FREEPORT, Ill--As the gardening season comes to a close, join us for some informative and fun gardening programs to help you wrap up your gardening work and get a jump-start on the coming season. The University of Illinois Extension, in partnership with the Freeport Park District, is offering the Fall Garden Series. The series will be held at the Krape Park Community Building.

The first class in the series is Falling into the Autumn Fruit and Vegetable Garden. While the end of October may have you ready to shut down your garden for the season, there still can be some tasks that you can do if you want to get out on these warm days. This class will look at tasks that can be done within the next few weeks, the next month, and even towards the end of the year. Tasks like seed saving, season extension, soil management, storage, and others will be covered. Extension Educator Grant McCarty will present Falling into the Autumn Fruit and Vegetable Garden on Tuesday, October 24, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. There is no fee to attend this class, but pre-registration is required.

The second class in the series will be Composting for the Homeowner, held on Tuesday, November 7, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Extension Educator Jay Solomon will discuss the principles of turning yard waste into a usable product. He will cover the basics of composting, different types of composting systems, and selecting which ones may best fit your needs. There is no fee to attend this class, but pre-registration is required.

The last class of the series is Evergreen Porch Pots and will be held on Tuesday, November 28, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Extension Program Coordinator Nikki Keltner will lead the class and provide participants with design tips on how to make a beautiful porch pot for the winter season. As part of the class, participants will make a porch pot of their own to take home. All supplies are provided, the fee to attend is $30, and pre-registration is required.

All classes will be held at the Community Building in Krape Park. To register or for more information, call the University of Illinois Extension at (815) 235-4125 or visit us on-line at go.illinois.edu/jsw.