Getting Started

The purpose of this website is to provide one place to find useful information on many aspects of life in Central PA with an emphasis on native plant landscaping and other measures to promote a healthy planet.

Helpful site navigation hint: Use Search box in upper right corner then use Control F keys to find words on page. There are over 50 pages on this website. For a full page view click the arrow to the left of the Log in icon in upper right corner. This will hide the right column which includes the SideBar links to other pages.

Gardening Classes

Click here to view gardening classes and programs sponsored by area Penn State Cooperative Extensions. Click here for classes sponsored by other groups.

Native Plants in the Landscape Conference

The annual Conference is held during the first week of June at Millersville University, Lancaster. Classes are held throughout the day and evening  providing an opportunity for learning and networking for gardeners, teachers, students, landscapers, nursery staff, and others. A wide variety of native plants, plus books and merchandise, are on sale for attendees during the conference and during selected hours to the general public. Pre-registration is required. Class and trip sizes are limited so best to register early.

Penn State University Master Gardener Program

The mission of the Penn State Master Gardener volunteer program is to support the Penn State Cooperative Extension by utilizing research-based information to educate the public on best practices in consumer horticulture and environmental stewardship.

The Master Gardener Program is offered every other year in our area. The last program was held in March 2009 at the Union County Government Center. Participants receive 30+ hours of extensive training in many phases of gardening. The $100 cost covered a detailed Master Gardener notebook, a 10 power hand lens, and other literature. 50 hours of volunteer time is required in one year prior to earning the title of Master Gardener. Participants dedicate volunteer time to teaching horticultural information based on university research and recommendations. Training and volunteer service are coordinated at the county level by extension educators or trained volunteers. Interested home gardeners can apply through their local county extension office. Master Gardener graduates may audit any class without charge. Online site for Master Gardeners to report volunteer hours.

Composting

Composting Classes - Contact your Penn State Cooperative Extension County office to find out when Master Gardeners offer classes during the growing season throughout our area. You will receive a free compost bin while supplies last. 2009 is the end of the free compost bins offered by a joint program with Penn State and PA DEP.

Actions - Save your coffee grounds for acid loving plants such as azalea, rhododendron, blueberry bushes. Sprinkle grounds on the soil around these plants to maintain/increase soil acidity. Keep a container next to your coffee pot so you will remember to save the grounds. In a separate closed container save your kitchen scraps for your compost bin or pile to help reduce waste and to make soil nutrients for your garden. Briefly, except for meat, bones, poultry, dairy, mayonnaise, animal fat, and cooking oils, all kitchen food scraps may be composted. There are many methods of composting, very simple to intense.  See the Composting page. 

Garden Hotline

Do you have questions about vegetable gardens, herb gardens, landscaping, propagation, insects, weeds, native plants, composting, water conservation, wildlife habitat, fruit trees and berries, pruning trees and shrubs, pesticides, plant diseases, and many more...then ask a Master Gardener. Click here to find out how.

Integrated Pest Management IPM

Practice a sustainable approach to pest control. Preventing pests is the most important measure. Problems may be avoided with cultural measures such as placing plants in their proper environment: correct light, water, soil. Learn to identify beneficial insects. Assassin bugs a.k.a. wheel bugs, for example, prey on such plant pests as Japanese beetles. Only 3% of our insects harm crops. Another preventative measure is to observe your plants daily for any changes. The sooner a problem is noted the easier it is to resolve. For example, when you notice Japanese beetles on your plants you could tap them into a jar with water on the bottom. Close the lid. When they are dead tap them onto your compost pile. Avoid Japanese beetle bag traps as they attract beetles to your yard. See the Pests and Pesticides page.

Native Plant Landscaping

Save time.    Save money.    Save our natural resources.    Protect our biodiversity.                          

Click here for the Native Plant Landscaping page.

Read the EcoGardening page to learn how to transform your yard into a native plant sanctuary. The page helps you select appropriate native plants for your site, in other words, plants that are suitable for the light exposure, moisture, soil, and wildlife. For example, light exposure refers to how much sun a site receives each day during the growing season; less than three hours would be a shady site, 3-5 hours would be partial shade, and 6 or more hours would be full sun exposure.

Using the Native Plant References page learn what plants are native to our area as well as what plants are invasive or alien to our area. Invasive plants should be removed from your property to enable native plants to thrive and prevent alien plants from further disrupting our ecosystem.

Consider replacing unused areas of your lawn with native plants. Start with a 10 foot by 10 foot area. There are various methods of removing the grass.  Read the Creating A Healthy Yard section on the Gardening for Wildlife page.

Participate in Project Budburst. This is a national citizen science field campaign to document the timing of leafing and flowering of native tree and flower species. The data helps scientists monitor responses of individual plant species to climate variations.

Gardening for Wildlife

Attract bees, birds, butterflies, and toads to your yard using plants native to our area to create a biologically diverse habitat. Learn how to create a healthy yard and some preventative measures to keep in mind when gardening. See the Gardening for Wildlife page.