It’s hard to believe another year is under way, and it looks to be a very busy one for local garden clubs or the Master Gardeners.

The state Garden Club’s convention is set for April 18-19 at the Vicksburg Convention Center, and local members have been planning the event for months. Garden Club members from all areas of the state will converge here for meetings, workshops and tours. It will be the first time in 19 years that Vicksburg has hosted this annual get-together, and the National Garden Clubs president, Shirley Nicolai, and the Deep South Region’s director, Sara Lanier, are to be special guests.

May 1-4 will see Master Gardeners from 14 states coming for the Southern Region Master Gardeners Conference in Natchez. Many will travel through our community on their way to Natchez, and our local Master Gardeners will handle registration duties for the conference.

Continuing education is a major focus for both these organizations and will play a significant role in the agenda at these meetings. Serious gardeners realize the limits of their knowledge base and seek out opportunities to expand it through learning experiences such as the interactive QuickBites video programs offered free at the Warren County Extension Office this month. Call 601-636-5442 to reserve a space.

The next QuickBites — Dormancy and Design by Lynette McDougald, an instructor and manager of the Mississippi State University Florist — is set for noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 19. McDougald gave a presentation here last winter so many gardeners are aware of her extraordinary talent. She will be demonstrating how to create a bare-branch design.

If you want to create your own design that day, you can bring in materials and a container to use while watching McDougald’s program. A vertical, water-tight container, at least 10 inches high, is needed plus bare branches from trees or large shrubs which are 1 1/2 times as long as the container is tall. Other supplies include clusters of berries; several pine cones, pods or nuts which can be used to create a 3-inch focal area; and grape vine, decorative wire or waterproof tape with which to create a loose mechanic or armature to hold the materials in place in the container.

“Think about where you want to place your design when choosing a container, and be careful not to mar the form of the plant as you prune off branches to be used in the design” McDougald recommends.

On Jan. 26 from noon to 1 p.m., Dr. Lelia Kelly, associate Extension professor and consumer horticulture specialist, will lead a QuickBites program called All About Pruning: How to Avoid Crape Murders and Other Pruning Atrocities. Proper pruning can not only protect the integrity of a shrub or tree but can be beneficial to its health and longevity.

On Jan. 21, the Northeast Louisiana Master Gardeners will present its second annual gardening seminar, the Natural Heritage of Southern Gardens, from 8 a.m. to noon at the West Monroe Convention Center. The featured speaker, Felder Rushing, will discuss his down-home approach to gardening and his passion for pass-along plants. Other presenters include Kelby Ouchley, a naturalist/biologist, author and Louisiana radio personality; Marjorie Thomas, who will discuss Caroline Dorman and her gardening efforts at Briarwood with indigenous Louisiana plants; and Beth Erwin, curator of Kalorama, the William B. Reilly Nature Preserve, who will focus on how to use native plants in the home garden.

Vendors, exhibits and book-signings will be from noon to 2 p.m. The registration fee is $20. Make checks payable to NELAMG, and mail them to Master Gardeners, 704 Cypress St., West Monroe, La. 71291.

Walk-ins are welcome but seating is limited to 300. For more information, contact Nancy Sandel at 318-355-9998 or e-mail her at nancy@macnan.com.

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Miriam Jabour, a Master Gardener and Master Flower Show judge, has been active in the Openwood Plantation Garden Club for over 35 years. Write to her at 1114 Windy Lake Drive, Vicksburg, MS 39183.