Linn County Master Gardeners offering free presentations this month in Hiawatha, Marion

Linn County Master Gardeners presentations are taking place this month, with Tuesday events in Hiawatha at the Hiawatha Public Library, 150 W. Willman St., and Thursday events in Marion at the Lowe Park Arts & Entertainment Center, 4500 N. 10th St. All presentations are free and go from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Hiawatha Tuesdays

Today: Living with Bambi — Karla McGrail LCMG — It is possible to have a gorgeous and productive urban garden even in deer territory. This class covers many helpful tips and strategies to increase your success.

Feb. 8: Micro Prairie Gardening — Linda Hinzman LCMG — You can have an impact on pollinators by creating a micro prairie in your small yard and incorporating native plants in your existing gardens. Learn how to get started, learn plant recommendations, and more.

Feb. 15: Outstanding Trees for the Midwest Home Garden — Mike Anderson LCMG — Discover trees that make excellent additions to the home landscape. Mike will discuss his favorite picks for spring blooms, fall color, unique leaf shape, trunk structure, and growth habit.

Feb. 22: Raised Beds and Square Foot Gardening — Deb Walser LCMG — No space for a garden? You can plant enough vegetables in a 4’ X 4’ garden to feed two people for the season, or a family of four using only 4’ X 8’ in space. Hate the weeding and bug control? Having trouble getting up from the ground? Raised bed gardening is for you. Pass on the fun of gardening to your children and grandchildren. Deb has been gardening in raised beds for thirty years.

Marion Thursdays

Thursday: What's Wrong with my Tree? — Mike Anderson LCMG — A correct diagnosis of a tree problem is an important first step in saving an unhealthy tree. This class will cover environmental, bacterial, and insect-related tree issues and provide a systematic approach when examining a tree for possible problems.

Feb. 10: Rain Gardens — Karla McGrail LCMG — Learn the basics about designing, constructing, and planting this landscaping feature that can capture rain water runoff on your property and help you do your part to improve water quality downstream.

Feb. 17: Seed Starting! — Karie Pohl LCMG — How? What? Where? When? So many questions to ask when it comes to seed starting. We all want that perfect garden but buying plants can be so expensive. Learn a little bit about how to start seeds; what you need; where and how to acquire seeds; and of course when they need to be started.

Feb. 24: Successful Hanging Baskets and Containers — Deb Walser LCMG — Why don’t my baskets and containers look like they did when purchased? Deb will share with you the tricks to keeping your plants looking nice. We’ll talk through planting, watering, fertilizing, and pruning during the summer months. Deb will share many before, during, and after photos of baskets and containers from this past summer with some bad experiences and some good.