On the second Saturday of each month, home gardeners can pick up tips about pest control, composting, organic gardening and other topics at the Urban Garden Center in Pearl City.

The series of informational sessions and demonstrations began when master gardeners and volunteers combined resources to open the center on Saturdays.

“;We decided to demonstrate live topics on gardening in Hawaii,”; said Jayme Grzebik, urban horticulturist and master-gardener coordinator. “;This is the best resource that the University of Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service has to display and disseminate local, research-based home gardening information to the community.”;

Next up is “;Integrated Pest Management,”; 9 a.m. to noon March 14 (see story, Page 1).

“;Organic Gardening”; on April 11 deals with organic weed control, organic soil amendments, composting with worms, nitrogen-fixing plants and soil-testing techniques.

In celebration of May Day, “;Lei Day in the Garden”; on May 9 will cover growing lei plants. Participants also can make ti-leaf leis and rosettes to take home.

“;Our future topics include a vermicast (worm) day, growing spices in containers, composting, vegetable gardening in small spaces and more,”; Grzebik said.

The program is driven by the master gardeners, volunteers trained by the UH Cooperative Extension Service in environmentally sound tropical-gardening practices, and garden-center volunteers, she said.

“;When visitors come to the Urban Garden Center to seek information from these volunteers, they receive practical firsthand knowledge because the center provides a place to learn and to grow as a gardener with other volunteers.”;