AMES, Iowa—The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Master Gardener program will again host the Home Gardening Webinar Series, beginning in January and ending in March.

Designed for anyone who is interested in gardening or horticulture, the series aims to inspire and educate. Throughout the series, participants will hear from experts at Iowa State, the University of Illinois, North Dakota State University, Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Reiman Gardens. The sessions are free and open to the public, although registration is required.

Four sessions in January will cover edible topics including building and using cold frames, growing microgreens inside, growing and preserving herbs and designing an edible landscape.

Pruning is one of the most highly sought-after presentation topics, so the month of February will be completely devoted to pruning. Each week, an expert will provide in-depth instruction on how to prune and care for shade, conifer and apple trees, as well as brambles, shrubs and vines.

In March, the series will conclude with two presentations about water usage. On March 1, Ed Lyon, director of Reiman Gardens, will discuss Cassian Schmidt style gravel gardens, which are water-wise gardens that do not require continuous watering once established. March 8, representatives from the Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District and Polk County Public Works will detail rain gardens and rain barrels as strategies for landscapes with excessive water levels.

“The Home Gardening Webinar Series is for everyone, regardless of gardening experience,” said Alicia Herzog, statewide Master Gardener coordinator with ISU Extension and Outreach. “The topics chosen are based on survey responses from last year’s participants and will appeal to a wide range of viewers. This program has been a great success with our audience, and we look forward to bringing them another engaging season.”

The series is an educational opportunity for existing master gardeners, those interested in becoming master gardeners and those who just want to learn more about these topics.

Zoom registration for each webinar session is available at: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener/webinar-series, or on the Iowa State University Master Gardener Facebook page.

All webinars will be live with question and answer at the end. Participation is limited to the first 500 attendees. For more information, contact Alicia Herzog at 515-294-3627 or mgardener@iastate.edu.

(contributed press release)