DelawareScene: Growing Home: A Practical Gardening Series with UD Botanic Gardens @ University of Delaware Botanic Gardens

Growing Home: A Practical Gardening Series with UD Botanic Gardens

Cozy up this winter with Growing Home, a three-part virtual lecture series designed to equip home gardeners with practical tools for success. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to sharpen your skills, these sessions offer down-to-earth guidance from local experts. Learn about the wealth of resources available through UD Cooperative Extension, discover how to design and maintain a home garden that fits your space and lifestyle, and gain effective strategies for identifying and managing common garden weeds. Grow your knowledge, and your garden, from the comfort of your home! (Image courtesy of Andrew Bunting)

UD Cooperative Extension Overview and Resources with Carrie Murphy, Karen Gartley, and Jill Pollok - Thursday, January 22 at 12pm

Join UD Cooperative Extension experts for an informative session designed to connect home and community gardeners with essential resources and tools. Carrie Murphy, Extension Agent, will introduce the structure and services of UD Cooperative Extension, highlighting the reliable resources available to gardeners year-round and statewide. Karen Gartley, Manager and Program Director of the UD Soil Testing Program, will explain how to collect and submit soil samples and summarize the analysis process. Jill Pollok, Plant Diagnostician for the UD Plant Diagnostic Clinic, will offer an inside look at the program, outlining how to submit plant samples and how diagnostics can help identify and resolve common plant health issues.

Creating a Home Garden with Andrew Bunting - Thursday, February 5 at 12pm

Dive into the 25-year evolutionary process of plantsman and Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s VP of Horticulture, Andrew Bunting, as he transforms his suburban Philadelphia property into a renowned private garden consisting of multiple unique small spaces, including his newly established gravel garden that was featured in The New York Times. Learn about how he designs containers for the summer, herbaceous borders, and woodland gardens with a pond. Be inspired by how a joint project with a neighbor helped to create a 4,000 square foot fruit and vegetable garden. In this lecture, Andrew covers his approach to garden design, plant choice, seasonal displays, and his maintenance regime. This lecture tells the story of one person’s ongoing trials and tribulations of creating a home garden.

Intro to Weed Identification and Management with Lauren Kope - Thursday, February 12 at 12pm

Weeds, we all have 'em! While they are easy enough to spot, their nature is surprisingly complex. Competitive growth strategies, environmental adaptations, and clever reproduction make weeds one of gardening's most persistent challenges. In this session we'll take a closer look at the weeds you're most likely to encounter and learn how their seasonal growth and reproductive habits inform the most effective management practices. From hand tools to herbicides, you'll leave with practical control strategies and a healthy appreciation for their tenacity. At the end, we'll also cover recommendations for print and digital resources to help you stay one step ahead of the weeds.