Rock Island, IL: If you`re in the mood for spring, the Rock Island Public Library is ready to help you liven up your landscape with a new series of gardening programs in March and April.
The following Liven Up your Landscape programs start at 6:30 pm in the second-floor Community Room of the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street.
Go Wild, Go Native: Wednesday, March 6. Looking for some new ideas for your garden? Head to the library for a program with Marilyn Andress from Interstate Resource Conservation and Development, RiverBend Wildland Stewards. Ms. Andress will share tips and recommendations and the benefits of adding wild and native plants to your garden.
Putting Some Herbs in Your Life: Wednesday, March 13. Herbs add flavor and color to your garden and your home. Peg Christensen, from QC Herbs, will share her knowledge about how easily you can add herbs to most areas of your life, including your kitchen, bathroom, closets and more.
Starting a Rain Garden: Monday, April 1. Dan Mays, Scott County Master Gardener, created his first rain garden more than a decade ago. Mr. Mays will share some tips and tricks to getting started, how he began his first rain garden, and some recommendations you won't find anywhere else. Attendees can also pick up an application for the City of Rock Island's Rain Garden reimbursement program at the end of the evening.
Flying Flowers in Your Garden: Monday, April 8. Can you identify the butterflies of our area by some of their caterpillars? Roxie and Dallas DeShane, River Bend Wildland Stewards, will share what host plants each butterfly prefers for their larvae, so you can attract these "flying flowers" to your garden this spring. Handouts will be available to help you plan and plant your garden.
Vegetable Gardening - A Feast for the Eyes and Palate: Monday, April 15. Learn how to make your vegetable garden the star of the neighborhood by choosing edible plants that are nutritious, tasty, and beautiful. From the flashes of gold dangling from a Sunshine Cherry Tomato on a decorative trellis to the bright blue peppers of a Filius Blue pepper plant, a vegetable garden can provide a feast for the eyes and for the palate. Sandy Russell from Tastes of the Rainbow will show how using organic or heirloom seeds can help you add extra color and flavor to your vegetable garden.
Programs are free and open to the public. For more news about Rock Island Public Library events, visit www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-7323 (READ), or follow the Rock Island Library on Facebook and Twitter. A monthly calendar of library events is available online and at library locations.
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