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Get out your shovels and watering cans...69 News is heading into the garden this summer! We are partnering with our friends from the Penn State Cooperative Extension Office in Lehigh County to explain how to get your garden to blossom this season. Every other Wednesday, WFMZ's Eve Tannery will be out in the garden with helpful tips from the horticulture experts. We'll talk about everything from getting started, to container gardening, to protecting your garden from pests and disease, and a whole lot more! The segments will air during our 8:00 hour on 69 News at Sunrise, or, you can catch them right here at wfmz.com.
Gardening links and resources:
PennState University: Growing Your Own Food |
PennState University: Agricultural Offices by County
Penn State Cooperative Extension, Northampton County |
Penn State Cooperative Extension, Lehigh County
Penn State Cooperative Extension, Berks County
Work in the garden doesn't end with summer vacation. In fact, there's a lot of work you should be doing NOW to get ready for fall. Extension Educator Emelie Swackhamer headed out to the garden with WFMZ's Eve Tannery recently to give us all some tips, and Master Gardener Joe Judge took us through the year-round process of composting and highlighted the many benefits. 
PART 1: Preparing for Fall ]
We've been working on perfecting our gardens all summer long, and, by now, you probably have quite a bit of produce growing. So, how do you know if something is ready to be picked? And, what do you do if you've planted too much, or, if you can't eat all of your produce before it spoils? We headed out to the garden recently with the Master Gardeners from Penn State's Cooperative Extension Office of Lehigh County to get some answers. 
A visit to the farm is the theme of this week's "Garden of Eve," as we focus on the many options available for people who have a limited garden, or, who don't have the time to garden. Recently, the Master Gardener's from Penn State's Cooperative Extension Office of Leigh County introduced us to Jeff Frank from Liberty Gardens who invited us over for a visit.
We've been talking about gardening for weeks now with our "Garden of Eve" series, but, have you thought about getting the kids involved? The experts say there are many benefits, besides just the extra hands. Master Gardener Suzanne Allen from Penn State's Cooperative Extension Office of Lehigh County explains, and, this week, she also discusses the problem with the bee population that has many gardeners concerned. 
If pests and disease are making their way into your garden, we've got some advice on what to do in this week's "Garden of Eve". Of course, it's thanks to the Master Gardeners at The Penn State Cooperative Extension Office of Lehigh County. Master Gardener Emelie Swackhamer and WFMZ's Eve Tannery headed out to the garden recently to talk about some common problems gardeners face.
We were able to sneak in some time between raindrops recently to head back into the garden with our Master Gardener friends from Penn State's Cooperative Extension Office of Lehigh County. This week, we focused on caging and staking our tomato plants, and we talked about a common misconception...that the garden closes when summer comes to a close. The Master Gardeners showed us how to get three harvests, and they talked about why now is the time to start planning for the fall. 
This week's "Garden of Eve" focuses on watering effectively and alternatives for those who can't "garden in the ground." WFMZ's Eve Tannery headed out to the garden with Master Gardeners Karen Castaldo and Nadia Kelly, from Penn State's Cooperative Extension office in Lehigh County, to get some tips. 
As we headed out to the garden for week two of our "Garden of Eve" series with Master Gardener Nadia Kelly, from Penn State's Cooperative Extension Office of Lehigh County, we examined how you determine what to plant and how much you need to feed an average family. Nadia also explained how to make sure plants are healthy before you buy them and the basics of planting properly.
We kicked off our summer garden series by focusing on a very important step...getting your soil ready for a successful season. How do you know what to add ... and how much to add? Emelie Swackhamer, Horticulture Educator from Penn State's Cooperative Extension Office of Lehigh County, showed us what kind of amendments you may need to mix into your soil and how to apply them. 
In celebration of spring, 69 News at Sunrise took things outdoors this morning. Bob Leiby, County Extension Director of the 