News release prepared by: Tim Lindemuth, 785-532-5061, tlindemuth@k-state.com

Monday, Aug. 29, 2011

LUNCHTIME LESSONS: TUESDAY TALKS IN THE KSU GARDENS FREE WAY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GARDENING

MANHATTAN -- Take your lunch break in the Kansas State University Gardens this fall and learn something new. Tuesday Talks in the Gardens are scheduled on Tuesdays from Sept. 6 to Oct. 4. The talks will be from 12:15-12:45 p.m. in the Quinlan Visitor Center, 1500 Denison Ave.

Persons attending these free events may bring their lunch with them, said Judy Unruh, coordinator of the Tuesday Talks for the Friends of the KSU Gardens. A reservation is required by the Monday prior to the talk because space is limited. Send an email reservation to judy_unruh@att.net.

Unruh said reservations will be confirmed by an email reply along with any printed materials pertinent to the topic of discussion.

The fall 2011 schedule of Tuesday Talks in the Gardens:

* Sept. 6, "Monarch of the Butterflies." Master gardener Barbara Green and Judy F. Unruh will discuss the lifecycle of the Monarch butterfly that annually migrates through Kansas.

* Sept. 13, "Garden Shots." Amateur photographer Lannie Zweimiller will offer tips for improving shots of garden flowers using a film camera with a close-up attachment and a digital camera with a macro lens. He also will discuss the use of a tripod in close-up photography.

* Sept. 27, "Eating Your Garden – Squash." Nancy Moore, Blueville Nursery, Manhattan, will discuss squash varieties grown in the home gardens of Kansas and the vegetable's health benefits. She also will offer delicious ways to prepare squash.

* Oct. 4, "The Director Speaks." Scott McElwain, director of the KSU Gardens, will tell the story of the university gardens, their past, present and future.