Beltrami County Master Gardeners Host Spring Garden Party With Free Advice, Classes

Dan Sherman and Val Kinnane appeared on the KAXE Morning Show on Feb. 26 to promote the Beltrami County Master Gardeners’ Spring Garden Party, which is slated to take place at the Evangelical Free Church, 115 Carr Lake Road SW in Bemidji, organizers and event listings show. KAXE’s event page and the University of Minnesota Extension event listing both give the program time as 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Central with check-in beginning at 7:45 a.m.

Registration details released by the Master Gardener organizers list a $20 fee per attendee and state that “Registration is only $20 for a fun-filled morning. Scholarship options are available upon request.” The registration link published by local outlets is tinyurl.com/gardenparty25, and the Master Gardener Hotline for questions or to register is (218) 444-7916 — callers are asked to leave a message and “Someone will call you back and get you registered or answer your questions.” Organizers also list beltramicountymastergardeners@gmail.com for inquiries and encourage followers to follow Beltrami County Master Gardeners on Facebook for updates.

Public listings conflict on the event date: Yahoo’s March 23 announcement lists Saturday, April 5, while KAXE’s “Upcoming events” page lists Saturday, April 11; the Extension event page excerpt includes time and venue but does not display a date. Because sources differ, the Master Gardener Hotline at 218-444-7916 and the email beltramicountymastergardeners@gmail.com are the contacts provided to confirm the official date and to request scholarship information.

Speakers confirmed across local listings include Jim Walla, Ph.D., from Fargo speaking on the “Edible Forest”; Tyler Olson, co-owner of Nature’s Edge Garden Center, presenting “Vibrant and Versatile: Mastering Annuals for Every Season”; and Erik Heimark, co-founder of Maple Ridge Produce in Aitkin, sharing vegetable-gardening experience. The Extension event page and KAXE also list John Latimer, Phenology show host on Northern Community Radio, with an Extension summary urging attendees to “Learn to pay attention to the rhythmic biological nature of events as they relate to climate”; Tarah Young, Hubbard County Extension Educator, presenting “Embracing Climate Change: How to Prepare for Weather Whiplash” with the promise to “Learn 8 strategies to help prepare your gardens for extreme weather conditions in every growing season”; and Dave Severson presenting “My Bonsai Journey,” noting his backyard bonsai collection has grown to almost 70 trees over the last 30 years and that several trees will be on display.

Dan Sherman and Val Kinnane used the Feb. 26 KAXE segment to preview not only the Spring Garden Party but also community education classes and volunteer opportunities; KAXE’s segment timestamps show the Spring Garden Party portion running at 1:52–6:27, Community Ed Classes at 6:28–9:34, and a Containers segment at 9:35–14:45 where container-gardening tips were discussed. KAXE’s page lists Andrew Dziengel as a byline on related station material and includes a Creative Commons note for station content.

The event will include nonprofit informational tables before and during breaks, refreshments, and door prizes, according to event materials from Yahoo, Bemidji Pioneer and Extension. The Extension event page referenced accommodations in its excerpt but did not include full wording; organizers have been asked to confirm accessibility and parking details for the Evangelical Free Church location at 115 Carr Lake Road SW.

Beltrami County Master Gardeners frame the program as an effort to “bring gardeners together for a learning opportunity with regional and local horticulture professionals” and as “an educational morning designed to inspire and prepare gardeners for the upcoming growing season.” Before registering, callers and emailers should confirm the event date, full speaker lineup and payment options by contacting the Master Gardener Hotline at 218-444-7916 or emailing beltramicountymastergardeners@gmail.com; online registration is available at tinyurl.com/gardenparty25.