2010 Programs Unveiled: Early Spring Plant Sale, More Diverse Edibles

By Laura Niemi, Garden Program Manager

Trying to serve a mix of new gardeners brought in by the booming grow-your-own trend and experienced growers who’ve tried many of our classes, we are unveiling our class lineup for next year. It was created with ideas from many members and class participants, and includes some new class topics as well as the return of popular favorites.

Sustainability trends and environmental awareness have brought many new people to Tilth who are interested in growing their own food.

• We’re bringing back our “Lawn to Lettuce” class to provide a hands-on experience for people who want to dig up their sod and plant a garden or use an easier, slower method by layering organic materials in a sheet mulch.
  
• With our temperate maritime climate, many gardeners are interested in growing food throughout the year, so “Season Extension – Cloches, Cold Frames and More” will teach various methods used to extend the growing season by keeping the soil and air warm enough to promote plant growth.
  
• “Seed Saving” will focus on how to save seed from favorite vegetable varieties, how to keep your seed from crossing with other varieties and how to harvest and store your seeds.

New Classes

We have some new classes designed for those interested in multi-functional edible plants, branching out beyond the usual fruit and veggie crops and integrating livestock and other food sources into their urban homestead.

• ”Growing Perennial Edibles” will present various types of berries, fruits and other perennial food producing plants that thrive in our climate and how to integrate them into the urban landscape.
  
• “Mushroom Cultivation” will cover the different mushroom varieties that grow in our area and demonstrate the various backyard propagation methods using logs and stumps or woodchips and sawdust.
  
• “Beekeeping 101” will give an overview of what is required to keep bees on an urban site and help you decide if beekeeping is right for you.

Teaming Up

A big focus for Seattle Tilth in 2010 is to create new partnerships that will introduce us to new communities. We’re teaming up with Seattle Parks and Recreation to offer classes in Beacon Hill and Rainier Valley on growing food in gardens and in containers. These classes will start in the winter and will take place in community centers, utilizing on-site gardens so we can offer hands-on learning opportunities.

A series for kids and parents will be offered called “Little Green Thumbs,” creating great gardening fun at four community centers.

Seattle Tilth is also partnering with Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle to bring programming to residents of West Seattle and White Center.

Early Spring Plant Sale

One of our most exciting new endeavors for 2010 is our first-ever Early Spring Edible Plant Sale, to be held Saturday, March 20, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at Hangar 30 at Magnuson Park. This new sale does not take the place of our well-loved Edible Plant Sale, which will be held, as always, the first weekend of May.

This new sale will give gardeners a jump on the growing season with an amazing selection of plants that Seattle Tilth is known for, including rare and heirloom varieties of vegetables that perform well in the cool season. We will also be selling perennial edibles such as cane fruit, unusual fruiting shrubs and trees from One Green World in Oregon.

Check our plant list to see what varieties we will be offering, our web page for event updates, and be sure to join us on the first day of spring for the best selection of edible fruits, veggies and herbs around!