FREE 2024 programs & activities for Wisconsin public libraries from gardening expert & author Melinda Myers

12/18/2023

We are pleased to share below some FREE webinars and gardening activities for 2024 from nationally known and Wisconsin-based gardening expert and author Melinda Myers for all public libraries in Wisconsin. Melinda hopes you can incorporate any or all of the following into your 2024 Library programming calendars. If you have any questions, please contact Diana Paul at [email protected]. Look for more information in the New Year coming via WisPubLib!

Your Library can host a watch party on the dates below or schedule it after the live webinar date and play the recording. If you host a live watch party on the dates below, your patrons will be able to submit questions live and get them answered by Melinda at the end of each webinar. You can also let your patrons know they can individually register for the webinars if they’d prefer to watch them at home. Registration links are below:

April 10, 2024, 6:30 p.m. CT – WEBINAR: Container Gardening Throughout the Year with gardening expert Melinda Myers
Use container gardens to boost the color and seasonal interest in any size landscape, garden, balcony, or deck. With your budget in mind, we will explore attractive combinations of trees, shrubs, flowers, edible plants, and those that attract pollinators. Plus, you’ll learn strategies for extending your enjoyment year-round by transforming all or a portion of the container planting with the changing seasons. Register for this free webinar at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SwTJwDSaQgWnm7YU-iY0mg.

May 1, 2024, 6:30 p.m. CT – WEBINAR: Ornamental Fruits and Vegetables with gardening expert Melinda Myers
Increase the nutritional value and beauty of your landscape by incorporating attractive fruits and vegetables into your landscape, garden beds, and containers. Growing varieties that are both ornamental and productive increases the opportunities for creating a beautiful space right outside your door. We will look at new and proven fruit and vegetable varieties suited to both gardens and containers. Register for this free webinar at: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SFUNmF3LSUmpTXGpRMVbiA.

June 5, 2024, 6:30 p.m. CT – WEBINAR: Under-Appreciated Pollinators with gardening expert Melinda Myers
The plight of honeybees and monarchs fill the news but many more pollinators are often overlooked yet critical to the production of food, fiber and other raw materials we depend upon. Native bees, moths, bats, beetles, flies, and birds are also important. We will look at a variety of pollinators, their role in the environment, and their impact on people. Plus, we will discuss ways to co-exist with these often overlooked and sometimes feared or dreaded animals.Register for this free webinar at: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__q1UbmcTTMyyumfGd-o6AA.

Activities for 2024 from gardening expert Melinda Myers

Melinda Myers will provide both a video and activity guide for each of these activities to our libraries that would like to incorporate them into their 2024 programming. Consider hosting groups at your library to do these activities together. Your library can also use these activities for your summer reading programs (ie: activity guides can go in summer reading take-and-make kits, etc.) or your library can link to these activities where patrons can download the activity guides to do at home. A web page (created by Melinda Myers) will house the videos and activity guides which can be downloaded and printed or shared digitally.

April activity: A Container Garden of Greens
Start the garden season right now with a container of greens. These are nutritious, colorful, and fun to grow indoors or out. All you need is a container, potting soil, and some seeds. In 30 days or more, you will be harvesting some homegrown veggies to enjoy throughout the spring and early summer. Use them to create a salad, dress up a sandwich, or top a pizza. The video and activity guide will include:
- Overview of the nutritional value of lettuce, spinach, and other greens.
- Tips for designing and planting an attractive container garden of greens.
- Seasonal care and harvesting tips.
May activity: Creating Containers from Repurposed Items
Save money, reduce waste, and create an attractive container from items headed to the recycling center or landfill. Paint, glue, and your imagination are all you need. Start with a walk through your basement or shed, talk to friends, or retrieve some pots from the recycling shelf at the garden center. Once you complete your creation, add some drainage holes, fill it with potting soil, and get started planting. The video and activity guide will include:
- Examples of how to convert items headed for the landfill or recycling center into containers for planting.
- Key features to include so your plants will grow and thrive in their new home.
June activity: Grow Your Own Sunflower in a Recycled Container or the Garden
Sunflowers are a favorite of gardeners, kids, birds, squirrels, and a variety of pollinators. You can’t help but smile when you see the blossoms or the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds dining on the nectar and songbirds and squirrels munching on the seeds. This North American native plant is easy to grow in containers or a sunny spot in your garden. The video and activity guide will include:
- Start to finish tips on planting sunflower seeds.
- A chart to track the sunflower’s growth throughout the growing season.
- A space to record pollinators visiting the sunflower.

A special thanks to We Energies for sponsoring this program to make it possible.

About Melinda Myers
Nationally known gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has over 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2 nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts the nationally syndicated “Melinda’s Garden Moment” radio program and The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series. Myers is a garden columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms and writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column. Before her current media work, Melinda hosted “The Plant Doctor” radio show on WTMJ 620 AM for over 20 years as well as seven seasons of “Great Lakes Gardener” on PBS. She has a master’s degree in horticulture and was a horticulture instructor with tenure. She was also recently inducted into the National Association for Garden Communicators Hall of Fame. Melinda’s website is www.MelindaMyers.com, where you can find gardening videos, gardening tips and information, monthly garden checklists, and more.