Home Garden Series

Taltree Arboretum and Gardens will present a 14-course series on home gardening beginning in January. Experts from throughout the area will speak on topics that include landscape design, soils, woody plant and herbaceous ornamental selection, and garden maintenance. Renee Caprile, landscape designer and owner of Felice Gardens in Porter County, IN, will detail considerations of establishing a garden before putting pen to paper from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 17. On Jan. 17, Amanda Thomsen, garden writer and landscaper will present landscape design, including tips on creating an eye-catching home landscape through use of proportion and scale, color and texture. Get the dirt on soils Jan. 31 from Aulis Lind, retired Vermont State Climatologist and soils expert for Purdue Porter County Extension Service. Taltree Horticulturist Patty Stimmel will present an eye-opening lesson on the Sex Life of Plants Feb. 7, with Taltree Executive Director Jim Hitz following on Feb. 21 with woody landscape plant

selection. Herbaceous ornamentals are Master Gardener and Taltree Educator Zann Wilson's specialty, and students will benefit from her expertise on Feb. 28. Classes all run from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays at Taltree Arboretum and Garden classroom, 71 N. County Road 500West, Valparaiso. Cost for each class is $12 for non-members and $10 for Taltree members. A discount will be offered to those who register for at least seven classes.

FYI: Call (219) 462-0025.

Houseplants & Tropicals Workshop Series -

Whether you call them houseplants or tropicals, these heat-lovers hold up to the heat of summer after cooling their roots inside until our next spring arrives. Join Taltree staff in propagation, insect and disease identification and control and spring preparation on three Saturdays this winter.

Jan. 10: Taltree's Bill Neinast will demonstrate division, tip cutting, woody cuttings and air layering methods for propagating houseplants. Participants will meet in the classroom for an overview before moving on to the greenhouse for a demonstration of the techniques used to make more plants.

Feb. 14: Insects and diseases of houseplants and tropicals will be discussed along with identification, prevention and control. Instructor Jim Hitz, executive director of Taltree

March 14: Get your tropicals and houseplants ready for spring in this workshop that will cover pruning, fertilizing and repotting. Instructor: Jean Starr

Class fee: members $5, nonmembers $10

Discussion group

Taltree Garden Discussion Group will meet from 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 3.

Topic of discussion: It is the role of man in nature that determines the gardening decisions affecting land use. $5/non-members, admittance free for members. Pre-Register by calling Taltree at (219) 462-0025.

Birding club

Meet with fellow bird watchers Jan. 10 ~ the Taltree Birding Club will meet in the office where members will make pine cone suet cakes to offer for sale at the Porter County Master Gardener Gardening Show on Jan. 24. Membership is $10. Register by calling Taltree at (219) 462-0025.

Taltree Arboretum & Gardens classroom, office and greenhouse are located at 71 N. County Road 500 West, Valparaiso.. For more information or to register for classes, visit www.taltree.org or call (219) 462-0025.