Gardening Series

2025 Dates: April 12, 19, & 26

A workshop series to guide the home organic gardener’s season, from prep and planning all the way through harvest and soil maintenance.

We'll help you create the garden of your dreams.

This spring, set your growing dreams in motion with this Gardening Series led by Laura Ruby and hosted by West Asheville’s Peace Gardens & Market. Get expert guidance on planting dates, bed preparation, seed starting, transplanting, and more. 

Spring Gardening Series
When: Three Saturdays: April 12, 19, & 26, from 9 am-12 pm
Location: Peace Gardens and Market
Cost: $25 for each class

  • Dill and lettuces being planted in garden

    April 12: Garden Design, Planning, and Prep

    This class will cover the fundamentals of garden planning, including setting priorities, making observations, designing layouts, budgeting, and implementing succession planting. Participants will gain insights into selecting what to grow and determining the appropriate quantities to plant. They will learn about the requirements for starting and caring for plants, whether by growing from seed indoors, purchasing transplants, or direct seeding. The course will discuss useful tools and their applications, along with hands-on experience in transplanting. Additionally, the class will explore various perennial edibles and provide guidance on their year-round care.

  • A small greenhouse and watering with tomatoes and watering can

    April 19: Soil and Water Management and Plant Care

    In this class, participants will dive into soil management. They will explore the principles of healthy soil and learn how to amend their soil naturally and affordably. Discussions will encompass composting, vermicomposting, and various strategies to build a raised bed, clear space for a new one, or revive an old garden bed. Everyone should get ready to get their hands in the dirt!

  • Squash blossoms in the sun

    April 26: Successful Gardening Through the Season

    The following topics are slated for discussion, time permitting: DIY structures like trellises and rainwater collection systems, along with techniques for building garden beds. There will also be a focus on early spring weeds, including which varieties are edible and tips for managing them effectively. Additionally, we will cover common garden pests, methods to deter them, and guidance on reading a soil test. Other subjects include cover cropping, understanding NPK, addressing common garden problems, and strategies for maximizing garden space.

About the Venue

Getting to Peace Gardens & Market:

Parking will be at 170 Fayetteville St, Asheville, NC 28806; the garden space is adjacent to the parking lot. This location is moderately wheelchair accessible due to unpaved ground. For more information about logistics, please contact us.

Meet the Instructor

Laura has a strong, inborn love of plants and animals. But it wasn’t until she earned her Permaculture Design Certificate in 2002 from Crystal Waters EcoVillage in Australia that she understood how to work with them sustainably through whole systems design. After this experience and graduating from the University of Colorado with an Environmental Science degree, Laura started working with the Growe Foundation, designing and implementing gardens at 14 elementary schools. Through an inspiring curriculum and seeing more and more children eating veggies that they grew at school, she started YummyYards to help families grow food where they live.

YummyYards supports those who want to create and expand their aesthetic and edible gardens. She believes these two types of gardens do not need to be separate. Instead, they can ebb and flow to create a more resilient, productive, and beautiful outdoor living space.

In 2013, she moved to Western North Carolina and immediately started working with other landscapers and nurseries in the Asheville area. From 2015 to 2018, she was the curriculum director at The Roots Foundation. Through the foundation, she worked with teachers in Asheville City Schools, developing multidisciplinary, real-world, project-based learning lessons for grades K-7. She also co-designed many outdoor learning classrooms at the Lucy Herring Elementary School of Ecology.

Laura is creating an educational and inspirational farm, the Ruby Ranch, in Candler, NC.

Check back for more seasonal dates, or sign up for Gardening Series email updates to be notified about information and upcoming events!