The 37th Annual Home Gardeners School is divided into four (4) time slots with multiple workshops available during each session. Descriptions for each workshop can be viewed by clicking on the workshop titles. These descriptions are for informational purposes only; please make your actual selections upon checkout.
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AM Workshops
Session 1:
9:00am - 10:30am
1. NEW! How to Make a Water Garden - (Double Session - Runs until 11:45am) - Workshop is Full
Robert Belleck, Owner, Lily Pad Ponds, LLC
*This workshop has reached capacity and is now closed. Please select an alternate choice.* Come and learn the basic principles of constructing a water garden from concept to completion. Topics will cover: laying out, digging, leveling, installing protective underlayments, liner, small skimmer, and waterfalls as well as creative rock placement.
*Please note that this workshop is a double session, which runs until 11:45am.
2. Composting: As the Worm Turns - Workshop is Full
Virginia Lamb, Environmental Educator
*This workshop has reached capacity and is now closed. Please select an alternate choice.* Learn how to create and produce the soil amendments your garden craves - right out of your own kitchen! Take your love for gardening a step beyond and turn waste into your garden’s best friend. Learn which kitchen scraps are acceptable and what waste additions would be beneficial for great compost.
3. Easy Drip Irrigation for Your Garden
Bob Dobson, Middletown Sprinkler Company
Drip irrigation is the most efficient way to water a garden and easy to install. Learn the basics to grow a bumper crop and conserve water at the same time.
4. NEW! Scary Pests in Your Home
Barbara Bromley, Horticulturist, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Mercer County
Let Barbara walk you through the process of how to identify the "critters" that invade your home. She will cover solutions to the problems of infestations and discuss when you should be alarmed.
5. NEW! Tough Plants for Tough Sites
Bruce Crawford, Director, The Rutgers Gardens
Every garden has a spot where there is reflective heat from buildings or pavement, that is very well drained and droughty, where the sun never shines or there is root competition. Some sites are too difficult for any plant to survive; however, most locations do have a plant solution. This talk will focus upon some of those plants that will endure, even flourish under tough conditions.
6. "What Plant, Where?" Planning Your Home Landscape
Peter Mahony, Landscape Architect
Avoid costly mistakes! This workshop will help you develop a game plan for arranging plants to create an attractive, functional landscape.
7. Canning Fruits and Vegetables
Daryl Minch and Sandra Grenci, Family & Community Health Sciences (FCHS), Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Somerset and Hunterdon Counties
This workshop will introduce the best practices for successful canning of fruits and vegetables. Various techniques and common mistakes will be demonstrated and discussed.
8. Lawn and Landscape Care Without Using Pesticides - Workshop is Full
Bill Hlubik, Agricultural and Resource Management Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Middlesex County
*This workshop has reached capacity and is now closed. Please select an alternate choice.* Bill has been conducting hands-on educational programs and applied research on practical methods to reduce or eliminate traditional pesticide use in gardens and landscapes for over 20 years. He will provide some great and easy to follow tips to help you have healthy plants as well as a healthy environment and ecosystem around your home. (Approved for 1.5 Community Forestry Credits)
9. Trees and Their Care
Ted Szczawinski, Certified Tree Expert; Adjunct Instructor - Rutgers - Newark
Learn the fundamentals of tree care starting with plant selection, proper planting techniques and best management practices for optimum plant health care. As a Certified Tree Expert, Ted will offer you his years of experience and expertise to ensure that your trees grow healthy and happy. (Approved for 1.5 Community Forestry Credits)
Session 2: 10:45am-11:45am
10. NEW! "FUN-Shui" in Your Garden - Workshop is Full
Kirsten Soriano, Landscape Designer, Barlow’s Flower Farm
*This workshop has reached capacity and is now closed. Please select an alternate choice.* Using the principles that apply in Feng-Shui, this light-hearted class will touch on "Fun-Shui" teachings to create a garden room or landscape that is relaxing and peaceful.
11. NEW! Flora of the Arid Southwest
Steve Kristoph, Owner, Steven Kristoph Nurseries
Every region in the country is graced with landscape plants that provide beauty and interest for the home gardener. In Arizona, New Mexico and southern California plant species look very different than the flowering cherries, magnolias and azaleas that we use here on the east coast. Hot and dry, what could look good in those lands? Well, come and explore these desert gems that make up the arid southwest and see how beautiful they can be.
