LAKE COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ASSOCIATION INC. "Helping Others Grow"

Lake County Master Gardeners Association Inc
Lake County Master Gardeners Association Inc
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HELPING OTHERS GROW—ONE PROGRAM AT A TIME

The Lake County Master Gardeners are committed to sharing horticultural knowledge with our community. From hands-on workshops to expert-led webinars, we offer educational opportunities for gardeners of all levels. Explore upcoming events, view past presentations, and discover resources to keep learning and growing—right here!

📅 See What’s Coming Up

Check out our live calendar of public educational events.
Click Here to View the Full Calendar

UPCOMING EDUCATION EVENTS

🌿 Watch Functional & Fantastic Plants with Wayne Gruber

Presented Tuesday, August 12  at 6:00 PM

Missed the presentation? You can now watch horticulturist and educator Wayne Gruber share his top picks for sustainable, pollinator-friendly plants that can transform your landscape. Learn how to make informed choices and discover exciting new options that blend beauty and function.

📺 Watch the YouTube recording here

🌱 Cooking with Herbs

Wednesday, August 27 at 6:00 PM

Join Linda Curley, Purdue Extension Health & Human Sciences Educator, for a flavorful session on using herbs and spices to boost your cooking—without extra salt, sugar, or fat. You’ll also learn safe ways to store and preserve your homegrown herbs for later use.

 

🔘 Register here

✂️ Pruning Basics with Bryan McKay

✂️ Pruning Basics with Bryan McKay

✂️ Pruning Basics with Bryan McKay

Tuesday, October 7 at 6:00 PM

Join horticulturist Bryan McKay for a hands-on presentation on how to properly prune your favorite trees, shrubs, and garden plants. With over 30 years of experience in the landscape industry—including time as Horticulturist for Lake County Parks—Bryan brings practical knowledge and expert tips to help gardeners make smart cuts for healthier, more beautiful plants. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned gardener, this one-hour session will sharpen your pruning skills just in time for fall cleanup!

👉 Sign up for this education event

🐝 Bloom & Thrive: A Native Fest

✂️ Pruning Basics with Bryan McKay

✂️ Pruning Basics with Bryan McKay

Saturday, September 13

Celebrate native plants, pollinators, and the power of community at our first-ever Native Fest! This fun and educational event will feature expert talks, hands-on workshops, and local vendors—all centered around sustainable gardening with native plants. A light lunch and continental breakfast are included. Come explore new ideas, connect with fellow plant lovers, and get inspired to grow native!

👉 Sign Up for Bloom & Thrive: A Native Fest

Fall 2025 Master Gardener Training

News Flash! The fall 2025 Master Gardener Training Class for Lake County has been announced. Classes will begin on Thursday, August 15 and run through December 5, 2025. Classes will be held each Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. CST at Purdue Extension-Lake County Office, 2291 N. Main St. Crown Point, IN 46307. If you are interested in joining this class, please click here for more information or contact:

Rena Wielgus, rmwielgu@purdue.edu, (219) 755-3240

For questions about the Purdue Extension Master Gardener program, contact:

Dolly Foster, dolly@purdue.edu or call (219) 755-3240

🗂️ Below are flyers and presentations from past educational events.

Featured Videos or Highlights

🦋 Doug Tallamy: Next Steps for Nature

🥦 The Art of Growing Food with Ellen Ecker Ogden

🌿 Sustainable Garden Design with Wayne Gruber

Join renowned entomologist and author Doug Tallamy as he shares powerful insights on the critical role native plants play in supporting insects, birds, and the broader ecosystem. This engaging webinar explores how each of us can help restore biodiversity—starting right in our own backyards. Be inspired to take action for nature.

👉 Watch the webinar recording

🌿 Sustainable Garden Design with Wayne Gruber

🥦 The Art of Growing Food with Ellen Ecker Ogden

🌿 Sustainable Garden Design with Wayne Gruber


Join us for a walk through Niemeyer’s with Wayne Gruber as he shares expert tips on creating eco-friendly, low-maintenance gardens. Learn how to combine natives, nativars, and sustainable plants for beautiful results with less effort.

🎥 Watch the video here

🥦 The Art of Growing Food with Ellen Ecker Ogden

🥦 The Art of Growing Food with Ellen Ecker Ogden

🌸 What’s New for 2025: The Journey from Selection to Your Garden

Join kitchen garden designer and author Ellen Ecker Ogden for an inspiring look at how to transform your vegetable garden into a beautiful and productive space. Discover how to combine classic design principles with edible landscaping techniques to create a garden that’s both artistic and abundant.

