University of Delaware
Office of Public Relations
UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 22, March 6, 1997


                  Master Gardener's classes to begin
     
     As crocuses and snowdrops signal that spring really is
on its way, New Castle County Master Gardeners, trained by
UD Cooperative Extension, are at the ready with classes for
home gardeners on topics ranging from pools to perennials.
     Most classes will be held from 7-9 p.m.(unless
otherwise noted) in the Fischer Greenhouse Laboratory behind
Townsend Hall. The cost is $12 for individual classes; the
cost of a series is noted below.
     Pre-registration is required by calling 831-COOP. The
classes include:
     Gardening with annuals, Thursday, March 13, with
information about adding color and variety to your garden
through annuals;
     Gardening for butterflies and hummingbirds, Tuesday,
March 25, with tips and techniques for attracting
butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard;
     Introduction to water gardening, Thursday, April 3,
with information on selecting a site, designing and setting
up a garden pool;
     Repotting orchids, Thursday, April 10, with a lecture
and demonstration of orchid repotting techniques from a
seedling flask to a community pot to an individual pot
(bring your own orchid plant for potting assistance and
practice);
     Perennials, Tuesdays, April 15, 22 and 29, $12 for an
individual session, $30 for the series, introducing old
favorites and new varieties for sunny gardens in session
one, shady areas in session two and information on site
selection, cultural techniques and hands-on propagation and
a plant division to take home in session three;
     I hate my lawn, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Monday, April 28, and
Wednesday, April 30, $24 for both sessions, with information
about  developing your lawn with fewer chemicals and less
water and discussion of soil, seed, fertilizer, mowers and
other equipment;
     Shrubs and trees for homescapes in New Castle County,
Thursdays, May 1 and 8, $24 for both sessions, for designing
a new garden or rejuvenating an older garden, featuring
slides and the UD Botanic Gardens;
     Parsley, sage rosemary...and more!, Monday, May 5,
including the basics of propagation, culture and use of
selected herbs;
     Daylilies, Tuesday, May 6, with slides highlighting new
varieties and information on how to grow lilies, followed by
a hands-on session of propagating and planting a Stella
D'Oro daylily to take home; and
     Composting, Monday, May 12, discussing the techniques
to recycle kitchen cuttings and yard wastes into organic
compost.