The Los Alamos Master Gardeners have curated the local Demonstration Garden for 29 years. Courtesy/LAMG
From Los Alamos Master Gardeners:
The Los Alamos Master Gardeners’ Association is honored to host the 2024 Master Gardeners’ Conference built around the theme of ‘Planting for Our Future’.
The Conference will be held Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Fuller Lodge in the Historical District of Los Alamos.
This all-day event will cover topics essential to the future of our gardening/landscape environment.
There is no doubt that our New Mexico climate is changing – average temperatures have increased leading to a recent USDA change in cold-hardiness zones across the state (https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/). Whereas we used to worry about whether a plant would survive the cold, we now must also consider whether it will survive let alone thrive in the hotter summer temperatures and limited water resources.
NMSU Urban Horticulture Specialist Dr. Marisa Thompson will kick off the conference with her presentation entitled ‘Finding Hope and Inspiring Change in the Climate Crisis’.
These climatic changes have led a need for thoughtful consideration of landscape design. Working with nature is essential for sustainability. Noted Southwestern landscape designer, author and plantswoman Judith Phillips will provide insights into ‘Designing Landscapes for a Livable Future’. Finding innovative ways to conserve/store/use our often-unpredictable precipitation is at the core of Reese Baker’s discussion of using rain gardens to urban stormwater as a resource in his presentation ‘Fungi in the Urban Environment’. Baker has an extensive background in permaculture design and water reuse systems and is working toward his PhD in urban stormwater bioremediation.
As we think about our own needs and desires for our landscape, it is important to acknowledge how the environmental changes are affecting our native wildlife, including our native bees and other pollinators. Dr. Olivia Carril, native bee researcher and author, will discuss the challenges faced and what we can do to help in her presentation ‘If it’s meant to bee, let it bee: Cultivating gardens for wild bees in the context of climate change and habitat fragmentation’. Dana Ecelberger, professional landscape designer, Los Alamos Bee City coordinator and Master Gardener, will bring this notion home with concrete suggestions on how to ‘Native Plants in Home & Municipal Landscapes: Designing in Pollinator Resources for Resilience & Beauty All Year Long’.
Participants will have the option to tour the Los Alamos Demonstration Garden with Master Gardener Denise George. As the name implies, the garden has areas demonstrating a number of horticultural topics. The Los Alamos Master Gardeners have curated the garden for 29 years.
Many of us are home gardeners, hoping to enjoy plentiful harvests of nutritious and delicious home-grown fruits, berries, and vegetables. Dr. Curtis Smith, retired NMSU Extension Horticulture Specialist, will help teach us how to extend our gardening season and how to cope with plant struggles with the hotter summers. His presentation is aptly named ‘Season Extension in New Mexico Gardens’. Dr. Marisa Thompson will weigh in on selection and care of fruits and berries in her presentation ‘Rethinking Fruit Tree Management for NM Gardeners’.
Finally, we have two presentations on the human-side of the equation. In her presentation ‘Learn, Grow, Eat, and Go!’ Angela Prada, Los Alamos County Extension Horticulturist and Master Gardener, will provide tools for educators, parents, community volunteers and Extension volunteers, to engage our next generation of gardeners – our youth. Master Gardner Janine Fales will speak to the challenges of keeping our gardens (public and private) accessible in her presentation ‘Gardening as WE Age’.
Registration is open to the public. Mail-in (or drop-off) preregistration is required and must be received no later than Aug. 29, 2024. There will not be any day-of, at-the-door registration. The conference fee is $145, with a $20 reduction for early registration (received by Aug. 8, 2024). The venue is ADA-compliant and dietary restrictions (gluten-free and vegetarian) will be accommodated.
Download conference registration materials here: https://www.lamgonline.org/docs/RegistrationMG-2024.pdf.
View of an area of the Los Alamos Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden. Courtesy/LAMG
