The University of Wyoming Extension will host its biannual Master Gardener’s Conference on Friday, Oct. 4, through Sunday, Oct. 6. It will be held at Eastern Wyoming College, located at 908 S. Windriver Drive in Douglas.
While the conference is geared toward Master Gardener volunteers, anyone interested in gardening is encouraged to attend. “My hope is that Master Gardeners will get advanced training, and the general public that attends will get introduced to Master Gardeners and maybe consider becoming Master Gardeners themselves,” says Donna Hoffman, state Master Gardener program coordinator.
Throughout the weekend, participants will attend presentations from UW Extension educators and other gardening experts. Topics will include plants adapted to the Rocky Mountain region, pruning, and plant pests. Master Gardeners who attend the conference can receive up to 13 ½ continuing education hours.
On Friday, Oct. 4, registration will open at 11:30 a.m. and presentations will end at 5:15 p.m. The state Master Gardener meeting will run concurrently with two presentations for a general audience from 3:15 p.m.-5:15 p.m. At 6 p.m., participants can choose to plant and paint a succulent garden container at the Artisan Alley paint studio for an additional fee.
Throughout Saturday’s events, vendors will offer garden-related products for sale. Speakers will host workshops about topics including crevice gardens, propagating new houseplants, and gardening on your specific site from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. The day will end with an optional tour of Camp Douglas and presentation on Douglas history by Tione Willox, a staff member at the Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum.
Sunday’s events will feature three keynote speeches from 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Speakers will address creating pollinator gardens, building greenhouses, and nature journaling.
To register for the conference and view the conference agenda, visit https://bit.ly/master-gardening. For those who register before Friday, Sept. 13, the fee is $85. Between Sept. 13 and Sept. 20, registration will cost $110. After Sept. 20, the registration price will increase to $130.
A limited number of discounted hotel rooms are available at the Holiday Inn Express before Sept. 13, the Hampton Inn before Sept. 19, and the Sleep Inn before Sept. 27. All three hotels are located in Douglas.
Contact Hoffman at dhoffman@natronacounty-wy.gov or (307) 235-9400 with questions.
