The 2019 fall Penn State Master Gardener workshop was held in person. For 2020, the workshop will be virtual.

Kick off your fall gardening season by attending the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners Butler County Virtual Fall Garden Seminar.

This year's virtual seminar will be held 8:30 a.m. to noon Sept. 26.

The seminar begins with an introduction and welcome by Diane Dallos, Master Gardener coordinator, Penn State Extension, Butler County.

Next, Doug Oster will lecture on “Battling Deer and other Four Legged Pests in the Garden.” Four legged pests like deer, rabbits, groundhogs and others present a challenge for gardeners. Learn his tips for keeping the garden free of these marauders.

“Gardening is fun,” Oster says. “You can truly enjoy every day spent outside when you're tending vegetables, flowers, shrubs, and trees.”

Oster is a well-respected gardener, Emmy Award-winning producer and television host. You can catch him hosting “The Organic Gardener Radio Show,” every Sunday morning at 7 a.m. on Pittsburgh's KDKA Radio, and read his feature articles in the Pittsburgh Earth Day's Green Voice e-newsletter.

Next up, Judy Semroc will share her insights on Late Summer and Fall Plantings to Aid Pollinators and Migratory Species. Semroc will discuss planting options for attracting and aiding migratory species and late season pollinators. Migratory species need enough food to sustain them through the winter, and what we plant and cultivate can help them remain viable. Natural history and plant attributes will be presented. Goldenrods, asters, and other late summer and fall species will be featured, as well as helpful identification information.

Semroc is a Conservation Specialist in the Natural Areas Division for The Cleveland Museum of Natural History. She is the founder of Chrysalis in Time, the first Ohio chapter of the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) and serves on the board of the Ohio Bluebird Society. She has co-authored two natural history guides, “Dragonflies and Damselflies of Northeast Ohio” in 2008, and “Goldenrods of Northeast Ohio: A Field Guide to Identification and Natural History” in 2017.As a former petroleum geologist and science teacher, she loves to learn about and share her passion for the natural world through hikes, interpretive programs and photography.Completing the seminar will be a lecture by Laura Deeter on Garden Design for the Modern Family. There are many rules to follow for good design. If gardeners approach rules as guidelines, they can approach their gardening from a different perspective. Learn some of the basic rules of design and how to break those rules in a fun, informative romp through garden design.The virtual seminar will conclude with Dallos offering additional resources and materials for future use and reference.The seminar program fee is $20 a person. Register and pay online using a major credit card at https://extension.psu.edu/endless-summer-fall-garden-seminar-2.Save the date and enjoy an entertaining and educational session with outstanding presenters on garden-related topics!Lisa Marie Bernardo has been a Penn State Master Gardener in Butler County since 2003.

Lisa Marie Bernardo has been a Penn State Master Gardener in Butler County since 2003.