Dig This!

Soils 101 Thursday March 19 12:15pm – 1:00pm Reno Co. Extension Office 2 W 10th, South Hutchinson. Pack a lunch and come learn about testing your lawn and garden soil and the best ways to improve your soil. Please pre-register for each class by calling the Reno County Extension Office at 620-662-2371. Soil and Art Thursday March 19 1:30pm – 3:30pm Reno Co. Ext ension Office 2 W 10th, South Hutchinson. Soil - is that the same as dirt? We need healthy soil for growing healthy crops and gardens, but it was also the pigment of choice for the paintings of the "old masters." Come and learn how to make your own paint out of soil. Bring a sample, or use those provided. Rhonda Janke, our instructor, has been a professional agronomist, horticulturalist and soil scientist for over 25 year s. Cost $5 Register by March 16. Please pre-register for each class by calling the Reno County Extension Office at 620-662-2371. Attracting Pollinators & Beneficia l Insect s Tuesday, Apr

It must be February!   For two months the seed, bulb, and plant catalogues have been arriving on a nearly daily basis. This is the most dangerous time for gardeners...it is cold outside, there is no gardening to be done, all the bruises and scrapes from last summer are healed and forgotten.   So, we make our deals with ourselves....I will order all my seeds from one catalogue, I will only try one new plant this summer, I will cut back my vegetable garden and only order two new items.   We are a a conniving bunch with the promises we make.   Then it is time to order, the temperature climbs a few degrees, all promises and deals are forgotten.   Once again this year we will continue the love affair with our gardens, we will over-order, we will plant with a plan and we will plant with reckless abandon as we remember the excitement, the fun, the sense of accomplishment and forget all the brittle, drooping failures.   Yes, there will be a lot of ordering again this year! Submitted