Get ready for spring with Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners
The Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners' monthly meetings will be featuring programs on the "Gardens of Europe," composting, and beekeeping.
The group is dedicated to supporting the Batavia Wildflower Sanctuary and other community projects while cultivating friendships and a love of gardening. The club meets on the third Tuesday of the month at the Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave. It begins with a social time at 6:45 p.m., followed by a general meeting and presentation at 7 p.m.
The next three meetings will feature the following presentations. All are welcome to attend.
On Feb. 18, learn about the "Gardens of Europe" from Linnea Koch, photographer, traveler and Illinois Master Gardener with a special interest in native shade plants.
Through her presentation, you will see two gardens. Insel Maina on the small island of Mainau is a botanic garden in Lake Constance which is owned by Swedish nobility. Koch briefly presents the 5 000-year history before touring three seasons of island plant life.
Then, they will head to Keukenhof, outside of Amsterdam. Koch gives a short history of the property and just who owned this Keukenhof and adjoining land. The bulb growers' display gardens and their sales huts are open only for the duration of the bulb blooming season in spring, approximately 6-8 weeks.
Bring a breath of spring to your evening with this special presentation.
On March 17, Kim Bohannon, a naturalist and certified master composter, will speak on "Too Good To Waste." Learn to enhance your garden's potential naturally. Composting enriches soil, helping retain moisture and helps reduce the incidence of plant diseases and pests. It encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material.
On April 21, apiarists Charles and Karen Lorence will speak on "Beekeeping and Beehives." The Aurora couple have been beekeepers since 1971. At one time, they kept 150 hives. As teachers, they had summers free and their hobby turned into a thriving business. Today they manage hobby hives in Wisconsin and Illinois and sell honey and value-added products. They teach classes in beekeeping, offer seminars at community colleges and arboretums, write for a professional beekeeping magazine, and do presentations to garden clubs and special interest groups. Their honey and beeswax products have been awarded special honors, both on the state and national level.
For additional information, contact Diana Sharp, club president, at dleesharp@sbcglobal.net, or visit www.facebook.com/BataviaPlainDirtGardeners/ or bpdgclub.blogspot.com.