Green Up Your Winter Blues

This year's gardening seminar will focus on two themes: Digging in with Kids and Container/Vertical Gardens.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Norm Lownds of Michigan State University's 4-H Children's Garden will open the day talking about the garden and how to integrate some of the ideas into any garden. Also speaking:

*  Nancy Nedveck from the Flower Factory in Stoughton will share ideas on using trellises, walls, fences and free standing picture frames to create a vertical tapestry of color.

*  Beth Carreno from Sheboygan's Bookworm Gardens will lead two separate sessions. The first will focus on how the gardens became a reality, future plans for the gardens, and currently offered educational programs. The second session will focus on how books can be the nudge it takes to get children into nature. She will be providing both resources and ideas during this second session.

*  Laurie Weiss of MATC's landscape horticultural program will explore container gardens over the course of two sessions, first explaining the secrets of a successful container, followed by a hands-on workshop with participants taking home their very own potted garden. There is an additional $10 fee for the workshop, and space for this workshop is limited, so register early!

*  Steve and Sandy Sandlin, founders of the Port Washington Children's Garden, will be hosting a panel discussion with some of the children from this past summer's program.

The seminar is $25 per person. Pre-registration is required and due by Monday, February 11. For more information and to register, go to www.portgardenclub.org.