Twilight Garden Series kicks off Sept. 5

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Oklahoma gardeners who are looking for a fun way to gain insightful gardening tips should make plans to attend the Twilight Garden Series at The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University.

Slated to run each Thursday in September, the Twilight Garden Series is educational programming featuring Payne County Master Gardeners, as well as Mark Fishbein, associate professor in botany at OSU. The series begins Sept. 5 and continues each Thursday throughout the month from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Laura Payne, volunteer coordinator at The Botanic Garden at OSU, said the first of the series will feature Sarah Kimball, former OSU Cooperative Extension waste management specialist and current Master Gardener, who will provide participants with information regarding composting.

“Composting is an important aspect to gardening, and we’re excited to have Sarah on board to share her years of expertise with us,” Payne said.

Fishbein will share information about the relationships between monarch butterflies and milkweed on Sept. 12.

On Sept. 19 the group will gain research-based information about plant propagation from Master Gardener Dick Ortez.

The series will wind down Sept. 26 with Master Gardener Pat Kerns sharing her knowledge about bulb starting, storing and planting.

“We did the Twilight Garden Series in the spring and had a great response to it, so we wanted to continue it this fall,” she said. “We enjoy offering educational opportunities to surrounding gardeners.”

The registration fee is $5 for members of The Botanic Garden at OSU and $8 for non-members, per session. Payne said the registration fee provides The Botanic Garden with the funds needed to continue bringing educational programs to children and adults, and it also provides financial assistance for special events.  

For more information about the Twilight Garden Series, please contact Payne via email at laura.payne@okstate.edu or by calling 405-744-4531.

Established as an arboretum in 1935, The Botanic Garden at OSU is an oasis of thousands of species of herbaceous and woody plants set on about 100 acres. The garden is home to many different research plots that reflect ongoing research projects by OSU professors, as well as housing a world renowned turf program. It also is home to the studio garden of the popular television show Oklahoma Gardening that airs weekly on OETA.