In the Garden: Dig in virtually - Cabin Fever symposium kicks off gardening season

For the past few months, gardeners have been quietly dreaming of this year’s garden, poring over seed catalogs and repeatedly checking the calendar to see how much longer they must wait until spring is officially here.

There are just 28 days to go until that glorious day arrives. If that still sounds like a long time from now, you only have to wait 20 days for a very special event that will kick off the season. This year’s Cabin Fever Virtual Gardening Symposium gets under way on March 12 and is certain to increase your garden knowledge while underscoring the importance of environmental stewardship. The event’s theme is “Tending Gardens, Nurturing Hope.”

The event, which is sponsored by the Spokane County Master Gardeners, begins with keynote addresses from two highly respected speakers.

The first featured presenter is Douglas Tallamy, Ph.D., professor of agriculture in the University of Delaware’s Department of Entomology and Wildlife. He is well-known for his books “Nature’s Best Hope” (2020), “Bringing Nature Home” (2009) and “The Living Landscape” (2014), which he co-authored with Rick Darke. All of the titles were published by Timber Press.

The second featured presenter is John J. Albers, Ph.D., research professor emeritus, medicine, at the University of Washington and the founder of Albers Vista Gardens in Bremerton. He is the author of “The Northwest Garden Manifesto” (Skipstone, 2017) and “Gardening for Sustainability” (Vista Gardens Press, 2013).

Both presentations will take place on March 12. After that, the instructional component of the symposium begins. Twelve regional gardening experts will give virtual presentations on a wide variety of useful gardening topics for beginning and experienced gardeners alike. Registrants will be able to view them at their leisure between March 14 and April 15. Here is the lineup:

Holistic Gardening: Growing a Community Through Gardening – Rebecca Robertson will share how to transform unused spaces into edible gardens.

Habitat for Everyone: A Few Easy Techniques – Ken Bevis provides ideas of how to share our gardens with wildlife.

Drip Irrigation for the Yard and Garden – Troy Peters, Ph.D., takes the mystery out of drip irrigation to help gardeners implement a water-saving system.

Orchard Mason Bees: Our Native Pollinators – Jim Ullrich discusses mason bees and how to maintain a healthy population of them from year to year.

Caring for Our Water Supply: How Gardening Practices Affect Our Sole Source of Water, the Aquifer – Mark Stiltz will discuss the Spokane aquifer and the gardening practices we can engage in to protect and preserve this valuable resource.

Turning Your Spoils Into Soil: The Basics of Home Composting – Kris Major will share tips on improving your soil’s health and productivity by making compost with organic waste.

Simple Techniques for Native Plant Propagation – Robin O’Quinn, Ph.D., will demonstrate how easy it is to create more native plants through propagation techniques.

The Importance of Trees to Our Lives and Landscapes – Ben Thompson explores the value and relevance of trees in the environment.

Don’t Be Afraid of Pruning – Tim Kohlhauff covers the basic steps for pruning ornamental shrubs and trees.

Supporting Miniature Wildlife in the Garden: Taking Pollinator Habitat Conservation to the Next Level – Mace Vaughan relates the natural history of the native bees in our gardens and discusses the fundamental principles of pollinator conservation.

Finding Resiliency in Nature – Cathi Lamoreux will explore the inherent human-nature connection as one of our strongest forces of strength and inspiration, especially in times of adversity.

Rain Gardens: How We Mimic Healthy Forests – Zsofia Paster will focus on sustainable solutions for capturing and filtering rainwater.

Two other highlights of the symposium are virtual garden tours and the virtual marketplace. Registrants will be able to view videos of notable public gardens, interesting projects and local gardens.

In the marketplace, they’ll find coupons and links to vendors who support sustainable gardening practices as well as links to nonprofits that foster a sustainable community.

The Cabin Fever Virtual Gardening Symposium will provide attendees knowledge and inspiration they need to make this year’s garden a success. An added benefit is the online format makes it easy to access.

Susan Mulvihill is author of “The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook.” She can be reached at susan@susansinthegarden.com. Watch this week’s “Everyone Can Grow a Garden” video at youtube.com/susansinthegarden.