Title

Gardening Saturday 2025 - It's Time to Grow

Date(s)

Apr 05, 2025, 7:45 am - 4:15 pm CT

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Add to Calendar 2025-04-05 07:45:00 2025-04-05 16:15:00 Gardening Saturday 2025 - It's Time to Grow Join us for the 38th Annual Gardening Saturday at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks on April 5. Alerus Center 1200 42nd Street South, Grand Forks, N.D. NDSU Agriculture no-reply@ndsu.edu America/Chicago public

Location

Location:

Alerus Center 1200 42nd Street South, Grand Forks, N.D.

Registration

Event Registration

Body

Join us for the 38th Annual Gardening Saturday at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks on April 5.

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About the Featured Speaker

Michelle Bruhn is a regenerative gardener, growing on a suburban lot in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. She's the co-author of Small-Scale Homesteading, a freelance writer, speaker, regular contributor and teacher for the Minnesota Horticultural Society and farmers market manager. She's also mom to two boys, a dog and a flock of backyard hens. She started Forks in the Dirt to help people better grow and eat their own, local food.

Agenda

Time	Content	Speaker	Description
7:45 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.	Registration
8:45 a.m.	Welcome
9:00 a.m.	Session 1 - General Session and Keynote Speaker	Michelle Bruhn Author and regenerative gardener	Companion Planting from the Ground Up Companion planting simply harnesses nature’s know-how. This way of gardening addresses so many common garden issues, like building healthy soils, welcoming beneficial insects, suppressing weeds, even balancing pest and disease pressures. You’ll take home action steps to increase your garden’s biodiversity and harvests.
10:10 a.m.	Break and Silent Auction Bidding
10:30 a.m.	Session 2 (Concurrent Programs)	See details below
11:30 a.m.	Lunch, Vendors, and Silent Auction Bidding
12:35 p.m.	Session 3	Michelle Bruhn	Learn how to grow more abundance in your garden without adding more square footage. Enjoy the benefits of vertical gardening including less disease, cleaner foods, added privacy and shade, easier access to harvests and harvesting more food from the same space. We’ll go over the basics of what plants need to grow vertically, plant spacing and interplanting options all with lots of real-life garden photographs.
1:45 p.m.	Session 4 (Concurrent Programs)	See details below
2:45 p.m.	Break
3:00 p.m.	Silent Auction Bidding Ends
3:15 p.m.	Session 5 (Concurrent Programs)	See details below
4:15 p.m.	Pick up and Pay for Silent Auction Items Turn in Evaluations Pick up Gift

Session 2

(Concurrent Programs)
10:30 a.m.

Speaker	Description
John Breker Gardener, Grand Forks, ND	Gardening for Birds Flowers and birds bring vibrant colors and textures to our yards and gardens as the seasons change. This session will cover attracting birds to our yards and gardens and focus on constructing diverse bird habitats, choosing plant species, and providing food and water resources with bird feeders and birdbaths.
Katy Cavanaugh Landscape Supervisor, Grand Forks Parks District	Beyond the Bin: Creative Uses of Compost in Your Garden Katy will explain the why’s and how’s of composting and its various uses in your garden.
Jan Heitmann All Season’s Garden Center, Grand Forks, ND	Create a Make and Take centerpiece featuring garden flowers Garden Floral Creation (Limited to the first 30 to register. Class material fee $40. If registering by mail, include separate check to NDSU Extension.)
Leah Byzewski Executive Director, Grand Forks County Historical Society	Cottage Gardens and Heirloom Plants Do you know the plant Gallica officinal is? It is also known as the Apothecary Rose and the Red Rose of Lancaster. If not, join this session to learn about this flower and more flowers our ancestors grew.
Esther McGinnis Associate Professor and Extension Horticulturist, NDSU	Managing Crabgrass in Lawns Crabgrass is a pesky lawn weed that can be managed with a knowledge of it’s lifecycle. Learn how to identify the weed, prevent seed germination, and manage young crabgrass plants with select herbicides.
Don Kinzler Horticulture Agent, NDSU Extension - Cass County	50 Tips to Make Us All Better Gardeners During this program, we’ll take a virtual walk around the yard and garden and discuss quick tips for greater success with lawn care, perennial flower gardening, fruit trees, vegetable production, landscaping, container gardening, and houseplants.

