KINGSTON, R.I. – March 5, 2009 — Amateur gardeners interested in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of their hobby are invited to participate in the Spring Gardening School sponsored by the University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension. This six-week class on “Gardening Basics for the Home Gardener” will be held on consecutive Monday evenings from April 6 through May 11.

“The course is designed to address many of the challenges facing both new and experienced gardeners, ranging from selecting hardy, disease-resistant plants to dealing with weeds, diseases and insect pests,” explained Rosanne Sherry, coordinator of the URI Master Gardener program. “It’s also a great introduction to the Master Gardener program for those who think they might want to enroll in that more comprehensive course next year.”

Participants in the Spring Gardening School will learn about environmentally friendly lawn care, vegetable gardening, tips for growing perennials, pest identification and control, landscape pruning and herb gardening.

“There are no prerequisites for the class other than a desire to become a better gardener,” Sherry said. “There will be no quizzes or volunteer commitments — just good, clean, gardening fun.”

The course will be taught by URI Master Gardeners and Cooperative Extension staff. It will be held in the Coastal Institute’s Weaver Auditorium on the URI Kingston Campus from 6 to 8 p.m. The course fee is $150, which includes all reference materials. No university academic credits are earned through this course.

For more information or to register for the class, call the Mallon Outreach Center at 401-874-2900 or download a registration form online at http://www.uri.edu/cels/ceoc.

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