Upper Peninsula Smart Gardening Conference features smart tips for fall gardening

Rebecca Krans<kransr@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - September 01, 2026

Discover smart ways to create healthy soil and rain gardens, combat invasives, and be more environmentally friendly.

A garden landscaped with plants and gravel. — A gravel garden designed and implemented by a Canadian Master Gardener is an example of a xeriscape garden installed to help the Kelowna, British Columbia, public learn more about gardening in drier conditions. Photo by Rebecca Krans, MSU Extension

Do you struggle with getting your garden or yard to be successful? Are you concerned about invasive plants you may have in your yard? Have you had issues with runoff from large amounts of rain? If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider attending the Upper Peninsula Smart Gardening Conference on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Northern Michigan University Conference Center in Marquette to learn from experts on each of these topics, have a great lunch, and gather resources.

Sponsored by Michigan State University Extension, this event is focused around MSU Extension’s Smart Gardening messaging. Five different presentations will be given around “smart” topics to help you garden smarter (and not harder) and adopt strategies that are better for the environment.

Rebecca Krans, MSU Extension consumer horticulture senior educator, will share helpful tips for your fall garden and yard clean-up such as recommendations to overwinter hollow stemmed plants until after temperatures have warmed up in spring so beneficial insects will not be disrupted.

Keats Dormont, the Partridge Creek Farm education coordinator, will talk about permaculture and how you can simulate natural processes to improve your soil.

Elliot Nelson, MSU Extension Sea Grant educator, will provide smart strategies for identification and control of key invasive plants within Michigan.

Many more topics and free tip sheets will be provided at the Smart Gardening outreach booth.

A person standing amongst rocks in a rain garden located next to a parking lot and houses. — Example of a rain garden that captures parking lot runoff. Photo by Rebecca Krans, MSU Extension.

The cost to attend the Upper Peninsula Smart Gardening Conference is $40 for early bird registration through Sept. 4 or $50 from Sept. 5–9.

Check out the full agenda and register

This conference is open to anyone 18 years and older regardless of their gardening expertise. Extension Master Gardeners will earn 5.5 educational hours, but the public is also invited. Included within your registration will be a continental breakfast and time from 8–9 a.m. to interact with other gardeners and visit a vendor/informational booth area. A catered lunch will include various sandwiches, salads and soup. Various door prizes will also be awarded throughout the conference.

If you need more information, please contact kransr@msu.ed or slajusel@msu.edu.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).