Festivals and Special Events:

Beltane:  Celebrate the abundant flowering of the Earth.

Midsummer Night Festival/ Summer Solstice:  Celebrate the Magicke of the Longest Day.

Lammas:  Festival of Bread. Celebrate the Fruits of our Labor.

Autumn Equinox:  The balance of day and night, marking the goddess return to the earth in preparation for the underground work of winter.

Samhain:  The time of the thinning of the veils, the mark of the new year in celtic culture.

Winter Solstice:   Revel in the longest night celebrating the return of the sun/son.

Imbolc:  The Quickening, invisible to us on the surface, the seeds begin to gather energy for emergence.

Spring Equinox:  The Balance of light and dark.  Celebration of new life.

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Good Natured Living

Starting Seeds:  It’s Easy to Grow from Seed!

This class will cover the basics of seed selection, seeding indoors for transplanting later, and direct seeding into the garden.  We will discuss proper lighting, watering, temperature, growing mediums and common problems.  You will take home a cell pack you plant yourself.

Foundation of the Garden:  It all Begins with the Soil.

We will be talking about the most important element in your organic garden: Soil.  The basis of organic gardening is feeding the soil.  Learn how to develop your soil’s long term fertility plan.  Site selection, soil testing, irrigation, method (raised beds, containers, direct planting), and planting preparation will be discussed.  Take home plans for an easy to build compost bin.

Planting & Garden Structures:  Growing Tall and Diverse. 

Trellising is the obvious way to conserve space in the garden.  Join in and think outside the box regarding methods of space intensive planting. Basic planting and pruning and training technique will be demonstrated.  Find out about succession planting. Also learn about other useful structures such as row covers, supports and critter guards.

Weeding. Watering and Feeding:  A Symbiotic Relationship in the Garden. 

How much water does my garden need?  When do I feed my garden?  Learn how to use planting methods, cover crops and cultivation to manage weeds.  Discuss how those same practices directly affect soil moisture and fertility. Look at some tools that are helpful in your garden maintenance. 

Good Bugs, Bad Bugs:  Welcome Beneficials, Manage Pests.
Talk about diversity in the garden and attracting beneficial insects.  Learn about IPM or Integrated Pest Management and other methods of pest management.
 

Harvesting:  Gratitude and the Bounty of the Earth! 

Harvesting regularly can increase yield. Learn the ways to harvest different vegetable, herbs and fruits for the best flavor.   Learn about season extention. Talk about preparation and storage for immediate use as well as the long term. 

Creating an Herb Garden:  A Beautiful Space Full of Useful Plants. 

Herbs have been woven through the fabric of our existence for ages.  They are referred to as the useful plants providing us with a natural source of flavor, fragrance, wellness, healing and just plain old pleasure.  Some repel insect pests, others attract beneficials, some are ingredients for soothing teas, others medicine, and some are rumored to have magical powers.  They are at home in a large garden or in a solitary pot.  Join us for discussion, herbal tea and treats and take home a starter herb for your garden.

Cooking from the Garden:  Eating in Harmony with the Season. 

Our body is in tune with our environment, so why not nourish it with seasonally available foods?  Learn to use what is readily available by using basic recipes that can be tweaked according to the season’s offerings.  We will explore the simple pleasures found in the mundane tasks of preparing a snack to share.  Take home a handy chart as a guide to what is seasonably available in our area.

Juicing:  A Cup of Pure Goodness! 

Juicing is a fast, easy way to incorporate raw foods into your daily wellness practice.  This introductory class will show you how to choose and prepare produce for juicing. Discuss the benefits of juicing and some of the myths.  Sample yummy combinations and take home recipes.

Putting Food By:  Preserving the Bounty.    

Whether by intention or not, there will be an overabundance of something in your garden.  Learn about the different methods of preserving: canning, freezing, dehydrating, and drying.  Do some tasting and discuss the advantages of each preservation method and what foods respond best to what method.

From Garden to Table:  Know Your Food. 

Do you know where your food comes from?  What is organic?  What does chemical free mean?  How do I know what is at market is local? What is in season? How do I choose fresh produce?  What about the 100 mile diet and what is a locavore and why do they matter?  Join us and discuss the answers to these and other questions to help you choose the best foods for your table.

Healthy Homekeeping:   Decreasing Everyday Toxins.

Help decrease your exposure to toxins by replacing what you can with natural products.  We discuss how to purchase safe products for homekeeping.  Learn  how simple ingredients found in the cupboard can clean and disinfect without the toxic chemical ingredients.  Find out why big suds do not mean better cleaning power.  Take home a healthy cleaning guide.

Holistic Skin Care:  Nourish Your Skin.  

Just like with produce, there is a dirty dozen ingredient list for skin care products.  Most us do not think about our everyday exposure to these ingredients from our soaps, body wash and shampoo to hand creams, moisturizers and toners.  Join us for an informative discussion and make a healthy scrub for your hands to take home.