Lisa Hinzman Howard or as she’s known in the gardening world, Midwest Garden Gal, will cover GIY (Grow It Yourself): Veggies 101, to encourage gardeners to adopt the worldwide trend to grow your food to know your food.

The program covers soil basics, getting started with raised beds, how to expand the season to maximize your harvest plus unique ideas around vertical, succession and companion planting for growing veggies at home. Lisa will help ease gardening anxiety to help anyone - from pros to wannabes and dabblers - find success in their space. She wants all gardeners to achieve quick success and find long-term enjoyment in the garden.

Lisa is an Iowa State Extension Master Gardener with Linn County and has 20-plus years of gardening experience. In 2016, she founded Midwest Garden Gal, LLC. Her book, "Cheap Tricks Gardening: Cause You Don’t Need to Spend a Fortune for Fabulous" was published in 2022. Signed copies of Lisa’s book will be available to purchase at the event.

The Second Sunday Garden Forums are cosponsored by Project GREEN and the Iowa City Public Library.