April and Early May Workshops and Events

Stop and Smell the Roses! – 3 WORKSHOPS Saturdays April 6, May 11 and June 15 2013 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Roses 101: Getting the Best Out of Your Garden Saturday, April 6, 2013 from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Learn how to plant new roses, prune old ones, and prepare your garden for a spring explosion. All hands on deck! Be prepared for a hands on workshop by coming with pruners, gloves and lots of energy!

Roses 102: Summer Survival: Getting your roses to thrive in the dog days of summer. Saturday, May 11, 2013 from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Learn how to provide adequate nourishment for your roses, ward off pests, and propagate roses through cuttings the easy way! Please bring pruners and gloves for this hands-on workshop.

Roses 103: Grow to Show: Preparing your blooms to be winners at the county fairs. Saturday, June 15, 2013 from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. After all of the work you've put into growing beautiful roses, you should share them with others! We will teach you how to groom your own blooms and take them to exhibit at the Franklin County Fair. Cost for the classes are $10 each or the entire series for $20. All Classes are held at the Redington Residence 347 Leedy Way East Chambersburg PA 17202

Bugs and Pollinators – Two workshops - Gardening for Pollinators - Saturday, April 13 - 9:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. Do you like chocolate, blueberries, apples, or almonds? Without pollinators these and many other foods would not exist. Butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators in our area need your help. Join us as Master Gardener Laurie Collins guides you through identifying pollinators in our area, why they are in decline and what individuals can do to help. She will discuss easy basic design principles, plant selections and gardening practices for creating a successful pollinator garden.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Thursday, April 25 6:30p.m.- 8:30p.m - You can’t tell the players without a score card. Only about 2-3 % of the bugs out there are considered pests in the home vegetable garden and landscape, and some of the ugliest are our allies in the battle against them. Come to our workshop, where Master Gardener Ray Eckhart will show ways to identify the good guys from the bad guys and things you can do to attract and keep the good guys around. Registration fee is $10 per class or $15 for both classes.

Victory Garden - Mondays, April 22 - September 16 - 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. A season long, highly rated, weekly vegetable garden growing experience. Master Gardeners of Franklin County, led by Darl Hospelhorn and Linda Horst, will teach everything you need to know to grow great vegetables, beginning with spring garden preparation, and ending with the final fall harvest. Each Monday begins with a short class related to what is happening in the garden at that time. Participants will then work in the garden and be rewarded with a share of the harvest. Class meets from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. every Monday from April 22 to September 16 at the barn across the street from the Extension Office. The fee for the whole season is $40.00. Wear your garden clothes and bring your gloves. We will provide garden tools.

Thrillers, Fillers, and Spillers! - Saturday April 27, 2013 - 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Located at the Master Gardener Clubhouse at the Horticulture Center Gardens.  Join Master Gardeners Linda Horst and Sally Dallago for this hands-on “make and take” workshop on growing plants in containers. After learning the techniques, apply them by creating your own container. Cost for the workshop is $25.00. Plant material and container is included in the workshop price.

Tomatoes in the Home Garden - Thursday, May 2, 2013 6:30-8:30 – Master Gardener Ray Eckhart will share his enthusiasm and growing tips for his favorite Big Berry. Heirloom? Hybrid? Determinate? Indeterminate? What does it all mean? Come learn all about them and why Guy Clarke, John Denver, and others can boast, “Only two things that money can't buy - That's true love and home grown tomaters.”

Master Gardener Spring Bus Trip -Saturday, May 4, 2013 - The National Arboretum in Washington, DC. This year’s bus trip will be hosted by Master Gardener Elmer Greey, who was a volunteer with the National Arboretum for over 15 years. The Arboretum will have its Bonsai Festival happening on that date. It is also the time of year when the Azaleas and Rhododendrons are normally in full bloom. Cost for the trip is $50.00 per person which includes bus fare and a catered lunch, which has a vegetarian option. There are limited spaces available, so register early. Leave at 7:00 a.m. from the Extension Office and Return approx. 5:30 p.m. To learn more about the National Arboretum, visit their website.