Home Garden Boot Camp
Program Description:
Create the garden you've always dreamed of! This ten part series will give you an in-depth understanding of the most important aspects of gardening so you can create your very own back (or front) yard oasis. We will teach you the basics of gardening and some unique things, too. All of the classes will be taught at the UT Gardens and many will lead you through them. Each series-long participant will receive a manual to fill up with information from each session. During some of the classes, we will utilize the greenhouse and send you home with a plant or two! You may register for the series as a whole or for individual classes.
Tuesday evenings from January-May 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Cost per session: Garden member $35/nonmember $40
Cost for full series (10 classes): Garden member $330/nonmember $375nuary 28, 2020
Soil Part 1
Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Come to our first class to learn the ins and outs of soil. Learn about the ecosystem that is contained in what most people mistakenly call “dirt.” Participants will be guided through the process of taking a soil sample. We’ll start with a review of the physical and chemical composition and then spend most of the time on the biological components of soil. We’ll take a closer look at the nitrogen cycle and the Soil Food Web. Once you realize that soil is a habitat for all sorts of microbes – and larger, visible creatures – you begin to understand why organic gardeners say “feed the soil, and the soil will feed your plants.” Students will take home one pound of Red Bud Farms’ certified organic worm castings to enhance your soil food web. Lead instructor: Marsha Lehman
Plant Propagation
Date: Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Do you have a favorite annual or a beloved perennial that you’d like more of but can’t find anywhere? No worries! Come to this class to learn the basics of propagation, so you can have more of your favorite plants! Seed saving as well as division and cuttings will be explored. Participants will get hands-on experience taking cuttings of a choice conifer which will then be grown on our greenhouse mist benches. Lead instructors: Alice Kimbrell and Amy Haun
Soil Part 2
Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
This class is a continuation on the topic of soil. We will cover information about soil pH adjustment, nutrient management, composting and mulch options. As you may or may not know, understanding your soil and how to best use it are key components of successful gardening, so this is a class you won’t want to miss. Lead instructor: Andy Mehringer
Garden Design
Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
All great gardens start with a great design. Learn to assess your sites’ unique environmental qualities, how to make a base map and how to use basic design principles for a garden that will provide you beauty all year long. Consider how much sun and shade you have now, as well as how that will change as trees grow and mature. Think about which plants like a lot of water, and which like it dry. And of course, document your garden plans for future reference. Lead instructor: Dr. Sue Hamilton
Pests and Diseases
Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Learn to get ahead of pests and disease in the garden by implementing the tools of integrated pest management. By choosing disease resistant varieties, avoiding susceptible plants and paying attention to plant placement and seasonal garden maintenance we can avoid many pest and disease issues. Pesticides and other sprays are only needed as a last resort after best practices have been employed. Organic and conventional methods will be discussed. Lead instructors: Amy Haun and Cathy Carpenter
Pruning
Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Learn basic pruning techniques and the proper tools to use. In our area, most pruning occurs from late January through August. Learn how the bloom season affects when to prune, along with the difference between “old wood” and “new wood” bloomers so that you don’t accidentally prune off this year’s flower buds. Lead instructor: Drew Bogert
Rain Gardens
Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Learn how to construct a rain garden based on your soil’s absorption rate, how much water is collecting, and the character of your topography. Ideal plant material and aesthetic considerations will be covered. We’ll take a close look at the established rain garden on site. Lead instructor: Dr. Andrea Ludwig
Top Performing Woody Plants
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Trees and shrubs provide permanent structure in the garden as well as colorful leaves, flowers, fruit and interesting bark. This session will use the garden as an outdoor classroom to study top performing trees and shrubs. The Gardens' plant collection has been evolving for over 30 years and Dr. Sue has been present the entire time. She will share her favorite garden trees and fool proof shrubs for outstanding landscape performance. Basic growing requirements and plant care will be discussed. Lead instructor: Dr. Sue Hamilton
Herbaceous Perennials for Maximum Flower Power
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
From tried and true garden classics to new and improved varieties, this class will focus on must have perennials for a bright and colorful growing season. Basic growing requirements and plant care will be discussed. Lead instructor: Dr. Sue Hamilton
Planting NativesDate: Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Learn about gardening as it relates to wildlife. Whether you want to attract birds to your garden or discourage meddling mammals, this class is for you. Native plants have evolved over centuries to support wildlife as well as withstand wildlife pressure. Deer resistant plants as well as pollinator attractants will be highlighted. In the second half of this class, we will look at ways to adapt this information about native plants to typical home situations such as thin soil, close neighbors, and small beds in sun or shade.Instructors: Cathy Carpenter, Janie Bitner, Dr. Lynn Carlson, and Vicki Smith
Presenter Bios:
Masha Lehman became a certified Master Gardener in 2013 and is very active in the Knox County organization. In early 2016, she was recognized as the 2015 Outstanding Master Gardener for the state of TN. She is chair of the Speakers Bureau, which has won awards at the state level (2016) and international level (2017). She is a frequent presenter as well. In addition to the Speakers Bureau, she actively advises, and volunteers in two charity gardens -- which combined, provided nearly 7500 pounds of fresh produce in 2017.
