FEBRUARY DIG IN SERIES

Free, registration required; exclusive to MSU EMGs; counts towards MSU EMG continuing education hours

Dig In, the FREE continuing education series designed exclusively for MSU Extension Master Gardeners will take place once a month on a Tuesday evening from 6-7 PM.

February 11: Sharron 'Ronnie' Miller – MSU PhD Candidate Pollination Ecology Lab

Reconnecting Native Bees, Land Management, and Humans

Ronnie Miller, a PhD candidate in MSU's Department of Entomology, will discuss her current research examining bumble bee communities in human-altered landscapes across southern Michigan. She'll discuss the relationship between bees and the many plants that sustain and enrich our lives with their beauty, edible offerings, and healing medicines, along with why we should offer our support back to these amazing creatures.

Don’t wait—register today and grow your knowledge with Dig In!

february horticulture trivia

Free to the first 50 MSU EMGs who register - only $5 for everyone else; counts towards MSU EMG continuing education hours

Horticulture Trivia, Feb 26th at 7 PM. Join MSU Extension for the final of our Winter '24-'25 monthly trivia series about gardening. This is a chance to test your knowledge about all things plants, insects, and garden related in Michigan. There will be 30 multiple choice question/answers during this live event and a prize awarded to the top two scorers with an additional prize for a randomly selected participant. Trivia night is open to gardening enthusiasts, trivia lovers, Extension Master Gardeners, or anyone else who wants to play. Prizes for top 2 finishers and a randomly selected participant.

Smart Gardening Conference - Registration Now Open!

Brighten up your winter during the MSU Extension Smart Gardening Conference in Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 1, 2025! Held in tandem with the West Michigan Home and Garden Show, our day will be filled with excellent presenters!

The award-winning horticultural educator and former television host of an Emmy® award-winning gardening show, Bryce Lane will kick off our conference with his inspiring talk, The Craft of Gardening, about the power of plants to change your point of view!

This year’s lineup also features speakers from two of the Midwest’s most beautiful public gardens! The Director of Plant Collections at Chicago Botanical Garden, Adam Dooling, will give us an inside look at recent garden innovations, including exceptional plants, groundbreaking projects, and the exciting work shaping the future of horticulture. Then, Jamie Frye, the Associate Curator of Living Collections at Newfields, will take us on a vibrant adventure through their Spring Blooms exhibition, a living masterpiece featuring over fifty acres and three buildings of stunning vernal displays.

We are always excited to learn about the latest and greatest plant introductions! In her talk, Natalie Carmolli from Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Shrubs, will highlight hardworking shrubs that shine, featuring beautiful and smart plants that can combine form and function in our gardens.

Attendees can look forward to our Smart Gardening complimentary gift bag and a conference registration name-badge that provides free access to the West Michigan Home and Garden Show all weekend long! You will be thrilled with both the home and garden show vendors and our special selection of Smart Gardening Conference vendors.

Register at: https://events.anr.msu.edu/GR2025SmartGardeningConf/