LAKE COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ASSOCIATION INC. "Helping Others Grow"
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!
UPCOMING EDUCATION EVENTS
🌿 Functional & Fantastic Plants with Wayne Gruber
Tuesday, August 12 at 6:00 PM
Choosing the right plants can feel overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be!
Join Wayne Gruber as he highlights sustainable, functional, and pollinator-friendly plant choices that bring both beauty and purpose to your garden. He’ll introduce fresh ideas for underused and standout plants, helping you make smart, low-maintenance selections that thrive in our region. Whether you’re redesigning a bed or just need a few solid picks, you’ll leave this talk inspired and ready to plant with confidence.
🌱 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.
✂️ 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!
🐝 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!
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
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.
🌿 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.
🥦 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.
🌸 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.
🌟 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!
🌱 “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.
Educating others
Gardeners' Corner
Check out recommendations that can help your garden in any season.
🌿 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