Seminars

Get an early start on the gardening season in 2024!  The Port Washington Garden Club is holding the one-day "Green Up Your Winter Blues" gardening seminar on Saturday, February 24.  Experienced gardeners will present talks on a wide variety of subjects at the Port Washington State Bank Community Room at 218 E. Washington Street in beautiful downtown Port Washington.

Participants may also watch the sessions via Zoom teleconferencing. Instructions for doing so will be provided upon registration.

Generously supported by:

Schedule

8:30 - 9:00: Check-in

9:00 - 10:00

The Kingdom of the Monarch Shelly Culea Shelly Culea will speak about her experiences in the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuaries of Mexico. In 2015, Shelly visited several UNESCO pro- tected Monarch sites located in the rugged and remote mountains west of Mexico City. She will tell us about her journey and show amazing photos from her trip. These awe-inspiring photos show, among other things, millions of hibernating Monarch butterflies just before they leave for their return journey to the United States. Shelly will bring the incredible story of the great migration of the Monarch butterflies to life with her presentation.

10:00 - 11:00

Container Gardening: Great Seasonal Containers for the Midwest Andrew Bunting Pennsylvania Horticultural Society In this presentation, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Vice President of Horticulture Andrew Bunting, will provide a comprehensive guide to creating stunning container gardens for all seasons, with emphasis on great plant selections for the Midwest. Andrew will cover all the essential aspects of container gardening, including: soil selection, how and when to use fertilizers, planting strategies, and pinching and grooming techniques. Learn about a wide range of seasonal plants that are well-suited for midwestern container gardens, including Salvia, Canna, elephant ears, and flowering plants that offer the added benefit of supporting pollinators. Participants will walk away with the practical takeaways needed to get started creating stunning container gardens that add interest to their garden all year round.

11:00 - 11:30

WORKSHOP: Solar Fountain/Hummingbird Bath Elizabeth O'Connell & Tom Hudson Port Washington Garden Club Everyone loves the sound of moving water in the garden. In this hands-on workshop, you'll create a solar-powered water fountain that you can place anywhere in your garden or on a patio or deck, as long as there is direct sunlight. Construction options include perches that will allow hummingbirds to use it as a birdbath.   *Space is limited for this workshop. SOLD OUT

11:00/11:30 - 1:00

Lunch Break Enjoy lunch at various nearby restaurants in downtown Port Washington!

1:00 - 2:00

Winter Houseplant Care 101 Julia Zoltowsky Chicago Botanic Garden Join Julia Zoltowsky, Horticulture Educator and houseplant aficionado, as she shares tips and tricks to keeping your houseplants alive during the winter doldrums. Julia will also share houseplants that work best in low-light conditions, colder climates, all while bringing greenery, and even some flowers in to your home! - or - WORKSHOP: Creating Kombucha Cathy Wagner Port Washington Garden Club Learn about kombucha, the fermented tea that's been a favorite around the world for nearly 2,000 years. You'll learn what it is, how to make it, and leave with a "SCOBY" of your own (you'll find out what this is!) that you can use to start making your own kombucha at home.   *Space is limited for this workshop. REGISTRATION CLOSED

2:00 - 3:00

Composting for Fun and Profit (well... fun, anyway) Tom Hudson Port Washington Garden Club You say your garden soil leaves something to be desired? Maybe it just needs leaves -- tree leaves, that is -- along with other vegetable materials, turned into rich compost you can use to improve your soil or amend planting containers! Composting sometimes has an undeserved bad reputation -- some say it's too hard, some say it smells bad -- neither is true! Join this (mostly) lazy gardener and find out how to create huge amounts of "black gold" -- compost -- every year. Find out how you can make it as labor-intensive or as lazy as you like, using just a small corner of your yard or a few square feet in your basement. We will cover conventional composting as well as 'vermicomposting' -- composting using red worms! - or - WORKSHOP: Baking with Sourdough Glenyss Gilliam & Dan Santee Port Washington Garden Club Learn how to cultivate and use sourdough culture, created using yeast, to create delicious baked goods. Get some hands-on experience with this popular bakery staple, and go home with your own sourdough starter and recipes to try!   *Space is limited for this workshop. REGISTRATION CLOSED

About the Presenters

Julia Zoltowsky

Andrew Bunting

Shelly Culea

Tom Hudson

Elizabeth O'Connell

Glenyss Gilliam

Dan Santee

Cathy Wagner

Registration

Registration for the seminar is closed. There is no on-site registration.

All session material will be available for download (to avoid wasting paper) between Monday, Feb. 19 and Monday, March 4.

If you have any questions, please call 262-284-1948 (office of Tom Hudson) and leave a message.