RBG has a lot to offer MGVs in 2011

There are wealth of volunteer opportunities that will be available all year long at Rotary Botanical Gardens. Mark Dwyer will post volunteer opportunities to Rock Hort and his blog as these things come up, but he compiled this listing so we'd have some idea of what will be available. He told me today he'll have more to add in the near future.

Rock Prairie Master Gardeners a Peek at 2011

Note: The intent of this handout is to brief the membership of the RPMGA as to some of the collections, events and opportunities at RBG in the 2011 season. RBG has enjoyed a strong relationship with the RPMGA and we look forward to continued collaborations regarding gardening opportunities, events and fundraisers.

2011 Collections

* Marigolds (100+ varieties)

* Vining squash (summer and winter) at the Horticulture Center

* Compact vegetables (in old prairie area, 13 old iris beds)

* Ornamental Edibles

* All-America Selections, Fleuroselect, Seed Trials (Ball, PanAmerican, Takii) and American Garden Awards

* Blue/Yellow Color Scheme

* The “Smelly Garden” in the Children’s Gardens (focus on scented plants)

Plant Sales

· Spring Plant Sale (May 13,14,15)

o Focus on heirloom vegetables, herbs, squash seeds, compact veggies, etc. We will offer some perennials as well. Divisions from the gardens are unlikely

o Will incorporate some tools and other wares

o Mushroom compost will be part of this sale and sold every Saturday in both April and May. We will also be selling worm castings.

o Would like to include a component of the sale with pre-planted containers with compact vegetables/herbs and the potential to “pot your own container”. The RPMGA could be directly involved with this activity.

· Fall Plant Sale (September 9-11)

o Perennials, bulbs, shrubs, mums, compost, etc.

o Similar content to previous years, more condensed timeframe

Workdays

· Workdays out in the gardens (8am until noon) will be held on May 21, May 28, June 4, June 11, June 18, September 17, October 22

· There will also be “supplemental” workdays on select Saturdays when Janice P. is working. These will be smaller group operations.

Bus Trips (RBG Members only, $ to be determined)

· August 4^th, 2011 (7:30 am – 5 pm), Ball Seed Trial Grounds (West Chicago, IL), Independent Lunch, Cantigny Park & Gardens (Wheaton, IL)

· October 6^th, 2011 (7:30 am – 6 pm), Allen Centennial Gardens (UW-Madison), Olbrich Botanical Gardens (Madison, WI), Independent Lunch, Buying trip at The Flower Factory (Stoughton, WI)

Symposia

· Your Garden: Maximized! March 26^th (7 am registration begins, 4:15 end time), $50 fee ($40 for MGs), details at www.rotarybotanicalgardens.org

o Small Trees with Big Impact (Jeff Epping, Olbrich)

o Heirloom Edibles for Container and Small Spaces (Doreen Howard, Garden Writer and author)

o Stunning Plants for Dazzling Effects in Limited-Space Gardens (Ed Lyon, Allen Centennial Gardens)

o Landscape Design Tips for the Smaller Garden (Mark Dwyer, RBG)

o Freebies, good food, snacks, silent auction, vendors, etc.

o There may also be a Friday component, TBA

· Fall Symposium (TBA), RPMGA help appreciated

Evening Lectures

Note: These are still in discussion and would be in addition to (and not in conflict) with evening lectures organized by the RPMGA

· Gardening Basics – 12 topics, very general, targeting a general audience

· Landscaping Basics – 6 topics, specific to elements of design, water features, lighting, paths/patios, walls, fences, irrigation, etc.

Volunteer Opportunities

· Saturday workdays

· Plant Sale participation/organization

· Horticulture Therapy initiatives / healing garden research

· Interpretation involvement

· Educational opportunities (Symposia, evening presentations, etc.)

· Vegetable collecting for food banks, dispersal of extra vegetables in spring

· Sunday watering team

· Tour guides, Docents, Twilight Tours?

· Plant Sleuths (more on this later…)

Fundraising Opportunities (these all require more discussion)

· The RPMGA is welcome to sell items like rain barrels, tools, compost bins, etc. at any of our symposia, plant sales, etc.

· See above for the container planting component of the spring sale. Perhaps selling pre-planted containers and facilitating the “plant your own” component. I would like to discuss this further.

· Late season summer bulb sale, stuff from the gardens (cannas, elephant ears, other tropicals)

· Poinsettia pre-sale