REED CITY — Gardening enthusiasts recently gathered at the Reed City Area District Library, 829 S. Chestnut St., for a Q&A session hosted by local gardeners.
Panelists Gloria Goodrich, April Hamilton, Sue Veers, Noemi Clark, and Kathy Fiebig ranged from Mr. Fiebig, a native plant enthusiast, to Mr. Clark, a Daily Doo store manager. brought a variety of perspectives to the session.
Participant Cherry Robertson, whose gardening journey began with her grandmother's guidance, shared her positive experience at the event and said she was excited to follow her newfound knowledge and experiment with native plants. Ta.
“I really liked this. I learned a lot today. It's very interesting,” she said.
Another attendee, René Stig, echoed Robertson's sentiments, emphasizing the welcoming Q&A environment where people can ask questions.
Stieg, who has been gardening for more than 20 years, described the joy of watching things grow and the thrill of trial and error to find what works best.
“Finally, you can ask someone a question without feeling like someone will judge you,” Stieg said, emphasizing the inclusive nature of the gathering.
Throughout the event, presenters shared their insights and introduced various gardening techniques.
With more than 20 years of gardening experience, Clark is completing the MSU Master Gardener program to further expand her knowledge and was happy to participate.
“The girls actually reached out to me and I was so excited to be a part of it. I think this is great. I think we should have more of them,” she said. .
Local gardener Gloria Goodrich demonstrated how to grow plants underwater using water beads and water-soluble fertilizers, and Fiebig emphasized the importance of incorporating native plants into local ecosystems.
“You're providing food, shelter, lactation, so to me, you're creating habitat. Using native plants means you're creating habitat, especially for native insects to survive.” We're putting something out into the world that we need, and as gardeners we all know that without insects, we'd be dead,” Fiebig said. “We can change the earth with every little patch of native plants.”
Attendees also had the opportunity to be inspired by Sue Veers' garden through a series of photographs featuring ponds, pergolas, and other installations that she created herself.
The event provided a platform for exchanging gardening tips and knowledge through a variety of tools, books and materials on display. The aim was to foster a sense of community among gardening enthusiasts and inspire them to continue nurturing their passion for nurturing green spaces.
