Interested in learning more about native plants and good gardening practices in person? Here are two upcoming events:

Feb. 7: Free North Carroll Library Presentation

“The Joys of Gardening with Natives: Finish Your Winter Chores, Spring Is Coming,” will be held  Tues., Feb. 7, from 6:00-7:00 pm. It will be held in the large meeting room of North Carroll Public Library, 2255 Hanover Pike, Hampstead, MD, 21074.

This presentation is free and open to the public. Laura O’Callaghan, a Master Gardener, will be the speaker. She teaches courses about native plants at Carroll and Howard Community Colleges.  

Continue reading Native Plant Talks and Courses Available →

So Wildlife Will Wake Up In the Spring

Learn how to put your garden to bed without harming butterflies, bees, moths, and other good insects. Hint: leaves are not litter; they are food and shelter for pollinators and other insects.

A three-hour class from 6:30 to 9:30 pm on Thurs., Oct. 6 at Carroll Community College (CCC) will discuss multiple aspects of how to prepare your garden for winter.

The course will discuss when to divide and/or plant perennials, shrubs, and trees. Other topics will include basic rules about pruning shrubs and trees; what to do before and after the first hard frost; and how to manage invasive plants and insects. Students will learn how to clean vegetable gardens and plant cover crops for winter. The course will also discuss the critical importance of native plants and insects.

The course will be taught by Master Gardener Laura O’Callaghan, a Carroll Community College instructor, and creator of the InthegardenwithLaura.com website.

The course costs $55. Carroll County residents receive a $10 discount on the course. Maryland, non-Carroll residents may deduct $5 per course and Maryland senior adults pay fees only. For details, go to www.carrollcc.edu/CETRegistration

Laura

How can you have fun, garden, and preserve native plants and wildlife? Create your own Homegrown National Park®(HNP).

This project aims to initially create 20 million acres of “national parks” filled with native flora and fauna in people’s backyards, which equals about ½ of privately owned green properties. The majority of land in the United States is privately owned.

Continue reading You Too Could Have a Homegrown National Park →