KINGSTON, R.I. — September 10, 2001 — Gardeners, environmentalists and nature lovers of all kinds can get expert assistance and a head-start on next year’s gardening season at the University of Rhode Island’s eleventh annual GreenShare Field Day on Saturday, September 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event will be held in and around the Learning Landscapes Gardens on the corner of Upper College Road and East Alumni Avenue on URI’s Kingston Campus. Rain date is Sunday, September 23.
Sponsored by URI’s Cooperative Extension Education Center, GreenShare Field Day will include gardening and environmental activities that are free and fun for the whole family.
One highlight will be a workshop on building stone walls by South Kingstown landscape contractor John Manchester. “I’m going to talk about the differences between the type of wall that runs through the woods, and the type you sit on, and the kind that holds back earth, the difference between dry laid walls and mortared walls,” said Manchester, who built many of the stone walls in the URI Learning Landscape gardens, which are a series of model landscapes that are used as an outdoor classroom.
Other featured activities at this family-friendly event include garden tours, craft workshops, demonstrations, educational displays and children’s activities on dozens of gardening and environmental topics. The R.I. Wild Plant Society, the URI Master Gardener Association, and several commercial nurseries will be on hand to sell plants and shrubs.
One of the most popular workshop topics each year is “Taking the Mystery out of Growing Hydrangeas,” led by local nurseryman Bob Aube, owner of Morningstar Nurseries in Richmond. He’ll provide tips on growing hydrangeas, from common varieties popular with most Rhode Island gardeners to unusual specimens appreciated by many plant aficionados.
Additional workshops focus on growing fruit in the backyard, landscaping with perennials, low maintenance roses, saving seeds, butterfly gardening, composting, flower arranging, and more. (See attached schedule for complete details.)
URI professionals, Master Gardeners, and representatives from more than two dozen local garden centers, nurseries and environmental organizations will also provide educational displays about everything from bird feeding, composting and beekeeping to mosquito abatement, soil testing and weed identification.
Residents can bring samples of weeds and pest insects for identification. Soil pH will be tested for free (bring one cup of soil for each garden to be tested).
Children’s activities include a butterfly tent and insect zoo, live chickens, arts and crafts, and more. Food will be available for sale, and Cabin Creek, a band specializing in Appalachian music, will provide musical entertainment. For additional information about the GreenShare Field Day, call 401-874-2900. The event is sponsored by Holly Ridge Nursery of West Kingston, Clark Farms of South Kingstown and Distinctive Landscapes of North Kingstown.
URI GreenShare Field Day
Schedule of Events
September 22, 2001
Garden Tours
10:30 a.m. Highlights of the Learning Landscape
12:30 p.m. URI’s Woody Legacy: A Walking Tour of Sustainable Trees & Shrubs
1:30 p.m. Backyard Fruit Growing
Slide Lectures
11 a.m. Butterfly Gardening
1 p.m. Landscaping with Perennials
Workshops
10:15 a.m. Great Roses for a Low Maintenance Landscape
11:15 a.m. Building a Stone Wall
12:30 p.m. The ABCs of Flower Arranging
1:30 p.m. Pruning Trees: Too Much? Too Little? Where to Begin?
2 p.m. Taking the Mystery Out of Growing Hydrangeas
Vegetable Garden Demonstrations
10:30 a.m.
& 1:30 p.m. Home Remedies for Pest Control
11 a.m. Seed Saving
11:30 a.m.
& 1 p.m. Cooking from the Garden (Demonstration and Tasting)
12:30 p.m. Composting and Putting Your Garden to Bed
2 p.m. Harvest, Storage and Preservation
For Information: Marion Gold 874-5705, Todd McLeish 874-7892