Last Minute Gifts for Gardeners!

We’ve had to cancel the December 24 open-farm day–so sorry! Unforeseen circumstances. But the Online Store is still open! We’ve got a unique gift for the gardener on your list–the Bees N Blooms Garden Workshops! Six 2-hour sessions between January 7 and March 25 will cover planning your garden, seed starting, soil testing and amending, irrigation and organic techniques for managing insect, weed, and rodent pests. Sign up for just one or all six! Details below.

Bees N Blooms Garden Workshop Series

Do you need a gift for that special gardener in your life? Or are you interested in learning more about gardening? Consider participating in one or more of Bees N Blooms Garden Workshops! You’ll tap into our expertise in garden planning and execution, with a focus on regenerative organic agricultural approaches. All classes involve hands-on activities to learn the techniques. Classes are $75 each or all six for $425. Sign up at the Online Store. Here’s the schedule:

January 7, 10 AM to noon
Planning Your Garden

Cool, rainy January is the best time to sit down and plan your garden for the next year, selecting and ordering vegetable and flower seeds and deciding which crops will grow where in your garden space. This session will introduce you to several ideas you’ll need to consider as you plan, including your goals for your garden, the timing of outdoor plantings and when to start seeds indoors, crop rotation to prevent disease and pests, and where to obtain the seeds you need. We’ll address both vegetables and flowers, with a focus on planting a pollinator-friendly garden. Seth Gowans from Sidekick Flowers will be there to help with your questions about growing flowers for cutting. We’ll also introduce you to a web-based planning application that we have found to be invaluable for planning our garden spaces from year to year. This will be an indoor-only class. Bring a laptop if you have one, so you can access the web tool. We’ll have a few computers available if you don’t have a laptop.

February 11, 10 AM to noon:
Seed starting

Early February is the time to get going with seed starting! This session will focus on the techniques and equipment needed for indoor seed starting, conditions needed for optimum germination, and timing of planting. We’ll do some hands-on seed starting, so come prepared to get a little dirty. Bring your own seeds or help us sow some of our own. We provide a tray with a selection of cell sizes and seed starter mix for planting.

March 4, 10 AM to noon:
Soil testing and amending

While those seeds are growing, it’s time to prepare your soil. This session will focus on soil testing and amending for optimum growth potential. We’ll go out in the field and do some soil sampling (come prepared to be a bit muddy), then come inside to learn about what to do with the results. We’ll introduce you to a web-based soil analysis application that will allow you to prepare a custom amendment mix specific to your garden area. Bring a laptop if you have one, so you can access the web tool. We’ll have a few computers available if you don’t have a laptop.

March 11, 10 AM to noon:
Setting up and Managing Irrigation

Getting close to planting time now! And the rain is tapering off, so you need to get your garden set up for irrigation! This session will focus on how to set up and maintain an irrigation system that matches your water supply. You’ll learn about pressure and flow and how it relates to how you set up your watering system. We’ll do some hands-on working with irrigation parts, learn how to regulate and measure pressures in your lines, and how to master irrigation timers for optimal watering.

March 25, 10 AM to noon:
Using Organic Strategies to Manage Weeds and Insects

March is a key month to get control of your weeds and start thinking about managing insect pests. This session will focus on organic methods for managing weeds and insects. We’ll start inside with an overview and move outdoors for some hands-on activities and observation.

March 25, 1 PM to 3 PM:
Using Organic Strategies to Manage Rodents

It’s mid-spring and the rodents are on the move. Time to get control of the situation! This session will focus on organic methods for managing rodents in and around your garden. You’ll get some hands-on practice with trapping techniques and learn about the habits and behaviors of gophers, rats, mice, voles, and moles that you need to know to effectively manage them.

We hope you can join us! If you’d like to sign up for one or more of the sessions, head to our Online store!