If you’re thinking about growing your own food for the first time this year or if you plan to boost the edible-to-ornamental ratio in your garden, you’re not alone.
Read my front-page Saturday story on the rise of vegetable gardening in our sagging economy and check out the cool learning opportunities the Snohomish County Master Gardeners and others are offering to help gardeners prepare for the 2009 growing season:
The Growing Groceries Expo will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 31 at Evergreen Middle School, 7621 Beverly Lane, Everett. Admission is free. Workshops, led by gardening experts, will cover vegetable basics, composting, seed starting and how to start community and school gardens.
There will be an information fair with resources for home vegetable gardeners as well as details about how to sign up for community supported agriculture programs or CSAs. Write Wendy McClure at wmcclure@ci.everett.wa.us or call 425-257-8717 if you have questions.
Growing Groceries Mentor Training, a series of monthly vegetable gardening classes, will begin Saturday at the Adopt-A-Stream building behind the Washington State University Snohomish County Extension offices at McCollum Park in Everett.
Class hours will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of every month Saturday through Oct. 24.
Topics will include garden site selection and soil preparation, how to select appropriate varieties for the local climate, how to start seeds and transplants, salsa gardening, planting tips and harvesting techniques.
Admission is $35 per class. People who are willing to volunteer to teach others how to grow vegetables on a regular basis, however, can attend all but the first class for free.
Applications are available www.snohomish.wsu.edu/growinggroceries0109.pdf and at the extension office at McCollum Park, 600 128th St. SE, Everett. Call 425-338-2400 with questions.
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