Pat Lechtenberg became a Master Gardener in 1994 when she was planning to build a new home.

“I wanted to have a particular kind of look to my gardens that I hadn’t been able to accomplish on my own,” she says. “Also, I had not been successful dealing with clay soil, so I needed guidance in overcoming that.”

Lechtenberg has surmounted her own hurdles and is now hoping to assist local gardeners with the fall task of putting their gardens to bed. She’ll be one of several presenters at Saturday’s Fall Garden Festival, sponsored by the Douglas County Extension Master Gardeners.

It’s the second year for the event.

Lechtenberg’s presentation will hit on the following areas:

¢ Removing debris that may carry plant diseases.

Douglas County master gardner Pat Lechtenberg, of Lawrence, works Monday evening in her garden, potting a columbine plant for the Fall Garden Festival plant sale this weekend. Lechtenberg will be present a workshop at the festival.

¢ Protecting tender perennials.

¢ Tidying the garden to reduce early spring cleanup.

¢ Planning the placement of fall bulbs and other plant material.

¢ Recording particular combinations of plants that were successful and should be remembered.

¢ Storing containers and protecting garden hardscapes.

¢ Digging, cleaning and storing bulbs until next spring.

¢ Determining which plants to dig, and sharing that benefit from dividing.

Active group

There is no better resource for area gardeners than the Douglas County Extension Office and the Master Gardeners. These people know gardening. They know what works in our soil. They’re hip to trends. They can help debunk gardening myths. They can assist in identifying plants, as well as bugs and diseases.

One of Lechtenberg's flowering plants deemed a success is the begonia doublet

They are the gardening gurus in every county, and ours is no exception.

Their annual fall festival is your chance to address landscaping questions and take in demonstrations most every half-hour all day Saturday.

One of the reasons to support the group is because its members are volunteers who help beautify Lawrence. Among the projects area Master Gardeners have taken on during the past year:

¢ The restoration of the Elizabeth Speer heritage garden that surrounds the Murphy-Bromelsick house at Hobbs Park.

¢ Playing host to the Old West Lawrence Tree Treasures walk as part of the sesquicentennial celebration.

¢ Designing and sowing a butterfly garden on west campus for the Monarch Watch group.

¢ Designing, creating and maintaining the gardens at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds and the Douglas County Courthouse.

¢ Providing a horticulture hot line for the community through the Extension office.

¢ Establishing annual awards for businesses that beautify their landscape through horticulture.

Winter sowing

Master Gardener Jan Butin will introduce area gardeners to a relatively new way of producing plants called winter sowing. Butin tried the process last year with many of her perennials and says she can’t wait for next summer to see the fruits of her labor.

“Winter sowing is basically growing flower and vegetable transplants (and ornamental grasses, tress, etc.) from seed,” Butin explains. “Instead of doing it indoors under lights, winter sowers plant their seeds in recycled containers like milk jugs and large pop bottles and then put them outdoors for Mother Nature to tend.

“Each type of seed sprouts when conditions are perfect for it. There is no damping-off, and very sturdy transplants result, which are then hardened off a little and planted outside when they get their true leaves. The method was ‘invented’ in 2000 by Trudi Davidoff.”

Butin will show participants how to plant containers and will display examples of her transplants. She’ll also share information about a seed exchange and how it fuels winter sowing.

“This is basically just a fun way to grow a lot of plants without spending any money except for potting soil,” she says. “We save seeds, trade seeds and get to know a lot of gardeners all over the country and internationally who post pictures of their plants and gardens on the forum.”

Other festival highlights will be a garden clinic to which the public can bring plants and ask questions, children’s activities and a plant sale. So come armed with gardening questions, try to stump the local experts, have fun with your family and take home a little garden knowledge.