Session recordings may be shared with registrants who miss the live class
Do you want to grow healthy food right in your own backyard? Interested in saving money on grocery bills? Want to get your family eating more vegetables?
With Covid-19 keeping us close to home these days, gardening is on the minds of many. Join us for this 7 session workshops on successful gardening from seed to table!
Workshop 1: How to start your own seeds (and save money on transplants!) *Recording from March 18th session available for those who register for the series
Workshop 2: How to create a healthy and resilient vegetable garden from the ground up: Making a lasagna garden
Thursday April 15th, 7-8:30pm
Are you eager to start or expand your garden, but not keen on breaking up sod? If so, sheet composting (aka lasagna gardening) is for you! Learn the basics of building healthy soil in your backyard using materials you generate in and around your household. Discover:
-How to start a veggie or herb garden without breaking your back
-What materials make the best soil
-How the composting process works
-How your lasagna garden benefits the planet!
Workshop 3: Make the most of your garden space with succession planting
Thursday May 20th, 7-8:30pm
Think you have to plant your entire garden in one marathon session? Think again! Succession planting (or staggered planting) gives gardeners manageable amounts of tender, fresh produce throughout the growing season while maximizing garden space! In this workshop, you will learn:
-Which crops like hot summer weather, and which do better in spring and fall
-What vegetables make the best candidates for succession planting
-How to create a garden plan including succession planting
Workshop 4: Easy wins: quick-growing vegetables from seed to table
Thursday June 17th, 7-8:30pm
Have you dreamed of growing more of your own food, but aren’t sure where to start? In this workshop you will learn about:
-The best low-maintenance vegetables to grow in a home garden
-Exciting new varieties of vegetables and herbs you can grow with ease
-Tips for preparing your homegrown veggies in dishes you will love!
Workshop 5: Troubleshooting the mid-season vegetable garden: weeds, pests, and more!
Thursday July 15th, 7-8:30pm
Is anything more demoralizing than discovering your garden has turned into a slug salad bar or been overtaken by weeds? Before you reach for the poisons, give natural pest and weed prevention and treatments a try! In this workshop, you will learn:
-How to stop insect infestations before they start
-How to use mulch to curb weed growth
-What garden weeds are not only edible, but nutritious and delicious!
Workshop 6: How to manage a zucchini (or other veggie) invasion: ways to preserve and enjoy your harvest
Thursday August 19th, 7-8:30pm
It’s late summer, and the garden is burgeoning...but you’re having a hard time keeping up with the bounty. Before you resort to illicit zucchini and tomato drop offs, consider preserving your harvest for winter! In this workshop, you will learn:
-How to prepare your vegetables for freezing
-How to use a food dehydrator to shrink and save your harvest
-How to safely can certain crops for delicious winter meals
Workshop 7: Putting the garden to bed: tips for the fall garden
Thursday September 16th, 7-8:30pm
Summer’s just about over, but the garden isn’t quite ready to pack it in yet! Pulling all your plants out in September may be premature…Join us to discover:
-What crops thrive in fall
-How to save seed for next season
-How to plant a healthy garlic crop
-Some garden maintenance and clean-up tips as the season winds down
Your instructor:
Halifax-based Elizabeth Peirce is the author of Grow Hope, You Can Too! Canning, Pickling and Preserving the Maritime Harvest (Nimbus, 2013) and Grow Organic: A Simple Guide to Nova Scotia Vegetable Gardening (Nimbus, 2010), winner of the 2011 APMA Best Atlantic Published Book Award. She has appeared as a guest on CBC Radio’s Main Street and Maritime Noon, News 95.7’s The Weekend Gardener, and on CTV’s Breakfast Television, talking about her passion for growing and preserving our own food. She writes regular articles on home canning for Lee Valley Tools, and is hard at work on an online course showing people how to preserve more of their own food. Visit her at elizabethpeirce.ca
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