for immediate release

Improve Your Technique Through Hands-On Gardening

Regenstein School Series

Media Only:
Julie McCaffrey
(847) 835-8213
jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (Nov. 6, 2008)—For gardeners who want to get down and dirty and work alongside a Chicago Botanic Garden horticulturist, the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden offers the “Hands-On Gardening Series” this spring and summer.

This lecture series helps build your confidence in performing gardening tasks with hands-on instruction and feedback from a Chicago Botanic Garden horticulturist. After a brief classroom discussion, students will go outside into the garden and get their hands dirty. It is recommended to bring gloves and dress for the weather. Courses can be taken individually or as a complete series. Class size is limited, so sign up early. The schedule is as follows:
* Tree Planting – Saturday, May 16, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
* In this class you will learn about site-selection, prepping your tree for planting, site remediation, and how to plant your tree for optimal root development and tree growth.

* Divide and Conquer Your Perennials – Saturday, June 13, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Perennials are the gift that keeps on giving. Learn when, how and where to divide these “anchors of the garden” to ensure their continued health, beauty, and performance.

* Pruning: Correct, Shape and Deadhead – Saturday, July 18, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
* Today’s pruning of your trees and shrubs will define how they grow for years to come. Learn which cuts to avoid, which cuts are essential and which cuts are matters of your personal style. You may even learn how to correct some counter-productive habits you picked up in the past.

* Mulching and Edging – Saturday, August 15, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Improper mulching can do far more harm to plants than not doing it at all. Learn how much mulch is enough, where to spread it and the best material to use.

Individual sessions are $62. Chicago Botanic Garden members pay $49. Those registering for all four sessions at once save 10 percent. For a course catalog describing programs and classes in more detail, or to register, call the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden at (847) 835-8261, or visit www.chicagobotanic.org/school.

###

Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the green treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $15; free for members. On Tuesdays, senior citizens age 62 and older pay just $7 for parking. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. The Garden is also breaking new ground in urban horticulture and jobs training through a 15-acre project in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago called Windy City Harvest. The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.