Unearth gardening tips at Ag Progress Days Yard and Garden Area

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Need expert gardening advice? Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences experts will offer consultations in the Yard and Garden Area during Ag Progress Days, Aug. 13-15.

Experts include Penn State Extension Master Gardeners, extension educators, and specialists in horticulture, entomology and plant pathology. Master Gardeners from across the state can answer landscape and garden questions at the “Ask a Master Gardener” table.

Demonstration gardens

Visitors can tour the demonstration gardens and learn about native plants, soil health, plant establishment, composting and enhancing home gardens to attract pollinators. Centre County Master Gardeners also will be on hand to answer questions in the demonstration gardens.

These gardens, abundant with flowers and plantings, serve as a magnet for large numbers of native bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Penn State Master Gardeners, in collaboration with horticulture faculty members, created and nurtured the gardens located at the end of 11th Street at the show site. By showcasing the beauty that comes from supplying pollinators with food and habitat, the team aims to address population decline and help pollinators thrive.

In addition, visitors can explore a butterfly house to learn about pollinators and the plants that attract them. Youngsters can visit a youth activities tent.

Bees and pollinators

Adjacent to the raised garden beds, the Bee Tent will feature an observation beehive and beekeeping equipment, plus information about bees that are native to Pennsylvania. Extension experts will be on hand to provide guidance and answer questions.

The exhibit will include information about the biology of more than 400 bee species in Pennsylvania, showcasing their diverse lifestyles, diets, habitats and nesting behaviors. Information will be available on how bees support crops in Pennsylvania and on research from the lab of Margarita López-Uribe, associate professor of entomology, on bee ecology, evolution and biodiversity.

Penn State Extension Master Gardeners are working with the López-Uribe Lab in a multiyear effort to increase understanding of Pennsylvania’s native bee population. This community science project leverages Master Gardeners’ interest in pollinators while providing advanced training on the protocols used to collect, pin, label and identify native bees. To learn more about this research collaboration, visitors can attend the daily 10:30 a.m. presentation in the College of Agricultural Sciences Exhibits Building theater. Visitors also can learn about Penn State’s Center for Pollinator Research.

Vegetables and flowers

At the nearby vegetable tent, the potato plot will showcase various potato varieties growing in the soil and freshly dug tubers. This exhibit caters to both potato farmers and backyard gardeners, who are welcome to bring their potato-growing questions. Spud lovers can see Pennsylvania-grown potato varieties, including some new varieties.

Visitors at the Yard and Garden Area also can learn about cut flowers, a growing area of interest for home gardeners and commercial growers. Demonstrations will focus on utilizing cut flowers to make flower arrangements and corsages of various styles, techniques for using floral tools, and tips on handling cut flowers from the garden.

Presentations will take place on topics such as flower arranging, composting, soil testing, growing vegetables in containers, and building raised beds.

Presentations scheduled at the Yard and Garden Area

Tuesday, Aug. 13

• 10 a.m.: Native Plants
• 11 a.m.: Flower Arranging
• 1 p.m.: Garden Bingo
• 2 p.m.: Beware of Box Tree Moth
• 3 p.m.: Create Your Own Cutting Garden: Native and Perennial Plants for Home or Farm
• 4 p.m.: Pollinator Walk

Wednesday, Aug. 14

• 10 a.m.: Create Your Own Cutting Garden: Native and Perennial Plants for Home or Farm
• 11 a.m.: Composting 101
• 1 p.m.: Growing Vegetables in Containers
• 2 p.m.: Soil Testing: Digging Deeper
• 3 p.m.: Flower Arranging
• 4 p.m.: Pollinator Walk

Thursday, Aug. 15

• 10 a.m.: Soil Testing: Digging Deeper
• 11 a.m.: Building a Raised Bed
• 1 p.m.: Pollinator Walk

About Ag Progress Days

Sponsored by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, 9 miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 13; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 14; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 15. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days website. X (formerly Twitter) users can find and share information about the event by using the hashtag #agprogressdays, and the event also can be found on Facebook (@AgProgressDays).