Speaker

Description

John Breker

Gardener, Grand Forks, ND

Gardening for Birds

Flowers and birds bring vibrant colors and textures to our yards and gardens as the seasons change. This session will cover attracting birds to our yards and gardens and focus on constructing diverse bird habitats, choosing plant species, and providing food and water resources with bird feeders and birdbaths.

Katy Cavanaugh

Landscape Supervisor, Grand Forks Parks District

Beyond the Bin: Creative Uses of Compost in Your Garden

Katy will explain the why’s and how’s of composting and its various uses in your garden.

Jan Heitmann

All Season’s Garden Center, Grand Forks, ND

Create a Make and Take centerpiece featuring garden flowers

Garden Floral Creation (Limited to the first 30 to register. Class material fee $40. If registering by mail, include separate check to NDSU Extension.)

Leah Byzewski

Executive Director, Grand Forks County Historical Society

Cottage Gardens and Heirloom Plants

Do you know the plant Gallica officinal is? It is also known as the Apothecary Rose and the Red Rose of Lancaster. If not, join this session to learn about this flower and more flowers our ancestors grew.

Esther McGinnis

Associate Professor and Extension Horticulturist, NDSU

Managing Crabgrass in Lawns

Crabgrass is a pesky lawn weed that can be managed with a knowledge of it’s lifecycle. Learn how to identify the weed, prevent seed germination, and manage young crabgrass plants with select herbicides.

Don Kinzler

Horticulture Agent, NDSU Extension - Cass County

50 Tips to Make Us All Better Gardeners

During this program, we’ll take a virtual walk around the yard and garden and discuss quick tips for greater success with lawn care, perennial flower gardening, fruit trees, vegetable production, landscaping, container gardening, and houseplants.

Session 4

(Concurrent Programs)
1:45 p.m.

Speaker	Description
Joe Bergeson Bergeson Nursery, Fertile, MN	New and Exciting Plants Learn about some of the new varieties of annuals, perennials, and shrubs that might be fun to try in 2025, as well as some recent introductions that Joe is excited to recommend.
Janet Knodel Professor - Entomology & Extension Entomologist, NDSU	Strategies to Prevent Garden Insect Pests Every year insect pests attack, feed and destroy our garden plants. Insect identification is key to knowing how to manage those bad insect pests using Integrated Pest Management (IPM).Various pest management strategies will be discussed including cultural control ,physical control, biological control, and chemical control as the last resort.
Lora Sagaser Master Gardener, Bismarck, ND	Turning a Garden Into a Food Forest If you've ever wanted your garden to produce more food with less work, then this is the talk for you! Learn all about edible landscaping, including how to select multi-purpose plants, incorporating beneficial lower maintenance gardening techniques, and increasing your garden's resilience to pests and disease.
Katy Cavanaugh Landscape Supervisor, Grand Forks Parks District	Beyond the Bin: Creative Uses of Compost in Your Garden Katy will explain the why’s and how’s of composting and its various uses in your garden.
Esther McGinnis Associate Professor and Extension Horticulturist, NDSU	Rain Barrels: Conserving Water in An Uncertain Climate. Smart gardeners know that water quantity and quality concerns will be the predominant issue for the future. In this seminar, learn how to select and install arain barrel, and other gardening methods to be wise with water usage.
Don Kinzler Horticulture Agent, NDSU Extension - Cass County	50 Tips to Make Us All Better Gardeners During this program, we’ll take a virtual walk around the yard and garden and discuss quick tips for greater success with lawn care, perennial flower gardening, fruit trees, vegetable production, landscaping, container gardening, and houseplants.

Speaker

Description

Joe Bergeson

Bergeson Nursery, Fertile, MN

New and Exciting Plants

Learn about some of the new varieties of annuals, perennials, and shrubs that might be fun to try in 2025, as well as some recent introductions that Joe is excited to recommend.

Janet Knodel

Professor - Entomology & Extension Entomologist, NDSU

Strategies to Prevent Garden Insect Pests

Every year insect pests attack, feed and destroy our garden plants. Insect identification is key to knowing how to manage those bad insect pests using Integrated Pest Management (IPM).Various pest management strategies will be discussed including cultural control ,physical control, biological control, and chemical control as the last resort.

