Master Gardeners kicking off new monthly educational series in January
Photos courtesy of Master Gardeners in Orleans County: Master Gardener Michael Klepp will be teaching two of the classes in this year’s series, one as a volunteer with CCE and one through his business focused on teaching about nature. Klepp has a passionate teaching style that entertains participants.
Press Release, Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners
KNOWLESVILLE – Master Gardeners have finalized the lineup of topics for their annual “Master Your Garden” class series.
This is the fifth year of the popular series held on the first Saturday of every month. Every year, Master Gardener volunteers take feedback from participant surveys to find speakers on topics the public has indicated interest in. In addition to requested topics, Master Gardeners poll their volunteer group to see what passions or expertise their members may have.
“I think the Master Gardener series ticks the boxes for those who are looking for a new learning experience,” explained Eileen Sorochty, long-time Master Gardener volunteer and committee member for the Master Your Garden series. “We try to vary our topics from year to year and invite folks to offer suggestions of programs they’d like to see.”
Master Gardener Sue Starkweather Miller shows students the different parts of a dahlia tuber. Sue will be teaching a class on Hydrangeas alongside another recent Master Gardener graduate Noelle Wiedemer to wrap up the end of the 2025 Master Your Garden series.
This year’s topics range from the practical to informative, with a bit of fun thrown in the mix. This year, the classes will be taught by a mix of Master Gardener volunteers and business owners in the community.
The class titles and dates for the 2025 MYG series are:
- January 4 – Beekeeping and Honey Harvesting
- February 1 – Blueberry Growing at The Gardens of Colehill
- March 1 – Intro to Permaculture and Native Plant Communities
- April 5 – Historic Uses of Indigenous Plants
- May 3 – Organic Gardening
- June 7 – Planting for Success
- July 5 – Purposeful Pruning
- August 2 – The Fall Garden
- September 6 – The Wonderful World of Water
- October 4 – Microgreens
- November 1 – The Art of Growing Hydrangeas
Kathy Contrino, a graduate of the 2024 Master Gardener Training Course, will also be teaching two classes for the series this year – one on Permaculture and Native Plant Communities, and another on the Historic Uses of Indigenous Plants.
“We try to have programs so that anyone, no matter their expertise level, can learn something and expand their knowledge on a particular topic,” said Janelle Flammger, Master Gardener volunteer and the chairperson of the MYG committee. “The classroom environment is informal and informative and participants are encouraged to ask questions.”
The MYG series typically runs from February through November, but this year Master Gardeners are pleased to be able to offer an additional class in January. The first class will be 10 a.m. Saturday on Jan. 4, featuring local beekeeper Jennifer Kelly from Fiddlehead Farm discussing how she got started in beekeeping, honey producing, and creating other handmade products.
In addition to the Master Your Garden series, a new monthly educational series held on the third Saturday of each month called “Seeds to Splendor” will debut on Jan. 18 in conjunction with the new Master Gardener-led Orleans Community Seed Share – more details on that program to come!
All classes are held in the “Buzz Hill” Education Center at the Orleans County CCE Office, 12690 State Rt 31, Albion, NY. Classes are offered at an optional $5 donation and pre-registration is required by emailing klo54@cornell.edu or calling (585) 798-4265 ext. 125.
