Garden in the Parks Field Day 2014 @ North & South Park

This free event, sponsored by the Master Gardeners of Allegheny County includes tours of the annual flower trials, herb and pollinator gardens, local beekeeper information, children’s activities, tomato and garlic tastings and composting information.

Running concurrently in the demonstration gardens in North and South Parks, this free event includes garden tours, children’s activities, refreshments and a garden market. Special stations located throughout each garden will provide information on native pollinators, herbs, composting and rain barrels.

A Penn State Master Food Preserver will discuss the process of preserving fruits and vegetables through drying, freezing, and canning. Free testing of the dial gauge for your pressure canner will also be available.

Visit with local beekeepers and take guided tours of the annual flower trials, pollinator gardens and herb gardens while the kids enjoy hands-on gardening activities. Sample a variety of locally-grown tomatoes, roasted garlic and basil. Don’t forget to vote for your favorites!

The garden market will feature fresh tomatoes, garlic, peppers, and an assortment of summer vegetables grown by the Master Gardeners. The market will also feature a selection of perennials, dried and fresh cut flowers, and other gardening items for purchase. Master Gardeners will be staffing the Q&A table to identify plants, diagnose problems and answer your gardening questions. They will have Soil Test Kits available for $9 each.

The Penn State Extension Demonstration Gardens at North and South Parks showcase annual and perennial plants that perform well in our climate and soils. Each site also highlights a pollinator garden as part of a collaborative effort with the Haagen-Dazs brand to promote bee-friendly gardens and educate the public on the importance of pollinators.

The North Park garden is located at the intersection of Wildwood Road and Babcock Boulevard and the South Park garden can be found at the intersection of Corrigan Drive and Mc Conkey Road. Planted and maintained by the Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County, this dedicated group of volunteers is available weekly, in the gardens, to answer your questions. (South Park – Tuesday evenings & North Park -Wednesday evenings)