Workshops: Sustainable Home Vegetable Gardening

A FOUR PART LEARNING SERIES

Each class runs from 10:00am to 3:30pm | Lecture 10:00am–1:00pm; Hands-on 1:30pm–3:30pm

TAKE YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN TO THE NEXT LEVEL!

This extended learning series offers four classes of hands-on, brains-on training. MCBG Lead Gardener Jaime Jensen teaches the essential skills to develop a strong vegetable garden for years to come. Learn about soil preparation, garden planning, propagation, and harvesting techniques. Course workshops will demonstrate starting with seeds, composting, creating a thriving ecosystem in your own back yard, and fall vegetable gardening know-how. Each class will have a reading and lecture component as well as hands-on training… be prepared to get dirty!

Jaime Jensen is a passionate advocate for backyard vegetable gardening, delicious fresh meals, food preservation, and health education. She has a taught food literacy to under-served urban youth and managed food production for a local farm-to-table garden and restaurant. She loves teaching and learning about all of the unique relationships that take place between plants, animals, insects, fungus, soil, minerals, water, air, and sunshine. When she is not in the garden, Jaime is cooking fresh, locally grown, organic meals, or illustrating books and painting murals.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

Class No. 1: Getting Started with Seeds
Saturday, February 25 

Each year as the days grow longer the garden offers opportunity for renewal. We start fresh with new seeds and all of the observations from years past to help guide us to success. In this class, we will discuss planning strategies for a successful home vegetable garden, and how to propagate and care for vegetable seedlings.

Class No. 2: Real Dirt
Saturday, April 29

As gardeners, we know that the health of the soil determines the health of the plants growing in that soil. This class will explore different ways to work with and improve the soil in your backyard for optimal vegetable gardening. Compost will be built, smelled, touched, discussed and loved on this day.

Class No. 3: Gardening for a Thriving Ecosystem
Saturday, June 17

Some of the tiniest critters have the largest populations and play the most significant roles in keeping the garden in balance. This class gives you a basic knowledge of plant and insect relationships in the vegetable garden and how they affect the vitality of the entire garden ecosystem. We will discuss companion planting and pest management.

Class No. 4: Giving in to Fall Vegetable Gardening
Saturday, August 26

The end of summer is all about knowing the right time to start your fall and winter vegetable garden. In this class we will discuss timing and fall vegetables. This is also the time to start thinking and prepping for next spring, so we will also cover the topic of saving seeds and fall soil building techniques.