Colorado State University’s Twilight Garden Series to Feature Local Gardening Experts

Gardeners of any ability can learn from professionals during the annual Twilight Garden Series, a series of three programs that emphasize practical information delivered informally on a variety of gardening topics. .

The series, consisting of three, two-hour workshops, will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, June 22, and July 6. The workshops on June 8 and June 22 will be held at Colorado State’s Plant Environmental Research Center at 630 W. Lake Street on the southwest side of campus. The July 6 workshop will be held at The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 South Centre Ave., Fort Collins.

The topic of the first workshop on Tuesday, June 8, will be organic gardening. Presenting will be Frank Stonaker, assistant professor and specialty crops coordinator in CSU’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, on the principals of organic gardening; Master Gardener Jean Reeder, retired U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service specialist, on soil fertility; and Whitney Cranshaw, professor of entomology in CSU’s Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, on pest control in organic gardens.

The workshop on Tuesday, June 22, will focus on perennial gardens. Jim Klett and David Staats of CSU’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture will discuss some of CSU’s top perennial performers. Horticulture consultant Loretta Mannix will talk about easy-to-grow shade perennials, while CSU alumna Celia Tannehill will speak on sun perennials for challenging sites.

On July 6, the “Harvest Kitchen” workshop will feature the new Outdoor Teaching Kitchen at The Gardens at Spring Creek. Marisa Bunning, assistant professor in the Department of Food Sciences and Human Nutrition, will talk about herb infusions. Paul Pelligrino, owner of All Occasions Catering, will offer international vegetable samplings, and Joel Reich, CSU Extension agent in Boulder County, will discuss growing and harvesting small fruits in Colorado.

The Twilight Garden Series is sponsored by Colorado State’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Colorado State Extension and the City of Fort Collins Horticulture Program.

Admission is $5 for a single event or $10 for the entire series; pre-registration is not required. Refreshments and door prizes will be handed out. Workshops are held outdoors, rain or shine, so participants are asked to dress appropriately for unpredictable weather.

For more information, call (970) 491-7019 or www.hla.colostate.edu.

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