As the weather turns colder, Forest Parkers bid adieu to their flowerbeds and vegetable gardens and leave them to hibernate for another grey Chicago winter.

Or do they? Advanced Master Gardener and Community Garden Volunteer Debbie Kong shares her secrets to keeping your green thumb going all year long. Kong will present her tips for four-season gardening on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the Forest Park Public Library.

When the weather outside is frightful, Kong shows how to extend the growing season through fall, winter and early spring so you can harvest and eat fresh organic greens right from your backyard or container garden. She’ll give simple instructions to make an inexpensive low tunnel hoop house or mini-greenhouse to keep veggies safe from Jack Frost. She’ll also explore indoor gardening and early seed-starting for organic lettuce, kale, spinach, mustard greens, carrots, onions and more.

The program begins at 7 p.m. in the Austin Room.

Jean Lotus loves community journalism. She covers news, features, two school boards, village council, crime, park district and writes obits for Forest Park Review. She also covers the police beat for...