Alexandria Public Schools Community Education

Learn more about honey bees. If you have had bees for at least one year and understand beekeeping terms, this class may be for you.Topics that will be discussed are raising queens, making divides and nucs, identifying honey bee diseases and treatments and much more. Instructor: Lewis Struthers is a fourth generation beekeeper and has 60 years of experience with honey bees. He runs 250 hives from Parkers Prairie and raises all his own queens from his best hives.

How sweet it is! Dr. Struthers will discuss how honey gets from the bee to the jar. Learn about collecting honey, pollination, life cycle, interesting instincts and characteristics, how bees organize their society and how to get a beehive started. You will have a chance to taste honey samples. He will also give you an annual schedule of the when, what and why of hive care. 

Join us for a hands-on class for designing effective planters and hanging baskets. Go beyond the centered spike and geranium planter to incorporate new plants that integrate height, length, texture, growth habits, and light requirements. Discover new flowers, vegetables and herbs to use for attractive plantings that will thrive from spring through fall! All participants will have a chance to plant and bring home a hanging basket or planter. 

Lawn care can be expensive and puzzling. Learn some simple tips and techniques that can help you get the best performance out of your yard while protecting area lakes and streams from pollutants and runoff. We will cover a wide variety of topics and answer your questions about watering, fertilizing, weed identification and so much more to make your lawn the best it can be. Participants will receive an informational folder full of great publications, and several door prizes will be given away from local plant specialists.

Are you losing ground? Is your shoreline eroding, unsightly or seem to be a goose magnet? Did the excessive rains last year take a toll? Is the ice pushing up a new ridge every year? Learn how to improve water quality, reduce erosion and beautify your property using native plants, simple installation techniques and smart planning for easier long-term maintenance. There will be a wide variety of information and brochures for participants, as well as several gift packages given as door prizes.

Learn useful methods and techniques for starting seeds indoors. You can get an early jump on the season, have many more choices of varieties, and have many more plants. Join Douglas County Master Gardener and host of KXRA’s “Home Grown,” Linda Kellerman, for this exciting class.

Join us for a hands-on class for all things succulent! Succulents are the most popular plants today because of their ease of care. Planting, care, and maintenance of succulent planters and plants will be introduced and discussed. All participants will have a chance to plant and bring hom ea 10-inch bowl or urn succulent planter that incorporates the concepts discussed.