The Joys of Gardening with Native Plants: Final Winter Chores and Preparing for Spring

This talk will offer tips on how to finish your winter chores like pruning and then prepare for spring. Learn why leaves and stalks shouldn’t be removed until the temperature warms up (you don’t want to kill all the pollinators) and the value of No Mow May. Participants will learn that 5% of native plants provide nearly 75% of the food wildlife consume, among other facts. The class will also show how to design a garden with colors and a layout that welcomes butterflies and bees and blooms from early spring to late fall.

Laura O’Callaghan, a Finksburg resident, became a Master Gardener in 2014. She teaches courses about native plants and gardening at Carroll Community College and library branches. She is a member of the Garden Guild at CCPL's Finksburg Branch and the Audubon Society of Central Maryland. For more information, visit her website IntheGardenwithLaura.com.