It's too cold to be outside in the garden, but it's the perfect weather to gather inside and talk about gardening.

To promote gardening education and discussion, the Master Gardener Alumni Association of Washtenaw County kicks off the new year with a new Master Gardener Talk Series at Nicola's Books, 2513 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor.

The series premieres on Monday, Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. with a talk on Growing Orchids.

Future talks are scheduled for the second Monday of each month. Planned topics include:

Feb. 13 - Raised Bed Construction and Gardening

March 12 - Starting Plants from Seed

April 9 - The "Dirt" on Soils and Fertilizers

May 14 - Shade Gardens and Spring Ephemerals

Master Gardeners are enthusiastic gardeners/volunteers trained by the Michigan State University Extension Service in horticultural information and research-based gardening methods. For more information about the local MSU Extension program, see their website.

Join in a lively and informative discussion to help cultivate the gardener's mind and spirit.

Janice and Jim Leach tend a backyard plot in downtown Ann Arbor, where they try to grow as many vegetables and other plants as possible. For the last four years, they've published gardening tips, photos and stories at their 20 minute Garden website.