MILFORD, N.Y. — Spring is approaching and Master Gardener Spring Garden Day will be full of information on how to grow a beautiful garden right here in central New York. Each spring the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schoharie and Otsego Counties presents Spring Garden Day in conjunction with the OCCA Earth Festival. This year’s theme is “Gardening in the Zone,” and it will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2017, from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Milford Central School.
For information or registration, call CCE at (607) 547-2536 ext. 0, email otsego@cornell.edu or visit http://cceschoharie-otsego.org/. Pre-registration is required by April 18. The cost is $10 for the day. Check-in starts at 10:30 a.m. on April 22. The morning workshops run from 11 a.m. until noon and afternoon workshops run from 1 to 2 p.m.
Choosing plants and techniques for the conditions in which your plants will grow is the first step to a successful garden. Four workshops will highlight what works well here in our USDA hardiness zone of 4b to 5a.
In the morning participants can choose between two workshops. “All About Hydrangeas” will be presented by Tim Gill of the Clark Foundation. Hydrangeas can be successful here but you have to choose the right cultivars and plant them in the right spot in your landscape. “Seed Catalogs: A Resource for the Whole Garden Season” being presented by Carol Phelps, Master Gardener Volunteer, will show you how use the garden catalogs not just as a source of seeds, but also as a wealth information of when to plant and harvest for success here, and how to deal with the growing challenges this year’s weather could provide.
In the afternoon, there will two more workshops. In “Garden Apps for the Home Gardener” Adam Wild of SUNY Cobleskill will lead you through using good apps that will improve your garden. There is more here than just identifying that plant that just popped up in your garden. With our short growing season, learning about shrubs that enhance our landscapes for three seasons sounds perfect. Mary Leonard of Carefree Gardens will teach the workshop “Remarkable Flowering Shrubs for Three Seasons.”
Earth Festival will run at the same time as the Spring Garden Day. It features interactive exhibits, activities for all ages, vendors, and entertainment. Earth Festival 2017 is sponsored by Otsego County Conservation Association. Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities. Accommodations for persons with special needs may be requested by contacting Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties prior to the program.
—Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties
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