Mercer Educational Gardens, Schedule of Events

2012 Master Gardener Schedule of Events

Join the Master Gardeners of Mercer County for a new season of responsible Home Gardening Programs.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension educational programs are offered to all without regard to race, religion, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

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Monday, January 23rd

7:00 - 8:00 pm Extension *

Color, Shape and Texture

A beautiful garden begins with a good design. January is the perfect time to plan. This MG event will present the elements of foliage and flower that bring true artistry to garden design.

Wednesdays, February 8th , 15th, 22nd and 29th

7:00 - 8:30 pm Extension *

Basics of Successful Lawn Care

Barbara J. Bromley, Mercer County Horticulturist, will teach four lawn-care classes for both lawn professionals and homeowners. The 90-minute sessions are:

Management Strategies and Selection of Grasses;

Basic Maintenance Strategies: IPM Practices;

Pest Control and Troubleshooting; and

Lawn Renovation and Establishment.

It is recommended, but not required, that participants plan to attend all four sessions: each session is equally important to a basic understanding of how to establish and maintain a healthy lawn. Call (609) 989-6830 to pre-register; a fee is required for these classes. Pesticide recertification credits are offered for these classes. PRE-REGISTRATION is required.

Thursday, April 19th

7:00 - 8:00 pm Extension *

Vegetable Gardening

Few activities are as rewarding to a gardener as enjoying home grown vegetables - lettuce, tomatoes, squash, and so many more. This program will walk you through all the considerations of vegetable gardening: choosing the best site, preparing the soil, selecting seeds or transplants, and taking good care of them until it's time to put them on the table. Soil test mailers will be available for purchase.

Saturday, March 17th

8:30 - 4:00 pm An All Day Garden Symposium Stuart Country Day School

Garden Scents and Sensibility

Mercer County Horticulturist, Barbara J. Bromley will be joined by author, photographer, and naturalist Ken Druse; Bill Cullina, author and native plant expert; author and gardener, Tovah Martin; and Barry Glick, award winning plantsman and garden blogger for a day-long program of exciting and inspiring slideshows and lectures. Details about our speakers and their programs, as well as registration information and fee, can be found at:
http://www.mgofmc.org/symposium
PRE-REGISTRATION is required.

Saturday, May 5th

10:00 am - 2:00 pm Mercer Educational Gardens

Spring Plant Expo

Many great varieties of perennials, herbs, tomatoes and native plants for local gardens will be available to the public. Master Gardeners will assist you in selecting the right plants for your garden conditions. Mercer County Horticulturist, Barbara J. Bromley, will be on hand to answer your gardening questions. The ever popular Second Hand Sale will offer "gently used" items for purchase.

Sunday, June 6th

10:00 - 11:00 am Mercer Educational Gardens

Composting

Don't throw those veggie scraps away; pile them up somewhere and make compost, that rich, nutritious organic matter that will improve soil structure and fertility. MG of MC Composting Mentors will demonstrate how much of the basic composting ingredients to use; how much moisture to incorporate; how to aerate the mixture; and the pros and cons of various structures for composting bins. This program will be held in conjunction with the Equestrian Center where attendees can obtain information about how to incorporate manure in compost.

Wednesday, July 11th

7:00 - 8:30 pm Mercer Educational Gardens

A Midsummer Night in the Garden

Come visit the Mercer Educational Gardens (MEG) and stroll through a wide variety of gardens focusing on: Perennials, Annuals, Herbs, Native Plants and Butterfly Plants. There is also a Meadow, a Cottage Garden, and Weed Identification Bed. Master Gardeners will be on hand to guide you through the gardens and to demonstrate gardening techniques to keep your garden beautiful all summer long.

Thursday, August 9th

7:00 - 8:30 pm Extension *

Lawn Renovation & Establishment

Early September is the right time to repair your lawn. Mercer County Horticulturist, Barbara J. Bromley, will give you the information you need to get ready for this important step in helping your lawn be healthy and look great. The proper methods and proper timing to reseed, renovate, or re-sod lawns damaged by summer problems will be covered. Soil test mailers will be available for purchase so you can determine how much (if any) fertilizer or lime is needed for your lawn.

Saturday, September 8th

1:00 - 4:00 pm Mercer Educational Gardens

10th Annual Insect Festival

Fun and fascination for all! Local naturalists and Master Gardeners will be on hand with insect-related displays and games in seven beautiful gardens. Examine bugs living in water, learn all about bees (native and honey), watch worms produce compost, touch beneficial insects, see butterfly metamorphosis, and hunt for insects in our meadow. Enjoy an insect puppet show, crafts, mural painting, bee dancing, hayrides and more. Barbara J. Bromley, Mercer County Horticulturist, will answer your garden questions. Free on-site parking.

Thursday, October 11th

7:00 - 8:00 pm Extension *

Forcing Bulbs

If you can't wait for the first blossoms of the spring, forcing bulb plants by growing them indoors can bring them into bloom several weeks earlier. Come to learn the right way and right time to encourage your bulbs to bloom well before Spring.

Thursday, November 15th

7:00 - 8:00 pm Extension *

Terrarium Planting

A terrarium brings a variety of plants together in a transparent container to create a miniature eco-system. This program will cover the techniques and supplies needed as well as the types of plants which live well together in various conditions.

Click here for a printer friendly version of this schedule.