12. Basic Spring Lawncare
Barbara Bromley, Horticulturist, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Mercer County
Don’t let your lawn control you! Barbara will teach you the basic management practices used to prepare and maintain a healthy lawn in different growing conditions.
13. Plant Propagation: Cool Plants in Small Batches
Joseph Kiefer, Triple Oaks Nursery & Herb Garden
Learn about plant propagation of cuttings, seeds, grafting and division in small batches for the small craft nursery, hobby grower or homeowner. See photos of plant propagation and learn how it’s done.
14. Designing Your Landscape to Reduce Energy Costs - Workshop is Full
Bill Hlubik, Agricultural and Resource Management Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Middlesex County
*This workshop has reached capacity and is now closed. Please select an alternate choice.* Bill will provide practical tips and suggestions for great plants and their placement within the landscape to reduce heating and cooling costs around your home. In addition, he will discuss some popular alternative energy options and water conservation techniques around the home and landscape.
15. NEW! Selecting Ornamental Grasses for the Landscape
Bruce Neary, Owner, BCN Horticultural Services, Instructor
There are many choices when it comes to ornamental grass selection. Learn to pair the plant with the proper site in the landscape to receive the maximum "pop" for your choice.
16. Growing Tomatoes Successfully
Peter Nitzsche, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Morris County
Growing great tomatoes can be a hobby or an art form for garden enthusiasts of all levels. This workshop will not only include proper site selection, planting practices and soil conditions required to grow your best tomatoes, but will also introduce you to the exciting world of Heirloom tomatoes. Grow something new and exotic this season!
17. NEW! Pairing Wine and Food
Steve Csontos, Grower/Vintner
This program’s objective is to help you develop your own personal appreciation of wine. We will use wine/food pairing as a strategy to explain the most popular varieties of wine.
Lunch Break: 12:00pm-1:00pm
Keynote Presentation:
Dr. George Hamilton, Extension Specialist, Rutgers University – Where Have All The Stinkbugs Gone?
PM Workshops
Session 3: 1:15pm-2:15pm
18. NEW! Tempting Terrariums - Workshop is Full
Monica McLaughlin, Horticulturist, The Rutgers Gardens
*This workshop has reached capacity and is now closed. Please select an alternate choice.* Come learn the FUNdamentals of putting together a garden under glass! This Victorian past time has had a new-found popularity in the 21st century. It is a sort of science experiment mixed with crafting, and an artistic eye. I once read that it was "the possibility of land ownership for apartment dwellers!" So, come buy some property. Good for all ages! (Additional fee of $10 per person) 25 person limit.
19. NEW! Gardening Basics: 101
MaryAnne McMillan, The Rutgers Gardens
Gardening in the US is the number one hobby and can be quite enjoyable as well as rewarding. Gardening is a great way to be active, stay healthy and relieve the stress of our daily lives. It helps to also get us in touch with nature. This class will introduce you to the basics of gardening including soil, water, sun - what you will need, where to begin and what to plant!
20. Happy Hydrangeas
Bruce Crawford, Director, The Rutgers Gardens
Hydrangeas rank among the easiest and most versatile of plants that gardeners can add to the home landscape. The challenge is how to properly select, care for and prune the plants so that they reward the gardener and the garden! This presentation will highlight the numerous species that are hardy to NJ, some of the exciting cultivars that are currently available and some thoughts on how to combine Hydrangeas with other plants for several seasons of interest.
21. NEW! Replacing the Green Desert: Native Plant Alternatives to Turf
Kim Eierman, Horticulture Consultant, Kim’s Native Landscape Consulting
Discover how to vastly improve the ecology of your yard by replacing "green deserts" (lawns or turf) with native plant alternatives. We will discuss some of the best native grasses/ground covers and explore meadows as lawn alternatives.
22. NEW! Growing Vegetables in Containers
Peter Nitzsche, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Morris County
Containers are another option to traditional vegetable gardening. Pete will cover plant selection, soil mixtures, & feeding/watering schedules for maximum output.
23. Conifers for Your Garden
Steve Kristoph, Owner, Steven Kristoph Nurseries, Englishtown, NJ
Pines, spruce and arborvitae are some of the most common conifers used for screening. Blue Atlas Cedar makes a great specimen plant for larger spaces. This presentation will discuss the various types of conifers for landscape use. Culture, pest issues and ornamental value will be addressed. (Approved for 1.0 Community Forestry Credits)
24. NEW! Made for the Shade: Foliage for Garden Design
Judy Glattstein, Garden Consultant
Nothing beats foliage as a foundation for garden design, especially in the shade. It’s not just that flowers are few by the time summer arrives - leaves provide options from subtle to showy. Perennials, annuals, bulbs and shrubs provide the palette, with foliage shapes and colors other than green, combined with foliage to create gardens from casual and country to sophisticated and formal.
