Love of Learning
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| 2012 Bats, Owls, Spiders, and Snakes class at Magnuson |
That's why I think now is a great time to take a garden class in the Pacific Northwest
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| Savvy Gardener "Gardening on Slopes" class |
I'm serious! Whether you are starting a new project or looking for ideas to improve your existing garden areas, learning from garden experts is a great way to get inspired to jump start your spring.
The Puget Sound area is a fantastic place to take a garden class, and a lot of them are free of charge through local municipalities, water districts, or plant nurseries. Others are reasonably-priced through the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, Plant Amnesty, and other organizations. In previous years, these all have traditionally been in-person classes, but this year the adaptation to hosting online classes and providing other online resources has been phenomenal. Check it out!
- SavingWater.org is now hosting their free "Savvy Gardener" classes online
- The King Co. Master Gardener Bellevue Demonstration Garden has begun hosting their free classes online
- The University of Washington Botanic Gardens has an incredible lineup of reasonably-priced online classes
- Plant Amnesty's in-person classes have been cancelled but they have an incredible YouTube channel of pruning videos
- CascadeWater.org has posted free "Cascade Gardener" classes online
- Swanson's Nursery has a fantastic garden blog
- Molbak's Nursery has amazing free webcast garden classes
I'll be teaching a variety of sustainable gardening classes this summer also, all of which will now be hosted online:
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| Rain Garden at my former Seattle home |
Sponsored by the King County Master Gardener Program
Day and Time: Saturday June 20th from 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Free, and will be done via Zoom. Click on this link to join:
https://zoom.us/j/98357808723
Meeting ID: 983 5780 8723
Meeting ID: 983 5780 8723
Password: 060052
OR join via call-in: +1 253 215 8782
Class description:
As the open space in the Puget Sound region has become more developed, problems with excessive storm water have also increased. You may have experienced this in your own yard and neighborhood, with seasonal flooding, erosion, or other problems. The good news is that you can add beautiful features to your garden that will be part of the solution! This class illustrates the benefits and methods of creating a rain garden, rock-lined swale, and other projects that you can do to incorporate storm water management into an existing garden.
As the open space in the Puget Sound region has become more developed, problems with excessive storm water have also increased. You may have experienced this in your own yard and neighborhood, with seasonal flooding, erosion, or other problems. The good news is that you can add beautiful features to your garden that will be part of the solution! This class illustrates the benefits and methods of creating a rain garden, rock-lined swale, and other projects that you can do to incorporate storm water management into an existing garden.
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| Growing and harvesting together at Magnuson Children's Garden |
Sponsored by the University of Washington Botanic Gardens
Day and Time: Wednesday June 24th from 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Fee: $28, and the class will be done via Zoom. Pre-registration is required at this link.
Class Description:
In his book, Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv writes that “stress reduction, greater physical health, a deeper sense of spirit, more creativity, a sense of play…are the rewards that await a family when it invites more nature into their children’s’ lives.” If you are intrigued by the idea of making inviting and nurturing places for children within your own garden, this class will inspire and inform you! You‘ll learn ways to create unique places for nature exploration and play that fire your child’s imagination and “grow up” along with them, and fun ways to incorporate easy food gardening as part of your regular family activities. All attendees receive “top ten” lists of child-friendly plants to include, a list of plants to avoid, and other helpful resources.
In his book, Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv writes that “stress reduction, greater physical health, a deeper sense of spirit, more creativity, a sense of play…are the rewards that await a family when it invites more nature into their children’s’ lives.” If you are intrigued by the idea of making inviting and nurturing places for children within your own garden, this class will inspire and inform you! You‘ll learn ways to create unique places for nature exploration and play that fire your child’s imagination and “grow up” along with them, and fun ways to incorporate easy food gardening as part of your regular family activities. All attendees receive “top ten” lists of child-friendly plants to include, a list of plants to avoid, and other helpful resources.
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| Wren nest in my former Seattle garden |
Sponsored by the University of Washington Botanic Gardens
Day and Time: Wednesday July 15th from 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Fee: $28, and the class will be done via Zoom. Pre-registration is required at this link.
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| Front yard entry in my former Seattle garden |
Sponsored by the Saving Water Partnership and King Co. Water District 90
Day and Time: Thursday July 16th from 5:00pm - 6:30pm
Free, pre-registration is required at this link, and class will be done via Zoom
Class Description: Using sustainable design methods has a significant effect on the
health and beauty of all new garden and lawn areas, can reduce water and fertilizer
needs, eliminate the need for pesticides, and give you more time to enjoy your
yard year round! This class provides a step-by-step approach to analyzing your garden site just the way it is, taking note of all
its natural resources such as sun, soil, and water, and its existing natural
and man-made elements. Many times, site conditions
that at first glance seem to limit your design choices actually turn out to be
opportunities for beautiful and sustainable plant combinations, or focal point
landscape features!
The class will also guide you through making an effective “wish list” of activities you would like to be able to do in your garden such as growing food, dining, attracting wildlife, improving the view, screening utility poles or traffic, increasing your outdoor storage space, and more. Last but not least, you will learn how to use your new expertise to take advantage of your site’s resources when designing new garden areas and adding plants or other features, so that each addition accomplishes more than one of your wish list items!
The class will also guide you through making an effective “wish list” of activities you would like to be able to do in your garden such as growing food, dining, attracting wildlife, improving the view, screening utility poles or traffic, increasing your outdoor storage space, and more. Last but not least, you will learn how to use your new expertise to take advantage of your site’s resources when designing new garden areas and adding plants or other features, so that each addition accomplishes more than one of your wish list items!
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For my Arivaca readers:
I couldn't find any free online garden classes in Southern Arizona, but the Pima Co. Master Gardener website has a good, month-by-month, free gardening calendar of pdf documents to peruse. Plus, if you like, you can view any of the free online resources listed above, and/or sign up to take any of the classes!
Photo credits:
All photos by Emily Bishton, except
Kids class by Anne Seager
Gardening on Slopes class by Joanna Li
