Master Gardeners La Porte County Extension

10/06/2026

Native asters are lovely!

10/02/2026

It’s so rewarding to see the impact of our community grants. We were so inspired by the project “Flowers Build Kindness” at Kingsford Elementary. We believe every garden can make a difference and this garden is a wonderful example of that. Congratulations to the team at Kingsford Elementary-you’re inspiring the love of nature that will stay with these students for a lifetime.

09/18/2026

Sorry to see that the Sunflower Fair is cancelled - in the best interest of the participants.

A DIFFICULT DECISION FOR THE SUNFLOWER FAIR 💔🌻

After closely monitoring the forecast, speaking with our event partners and consulting with La Porte County Emergency Management, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 27th Annual Sunflower Fair, scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, September 19.

With significant rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds in the forecast, we have serious concerns about the safety and overall experience of the event. La Porte County Emergency Management has advised us to cancel based on these anticipated conditions. With nearly 100 vendors, temporary tents, live entertainment, food vendors, family activities and more planned throughout downtown, we feel this is the responsible decision for our vendors, volunteers, staff and attendees.

We know this is disappointing — especially after all the time and effort so many people have put into preparing for this year’s Fair. We are incredibly disappointed, too. 💛

A tremendous thank you to our vendors, sponsors, volunteers, partners and everyone who has helped make the Sunflower Fair possible. Your support means so much to us, and we’re grateful for your understanding.

Unfortunately, the Sunflower Fair will not be rescheduled. However, we’re already looking at ways we might be able to create another opportunity for our vendors and community to come together this fall. Stay tuned 👀🍂

Thank you, La Porte, for your understanding and continued support. We’ll see you downtown soon. 💛

09/12/2026

We can’t wait to see the entries!

Calling all green thumbs!

Think you’ve got a sunflower worthy of the spotlight? Now’s your chance to show it off at the Wyatt Wilke Memorial Sunflower Growing Contest at this year’s Sunflower Fair!

Whether you’ve been nurturing your sunflowers all summer or just happen to have one that got really out of hand, we want to see it! 🌻

Prizes will be awarded for:
🌻 Tallest Sunflower Plant
🌻 Sunflower Stalk with the Most Blossoms
🌻 Largest Sunflower Seed Head

So grab your measuring tape, count those blossoms and get ready to see just how impressive your sunflower can be! 🌻📏

📅 Saturday, September 19
📍 Downtown La Porte

Think you’ve grown a winner? Bring it to the Sunflower Fair and compete for sunflower glory! 🏆🌻

More contest details: https://sunflowerfair.com/contest/

09/10/2026

Check out this beautiful red stem Malabar spinach. This beautiful sight was in the Pioneer Garden at the La Porte County Fairgrounds. We love maintaining this garden and hope that the young students who will be visiting soon will enjoy seeing it as well.

09/02/2026

We're looking for wonderful vendors to join us for our Spring Garden show "Every Garden Can Make A Difference" on April 3rd! If you offer plants, garden products, handcrafted items, nature-inspired goods or other items that garden-loving guests would enjoy, we'd love for you to apply.

Getting started is easy. Our vendor application is in two parts: Part 1: Review vendor information, terms and conditions. Part 2: Complete the short vendor questionnaire. Please submit part 2 by October 1st.

Find all of the details and the application at the link below. We look forward to another great garden show and hope you'll be part of it!

https://lpmastergardener.org/2027-garden-show-vendor-application/

08/21/2026

This is going to be a wonderful experience for children. Please join Marcy, Kathy and Kit for a fun-filled event

07/27/2026

Each year the Master Gardeners work on the Pioneer Garden at the La Porte Fairgrounds to share what it was like for the pioneers to grow food. We just finished sharing the gardens at the County Fair. It was heartwarming in talking with visitors to the garden, hearing their stories that young people are using these plants - making salves and lotions for healing, just as the pioneers did.

07/15/2026

This Saturday at Friendship Botanic Gardens in Michigan City, two of our Master Gardeners will present two workshops from 10:00 am - noon.

"Gardening with Confidence: – Roses at Friendship Botanic Gardens"

Vicki Znavor will explain how to grow and care for beautiful, thriving roses. She will cover pruning, feeding, disease prevention, and seasonal care tips to help your roses flourish year after year.

At the same time, Marcy Dailey will present a Friendship Botanic Gardens Children’s Workshop themed "Zoo Garden Adventure"

Marcy Dailey will be presenting a fun and imaginative experience where the worlds of plants and animals come together! In this interactive program, children will explore the idea of a “Zoo Garden,” featuring plants with animal-inspired names. Children will discover how these unique plants earned their names by matching “animal” plants to the traits and characteristics they resemble.

Along the way, participants will enjoy hands-on activities that spark creativity and curiosity. Marcy will wrap up this adventure with a whimsical poem celebrating the playful personalities of the Zoo Garden plants.

07/14/2026

We are so excited to announce our Spring 2027 Garden Show. More to come but please mark your calendars for April 3, 2027 at Michigan City High School and share with your friends and family.