FREE Gardening Workshops Hosted by the GSA
March 2015
Spring is around the corner and we are getting very excited about rebuilding the GSA community garden. To get into the spirit of things, the GSA is hosting FREE workshops for students, staff, faculty, and the larger community. Workshops will be led by permaculture expert and former Carleton grad Chris Bisson.
All workshops take place in the Grad Lounge, located on the 6th floor of the University Centre Building at Carleton U. No registration is necessary, and you can attend all workshops or choose those most appealing to you. No experience necessary – just show up and bring your enthusiasm!
Click the link below for a brief description of each workshop and the dates:
Introduction to Gardening Workshop – Thursday, March 19, 6-9 PM
Gardening can be a simple, enjoyable, and bountiful practice. It is possible to grow anywhere: from small urban balconies to 100 acre farms. This introduction workshop will prepare you with the concepts and strategies you need as a first time gardener to start growing your own food or landscape plants this summer. There will be a little bit of basic horticulture theory, followed by strategies for you to grow your first garden in a backyard, community garden, or balcony. Everyone will have a chance to try planting a sunflower for you to take home.
Intermediate Gardening Workshop – Tuesday, March 24, 6-9 PM
You have been growing for a season or two. You are comfortable growing a few basic crops in a small space that you have either bought as transplants or directly seeded. Now you are interested in learning about how to start your own seedlings under lights, make your own compost, use mulch, and save your own seeds. You are also running into problems with pests, diseases, soil deficiencies, and weed pressure. This workshop will build upon basic garden skills to fine tune your ability to grow great food in your garden. It is also a great opportunity to ask specific questions on knowledge and skills you feel you lack and would like to learn more in the area of horticulture.
Indoor and Urban Container Gardening Workshop – Thursday, April 2, 6-9 PM
You want to grow your own food but you only have an apartment or balcony to work with. No problem, there are solutions! This workshop will focus on growing food indoors under light and in containers in small spaces. Many basic greenhouse techniques can be used on a small scale to grow most crops. Indoor growing skills will focus on constructing grow chambers and light racks. Container gardening skills will focus on the horticultural miracles one can achieve within a five gallon bucket. You will also learn how to start your own indoor worm compost bin, start your own sprouts, and collecting rain water.
Introduction and Intermediate Gardening Workshop – Saturday, April 25, Noon-5 PM
A combination of the Introduction to Gardening Workshop and the Intermediate Gardening Workshop in a half-day weekend session.
Permaculture Design for Gardeners – Thursday, May 7, 6-9 PM
Permaculture is a design process used to create human habitats that function in harmony with local ecosystems. For gardeners permaculture is used to grow food in ways that mimic forest ecosystems. This workshop will introduce you to the design process and show you some of the design principles and strategies used to produce food in ways that are sustainable, resilient to environmental change, and restorative to ecological degradation. We will be focusing on solutions that can be used by urban gardeners growing in backyards, community gardens, and balconies.
