(Oriskany, NY – March 2013) Winter snows depart to bring the spring gardens into focus. Yearly, the same garden questions are asked of Master Gardener Volunteers, and the Herb & Flower Festival held in June presents free classes to tackle some of them.
The event will be held on June 22 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County at the Farm & Home Center located off of Judd Road on Second Street in Oriskany. The Parker F. Scripture Garden cared for by the Oneida County Master Gardener Volunteers located at CCE serves as the backdrop of the Festival.
Plant diseases and pests are frequent questions, and this year the Festival has an interwoven concentration on the beneficial insects in the garden as well as the ones that are problematic.
Insect identification will be a part of the main speaker’s talk: “Take a Bite out of Pests: Beneficial Insects: Beneficial Insects in your Garden.” Dr. Jason Dombroskie, PhD will speak on this subject, and is a professor of Entomology at Cornell University, the Collection manager of the University’s Insect Collection as well as the Coordinator of Cornell’s Insect Diagnostic Lab.
You also can learn about ‘Companion Planting’ of plants that discourage pest insect invasions as well as insect identification information at the Master Gardener Booth at the Festival. The Oneida County Beekeepers Association will be having a honey tasting of the great variety of honey produced depending on the forage plants. There are on-site observational bee hives including one that you can observe the inside workings of a bee hive in safety. Another bee hive sits on the outskirts of the Nature Trail entrance so you can see the bees emerging to forage at a safe distance.
Classes covering other Gardening topics:
-“Container Gardening –Planning, and Planting”
-“Herbs- from Seed to the Table”
-“Growing Berries in your Backyard”
-“Lawn Care”
– “Gardening in the Shade”
-“Using Ornamental Grasses in your Landscapes”
The Parker F. Scripture Botanical gardens are teaching gardens featuring a Butterfly house and related Butterfly teaching gardens, an All American Selections Gardens, Backyard Teaching Garden and a mile-long Nature Trail through the adjacent woods.
The All American Selections garden as well as the Herb, Bulb, Vegetable, the Cottage Garden and other gardens include botanical labeling of plants to offer the opportunity to meet new plants and learn what they are called to acquire a similar plant at the vendors or local garden stores. Last year the All American Selection Gardens at the Parker F. Scripture Gardens won 3rd place in a National Contest of the United States All American Selection Gardens. Each year plants of special note are picked for All American Selection.
As many as fifty plant merchants and gardening vendors will participate in the Festival. The wide variety of plants and information from the various vendors and the Master Gardeners enhance gardening education. Vendors offer Vegetable, Perennial, Water Gardens plants, and Cacti, shrubs, and trees. Hardscape development, specialty garden tools, wooden garden structures and Trellises and Blue Birds are also a part of the wares available.
In addition to plants and classes, there are Herbal Pastries and the famous ‘Lavender Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches’ for sale. Food vendors sell a variety of lunch food and a shady pavilion gives a comfortable lunch site among the flowers for show attendees.
There is a nominal $3 donation to attend the event which helps to offset the improvement of the Parker F. Scripture Gardens. Offsite parking will be available with shuttle bus to the Festival, and a Plant Pick Up area allows plant care and storage for attending classes or walking the Nature Trail.
This Festival is a continuing part of the educational outreach to the public by Cornell Cooperative Extension throughout the year.
For more information, please contact the Extension office at (315) 736-3394.