With more than a foot of snow on deck for Maryland this weekend, it is possible these garden events will be cancelled or postponed.

Check with the event sites before you go!

Homestead Gardens, Davidsonville

Gene’s tips: Pruning 101 ($5)
Saturday, 10am
Gene Sumi provides an informative demonstration on when and how to prune. Dress warmly as this workshop is outside.

Orchids for Beginners ($35)
Saturday, 12pm
Orchid expert Dr. Clark Riley shares his insights into raising & nurturing these graceful flowers. Includes a take-home orchid.

Orchids for Fanatics ($35)
Saturday, at 2pm
Feed your orchid addiction with this seminar from Dr. Riley that will educate both collectors & fanatics. Includes a take-home orchid.

Herbs for Healthy Living ($5)
Sunday, at 12pm
Annuals Manager Kerry Kelley shows how organic herbs can be used in cooking & to soothe the soul through aromatherapy.

Winter Birding ($5)
Sunday, at 2pm Andy Brown of the Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary in Calvert County shares his extensive birding knowledge.

Valley View Farms, Cockeysville

Bonsai: Soils, Fertilizers and Propagation
February 6, 9:00am Learn about soils, fertilizers, air-layering and other forms of propagation from Martha Meehan in today’s class. She’ll also discuss correcting roots through grafting.

Orchid Care and Repotting
February 6, 11:00am Jan Gannon of Valley View will demonstrate repotting an orchid. Bring your orchid and we will help you repot. There will be a small fee for Orchid Potting Mix.

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Saturday, 9:00 a.m., Valley View Farms: Victory Gardens for Fall: Keep the summer vegetables growing and replant the garden for cool-season fall harvests. Dotty Zajac and Suzanne Barton our vegetable garden experts, will suggest planting techniques and varieties for late summer planting including broccoli, lettuce, spinach and other favorites.

 

 

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Saturday, 9:00 a.m. Valley View Farms,  Whimsical Summer Container Gardens:

Saturday, 11 a.m. Valley View Farms, Bugs, Slugs and Other Garden Thugs: We’re willing to share, but not with these creatures. Find out who the good bugs and who the bad bugs are in the garden and how to encourage the former and discourage the latter. This visual presentation will be presented by our staff and any “friends” participants want to bring along for identification. We will show earth-friendly techniques to keep our gardens healthy and alive. For children and adults.

 Photo courtesy of Valley View Farms

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Saturday, 10 a.m.,

Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Homestead Gardens, Davidsonville, Meet with Master Gardeners at the Rainscaping.org rain garden information station.

Sunday, 11 a.m., Homestead Gardens, Davidsonville, “Coffee with Cohen: Easy Care Perennials” with ‘Perennial Diva’ Stephanie Cohen.

Sunday, 1:30 p.m., Homestead Gardens, Davidsonville “Stepables and Groundcovers” with Sandy McDougle of Sandy's Plants. Reduce Mulch in your landscape by using groundcover and grass alternatives.

Sunday, 3 p.m., Homestead Gardens, Davidsonville, “Water Gardening Workshop: A Table-Top Water Garden.” Assemble your own water garden in a container with water gardening specialist, Dave Kemon. All materials included. Pre-registration required. Cost: $50 ($45 for Garden Club members).

Photo credit: Melanie McCabe, Homestead Gardens.

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Today, 7 p.m. at Valley View Farms: Designing Container Gardens for Spring: Nancy Sostrin shares her knack for putting together annuals, perennials and bulbs, as she designs gardens in containers for use in window boxes, hanging baskets and patio pots. Admission is free.

Saturday, 9 a.m. at Valley View Farms: How to Build a Water Garden:  Get your feet wet and learn about water gardening from Tim McQuaid, Valley View Farms water garden manager. Tim will go over each step from placement of the pond to filling it with fish and plants. Learn about pumps, liners, filters and other elements for creating a successful water garden. Admission is free.

Saturday, 10 a.m. at Valley View Farms: Carrie’s Gardening Tips for April:  Plant expert and greenhouse manager Carrie Engel will give general planting tips for perennials, trees, shrubs, and cool weather annuals. She will also discuss fertilizer and mulch choices, lawn seeding and crabgrass and weed prevention. On the second Saturday of each month, Engel gives gardeners this open forum to talk about what’s happening in the garden and answers questions that may come up. Beginning and expert gardeners are encouraged to attend. Admission is free.

Saturday, 11 a.m. at Valley View Farms: Annual and Tropical Plants for Container Combinations: Jazz up spring and summer container gardens with the addition of unique and different tropical plants to add color, height, texture and interest. Nancy Sostrin from the Valley View Farms greenhouse will share some of her secrets for creating interesting combinations. Admission is free.

 

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   Anne Arundel Community College is offering a variety of classes and workshops for the gardener. Special thanks to my friend Susan Gross for this information.

     If you’d like to create gardens that help nature and the environment but you don’t know how, sign up for one of Anne Arundel Community College’s one-session noncredit, continuing education courses this spring:

• “Smart Landscape Design for the Environment” (ENV 508), $60. Learn to use native plants and good environmental practices to create a beautiful landscape that conserves land and water. Class meets 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at the AACC at Arundel Mills facility, 7009 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover. 
            
•  “Perennials and Grasses for Landscaping” (ENV 509), $60, helps you design a Bay-friendly landscape plan that uses perennials and grasses to prevent erosion. This new course meets 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at the Glen Burnie Town Center, 101 N. Crain Highway, Glen Burnie.
  

            Most of the other courses are two-hour courses on weekday evenings at AACC’s Arnold campus, 101 College Parkway. They include:

• In a new course, “Designing a Cutting Garden” (HOR 359), $35, helps gardeners create a cutting garden in every season of the year. It meets 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22.
• Another new course, “Perennials 101” (HOR 358), $35, a certified horticulturist gives tips for reducing maintenance and protecting the environment while creating a year-round perennial garden. It meets 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 6.
• Discover ways to compost with the help of worms in “Vermi Composting” (ECO 347), $39, 7-9 p.m. Thursday, April 23.
• Attract a variety of birds and butterflies using a birdbath, bucket, twigs and rocks in “Backyard Wildlife Habitat” (ECO 344), $29, 7-9 p.m. Thursday, April 30.
• A similar course, “Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden” (INT 353), $37, tells what flowers, plants and feeders attract butterflies and hummingbirds and meets 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 13.
• Learn how to protect waterways, shellfish and grasses while gardening in “Clean Water” (ECO 346), $29, 7-9 p.m. Thursday, May 7.
• Try also “Growing Annuals” (INT 361), $30, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, May 18, to find ways to add color to the garden throughout the growing season.
• Head to Willow Oak Herb Farm, 8109 Telegraph Road in Severn, to learn ways to be successful in “Container Planting” (INT 337), $45, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, and “Extra-Large Container Planting” (HOR 352), $70, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 2.   
•  Have a green thumb? Sign up for AACC’s online class, “Growing Plants for Fun and Profit” (INT 349), $88, which runs April 15-June 5. Focus on licensing, site preparation, supplies, equipment and marketing.
             

  Registration is under way. For information or to register, visit the Web site, or call 410-777-2325.

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