Alice Kimbrell is the Volunteer Coordinator and a Horticulturist at UT Gardens, Knoxville. She began her journey as a horticulture professional when she started at the UT Gardens as a public horticulture intern in 2013. After obtaining her bachelor's in plant science from UT in 2016, she worked as a horticulture apprentice at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens outside of Louisville, Kentucky. Upon finishing her apprenticeship, she re-enrolled at UT to pursue a Master’s Degree in Public Horticulture.
Amy Haun is a certified Master Gardener with Knox County. She is an experienced gardener and is especially passionate about pollinator health, culinary herbs and science based gardening techniques.
Andy Mehringer is a certified Master Gardener with Knox County. He contributes expertise and hands on work to the Charity Garden project at All Saints Catholic Church which provides thousands of pounds of organically grown produce to local charities each year. He specializes in organic soil amendments and composting.
Dr. Sue Hamilton is the director of the UT Gardens where over 100,000 visitors enjoy their beauty and education each year. Dr. Sue co-hosted a weekly “Garden Talk” radio show for 15 years. She has co-authored the book “The Best Garden Plants for Tennessee” and writes a monthly gardening column for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Dr. Sue also writes for various magazines including ‘Fine Gardening Magazine’ where her home garden has been featured on the front cover! As a professor, Sue teaches a variety of horticulture classes at UT including her favorite, plant and garden photography. She is a member of numerous professional horticulture associations and is an avid gardener where she practices what she teaches. Dr. Sue has a Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degree in Horticulture from UT and Ohio State University.
Cathy Carpenter first became interested in ornamental gardening 40 years ago by watching her father’s practices which were based on library research, long before the Internet. She became a certified Master Gardener in 2018 which gave her the tools to venture outside her comfort zone in suburban ornamental gardening, to value research and planning in gardening, and to investigate and learn from the concept of “plant failure to thrive". She enjoys researching garden design, its implementation and subsequent plant care.
Drew Bogert works as a horticulturist at UT Gardens. He grew up in Middle Tennessee, where he worked for multiple residential and commercial lawn care companies before moving to Knoxville in 2013. He completed his bachelor's degree in Plant Sciences in 2017 - specifically studying Landscape Design. He spends almost all of his time outdoors, is a firm believer that interaction with nature and greenspace is a vital activity for human health, and he enjoys sharing these experiences with others.
Dr. Andrea Ludwig is an Associate Professor of Ecological Engineering in the Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science Department at the University of Tennessee. She has worked as the State Stormwater Management Specialist for UT Extension since 2010, and in that role, works with local municipal governments to help support their green infrastructure programs and is the co-director of Tennessee Smart Yards, which is a sustainable landscaping educational program that seeks to certify private property across the state as “Tennessee Smart Yards.” She serves as the Chair of the Watershed Faculty Consortium at UT, a long-time member of the American Ecological Engineering Society, and one of the faculty advisors for the student club the Hydrolunteers.
Janie Bitner holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Tennessee/ Natural Science/Botany major; graduated from the Knox County Master Gardener Class of 2015; is an active member of the TFGC Tuckaleechee Garden Club; Racheff House & Gardens Garden Chairman 2016; is the current GSMNP Curator Assistant In Natural History Collection at Twin Creeks Science and Education Center since 2009- maintain plants in collection; as well as a UT Gardens Adopt A Spot Volunteer.
Dr. Lynn Carlson is a retired professor of chemistry who became a serious gardener while developing her 7-acre homesite in Hardin Valley. She became a certified Master Gardener in 2011 and is especially interested in ornamental woody plants and native plants. As a Master Gardener, Lynn has served as Secretary during the Knox County formative years (2011-2013) and as President (2015-2016).
Vickie Smith is a certified Knox County Master Gardener with many years of gardening experience. She specializes in gardening for pollinators using native plants and enjoys sharing her passion through teaching.