ALL EVENTS ARE RAIN OR SHINE
*For programs scheduled at Extension, please call 989-6830 to pre-register.
Soil Test Mailers will be available at all events for $20.00

Donations benefit educational programs of the Master Gardeners of Mercer County. Donation of $3.00 suggested for all programs unless noted.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
930 Spruce Street
Lawrence, NJ
Adjacent to the Trenton Farmer's Market

Mercer Educational Gardens (MEG)
431 A Federal City Road
Pennington, NJ
Site entrance is opposite the end of Old Mill Road on Federal City Road. The Mercer Educational Gardens has limited handicapped accessibility and it is open all year, dawn to dusk.
To arrange for one of our programs at your site
call our Speakers Bureau at (609) 989-6830
For more information call the Extension office at
(609) 989-6830
Or the Master Gardener Helpline at
(609) 989-6853
To be added to our mailing list, send your request in an email to: mgofmcmailist@gmail.com

Rutgers Cooperative Extension educational programs are offered to all without regard to race, religion, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability

Helpline Number: 609-989-6853

Monday, January 23rd
7:00 - 8:00 pm	Extension *
*Color, Shape and Texture*
A beautiful garden begins with a good design. January is the perfect time to plan. This MG event will present the elements of foliage and flower that bring true artistry to garden design.
Wednesdays, February 8th , 15th, 22nd and 29th
7:00 - 8:30 pm	Extension *
*Basics of Successful Lawn Care*
Barbara J. Bromley, Mercer County Horticulturist, will teach four lawn-care classes for both lawn professionals and homeowners. The 90-minute sessions are: Management Strategies and Selection of Grasses; Basic Maintenance Strategies: IPM Practices; Pest Control and Troubleshooting; and Lawn Renovation and Establishment. It is recommended, but not required, that participants plan to attend all four sessions: each session is equally important to a basic understanding of how to establish and maintain a healthy lawn. Call (609) 989-6830 to pre-register; a fee is required for these classes. Pesticide recertification credits are offered for these classes. PRE-REGISTRATION is required.
Thursday, April 19th
7:00 - 8:00 pm	Extension *
*Vegetable Gardening*
Few activities are as rewarding to a gardener as enjoying home grown vegetables - lettuce, tomatoes, squash, and so many more. This program will walk you through all the considerations of vegetable gardening: choosing the best site, preparing the soil, selecting seeds or transplants, and taking good care of them until it's time to put them on the table. Soil test mailers will be available for purchase.
Saturday, March 17th
8:30 - 4:00 pm An All Day Garden Symposium	Stuart Country Day School
*Garden Scents and Sensibility*
Mercer County Horticulturist, Barbara J. Bromley will be joined by author, photographer, and naturalist Ken Druse; Bill Cullina, author and native plant expert; author and gardener, Tovah Martin; and Barry Glick, award winning plantsman and garden blogger for a day-long program of exciting and inspiring slideshows and lectures. Details about our speakers and their programs, as well as registration information and fee, can be found at: http://www.mgofmc.org/symposium PRE-REGISTRATION is required.
Saturday, May 5th
10:00 am - 2:00 pm	Mercer Educational Gardens
*Spring Plant Expo*
Many great varieties of perennials, herbs, tomatoes and native plants for local gardens will be available to the public. Master Gardeners will assist you in selecting the right plants for your garden conditions. Mercer County Horticulturist, Barbara J. Bromley, will be on hand to answer your gardening questions. The ever popular Second Hand Sale will offer "gently used" items for purchase.
Sunday, June 6th
10:00 - 11:00 am	Mercer Educational Gardens
*Composting*
Don't throw those veggie scraps away; pile them up somewhere and make compost, that rich, nutritious organic matter that will improve soil structure and fertility. MG of MC Composting Mentors will demonstrate how much of the basic composting ingredients to use; how much moisture to incorporate; how to aerate the mixture; and the pros and cons of various structures for composting bins. This program will be held in conjunction with the Equestrian Center where attendees can obtain information about how to incorporate manure in compost.
Wednesday, July 11th
7:00 - 8:30 pm	Mercer Educational Gardens
*A Midsummer Night in the Garden*
Come visit the Mercer Educational Gardens (MEG) and stroll through a wide variety of gardens focusing on: Perennials, Annuals, Herbs, Native Plants and Butterfly Plants. There is also a Meadow, a Cottage Garden, and Weed Identification Bed. Master Gardeners will be on hand to guide you through the gardens and to demonstrate gardening techniques to keep your garden beautiful all summer long.
Thursday, August 9th
7:00 - 8:30 pm	Extension *
*Lawn Renovation & Establishment*
Early September is the right time to repair your lawn. Mercer County Horticulturist, Barbara J. Bromley, will give you the information you need to get ready for this important step in helping your lawn be healthy and look great. The proper methods and proper timing to reseed, renovate, or re-sod lawns damaged by summer problems will be covered. Soil test mailers will be available for purchase so you can determine how much (if any) fertilizer or lime is needed for your lawn.
Saturday, September 8th
1:00 - 4:00 pm	Mercer Educational Gardens
*10th Annual Insect Festival*
Fun and fascination for all! Local naturalists and Master Gardeners will be on hand with insect-related displays and games in seven beautiful gardens. Examine bugs living in water, learn all about bees (native and honey), watch worms produce compost, touch beneficial insects, see butterfly metamorphosis, and hunt for insects in our meadow. Enjoy an insect puppet show, crafts, mural painting, bee dancing, hayrides and more. Barbara J. Bromley, Mercer County Horticulturist, will answer your garden questions. Free on-site parking.
Thursday, October 11th
7:00 - 8:00 pm	Extension *
*Forcing Bulbs*
If you can't wait for the first blossoms of the spring, forcing bulb plants by growing them indoors can bring them into bloom several weeks earlier. Come to learn the right way and right time to encourage your bulbs to bloom well before Spring.
Thursday, November 15th
7:00 - 8:00 pm	Extension *
*Terrarium Planting*
A terrarium brings a variety of plants together in a transparent container to create a miniature eco-system. This program will cover the techniques and supplies needed as well as the types of plants which live well together in various conditions.