at Roger Williams Park Botanical Center

KINGSTON, R.I. – September 6, 2007 – The University of Rhode Island and the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center have teamed up for an extensive series of fall gardening classes and workshops designed to help amateur gardeners gain a more comprehensive understanding of their hobby.

Courses cover such diverse topics as growing orchids, roses and carnivorous plants, gardening with children, shade gardens, insect pests and diseases, container gardening, pruning practices, and gardening with wildflowers.

“The partnership between URI and the Park will for the first time make it convenient for residents in the northern half of the state to participate in the many gardening activities that the University has sponsored in Kingston for so many years,” said Marion Gold, director of the Outreach Center at the URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences. “There are no prerequisites for the classes other than a desire to become a better gardener. There will be no quizzes or commitments — just good, clean, gardening fun.”

One highlight on the schedule is the Fall Gardening School, an eight-week course on Thursday evenings that covers the basics of all aspects of gardening and yard maintenance, from lawns and fertilizers to soils, vegetables and perennials. The series runs from Sept. 27 to Nov. 15 beginning at 6 p.m.

Gardeners with limited space will also be interested in a five-part series of workshops on container gardening, which includes classes on butterfly and hummingbird containers, tropical foliage container gardens, winter container gardens and bog container gardens. Participants may register for the entire series or for each workshop separately.

Those trying to squeeze in gardening while juggling work, family and caregiving will want to enroll in Time Out Tuesdays, a one-session workshop taught by a horticultural therapist who will show how to reduce stress and increase well-being through a connection with gardens and nature. These sessions are available on Sept. 25, Oct. 16, Nov. 13 or Dec. 11 at either 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.

In addition, Rhode Island Orchid Society members will lead a free session on Orchid ‘ER’ for those with sick orchids on Sept. 12, Oct. 10 and Nov. 14. The Society’s annual Orchid Derby is Sept. 22-23, and the New England Carnivorous Plant Show is Sept. 29-30. Both events are free with regular admission to the Botanical Center.

For registration and fee information, or for details about each of the available programs, download the complete schedule at http://www.uri.edu/cels/ceoc or call 401-874-2900.