In this interactive weekly class, students will learn how to grow a garden with food and flowers to share with their family and friends.  Students will create, plant, grow, problem solve and share.

This class is a mix of practical, hands on gardening and classroom style lessons.  Classes will change depending on seasons (in winter we might do more preparation and planning and design for the warmer seasons and come spring we'll get out planting with tips for early harvesting).  Within the 50 minute lesson we will:
-Learn garden planning and design.
-Discuss the challenges of the garden at the present moment and problem solve solutions together for overcoming these difficulties.
-Go outside and show off our gardens (whether it be a large garden or a balcony garden there is always something to learn and share).
-Share visuals and practical ideas for gardening (what to use as seed trays, good suggestions for improved soil mixes and potting mixes).
-Share recipes from our harvest in the garden!  


Students will learn about their local seasons, weather and climate (and the difference between them) and learn how and what to plant according to the seasons. This knowledge will help them grow food successfully throughout the year.  
Students will learn:
-How large or small should you have a garden (to begin with, this could grow and grow and grow!),
-Which plants love the heat and full sun, 
-Which plants don't tolerate the cold or frost (and what to do to protect them), 
-When and where to begin raising seedlings (how to use recycled products from the kitchen for seedlings trays and boxes),
-When to plant your seedlings out,
-How often should you water your garden,
-How to collect water sustainably,
-What is compost, why is it important and how can I make some,
-How to design a garden for use year round for years and years to come (rotation practices,   perennial plants verse annuals....)
-Chickens???  Although this might not be practical for many families, it will come into discussion as a great way to have a closed system (permaculture).

Students will problem solve questions such as:
-Why am I getting flowers but no fruit?
-How do I stop the animals from eating my food?
-How can I use what I already have to make my garden successful instead of spending money on new supplies?
-How can I bring in more pollinators for more success in the garden?

Learn the environmental benefits and cost saving benefits of seed saving and seed sharing from your own garden.

We will study which food plants will grow best in which climates.  Students will learn about local seasons and climate and learn how to use this information to create season garden growing charts for their area.  This will help grow successful gardens according to what the plants need and what the season and weather provide.  We will focus on foods that the students enjoy and want to plant and eat.  Students will be encouraged to start a garden diary where they can keep track of their plans, wishes for their garden, ideas, and information on what worked, what grew well and where and what didn't work so they can develop the ongoing skills of improving their own garden through observation and tracking.

As well as growing food for ourselves, students will learn how to create native habitat that will encourage pollinators to come and help in the garden.

Whether you have a large garden with raised garden beds or a garden in the ground or even some pots on a balcony, you will learn how to grow food for you and your local pollinators.  You can also create beautiful habitat for the animals around you and watch them as you tend to your garden.  Learning how plants grow and what they need and engaging with your local area and what your climate patterns will help you on your way to a successful food and habitat garden.

During these lessons, students will be encouraged to think about what they can use in the garden to recycle or reduce waste they find around the house.  Old tins can become herb pots for the windowsill.  Old bottles can become watering cans.  Even a brick with some holes can be used as a home for pollinating insects.

This is a fun, hands on and engaging class which will have the students looking at how useful it is to reuse old objects instead of using something once and sending it away to landfill.  A great way to spend time outdoors and get creative!  I find hands on is the best way to learn and I encourage this in my students.  I encourage problem solving and love when the students can think of ideas I haven't come up with yet.

Students are encouraged to keep notes or draw pictures to create a useful resource book of class topics (no drawing experience is necessary, this is just for you, not to share).  By the end, the students will have a great booklet of resources and a useful knowledge of reusing and producing no waste (permaculture principle), a seasonal garden design plan and map, some new recipes to try out, and more.

A list of what is coming up:

Week 1: What is weather and climate and how are they different?  Look at local areas.  Discuss seasons (can there be other seasons or less than 4 seasons in an area?).  How does weather and climate affect a garden?  What do we need to be a successful gardener with a bountiful garden?  What are some challenges you have faced or you think you might face when setting up your garden?
Week 2: Growing a garden - What do you have, what do you need.  Why design?  What does a design look like and how does it work?  Permaculture basics and ethics.  Can you make compost?
Week 3: Continue with Permaculture principles and ethics.  What can you do now for your garden (whatever the weather may be) to make it healthier and more resilient.
Week 4: Let's draw!  Let's take what we've learned and begin designing our garden.  Be sun watchers and track the sun over your garden.  Where does the sun rise and set?  How much sun do we need in the garden?  This will help you decide where and how to set up your garden (if creating a new one) or how to improve and check the sustainability of the one you already have.


Raising veggies from offcuts to growing in recycled bottles, planting out a spring garden bed and growing herbs on a sunny windowsill for winter herbs....there's always something new and achievable. Whether you live in snowy areas or subtropical areas, there is always something to do in the garden.  Join me and let's get gardening!