home gardening

Meet Heather Zidack

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Heather ZidackHeather Zidack (‘11 CAHNR, ’12 Neag) joined the UConn Home and Garden Education Center as an educational program assistant in September. Heather works with faculty and staff at UConn to provide educational resources and answer home and gardening questions for residents statewide. She earned her bachelor of science in ornamental horticulture and her master of arts in curriculum and instruction. She worked in the horticulture industry and taught high school agriscience before returning to UConn.

What is your area of interest?

I absolutely love everything plant-related! I started with an interest very young when I would help my grandfather in his garden and never really stopped asking questions. I’ve been fortunate to work in the horticulture industry as well as in agriscience education and have always enjoyed being able to share my passion with others throughout my career.

What excites you the most about working with UConn Extension?

This job allows me to pull from many experiences and interests I’ve had over the course of my career. It allows me to share my passion with others while continuing to grow and learn about things that I enjoy!

What is one thing you hope people will learn from you and your work?

Working with plants and in the garden can be accessible and enjoyable for all. It’s a broad field and narrowing it down to find what you enjoy is half the journey!

What is your favorite thing to do in Connecticut?

I love to go to Mystic Aquarium and watch the beluga whales. I could watch them all day if you let me!

What is the most unusual job you’ve had?

I’ve had some interesting design requests; I once had to help design and build haunted scarecrows for the governor’s Halloween celebration. When I was teaching, I taught a wide array of both ag-related and core curriculum topics – no two days ever felt the same!

What are some of your hobbies and other interests?

I am a gardener and have a solid collection of house plants at home. I love science fiction and fantasy. I love to play games of almost any format including video games, board games, and tabletop games. I also believe that crafting and collecting craft supplies are two separate hobbies that need their own time and attention.

I’m also a dog person! I have a 10-year-old terrier mix named Bow and I probably have more pictures of him than anything else on my phone.

Learn Gardening Fundamentals in New Online Course

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FANs gardenInterested in how plants grow? Do you want a healthy, productive, and sustainable landscape for your home?  UConn Extension now offers the Fundamentals of Home Gardening, an asynchronous online series of classes covering a wide variety of gardening topics. These classes explore the foundation of good gardening practices, and help explain the “why” of successful gardens.  Taught by UConn Extension educators and specialists, and drawing on the Extension Master Gardener curriculum, this four-part, online series can be taken at your own pace, at times that work for you. Choose just the segments you’re interested in or complete all four components and earn a certificate of completion in the Fundamentals of Home Gardening.

The four modules cover Core Fundamentals, Environmental Factors, Ornamental Plants and Growing Your Own Foods. Each module is independent and does not require any prerequisites. All modules will be available by the end of April, and a registrant will have six weeks to complete the three or four classes contained per module.

Modules are $150 each. A flyer with more information is available. Space is limited. Registration is at https://uconnmastergarden-ers.gosignmeup.com/  or for more information, contact sarah.bailey@uconn.edu.