This event will help take your perennial gardening to the next level

One of the most popular educational programs of Ohio State University Extension, Clark County is open for registration. The 19th Annual Central Ohio Perennial Flower School is one you don’t want to miss – especially if you love perennial gardening.

The event will be March 1 in Springfield at the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center from 9 a.m. until 4:15 p.m.

As always, we have a great line up of speakers starting off with the Perennial Diva herself, Stephanie Cohen.

Stephanie is a popular author who writes for “Fine Gardening” and “American Nurseryman” magazines. She has also written for Country Living Gardener, The Pennsylvania Horticultural magazine, Organic Gardening and Green Profit magazines.

More gardening tips: Using beneficial insects to manage landscape pests

She is the author of three books on perennials and her latest, “The Non-Stop Garden” will be on sale at the event. Stephanie will be on hand to sign this book for you.

She is a well-known speaker around the country on a diverse amount of gardening topics, but perennials are her specialty.

As the Perennial Diva, Stephanie has received awards from the Philadelphia Horticulture Society, was elected a fellow of the Garden Writers of American and was named a Garden Communicator of the Year by American Nursery and Landscape Association.

Stephanie will be speaking about “Perennials That Drink Too Much” and “Landscaping with Grasses.” She is sure to make you laugh.

We are also fortunate to have Steve Foltz, Horticulturist at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, talking about "Perennials and Peacocks."

TIPS TO REMEMBER THIS SUMMER: How to deal with lawn grubs

Steve shares his perennial gardening experiences at the zoo and the tough perennials that survive everything from people to peacocks.

Eric Barrett, Ohio State University Extension Educator in Mahoning County, will be here to talk about "Hydrangeas for the Perennial Garden."

While hydrangeas are not technically considered perennials, they make a great addition to any perennial garden. Selecting the right cultivar and bloom period can really add to your garden.

Finally, I am going to talk about how you can attract pollinators to your garden. Everyone is hearing about the plight of the pollinators and gardeners are being asked to help by planting for them to survive.

I’ll share the basic needs of pollinators as well as specific plant that are must-haves in order to bring in the pollinators.

The cost for the day is $70 and includes a continental breakfast and lunch provided by Rudy’s Barbeque.

Registration is limited. Go to go.osu.edu/2018clarkperennialschool for registration information.

Master Gardener Volunteers will receive 5.25 hours of Continuing Education credit.

For a list of other upcoming programs and gardening classes, go to go.osu.edu/letsgarden or call the office at 937-521-3860.

About the Author