Gardening Series

April 27 Class - From Lawn to Garden: Making the Most of Your Space

We will meet at Laura Ruby’s West Asheville garden for our third class together. Delve into the wide world of garden pro tips, tricks, tools, and secrets! This class will cover ideas and options for making your garden more manageable, fun, and productive through systems thinking. See established gardens and ways to adapt to your needs and growing space. You will also see how fruit production can be integrated with growing flowers and veggies.

May 4 Class - Summer Garden Management and Preservation

We will reconvene at Peace Gardens & Market for our final workshop, discussing succession planting, summer weed and pest management, and preserving the harvest (what to do with all those tomatoes and more!). We will share tips for keeping your body and energy up throughout the season to sustain you through the joy of harvests and eating your home-grown produce.

Other topics to be covered, time permitting: 

• DIY structures, e.g., trellis, rainwater collection, bed building

• Early spring weeds, what's edible, early tips for managing weeds

• Common garden pests & how to deter them 

• Reading a soil test

• Cover cropping and NPK

• Common problems in the garden

• Maximizing your space

Classes will occur over four Saturdays, April 13 - May 4, from 2-4 pm. Each class is $25.

April 13 Class  - Garden Planning and Prep

We will discuss what goes into garden planning through setting priorities, observation, mapping, budgeting, and succession planting. The class will include tips for choosing what to grow and how much to plant. Learn what is needed to start and care for plants, whether you are growing from seed indoors, purchasing transplants, and/or direct seeding; this will include discussions of useful tools and how to use them. This class will also include some hands-on transplanting. We will also review some great perennial edibles and how to care for them year-round. 

April 20 Class - Soil Management and Care

In this class, we will dive into soil management. We will talk about the principles of healthy soil and how to amend your soil naturally and affordably, including discussions on composting, compost tea, and vermicompost. We will experience different strategies to build a raised bed, clear space for a new one, or revive an old garden bed. Get ready to get your hands in the dirt!