10:00 am

Grow Your Garden with a Rain Barrel

What are rain barrels and their benefits? Please stop and watch this presentation to learn more on how to help your lawns, gardens and plants thrive while saving money and natural resources! A rain barrel will be on display with directions on how to make your own!

Jennifer Hoff

Jennifer Hoff is a Master Gardener who lives with her husband Jonathon and 2 year old daughter Melissa, in Holmen, Wisconsin. She originates from the Southern Wisconsin area and grew up on a farm that raised animals, grain and tobacco prior to converting over to 'organic' vegetables and tobacco farming. Gardening is more than a hobby for her and if she could she would landscape all of her neighbors' properties if her husband let her! Gardening is a family affair for the Hoffs - Mom plants the flowers, Daddy waters the flowers and Melissa picks the flowers!

11:00 am

Gardening with Kids

Bring your kids to this seminar filled with ideas on how to involve your kids or grand kids or nieces and nephews or neighbor kids – kids of all ages too – in the fun of gardening. There will be some hands-on activities and demos.

Mary Simmons

Mary Simmons is a Master Gardener and super volunteer. She has won the Pat Cafferty Award at Hixon Forest Nature Center for volunteering more than 500 hours for them. She has accumulated more than 300 hours volunteering as a Master Gardener in our community.

1:00 pm

Invasive Plants and Native Alternatives
Or why I should care and what I can do about it

Doreen McCarty

Doreen McCarty: is a certified Master Gardener, 2007 class. She is a member of Wild Ones, Native Plant Organization. She has 10 years experience in highway construction erosion control practices with WisDOT. Her special study/passion/business is Native plant landscape design, prairie restoration & cultural practices.

2:00 pm

Xeriscape Gardens

The past few summers have presented many weather-related gardening challenges. Seasonal fluctuations in rainfall and periodic summer droughts have wreaked havoc in many of our gardens. Although precipitation this past fall and winter has replenished our water reserves for the time being, experts are uncertain what the future has in store for us. Water, at least in some parts of the state and country, has become a diminishing resource that makes us think about using it more thoughtfully. This is particularly so in the yard and garden, where our lawn and many ornamental plants have a constant need for water. During this seminar, I will talk about xeriscaping, a comprehensive approach to creating and maintaining landscapes that conserves water and other resources. More than just rocks and cacti, this approach to gardening incorporates seven principles that help us create the gardens we have become accustomed to yet still save water.

Karyn Caldwell

After raising a family I returned to college and earned a Master’s Degree in the field of industrial archaeology. Although I loved the outdoor component of the work, most of my time was spent behind a computer writing reports, not exactly what I had anticipated. After we purchased our home on a ridge north of Sparta, located on a lot nearly devoid of anything green or alive, I discovered that horticulture satisfied my urge to dig in the soil and provided challenges that kept me wanting to learn more. In 2004 I took my first Master Gardener training, and this past winter took the specialized training on Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, Landscaping and Lawns. Since 2004, I have completed volunteer projects for the UW-La Crosse Extension, developing computer programs for their office on insect and tree identification.

Lynn Tschumper

Lynn Tschumper is a certified Master Gardener and owner of Lynnwood Farms, a local organic, CSA. She sells her produce through memberships and at the Friday evening Cameron Park Market all season.

11:00 am

Ellen Rosborough

Ellen Rosborough is a certified Master Gardener, and a life-long gardener with a love of plants. She has a degree in Teaching of Biology, and another in Computer Science. Currently she is tackling designing garden space for a variety of needs – geography (gardens on a hillside), accessible or enabling (garden structures and tools for helping gardeners), and healing (for the mind and spirit and body). As a Master Gardener she has worked with new garden owners through Habitat for Humanity projects, to help design and plant for the owners – and teach them how to maintain.

1:00 pm

Ann Peterson

Ann Peterson is a certified Master Gardener, and is known for her classes and lectures on native plants and attracting wildlife into the Garden. She owns Deciduous Designs Studios, where she builds and sells garden art, wildlife feeders and houses, arbors and other garden structures – all made from recycled and found objects. She has been a GardenFest Vendor since we began 7 years ago.

2:00 pm

Marilyn Rebarchek

Marilyn Rebarchek is a certified master gardener and president of the Bluff Country Master Gardener Association in La Crosse, WI. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and specializes in the design aspect. Her most recent endeavor has been working with local garden enthusiasts to create ‘Riverside International Friendship Gardens’ which honor La Crosse’s sister cities.