Keep learning going while the garden's growing.
Take a break from summer garden care for a conversation or two around native bees and crop rotation in gardens.
Register for the new summer sessions of the popular webinar series beginning June 17. Two new summer sessions explore getting to know the neighborhood's native bees and ways to implement crop rotation to strengthen any size garden.
The series focuses on home gardening, environmental stewardship, and backyard food production. Monthly webinars begin at 1:30 p.m. on select Tuesdays and are free to attend. Registration is required. Each session lasts approximately an hour, including time for questions.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact the series coordinators by session: Native Bees – Andrew Holsinger, aholsing@illinois.edu, and Crop Rotation – Gemini Bhalsod, at gbhalsod@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time for meeting access needs.
Have a gardening topic on your mind and want to know more? Share suggestions for upcoming sessions with Nancy Kreith at kreith@illinois.edu.
Summer 2025 Sessions
Get to Know Native Bee Neighbors | June 17
When was the last time you invited a wild animal over for a meal? It's probably more recent than expected. Native bees are wild animals often overlooked in favor of larger animals or suffer from being mistaken for another insect. Learn how to identify some valuable pollinator neighbors, where to look for them, and what they can do for everyone.
Presenter: Sreelakshmi Suresh, horticulture educator, Illinois Extension
Crop Rotation: Building Resilient Gardens | Aug. 19
Learn how crop rotation can improve a garden’s soil health, reduce pests and diseases, and even boost overall productivity. This presentation will cover techniques for rotating plant families, even in small spaces like raised beds or containers. Discover how to plan a garden for long-term success with crop rotation.
Presenter: Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle, horticulture educator, Illinois Extension
Information whenever you need it!
Every program is recorded and available to watch on the Illinois Extension Horticulture YouTube channel. Videos are available about two weeks after the live program.