👉 View the zoom presentation

🌸 What’s New for 2025: The Journey from Selection to Your Garden

🌸 What’s New for 2025: The Journey from Selection to Your Garden

🌸 What’s New for 2025: The Journey from Selection to Your Garden

Explore the latest plant introductions with Josh Miller of Proven Winners in this colorful and informative slideshow. Discover how new plants are selected, trialed, and brought to market—plus get a peek at the season’s standout varieties.

👉 Click here to view Josh’s slideshow »

🌟 Master Gardeners Favorite Things Slideshow

🌸 What’s New for 2025: The Journey from Selection to Your Garden

🌟 Master Gardeners Favorite Things Slideshow

Each December, Lake County Master Gardeners gather to celebrate the season and share our favorite gardening tools, tips, books, and more!

Check out the slideshow from our recent Favorite Things Party to discover what your fellow MGs can’t live without. It’s full of fun ideas and helpful recommendations from gardeners just like you!

👉 Click here to view the slideshow

🌱 “Permaculture” with Rebecca Koetz

🌸 What’s New for 2025: The Journey from Selection to Your Garden

🌟 Master Gardeners Favorite Things Slideshow


Learn how to design sustainable, low-impact gardens with Purdue Extension Educator Rebecca Koetz. In this two-part webinar, Becca shares practical tips on water harvesting, food production, and creating resilient landscapes inspired by nature.

🌱 Watch Part 2

see highlights from education events and field trips, including hands-on workshops and presentations

    Educating others

    Gardeners' Corner

    Check out recommendations that can help your garden in any season. 

    Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar
    Container and Raised Bed Gardening

    🌿 EDUCATION IS AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO

    The Lake County Master Gardeners Association is dedicated to helping the public grow their gardening knowledge through free presentations, in-person talks, and educational outreach. All of our programs reflect our mission: Helping Others Grow.

    Our education programs are held in the meeting room at Purdue Extension Lake County [2293 N. Main Street, Crown Point, IN  46307, Phone:  219-755-3240.] A wide variety of speakers offer monthly programs.  All programs are free to the public and publicized through email bulletins, sent from our Constant Contact database.  As word caught on, the database grew, as did our audiences.  They included programs on tree identification, roses, bats, lawns, hibiscus, bees and beekeeping, pollinator gardens…a real wealth of topics.

    If you would like to receive notification of our free gardening programs, please add your email address here:     


    🎤 SPEAKERS’ BUREAU

    Our Speakers Bureau is available to provide presentations for garden clubs, libraries, community organizations, and civic groups in Lake County.

    Popular talk topics include:

    • Attracting pollinators to your garden

    • Native plants and sustainable landscaping

    • Vegetable gardening 101

    • Seasonal garden care

    • Organic and eco-friendly gardening practices

    Interested organizations should contact the listed speakers directly to arrange the programs.  Speakers cannot accept honoraria for speaking but can accept donations on behalf of LCMGA that are happily accepted by the Treasurer!

    If you would like to receive a copy of the Speaker's Bureau list, please request one from Purdue Extension by calling (219) 755-3240

    Past presentation overviews & Speaker Info

    August 2025 - Functional and Fantastic Plants with Wayne Gruber (pdf)

    Download

    July 2025 - Curb Appeal with Native Plants (pdf)

    Download

    June 2025 - Plant Diseases with Nikky (pdf)

    Download

    March 2025 - Ellen Ecker Ogden (pdf)

    Download

    Dollys Winter Sowing 2025 (pdf)

    Download

    December 2024 - MG Favorite Things (pdf)

    Download

    November 2024 - Permaculture (pdf)

    Download

    October 2024 - All About Bats (pdf)

    Download

    September 2024 - Invasive Species (pdf)

    Download

    Field Trip to Kankakee Sands (pdf)

    Download

    August 2024 - Add a Little Prairie (pdf)

    Download

    July 2024 - Great Lakes Butterflies (jpg)

    Download

    July 2024 - Field trip to Hamstra Gardens (png)

    Download

    May 2024 - Insect Diversity (pdf)

    Download

    April 2024 - Early Spring Flowers (pdf)

    Download
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    Lake County Master Gardeners Association Inc.

    2293 N. Main St., Crown Point, IN 46307

    (219) 755-3240

    COPYRIGHT © 2025 LAKE COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ASSOCIATION INC - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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