Rice County Horticulture Educational Day

8:30 am - Registration Opens & Vendor Fair

9:00 am - How Not to Kill Your Trees | Katie Drewitz, Extension educator

As a local Extension Educator, I often receive phone calls about trees that appear to “suddenly be dying.” I’ve learned to look for and identify risk factors early on that will lead to immature tree death. In this presentation, I will share with you how to identify these risk factors as well as how to avoid them all together. Attend this session to learn How Not to Kill Your Trees.

10:00 am - Top Ten Peony Questions | Becky Swenson, Swenson Gardens

Because peonies provide classic beauty in a garden or vase, they are a favorite of novice and expert gardeners alike. The Top 10 peony questions will be answered, including growing and care techniques to help your peonies flourish. You will also get a sneak peek into the next generation of these beautiful plants -- be prepared to think beyond pink, red, and white!

11:15 am - Lunch and Vendor Fair

Take a short walk to Stav Hall Cafeteria in Buntrock Commons. Time after lunch to visit the vendors and check out silent auction items

12:30 pm - Gardening in a New Climate | Meg McAndrews Cowden

As gardeners, we are intimately linked to the seasons and its increasingly erratic weather. We see and feel the effects in our home gardens every day of the growing season. How do we adjust our growing methods to meet the changing climate? From late frosts followed by early and prolonged summer heat to flash flooding followed by weeks-long dry spells, how do we make the most of our short but increasingly erratic growing season? If it's hotter in summer, can we grow warmer zone annuals and perennials? Is our growing season increasing, and what can we do to capture those extra weeks? One thing is certain: unpredictable weather is here to stay. And we can take measures to create resilient and robust, climate-friendly landscapes right now. Being a present and keen observer, understanding and managing pests, and planting diversely will bring resilience to both the garden and its gardener. Deepen your respect for nature by hearing all we can do to embrace the shifting weather in Minnesota while growing our most abundant home gardens ever.

1:30 pm - Break | Last chance for the vendors and silent auction bids!

1:45 pm - Healing Power of Gardens | Dr. Lisa Philander, Director of Horticulture at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory

Plants can be healing in many ways but rather than discuss their benefits as they are ingested, this talk focuses on how gardening can be empowering. There are healing benefits to individuals, society, culture, and the environment. Dr. Philander will discuss a more holistic approach to looking at the healing powers of plants and gardening.

Vendor Fair | Door Prizes | Silent Auction | Educational Sessions