Fall Garden Day, September 15

On Saturday, September 15, join local educators and Penn State Master Gardeners for an informative morning of fall gardening topics at Fall Garden Day, 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Cumberland County Extension Office, 310 Allen Road, Carlisle, PA. The registration fee is only $10.00. Please register early, as class size is limited, by calling 717-240-6500.

Learn about the fungus among us – the importance of fungi in our gardens and in natural environments – with Messiah College professor Gary Emberger. Other topics during the morning include digging and storing summer bulbs for the winter; sowing cover crops in the vegetable garden; and creating shared landscapes that preserve and enhance good relations with your neighbors.

Penn State Master Gardeners will also be on hand to show you around their new Allen Road Gardens, with rain gardens, a green roof shed, and native, pollinator, and four-season plants on display.

As a special free bonus, a presentation and hands-on demonstration of “How to Plant a Tree Properly” will be given by certified arborist Eric Vorodi from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. You may bring a bag lunch and stay for Eric’s presentation, or come for just his program at 12:30 p.m.

The 4-H Horse and Pony Club Cloverbuds will also be on hand from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. to sell 5-gallon buckets of “black gold” – aged horse manure – for only $5.00 per bucket. Autumn is a great time to work on improving your garden for next spring, and adding organic matter is the best start to soil improvement. Proceeds benefit the Cloverbuds, youngsters ages 5-8, who are raising funds for educational activities.

For more information about this and other Master Gardener and 4-H events, please call Cumberland County Penn State Extension at 717-240-6500 or visit our website at http://extension.psu.edu/cumberland.