The sounds, activities, and antics of wildlife are wonderful additions to the home landscape. Learn how to provide the proper food, water, cover, and brooding sites to attract and maintain birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.

Young Audience Topics

• Butterfly Gardens                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              This program is aimed at 1-4 grades. With a PowerPoint presentation, we watch the life cycle of a butterfly and explore flowers that are nectar and host plants. We read a book about butterflies and plant seeds to start a butterfly garden at home.

Requests should be made four weeks in advance in order to coordinate our volunteers’ schedules. 

• GivePulse (volunteer hours reporting)
• Lake County Help Desk Sign Up
• Illinois Master Gardener Current Volunteer Resources
• Horticulture YouTube videos
• Community Gardening Webinar Series
• Not a certified Master Gardener or in our training program? Find out about Master Gardener training in your area with one of our program pages: Lake and McHenry.