Master Gardeners to hold symposium at Albrecht-Kemper

“We were looking at other ways that we could do outreach in our community about gardening, and so our goal is to have a symposium every two years,” Weiser said.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24. With only 120 seats available in Albrecht-Kemper’s auditorium, tickets are limited and cost $35. They are available by calling 816-279-1691 or mailing a check to Midwest Gardening Symposium, University of Missouri Extension, 4125 Mitchell Ave., St. Joseph MO, 64507.

This is not the first time the Master Gardeners have attempted to put the event on, with the pandemic hindering its start for two years in a row. Although COVID-19 delayed the program, Weiser believes it also provided some positives for her community.

“I really do think COVID kind of helped people becoming interested in gardening because they were at home,” Weiser said. “We’ve received a lot of interest.”

With this being the inaugural year for the program, Weiser was not sure what to expect and did not anticipate tickets going as quickly as they have.

“You know, you get kind of worried, right? ‘Is anyone going to sign up,’” Weiser said. “Now we’re kind of worried, what if we have too many?”

There are three keynote speakers with four presentations. Tim Moloney, University of Missouri gardening and landscaping professor, will speak on “The Art of Plunking,” Carol Davit, executive director of the Missouri Prairie Foundation, will present “Grow Missouri Natives,” and Lenora Larson, butterfly expert, will present both “Be a Butterfly Bartender” and “The Artistic Garden.”

Organizers of the event chose the speakers based on their expertise in their fields close by either in Missouri or across the state line into Kansas. Weiser said she has heard all of them speak on other topics and thinks the public will enjoy the presentations.

Vendors will be open throughout the day inside the gallery with garden-related items available to purchase. Local businesses have been taking part by sponsoring the event and providing prizes and goodies for attendees to take home.

The Master Gardeners plan many events throughout the year, and Weiser said they have plans for as far ahead as next spring.

“The year that we’re not doing a symposium, we would do a garden tour,” Weiser said. “This year we just did a practice tour because we felt like COVID was still going to be around, so we just did it for our Master Gardeners. Then next spring we’re going to have a garden tour for the public.