2020 Horticulture Day

Indoor plants, low-input turfgrass for Minnesota, tapping maple trees for syrup, and pollinator research taking place in southwest Minnesota will be the featured topics at the Southwest Research & Outreach Center’s annual Horticulture Day on Wednesday, April 1. Four horticulture experts will be featured at this year’s program:

• Eric Watkins is a professor in the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota. Eric received his Ph.D. in plant biology from Rutgers University. His research focuses on the development of low‐input turfgrass cultivars for use in cold climates.
• Katie Lee is a post-doctoral researcher on the Minnesota Agriculture for Pollinators Project (MAPP) led by Dr. Dan Cariveau. She leads the honey bee team that looks at how the surrounding percent natural area and pollination plot size affect honey bee health. 
• John Ball is a professor in the Department of Agronomy, Horticulture & Plant Science at South Dakota State University in Brookings. His areas of special interest include: the influence of urban development on forest fragmentation; the influence of tree cover on residential heating and cooling costs; and the competitive relationships between ornamental trees and turf grasses.
• George Bonnema is the former owner of Luverne Flowers, a retail floral shop that grew into a garden center and greenhouses and then a full landscape business with an orchard and stand at the local Farmer’s Market. Now in "retirement", George and his wife maintain two small greenhouses, three private gardens, oversee the local hospital healing garden, and also have six gardens that supply produce for two farmer's markets where they are vendors.

Seating at Horticulture Day is limited, so sign up today! Pre-registrations are due by Friday, March 20.