Learn about in-ground worm bins!

On Saturday, June 8th, from 9 – 11 am, at the Good Cheer Garden, learn about making your own concrete in-ground worm bin!

We will also be sharing tips on how to use in-ground worms in general, whether wood or concrete, to make vermicastings out of your food scraps.

This class is part of the Growing Groceries program to help local gardeners be successful growing food. Vermicastings are an excellent soil amendment, adding nutritients and microbes to increase your soil fertility.
Class will be taught by Cary Peterson, Good Cheer Garden Coordinator

The Good Cheer Garden is at 2812 Grimm Rd., Langley WA.
For more information, email growinggroceries@whidbey.com

Bring your questions!

 

Saturday, April 6th, from 11 am – 1 pm, enjoy a picnic at Good Cheer and bring your garden questions! Cary Peterson, Good Cheer Garden Coordinator, will be available to answer questions, and demonstrate the use of floating row covers, and other garden tricks of the trade. We’ll be having salad from our hoophouse!

For the Top Tips and info sheets for March, click HERE.
For the Top Tips and info sheets for April, click HERE.

There are other opportunities to learn while volunteering at the weekly work parties at Good Cheer Garden, and the Whidbey Institute. Click HERE for more info!

A new season begins!

The new season is beginning!

• Wednesday, March 6th, from 4  – 6 pm, bring your questions to the Good Cheer Garden! Cary Peterson will be available to answer your garden questions, and also to show you how to grow starts using soil blocks.

• Wednesday, March 13th, starting at 1 pm, Sarah Birger will be teaching pruning basics at the Good Cheer Garden. We’ll practice our skills by pruning the Good Cheer plum and pear trees!
  

The best way to learn is by doing!

• Come to the Good Cheer Garden work party on Wednesdays, from 9 am – 4 pm, for as long or short as you can. Lunch at noon.
• Another great work party is on Thursday afternoons, at the Whidbey Institute Westgarden, from 1  – 4 pm. Come for as long or short as you can.
• Help grow veggies for the Good Cheer Food Bank, while learning what to do seasonally to grow your own!

The Good Cheer Garden is at 2812 Grimm Rd., Bayview Corner, Langley.
The Whidbey Institute Westgarden is at the end of 6449 Old Pietila Rd., Clinton.

October: Getting your garden ready for next season

  When the pumpkins are ripening, you know the season is coming to an end! It’s time to plant garlic and prepare your garden for the winter… and next season.

The last class of the season is on Tuesday, October 9th at the Good Cheer Garden, from 4:00 – 6:00 pm. Note the earlier time!

• How to get your garden ready to grow next year by putting it to rest for the winter
• Garlic planting tips
• Top Tips for October

Presented by Cary Peterson, Growing Groceries Coordinator

Class fee is $15, scholarships available.

Location: Good Cheer Garden, but stay tuned for alternate nearby location if weather is inclement.

For more information, email growinggroceries@whidbey.com

September: Celebrating the Harvest!

   

The gardens have been bountiful, and it’s time to celebrate the harvest!

On Saturday, September 8, Growing Groceries will be part of the Good Cheer Harvest Party and Music Fest! 

1:00 – 2:30 pm: Top Tips of the Month and Get the “Scoop on Poop”!
Presented by Cary Peterson, Good Cheer Garden Coordinator

• How to increase the fertility of your soil with animal manures, worm castings, and local plant and animal amendments. Manure has been in the news lately… find out why.

• Special guest, Chris Korrow, will share about the ways biodynamic gardening enlivens and enriches your garden.

• Top Tips for September- bring your questions!

2:30 pm: Ed Hume of Ed Hume Seeds will be at the Good Cheer Harvest Party to answer your questions, and sign his new book Gardening with Ed Hume: Northwest Gardening Made Easy.

4:15 pm: Worm Bin Q & A where you can learn how to make great vermicastings.

Ongoing: lots of cooking demonstrations to learn how to create delicious meals with your garden produce!!

The Good Cheer Garden is at 2812 Grimm Rd. at Bayview Corner, Langley.

For information and registration, email growinggroceries@whidbey.com

Fruit and Veggie Leather Class!

How can we preserve all these sweet summer tastes for our snacking pleasure through the winter? Come to the Whidbey Institute to learn how to make fruit and veggie leather! 

Learning from the Land will be holding a class on fruit and vegetable dehydration in Thomas Berry Hall at 5:30-7:30pm on Tuesday, August 21st! B.Y.O.B. (berries, of course!) and your favorite container for the fruit & veggie mixture to take home.

The class is by donation and is open to everyone.

Come explore different mixtures of fruits from the land and veggies from the garden to create yummy dehydrated concoctions!

To register, please email community gardening apprentice, Mech, at mechellekn@gmail.com.

August: Soaking up the heat & sun!

 We’ve had some hot summer days, the crops are ripening, and it’s time to enjoy a bountiful harvest. You can still sneak in fast growing fall crops, or sow the last plantings for your overwintering veggies.

On Tuesday, August 14th, at the Good Cheer Garden at Bayview Corner, from 5 pm – 7 pm learn about:

• Cover crops for building soil fertility
  
• TOP TIPS for the month and Q & A (bring your questions!)
  

  Hoophouses

Wish you had better tomatoes this year? Hoping to have more greens this winter or start growing earlier next year? Hoophouses are simple and inexpensive to build! Get inspired now, and you’ll have one by next season!

• How to grow throughout the year by putting your veggies under cover
• Construction tips and tricks
• Best veggies to plant

Presenter: Cary Peterson, Growing Groceries Coordinator

Class fee $15 or by donation.
Class is at the Good Cheer Garden, 2812 Grimm Rd. at Bayview Corner, Langley.

For information and registration, email growinggroceries@whidbey.com

Photo credit: Susan Burgers (raspberries)