Gardening with History, with David Morton,  head gardener of Brucemore, is one of the Creative Gardening Series sessions set for April at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

The Linn County Master Gardeners Creative Gardening Series features three outstanding speakers who will whet your appetite for the coming gardening season.

All sessions are free and will be held in Whipple Auditorium at the Cedar Rapids Public Library, 450 Fifth Ave. SE, from 6-8 p.m.

Related: List of gardening classes in Linn County

Read more about each class from Linn County ISU Extension:

Plants with Style – April 11

Speaker: Kelly Norris; Horticulture Director, Des Moines Botanical Garden

Kelly Norris

Class Description: Gardeners need chic, sustainable, thriving plants for modern lifestyles. Why settle for lackluster gardens filled with dull, ho-hum plants? Plants after all are the very essence of fashionable gardening. In this spirited, provocative lecture, 20-something plantsman Kelly Norris calls for a garden revolution: out with boring plants and in with stylish alternatives that captivate and enthrall. A passionate horticulturist and lifelong gardener, Kelly is the ideal guide to the botanical riches available to today’s gardeners. In chapters on environment, structure, seasonal standouts, and plant combinations; he shines a spotlight on the A-list plants in every category-plants that will thrive, not merely survive. Along the way, he shows you how to forge a personal style in harmony with your garden’s setting and local environment. As Kelly puts its, “A garden is the best way to savor life on earth.” Let Plants with Style guide you to plants that will provide a richer, more fulfilling connection between you and your own patch of soil.

Gardening with History: A Living Collection – April 18
Speaker: David Morton; Head Gardener, Brucemore

Class Description: Gardening on a historic site is slightly different than gardening anywhere else. There is a lot to think about in terms of the historic significance of the plant material and design. Brucemore was initially designed in the early 1900’s by a landscape gardener of the name Ossian Cole Simonds. He was an influential member of the regional prairie landscape movement at the time when Mrs. Douglas hired him to design the estate. Knowing that history and the history of the families that lived on the estate is an important factor when working the grounds of Brucemore. Learn about Simonds and the influence he has to this day on how the estate is maintained. Join David Morton, head gardener of the estate, and learn how the site developed and how they maintain it going forward.

40 Fast and Fabulous Ideas for Outdoor Decor – April 25
Speaker: Susan Applegate Hurst

Class Description: Hold on to your hats for this one! Get 40 great garden and outdoor décor and design ideas that you can put together yourself. See simple ways to repurpose household and hardware items, cool ways to use plants in pots, and ingenious ideas for expressing your creative side outdoors.

Speaker Susan Applegate Hurst will address cool ways to use plants in pots, among other topics, at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. (photo/Cindy Hadish)