Speakers with expertise in different areas will be on hand at the events, and certain events will feature workshops, hands-on activities, unique vendors, silent auctions, donation baskets, door prizes and more. (Photo courtesy of University of Illinois Extension)

University of Illinois Extension is hosting a series of garden day and plant sale events at various locations throughout the state, providing an opportunity for gardening enthusiasts to connect with one another and explore and share new gardening ideas as the spring growing season approaches.

Each garden day event is focused on specific topics, offering sessions that cover every aspect of gardening and growing imaginable. Topics include fruit and vegetable gardening; native plants for the home landscape; soil care; weed and pest management; garden tool care; supporting pollinators; plant identification; saving seeds and starting plants from seed; tree care; and themes addressing shaded areas, small spaces, containers and sensory gardens.

Speakers with expertise in different areas will be on hand at the events, and certain events will feature workshops, hands-on activities, unique vendors, silent auctions, donation baskets, door prizes and more.

University of Illinois Extension has a long history of providing immersive-learning garden days and plant sales to share research-based horticultural expertise and offer hands-on experiences with home gardeners in the communities they serve.

“We try to be innovative and include any new and upcoming research,” said Katie Buckley, Extension County Director serving Livingston, McLean and Woodford counties. “We look at, ‘What do people want to grow?’ — whether it’s people with acres and acres or those living in apartment complexes. How can we read every person with every different interest.”

Garden day and plant sales events are planned and staffed by local Extension offices, usually by Master Gardeners, horticulture educators, program coordinators and volunteers. Events run through May.

“There’s a selection of workshops to choose from — from trees to shrubs to plants to lawn care, etc.,” Buckley said. “And we have a keynote speaker to wrap up what attendees learned at that event. It’s a variety of people: Master Gardeners, volunteers, Extension educators, farmers — people that are knowledgeable in their field.

“We really appreciate our volunteers. Our Master Gardeners put in a lot of time and effort. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do statewide without their support. Most of our offices have a help desk as well, as it relates to plants and lawn. In McLean County, we have a Master Gardener help desk for any questions after an event.”

Buckley said some of the most popular events include make-and-takes, during which attendees create a terrarium or potted plants to take home. Among topics, pest management is at the top of the list.

“Not just insects, but rabbits, squirrels, moles, things like that,” she said. “But we get a lot of feedback overall, especially from new participants. The people that use Extension know Extension, but other people are blown away with all the opportunities we offer.”

University of Illinois Extension also offers a wide variety of online gardening topics, including home vegetable gardening; herbs; fruit trees for home gardens; small fruits for home gardens; mushrooms; lawn care; plants and houseplants; container gardens; youth gardening; flowers; roses; Illinois pollinators; insects; composting; soil; plant problems; and invasives.

“We just want to be there to help,” Buckley said. “People can always reach out to us. We want to make our communities better, and we want to make sure we’re prepared for the future — things like food security, people growing their own food. We hope people find their passion. We have the resources available and we want to be available to help.”

For more information, visit https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/79/957870079.html