Thank you for your interest in the 2023 Gardener's Pathway! Registration has closed for this event. If you would like more information please contact the DeKalb County University of Illinois Extension Office at 815-758-8194 or email Program Coordinator Connie Handel at cahandel@illinois.edu.
2023 Gardener's Pathway
Saturday, February 18, 2023
8:00 a.m. - 1:00 pm
DeKalb County Farm Bureau - 1350 West Prairie Drive, Sycamore, IL 60178
$25.00
Join the DeKalb County Master Gardeners for a half-day gardening workshop. Everyone from beginner to experienced gardener will find something new and interesting to learn about. This workshop includes a keynote presentation, three breakout sessions, and door prizes.
8:00-8:30 am Check-In
8:40-9:30 am Keynote Speaker: Kim Hartmann, Landscape Designer and Horticulture Consultant
Best New Plants for 2023 - We will highlight the best new annuals, perennials, roses, vegetables, shrubs and trees for 2023. Only those plants with unique features that are successful in our region make the list. Come be inspired by new colors, forms, and textures in plants for your landscape, garden and containers. Come see what's new!
Kim has worked as a communication consultant, garden center manager and landscape designer for the last 35 years. Kim works for Rosborough Partners, a landscape design/build/maintenance company, in Libertywille. She has a degree in Horticulture and Communication from the University of Illinois. She is an Illinois Certified Nursery Professional and Lake County Master Gardener. She is on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA) and chairs their Education Committee. She was recently awarded the Illinois Green Industry Association ICN Professional of the Year award. She is a frequent speaker to green industry, consumer, and school audiences. Kim loves to travel, grow and arrange flowers, and enjoys music. She is a wife, mother of three and grandmother of two. The daughter of a farmer and teacher, she has combined her heritage and passion for learning into her career.
9:40-10:30 am First Breakout Session (Choose one):
Basics DeKalb County Toddler Gardens by Cary Allen, Basics DeKalb Children's Garden Coordinator - Basics DeKalb County is part of a comprehensive early learning initiative housed at the DeKalb County Regional Office of Education. Inspired by the fact that 80% of brain growth occurs in the first three years of life, Basics DeKalb County Toddler Gardens were created to provide a unique space for creative, brain-boosting, outdoor growth experiences for this young age. The program will cover the start-up of these county projects, programming, and partnerships and inform participants how they can impact the county's youngest learners.
Pruning by Kim Hartmann, Landscape Designer and Horticulture Consultant - Pruning is essential to the optimal health of evergreens, trees, shrubs, and vines, but even the most experienced gardeners fear it. Learn how and when to prune your woody plants and perennials to get them off to a beautiful start this year. We will also learn the best ways to prepare your garden for the upcoming season. We'll share valuable time-saving tips and sustainable techniques to start your garden on the right path this year.
10:30 - 10:50 am Coffee Break, Door Prizes, Networking (snacks, coffee, tea, water)
11:00 - 11:50 am Second Breakout Session (Choose one):
Big Flavors in Small Spaces: Container Fruits by Bruce Black, University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator - Lacking a large landscape and love homegrown fruits? Look to container gardening: fruit edition! Join Horticulture Educator Bruce J. Black, to discuss how dwarf cultivars of blueberries, strawberries, brambles (raspberries and blackberries), and even apple trees can be planted on your patios or small outdoor areas to provide those big fresh fruit flavors in small spaces!
Floral Design by Janet Gallagher AIFD CFD, Floral Design Instructor, Kishwaukee College - Using armatures can bring a whole new level to the simplest of designs. Learn how to incorporate sustainably with your floral designs and give them a whole new beauty! One of the lucky participants of this session will win Janet's final arrangement as a door prize!
12:00 - 12:50 pm Third Breakout Session (Choose one):
Nature Journaling by Jim Duis, Ruth Edwards Nature Center, Dixon Park District - Nature Journaling is a method of capturing observations of the natural world on paper. Jim will present techniques for interpreting our perceptions, including form, texture, and lighting.
Native Pollinators and You by Peggy Doty, University of Illinois Extension Natural Recource, Environment and Energy Educator - We have transformed our property into a beautiful landscape for the human eye but have unknowingly taken away most of the plants that our native insects evolved with, the ones they recognize, the ones that provide the pollen and nectar they need for survival. Because almost everything in the food chain revolves around insects, we should be willing to give back what these tiny creatures are looking for and, if nothing else, for our own survival.
12:50 - 1:00 pm Evaluations
If you have questions please contact the DeKalb County University of Illinois Extension Office at 815-758-8194 or Connie Handel, Extension Program Coordinator at cahandel@illinois.edu.
University of Illinois, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Local Extension Councils Cooperating. University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.
If you need a reasonable accomodation to participate, please contact the DeKalb County University of Illinois Extension Office at 815-758-8194. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your needs.