2026 Spring Garden Workshop: Fresh Ideas to Spruce Up Your Landscaping
Join OSU Extension for the 2026 Spring Garden Workshop. Learn from two keynote presentations, choose from breakout sessions, win door prizes, and have tons of fun!
Date: April 25, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m - 3:30 p.m (hot lunch included)
Cost: $45, includes all speaker handouts and lunch
Questions: 330-533-5538
See the flyer here.
Workshop Agenda
Keynote Speaker: 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. - "Easy Perennials and Annuals to Add Color to Your Landscape" with Pam Bennett
Master Gardener Volunteer Program Director, Extension Educator Horticulture
Brighten your landscape with easy-to-grow perennials and annuals that provide season-long color and visual interest. This presentation will highlight plant options, simple design tips, and practical strategies to create vibrant flower beds, and borders. Perfect for gardeners of all skill levels looking to add reliable color and beauty to their outdoor spaces.
Breakout 1: 10:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Choose 1)
| 1 | Growing Plants from Seed | Jim Zeleznik | Master Gardener Volunteer | Come Learn how you can save money, expand your options, lengthen your growing season, and increase your gardening satifaction by starting your plants from seeds. |
| 2 | Rain Gardens 101: Managing Stormwater with Native Plants | Zack Felger | Outreach and Education Specialist Mahoning County Soil & Water Conservation District | Rain gardens are an effective and attractive way to manage stormwater while improving water quality and supporting wildlife. This presentation will cover how rain gardens work, site selection and design basics, and the benefits of using native plants to slow, spread, and soak in runoff. |
| 3 | Garden Art: Garden Aprons | Pam Baytos | Master Gardener Volunteer | Be the envy of your gardening friends after you join us to paint a garden apron. Wearing your apron means your clothes will stay clean(er) with a handy pocket for your tools. All materials will be supplied with a few stencils to share. Bring your design ideas! |
Breakout 2: 11:35 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. (Choose 1)
| 1 | Soils the Foundation of Gardening | David Sprague | Master Gardener Volunteer | Find out about the soil under your feet. A healthy soil is the foundation of a thriving home landscape. Learn what makes a good soil and how to test & amend it to improve plant health and create a sustainable, enjoyable landscape for years to come. |
| 2 | Succulents | Stephanie Hughes | Master Gardener Volunteer and Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist | Whether it is beautiful house plants or the yard as ground covers, rock gardens, or borders, the diversity of succulents is amazing and overwhelming. Once understood, these plants can fill your yard, walks, and house with color, life, and beauty. Come and explore the rich world of succulents. |
| 3 | Beyond the Lawn: Creating Natural Spaces That Work for People and Wildlife | Zack Felger | Outreach and Education Specialist, Mahoning County Soil & Water Conservation District |
Traditional lawns often require high maintenance and provide limited ecological value. This session explores how incorporating naturalized spaces and native plantings can reduce maintenance, improve habitat for wildlife, and create resilient, functional landscapes in both residential and community settings. |
Breakout 3: 1:10 p.m. to 1:55 p.m. (Choose 1)
| 1 | Plants with Three Supporting Benefits in One | Kary Shivley | Master Gardener Volunteer and Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist | By including 3 in 1 plants in your garden, you can help sustain pollinator populations while also attracting colorful birds and butterflies throughout the seasons. We’ll explore some native perennial plants as well as annuals that offer support to these wonderful creatures. |
| 2 | Pruning Basics | Paul Snyder | Operations Manager, Secrest Arboretum | This presentation will provide a foundational overview of proper pruning principles and techniques. Emphasis will be placed on revisiting core concepts to strengthen participants’ understanding of the purpose, timing, and methods of pruning. Through this return to the fundamentals, attendees will gain the knowledge necessary to make informed and effective pruning decisions in the landscape. |
| 3 | Garden Art: Garden Aprons | Pam Baytos | Master Gardener Volunteer | Be the envy of your gardening friends after you join us to paint a garden apron. Wearing your apron means your clothes will stay clean(er) with a handy pocket for your tools. All materials will be supplied with a few stencils to share. Bring your design ideas! |
Capnote Speaker: 12:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. - "Top Trees and Shrubs for Northeast Ohio" with Paul Snyder
Operations Manager, Secrest Arboretum
This presentation will highlight exceptional trees and shrubs suited to home landscapes in Northeast Ohio, emphasizing species and cultivars that have demonstrated strong performance at Secrest Arboretum. Attendees will be introduced to noteworthy plant selections and encouraged to broaden their planting palettes by incorporating resilient, diverse, and regionally adapted woody ornamentals.