Learn more about gardening at MCC Gardenfest

Whether you're interested in container gardening, growing vegetables, native landscaping or even creating your very own fairy garden, the annual Gardenfest at McHenry County College will likely have answers to your most pressing gardening questions.

This year's event is from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 5 in the MCC Conference Center. The fee is $35, $15 for students.

Instructors include MCC horticulture teachers, University of Illinois Extension educators, horticulture professionals and members of the McHenry County Master Gardeners.

Rich Tobiasz, storyteller, master gardener and organic farmer, will present the keynote address, "Make Mine Green," in which he chronicles the "greening" of McHenry County.

Other workshops include kids and gardening, rain gardens, the home orchard and starting a vegetable garden. In addition to lectures, there are also a number of hands-on sessions (labs) that allow participants to get their hands dirty.

Lab sessions planned for this year's Gardenfest include seed cultivation and preservation, fresh floral arranging, an introduction to topiary and container gardening.

These labs require an additional fee added to the registration fee and are limited to 20 people. The event is co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension, McHenry County Master Gardeners and McHenry County College.

For details, call (815) 455-8697 or visit www.mchenry.edu/ Gardenfest.