About 180 participants attended the Clarion County Gardeners Conference last month at Clarion University.

The event, hosted by the Master Gardeners of Clarion County, was the largest gathering in the region to focus solely on gardening education.

Doug Oster, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s “Backyard Gardener”, was the keynote speaker at the conference. He hailed the benefits, advantages and safety of organic gardening.

Oster has recently published a book on the subject with co-host Jessica Walliser of “The Organic Gardeners,” a radio show that airs Sunday mornings on KDKA in Pittsburgh. The book, “Grow Organic”, outlines how to make the transition from gardening with synthetics and chemicals that can be harmful to the environment to gardening with natural means to aid plant growth and control and eliminate plant disease and pests.

“Grow Organic” has been well received by critics and earned national recognition in a recent review by Horticulture Magazine, the definitive publication on gardening.

Other presentations, demonstrations and workshops at the conference included PowerPoint presentations on conifers by Lynne Hoffman of the American Conifer Society, landscaping by landscape architect Mandy Smith, constructing a water garden by Richard Way of GroWay, and hostas by Darrel Sheraw of Hickory Nut Farm.

Walliser presented a slide show and discussion on growing vegetables organically; and Marion Chester, a professional gardener and horticulturist from Renziehausen Park in Pittsburgh, discussed perennials and the winter-hardy rose garden in two different sessions.

More than 20 vendors marketed their wares at the Gemmell Conference Center and offered a wide array of products and hand-crafted items to conference participants. Rounding out the day’s activities was a large silent auction, made possible through the contributions of local merchants, businesses and individuals.

Kathryn Graham and Bruce George were the co-chairs of the conference, and Graham said the event was a success and she was quite pleased with the large turnout.

The Master Gardeners of the Penn State Cooperative Extension, Clarion County, is a volunteer group that has completed a certification program through Penn State. Master Gardeners is a national program offered by cooperatives in every state whose mission is to educate and help the public plant, grow and cultivate living plant material for many purposes.

Another of the group’s outreach activities is about to begin with the offering of composting workshops at various locations in Clarion County.

Anyone who wants more information about Master Gardener activities or who wants to learn how to become a Master Gardener can call the Penn State Cooperative Extension at 814-223-9028.

source : www.thederrick.com