25. Common Plant Diseases of Ornamentals
Ted Szczawinski, Certified Tree Expert, Adjunct Instructor, Rutgers - Newark
Join the discussion and learn how to identify and control common plant diseases. We will focus on identification tips as well as prevention and control strategies. (Approved for 1.0 Community Forestry Credits)
26. Easy Garden Walkways - Workshop is Full
Alex Burke, Burke Environmental, Inc.
*This workshop has reached capacity and is now closed. Please select an alternate choice.* Learn how to design a garden walkway utilizing focal points, traffic flow, and existing features. Learn the pros and cons of different materials and how to select the right ones for your site. Finally, learn how to implement your design with various installation tricks and techniques.
Session 4: 2:30pm-4:00pm
27. Fresh Flower Arranging – HANDS-ON WORKSHOP
Welcome, new instructor! Anthony Baradhi, Floral Designer, Flower Station - Somerset/Princeton, NJ
Learn how to make and decorate your home with fresh flowers. Basic techniques for flower arranging will be demonstrated. You will take home the beautiful arrangement that you make in class. Please bring floral clippers (and gloves if you prefer) to class with you. (Additional fee of $35 per person) 25 person limit.
28. NEW! Plant It and They Will Come: Bird-Friendly Landscapes
Kim Eierman, Horticulture Consultant, Kim’s Native Landscape Consulting
Turn your yard into a bird oasis! Learn basic ecological design and the best native plants, which provide the food, shelter and nesting sites which birds depend upon. The bonus is a beautiful landscape with a vastly improved ecosystem, benefiting birds and many other living creatures.
29. Hostas for Garden Texture
Walter Cullerton, Penn State Master Gardener
Take a journey into the wonderful world of hostas, the number one selling perennial (according to American Nurseryman magazine). In this workshop, discover hostas of every size, color and leaf shape as well as "visit" gardens in the East, Midwest, South and Northwest.
30. Backyard Chickens and Their Care
Judy Glattstein, Garden Consultant
Chickens are easy to raise, endlessly entertaining, and reward their owners with freshly laid eggs. Learn the day-to-day practicalities of keeping a small backyard flock (even 3 hens are worthwhile), including the best ways to select among the different breeds of chickens, housing options, and what and how to feed your birds whether they are day-old chicks or mature layers.
31. NEW! Designing with Perennials
Bruce Crawford, Director, The Rutgers Gardens
To the unknowing, a perennial plant represents a care free plant that once planted, will come back year after year and create an amazing garden. In reality, a perennial garden or mixed border requires thought, both to maintain and to design in order to get some of the impact that you typically see in magazines.
32. Beekeeping: 101
Robert Hughes, Beekeeping Specialist, Past President NJ Beekeepers Association
Welcome to the interesting world of bees and their benefits. Discussions will include life inside a colony, products that can be derived from an active hive, benefits to your garden, and plants that will attract them.
33. NEW! Gardening Using Social Media
Ken Karamichael, Asst. Director, NJAES Office of Continuing Professional Education
Facebook, YouTube and Twitter - oh my!! Learn creative ways to explore online resources to enhance your garden design and beauty. Expand your plant knowledge and acquire 'lightening fast' search skills during this interactive session.
34. NEW! Berries, Bark & Blooms - Native Plants for Four Seasons
Mike DeVos, Garden Consultant/Designer, DeVosBury Designs LLA
When planning your landscape, it is important to include plants for multiple seasons of interest. Small and large yards can benefit from the addition of native plants that shine during more than one season of the year. Not only will your landscape look nice, but the wildlife will benefit from the diversity as well.
35. Best Management Practices: Proper Pruning Techniques - Workshop is Full
Ted Szczawinski, Certified Tree Expert; Adjunct Instructor, Rutgers - Newark
*This workshop has reached capacity and is now closed. Please select an alternate choice.* Believe it or not, proper pruning techniques will keep your plants healthier and happier as well as extend their life cycle. A healthy plant is better equipped to resist diseases and stress damage. This is one workshop you will not want to 'cut!' (Approved for 1.5 Community Forestry Credits)
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