I am lucky to be apart of this event that is hosted by Stearns County Extension Services. You don’t have to be signed up for this event to shop the vendors! We are outside of the session areas. This is a fun day of gardening sessions. In between the sessions there is an opportunity to shop a few vendors. I will be there with some fun pieces that you might want in your garden or home.

Here is more information below about the event itself.

The Stearns County Extension Master Gardeners are excited to offer their annual Gardening Education Day. On March 2, 2024, gardening enthusiasts from across the county and state will gather at the Gorecki Conference Center at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota to learn from experts about a wide variety of gardening topics.

The keynote speaker this year is Ryan McEnaney, garden designer, author, and fifth-generation family member leading Marketing at Bailey Nurseries. He will be presenting “New Plants and Where They Come From." Ever wonder where your favorite new plant came from or how it got it’s name? Join us for an exclusive look behind the scenes at that journey with garden designer, author, and fifth-generation nurseryman Ryan McEnaney. He'll share the process from Bailey Nurseries, his family's wholesale nursery, of new introductions from natural discovery and breeding work, through nursery production, into the marketing funnel, and ultimately into the landscape. Many of these plants end up in their proprietary brands Endless Summer® Hydrangeas, First Editions® Shrubs & Trees, and Easy Elegance® Roses. In addition to learning this process, Ryan will provide attendees with his favorite new plant introductions, what makes them unique, and why they deserve a place in the landscape in Minnesota.

In addition to the keynote speaker, attendees will have the opportunity to attend breakout sessions led by industry experts. These sessions cover everything from to Liliums to fruit production, shore restoration to garden design, bee lawns and so much more.

The day also includes vendors offering a wide array of services. Each vendor will have door prizes available for the drawing near the end of the day. The Sauk River Watershed will be providing free water testing for nitrates at their booth. Instruction for how to participate in the testing can be found in the registration materials.