The North Fulton Master Gardeners in collaboration with the UGA Extension in Fulton County are continuing to provide horticultural education to the North Fulton community and beyond through FREE virtual gardening education programming. This series of six classes begins Sunday, February 6, 2022, and will be available through live Zoom webinars and Facebook Live. The classes will also be available for later viewing at https://www.youtube.com/northfultonmastergardeners.

Each class emphasizes practical gardening activities at the time of year that is best suited for that activity. Please register in advance at http://bit.ly/Spring2022NFMG-GardeningLectureSeries to assure your place. You may register for all six classes or just pick specific classes. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the webinar. If you cannot attend the live webinar, you can register anyway so you will receive a recorded link to the class.

Don’t miss these incredible opportunities to learn more about gardening in metro Atlanta.

Composting at Home

Live Zoom: Sunday, February 6 at 2:00 pm EST

Learn the value of compost for your garden, the steps involved in making compost at home, and how to best use it in your garden. North Fulton Master Gardener George Scesney has many years of composting experience to share.

Pruning & Maintaining Shrubs

Live Zoom: Tuesday, February 15 at 7:00 pm EST

North Fulton Master Gardener Willis Lanier describes why, when, and how to prune some of the most common shrubs in North Georgia.

Protecting Georgia’s Pollinators

Live Zoom: Tuesday, March 8 at 7:00 pm EST

Learn how you can make a positive impact by helping out our local pollinators. Fulton County Extension Agent Melissa Mattee Murphy will review how to design a pollinator garden, attracting beneficial pollinators to your ornamental space, and how to construct a habitat for native bees. Tune in to see what all the buzz is about!

All About Plant Toxins

Live Zoom: Sunday, March 13 at 2:00 pm EST

For millions of years, plants have evolved to protect themselves from prey, disease, and encroachment as they are obviously immobile once situated. Their defenses are mechanical and chemical. A lot of the chemicals are toxins, which include allelopathy, insecticides, and fatal poisons. North Fulton Master Gardener Linda McGinn will discuss plants that produce toxins, with an overview of the history, chemistry, action, and current use.

Lawn Alternatives for a Healthier Environment

Live Zoom: Sunday, March 20 at 2:00 pm EST

Shrink your lawn: Save money and time while enhancing biodiversity! North Fulton Master Gardeners Paula Lindsey, Tom Redmon, and Sandra Shave explain how you can and should reduce your lawn size by making your own native habitat. Join the effort to create a country-wide Homegrown National Park and reduce your lawn size. Use low-growing natives; plant a native wildflower meadow; establish a pollinator garden; embellish those shady spots with natives; or just convert more of your lawn to native shrubs.

Intro to Hydroponics: Learning the Basics to Enjoy Growing Without Soil

Live Zoom: Sunday, March 27 at 2:00 pm EST

In this class, we will discuss basic principles of hydroponic gardening as well as ways to enjoy this technique year-round. North Fulton Master Gardener Ian Matthes will focus on and demonstrate simple systems that are easy to start with items from around the home. We will share fun project ideas to enjoy with students and kids at home!

About the North Fulton Master Gardeners:

North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. NFMG assists The University of Georgia Extension by providing unbiased horticultural information to Georgians through volunteer community service and educational gardening projects using applied research and the resources of The University of Georgia. NFMG Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.

Over the years, the North Fulton Master Gardeners have provided gardening community education classes in Alpharetta, Roswell, Sandy Springs, and Farm Chastain (now transitioned to a virtual learning format due to the pandemic); gardening education for young children; university and college scholarships for horticulture students; local demonstration gardens maintained by the North Fulton Master Gardeners; and Garden Faire, and Garden Faire, which is returning April 30, 2022, to a new venue at Autrey Mill Nature Preserve in Johns Creek.

In response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the North Fulton Master Gardeners went virtual with our pre-recorded Fall 2020 Gardening Lecture Series. The 2021 David Gibby International Master Gardener Search for Excellence (IMGSFE) Awards have recognized the North Fulton Master Gardeners for our efforts in the face of a global pandemic in successfully providing horticultural education to the North Fulton community and beyond through virtual webinar technology. The First Place Award in the Workshops/Presentations Category was made on September 15, 2021, during the virtual International Master Gardener Conference. View our video at https://youtu.be/_1hSJfpsFS0.

All Fall 2020 classes were recorded and can be viewed on the Fall 2020 Gardening Lecture Series playlist which includes “Hydrangeas – How to Plant, Grow, and Prune” with Master Gardener Linda Cline, “Gardening in the Shade” and “Fragrant Gardens for All Seasons” with Master Gardener Carole MacMullan, “Create A Fall Vegetable Garden” with Master Gardener George Scesney, “Top Ten Lawn Care Mistakes” with Master Gardener Ben Whitley, “Vermicomposting” with Master Gardener Kathie Lunsford, “All About Bulbs! Bulbs for all Seasons” and “How to Create a Bulb Lasagna Container Garden” with Master Gardener Donna Whitesel, “Winter Interest Plants” with Marlysa Raye-Jacobus, and “Holiday Wreath-making with Plants from the Garden”, “Mailbox Holiday Decoration with Plants from the Garden”, and “Decorating Your Mantel for the Holidays” with Master Gardener Judy Peacock.

The Spring 2021 Gardening Lecture Series transitioned to Live Zoom webinars and were also streamed to Facebook Live. The Spring 2021 playlist includes “Spring Vegetable Gardening” with Master Gardener George Scesney, “Growing Lavender” with Master Gardener Rebecca Pinckney, “Right Tree! Right Place!” with Master Gardener Tom Redmon, “Hosta- A perfect Addition to Your Shade Garden” with Master Gardener Carole MacMullan, “Lawn Care for Spring and Summer in Atlanta” with Master Gardener John Kligora, “Big Trees of Sandy Springs” with Master Gardener Katherine Coppedge, “Establishing and Growing Perennials” with Master Gardener Donna Whitesel, “Attracting Wildlife and Detracting Critters” with Master Gardener Marlysa Raye-Jacobus, “Native Schmative! What’s the Big Deal? “ with Master Gardener Paula Lindsey, and “Spring Vegetable Planting Demonstration” with Master Gardener Robin Pollack.

The Fall 2021 Gardening Lecture Series were streamed through Zoom and Facebook Live. The Fall 2021 playlist includes “Fall Lawn Care in Atlanta” with Master Gardener John Kligora, “Fall Vegetable Gardening” with Master Gardener George Scesney, “ABC’s of Fall Gardening” with Master Gardener Carole MacMullan, “Landscaping Lessons Learned!” with Master Gardener Michael Snow, “Winter Vegetable Planting Demonstration” with Master Gardener Robin Pollack, and “Fun Garden Projects to do with your Kids” and “Cool Season Flowers Beyond Pansies” with Master Gardner Donna Whitesel.

Over the past 18 months, more than 15,000 people have viewed the NFMG Gardening Lecture Series through Live Zoom webinars or Facebook Live or viewed the classes on the NFMG YouTube channel.

North Fulton Master Gardeners are also available to speak at your next virtual meeting or event on a multitude of topics. To request a speaker, contact Speakers Bureau Chair Ian Matthes at 404-499-4111 or email speakers@nfmg.net.

To receive more information about classes and other NFMG activities, you can sign up for our email list at https://bit.ly/NFMG-EmailSignUp. Please follow us on social media to learn more about our upcoming Spring 2022 Gardening Lecture Series.

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