Feb. 1 & Feb. 2: INDOOR GARDENING WITH GESNERIADS, THE AFRICAN VIOLET FAMILY – GARY MIKITA
Feb. 8 & Feb. 9: "KNOW MAINTENANCE™" PERENNIAL GARDENING – ROY DIBLIK
Feb. 15 & Feb. 16: ORCHIDS - HERMANN PIGORS (2/15 – beginners; 2/16 – advanced)
Feb. 22 & Feb. 23: VEGETABLES 101 WITH SCOTT THALMANN
Feb. 29 & Mar. 1: NATIVE PERENNIALS FOR CLAY SOILS – RANDY POWERS
Mar. 7 & Mar. 8: FELCO PRUNER SHARPENING & MAINTENANCE WORKSHOP – SAM DARIN - $44.99 plus tax fee and pre-registration required, please call 847-256-0561 x230 or x225
Mar. 14 & Mar. 15: THE SOIL FOOD WEB – DR. REX BASTIAN
Mar. 21 & Mar. 22: UNDERSTORY PLANTING, THE ORIGINAL SHADE GARDEN – MARCY STEWART-PYZIAK
Mar. 28 & Mar. 29: INSTANT GRATIFICATION SPRING CONTAINER WORKSHOP - $44.99 plus tax fee and pre-registration required, please call 847-256-0561 x230 or x225
If you have any questions, please call Jennifer Brennan at 847-256-0561, x225.
LECTURE DESCRIPTIONS:
HOUSE PLANT MAINTENANCE WITH JENNIFER BRENNAN & MORRIE MILLMAN, "THE PLANT MANAGER": The middle of winter, everyone has questions about their house plants. Jennifer Brennan, Chalet horticulturist and Morrie Millman, who has provided residential horticulture services on the North Shore for over 25 years, will discuss scheduled maintenance, pruning, fertilizing, repotting and insect control for most common houseplants. Bring a sample for a correct diagnosis under the Chalet microscope.
INDOOR GARDENING WITH GESNERIADS, THE AFRICAN VIOLET FAMILY – GARY MIKITA, owner of Gary's Out of Africa, will introduce you to Streptocarpus, Episcias, Kohlerias, Sinningias and other cousins of the blooming African Violets. Learn how to correctly water, fertilize and propagate these fascinating blooming houseplants. Start your collection or add to your collection with the beautiful samples he will be bringing.
"KNOW MAINTENANCE™" PERENNIAL GARDENING – ROY DIBLIK: There is no such thing as a "no maintenance garden. Roy Diblik, co-owner of Northwinds Perennial Farm and grower of the plants for the Lurie Garden in Chicago, will teach the principles of KNOW MAINTENANCE™"gardening. Inspired by native plant communities, Roy developed a way to design, install and maintain beautiful and sustainable landscapes that do not use up your resources or your time. Learn his techniques and his favorite, durable, low maintenance plants.
ORCHID EXPERT HERMANN PIGORS: Learn about the different orchid varieties from one of the foremost experts in the U.S. Hermann Pigors, of Oak Hill Gardens, has raised orchids for many years and he makes understanding their requirements easy. Learn the secrets of re-potting, light requirements and the best techniques for fertilizing. He will cover the best types of orchids for home culture as well as lesser known varieties to add to your collection. (2/15 – beginners version; 2/16 – advanced version)
VEGETABLES 101: Chalet expert, Scott Thalmann, will walk you through the process of vegetable gardening. Start by selecting the best vegetable varieties for the Chicagoland area. Learn how to germinate and grow your own transplants, plant them successfully into your garden and grow them for an abundant harvest. Scott has been vegetable gardening for years and will share his practical tips and easy solutions.
NATIVE PERENNIALS FOR CLAY SOILS – RANDY POWERS: Most of the gardens in the Chicago region have heavy clay soils. Success in these gardens has come from an 'if you can't beat them, join them' attitude. Planting perennials that naturally grow in clay is the solution. Randy Powers, owner of Prairie Future Seeds, will introduce his favorite perennials for clay soils. Increase your palette of plants and improve your gardening success.
FELCO PRUNER SHARPENING & MAINTENANCE WORKSHOP – SAM DARIN: March is the best month to prune woody plants in the Chicago region. Attend this workshop to get your Felco pruning shears in shape for the job. Sam Darin, the tool specialist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, will guide you through the steps to disassemble, reassemble, adjust, sharpen, clean and oil your Felco pruning shears. Jennifer Brennan, Chalet horticulturist, will highlight the key points of proper pruning. After this workshop, you will be ready to tackle your pruning chores. Please pre-register and pay a materials fee (includes pruner grease and sharpening stone) of $44.99 plus tax, to hold your reservation. Call Jennifer at 847-256-9561 ext 225.
THE SOIL FOOD WEB – DR. REX BASTIAN: Soil is a complex living community. Dr. Rex Bastian, director of technical services with The Care of Trees, will explain why it is so important to understand the soil food web and how it effects the health and success of our landscape plants. He will highlight practices that benefit the soil food web, and explain which ones should be avoided based on the latest research.
UNDERSTORY PLANTING, THE ORIGINAL SHADE GARDEN – MARCY STEWART-PYZIAK: Back by popular demand, Marcy, the Gardener's Tutor, will discuss understory planting and how to layer ephemeral plants with shade loving perennials, woody shrubs and understory trees. Understanding how plants co-exist in the woodland setting, helps to create beautiful shade gardens in our own landscapes with sustainable plant combinations.
"INSTANT GRATIFICATION" SPRING CONTAINER WORKSHOP: This is a fun container that allows you to plant lilies for mid season glamour in the garden. The "instant gratification" comes from the spring annuals and forced bulbs that dress up the top of the lily pot. Enjoy the beautiful spring display of pansies, daffodils, hyacinths, Johnny jump-ups and ivy while the lilies are rooting. Get two seasons of enjoyment from this workshop. Please pre-register and pay a materials fee of $44.99 to hold your reservation. Call Jennifer at 847-256-9561 ext 225.
