Green thumbs and green eaters alike have something to celebrate this month when the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County hosts its annual Spring Garden Day. Dubbed “Beauty and the Feast,” this year’s event covers both edible and decorative gardening.
Guests rub elbows with local master gardeners and vendors, who offer tips, soil tests, and demonstrations throughout the day. Enjoy a bake sale, door prizes, and a speech by keynote author and garden guru, Margaret Roach.
Roach, former garden editor at Newsday and Martha Stewart Living, claims to “speak serious botanical Latin” and considers gardening not just a hobby, but her “spiritual practice and life partner.” Her site, A Way to Garden, includes recipes, how-tos, photos, and even a “chores” calendar for those hoping to plant their seeds at the right time of each season.
Spring Garden Day guests can choose four of 16 classes taught by master gardeners; course topics cover everything from perennial pruning tips to instructions on how to use — and eat — everything you grow. Those with an eye for photography can even take hands-on lessons for documenting their plants.
Spring Garden Day was sold out last year, so pre-registration is recommended before April 10. Forms are available at www.cceulster.org. For more information, contact Barbara Bravo at 845-246-7493 or the CCEUC office at 845-340-3990.
If you go…
Spring Garden Day
When: Saturday, April 18, 8:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m.
Where: Vanderlyn Hall, SUNY Ulster Community College, 491 Cottekill Rd., Stone Ridge
Cost: $40 at door, $35 pre-registered
Details: 845-340-3990; www.cceulster.org
