38th Annual Landscape and Garden Day “Superhero Landscapes: Save the World” Sat., September 8, 2018 9 am to 3 pm

Illinois Central College’s 38^th Annual Landscape and Garden Day offers a variety of special programs and activities specifically designed for families with young children as well as the usual favorites for local gardening enthusiasts.

·        Seminars and demonstrations

·        Winners of this year’s All-America Selections in display gardens

·        Displays by local nurseries, clubs and landscapers

·        Potager Garden

·        Kids-only area for playing in the dirt

·        Become a Plant Hero in the kids area and participate in a nature scavenger hunt

·        Putt for Plants for golf enthusiasts

·        Taste-testing in the vegetable garden

·        Plant sale by ICC Horticulture Program students

·        Plant clinic with local master gardeners

The day’s seminars include:

“Medicinal Wonders and Killer Plants - Herbs, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” 

9:30 to 10:15 a.m.

Jan Powers, Peoria Herb Guild

Jan Powers is a founding member and past president of the Peoria Herb Guild, a member of the Herb Society of America, the Beatrix Potter Society, and the Garden Writers Association. A volunteer gardener at Luthy Botanical Garden in Peoria Ill., her work and gardens have been featured in Crafts Magazine, Midwest Living, Victorian Homes, Country Sampler’s Decorating Ideas, Family Circle, and Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion. The gardens surrounding her century-old Victorian home have been featured on many garden tours. Jan and her husband Mike occupy a century-old Victorian farmhouse surrounded by an acre of gardens that they lovingly tend in tribute to the three generations of gardeners who came before them.

“The Good, The Bad, and The Downright Ugly in the Bug World”   

11 to 11:45 a.m.

Kelly Allsup, University of Illinois Extension Horticulturist

And Corinne Brown, Illinois Central College

Kelly Allsup is the University of Illinois Horticulture Educator serving the communities in Livingston, McLean and Woodford counties. Kelly is responsible for offering leadership, developing community programs and providing expertise in Horticulture and Environmental Sciences. Corinne Brown is an Assistant Professor of Horticulture at Illinois Central College and Program Coordinator for the Horticulture program. Together they will present on the ten most beneficial and harmful insects living in your landscapes. Come and learn how to identify, attract or eradicate, and observe these landscaping heroes and bad boys.

“Biochar-From Terra Preta to Your Lawns and Gardens” 

1 to 1:45 p.m.

Dr. Steven Vaughn, USDA Research Plant Physiologist

Since 1989, Steve Vaughn has been a Research Plant Physiologist at the USDA, ARS, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) in Peoria, Ill., where he has conducted research on environmentally friendly weed, pathogen and insect control practices for high value horticultural crops and turfgrasses, the development of organic fertilizers from food and agricultural processing wastes, the development of novel biobased products, and the use of biochar in horticultural applications.  He is the author of more than 100 publications on this research and has been awarded three U.S. patents.  He obtained a B.S. in Botany from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 1981, a M.S. in Plant Breeding from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, in 1983 and a Ph.D. in Agronomy from Texas A&M in 1987. His presentation will be about the history of biochar (agricultural charcoal), the recent interest in its use and some of his own research on it.