U of I Extension Hosts Grow Together Gardening Programs

Upcoming sessions focus on container gardens and pollinator-friendly pocket gardens.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 9:08pm

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An impressionistic, blurred image of a vibrant garden scene, with soft focus and a warm, hazy color palette conveying a sense of natural beauty and growth.The Grow Together gardening programs aim to cultivate community connections and sustainable gardening skills through hands-on workshops.Monticello Today

The U of I Extension Master Gardeners in DeWitt and Piatt counties will host two upcoming programs in the Grow Together horticultural education series at the Blue Ridge Township Library in Mansfield, Illinois. On April 29, attendees will learn about container gardening and create their own tabletop flower container. On May 13, the focus will be on designing pollinator-friendly pocket gardens with native plants.

Why it matters

The Grow Together series provides local residents with accessible, hands-on gardening education to help them develop new skills and create sustainable, eco-friendly green spaces, even in small-scale settings like containers or pocket gardens.

The details

The Grow Together programs are held monthly from 6-7 p.m. at the Blue Ridge Township Library. The upcoming container garden session on April 29 includes a $10 supply fee for participants to take home their own created container. The May 13 pollinator pocket garden program will explore native plant selection and design principles to attract bees, butterflies, and other important pollinators.

  • The Grow Together series is held monthly.
  • The container garden program is scheduled for April 29, 2026.
  • The pollinator pocket garden program is scheduled for May 13, 2026.

The players

U of I Extension Master Gardeners

A group of trained volunteer gardeners who provide community education and outreach through the University of Illinois Extension program.

Blue Ridge Township Library

The location hosting the monthly Grow Together gardening education series in Mansfield, Illinois.

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The takeaway

These Grow Together programs offer an accessible and engaging way for local residents to expand their gardening knowledge and create more sustainable, pollinator-friendly green spaces, even in small urban settings.