Lora Sagaser

Master Gardener, Bismarck, ND

Turning a Garden Into a Food Forest

If you've ever wanted your garden to produce more food with less work, then this is the talk for you! Learn all about edible landscaping, including how to select multi-purpose plants, incorporating beneficial lower maintenance gardening techniques, and increasing your garden's resilience to pests and disease.

Katy Cavanaugh

Landscape Supervisor, Grand Forks Parks District

Beyond the Bin: Creative Uses of Compost in Your Garden

Katy will explain the why’s and how’s of composting and its various uses in your garden.

Esther McGinnis

Associate Professor and Extension Horticulturist, NDSU

Rain Barrels: Conserving Water in An Uncertain Climate.
Smart gardeners know that water quantity and quality concerns will be the predominant issue for the future. In this seminar, learn how to select and install arain barrel, and other gardening methods to be wise with water usage.

Don Kinzler

Horticulture Agent, NDSU Extension - Cass County

50 Tips to Make Us All Better Gardeners

During this program, we’ll take a virtual walk around the yard and garden and discuss quick tips for greater success with lawn care, perennial flower gardening, fruit trees, vegetable production, landscaping, container gardening, and houseplants.

Session 5

(Concurrent Programs)
3:15 p.m.

Speaker	Description
John Breker Gardener, Grand Forks, ND	Gardening for Birds Flowers and birds bring vibrant colors and textures to our yards and gardens as the seasons change. This session will cover attracting birds to our yards and gardens and focus on constructing diverse bird habitats, choosing plant species, and providing food and water resources with bird feeders and birdbaths.
Leah Byzewski Executive Director, Grand Forks County Historical Society	Cottage Gardens and Heirloom Plants Do you know the plant Gallica officinal is? It is also known as the Apothecary Rose and the Red Rose of Lancaster. If not, join this session to learn about this flower and more flowers our ancestors grew.
Jan Heitmann All Season’s Garden Center, Grand Forks, ND	Create a Make and Take centerpiece featuring garden flowers Garden Floral Creation (Limited to the first 30 to register. Class material fee $40. If registering by mail, include separate check to NDSU Extension.)
Janet Knodel Professor - Entomology & Extension Entomologist, NDSU	Strategies to Prevent Garden Insect Pests Every year insect pests attack, feed and destroy our garden plants. Insect identification is key to knowing how to manage those bad insect pests using Integrated Pest Management (IPM).Various pest management strategies will be discussed including cultural control ,physical control, biological control, and chemical control as the last resort.
Lora Sagaser Master Gardener, Bismarck, ND	Turning a Garden Into a Food Forest If you've ever wanted your garden to produce more food with less work, then this is the talk for you! Learn all about edible landscaping, including how to select multi-purpose plants, incorporating beneficial lower maintenance gardening techniques, and increasing your garden's resilience to pests and disease.

Speaker

Description

John Breker

Gardener, Grand Forks, ND

Gardening for Birds

Flowers and birds bring vibrant colors and textures to our yards and gardens as the seasons change. This session will cover attracting birds to our yards and gardens and focus on constructing diverse bird habitats, choosing plant species, and providing food and water resources with bird feeders and birdbaths.

Leah Byzewski

Executive Director, Grand Forks County Historical Society

Cottage Gardens and Heirloom Plants

Do you know the plant Gallica officinal is? It is also known as the Apothecary Rose and the Red Rose of Lancaster. If not, join this session to learn about this flower and more flowers our ancestors grew.

Jan Heitmann

All Season’s Garden Center, Grand Forks, ND

Create a Make and Take centerpiece featuring garden flowers

Garden Floral Creation (Limited to the first 30 to register. Class material fee $40. If registering by mail, include separate check to NDSU Extension.)

Janet Knodel

Professor - Entomology & Extension Entomologist, NDSU

Strategies to Prevent Garden Insect Pests

Every year insect pests attack, feed and destroy our garden plants. Insect identification is key to knowing how to manage those bad insect pests using Integrated Pest Management (IPM).Various pest management strategies will be discussed including cultural control ,physical control, biological control, and chemical control as the last resort.

Lora Sagaser

Master Gardener, Bismarck, ND

Turning a Garden Into a Food Forest

If you've ever wanted your garden to produce more food with less work, then this is the talk for you! Learn all about edible landscaping, including how to select multi-purpose plants, incorporating beneficial lower maintenance gardening techniques, and increasing your garden's resilience to pests and disease.