Three More Workshops

Lots of planning and event preparations were in full swing today. I spent much of the morning compiling details on four of our six workshops that will be offered this year. In yesterday's blog I mentioned the mosaic birdhouse workshop on April 9th. This morning we finalized the details for some other exciting workshops. Sue M. did a nice job putting everything on our website and details for all four events can be viewed at www.rotarybotanicalgardens.org/rotary-botanical-gardens/workshops. We hope to also include information on a future pruning workshop and are looking in to a bonsai demonstration/workshop. More details to follow. Note that all workshops have a maximum number of participants. The container above (picture from Peg K.'s house) is meant to inspire some interest in our May 18th (9 am - 11 am) container planting workshop with Becky Nickel, Master Gardener and landscape professional extraordinaire. All materials (including a container) will be supplied although participants can also bring one from home. The neatest part of this opportunity is that participants will get to size up plants from the RBG yard (vast selection)! I'll also help with this course. On July 30th (Saturday), there will be two opportunities. Unfortunately, they conflict in terms of timing but both should be well received. Shelley Ryan, host of the popular WPT show The Wisconsin Gardener, will be offering her silk scarf dyeing workshop (9 am - 11 am) that will utilize plants found out in the gardens. She will guide participants thru all the steps of this process and all participants end up with four scarves; three prepared by them and one done in advance by Shelley (see sample above). On that same day, Karen Mezera will be leading a rose workshop/tour (10 am - noon) that will address proper selection, soil preparation, maintenance, insect/disease issues, winterization, etc. regarding roses. She'll give a tour of the RBG rose collection and will address participant questions and provide rose care handouts. Karen is a past RBG volunteer, Master Gardener and is a consulting rosarian for the American Rose Society (ARS). She has been an ARS judge since 2005 and travels extensively for rose events and lectures on roses often.Aside from workshop planning, I was able to make some more orders and continue to work on upcoming presentations. I'll present up at Olbrich Botanical Gardens (Madison, WI) tomorrow night on annuals and have a presentation this Saturday as well. Dr. Gredler and Bill worked on painting obelisks while Larry spent most of the day working on our CASE endloader and getting it ready for spring. Kay came in to work on plant sale labels and once that was complete, was drafted to help get handouts ready for upcoming presentations. We also saw Mary W., Gary, Jumbo Jim, Deb, Mike and L.P. Tree Service was here to grind up the pines (Holiday Lights Show) in to mulch for the gardens. Busy day! Dr. Gredler's gloves (below) always let you know what colors he's dabbling with that day! :)