Rocky Mountain Gardening Elective
This is a course for the beginner or for newcomers to the Front Range Gardening Community. We will hit all the basics of what you really need to know to adjust your gardening skills to our climate or to begin your gardening success here on the Colorado Front Range.
If you have never gardened here before or are looking for more success, this is the class for you!
Learn the basics of gardening in our finicky climate and the skills necessary to become an enthusiastic gardener. Annuals, perennials and vegetables will be discussed, along with trees and shrubs for our climate, elevation and varying soils.
We will discuss plant selection, planting and troubleshooting. Leave with the knowledge and resources you need to plant the garden you have always wanted.
Subsequent weeks will focus on the elements, water needs, fertilizers and organic gardening.
Please bring a glass jar of soil to class. (Must be see through glass jar to study layers of your own backyard native soil)
$80 member, $90 non-member.
Instructor: Patti O'Neal
Rocky Mountain Gardening Elective
Berries are easy fruits to grow and make luscious-eating whether fresh, frozen or preserved. New developments are increasing the types we can grow here. Come find out the types of berries that do well in our climate and soil, what varieties are recommended, where to purchase and how to manage and prune for best results. Grapes for our area are also discussed.
$28 member, $33 non-member
Instructor: Carl Wilson, Denver horticulturist, speaker and retired CSU Extension Agent.
Rocky Mountain Gardening Elective
In this intensive workshop, take your kitchen garden to the next level and maximize your space for optimum production. Learn how to feed a family of four from a 4x6 raised bed. Discuss succession planting, harvesting, extending the season (both early and late), tools and materials, vertical space gardening using trellises and other structures, soil prep, french kitchen garden design, and more. Develop your own customized design based on your garden situation and your family's needs. Patti emphasis will be on small gardens and containers, but this workshop will provide you with invaluable ideas and resources for improving your year-round production in a garden of any size.
This is a 10 hour course for the first time vegetable gardener who needs the ABCs from start to finish. We will cover the building of raised beds, first time soil fill and what to do in subsequent years to keep your soil alive and thriving, how to know what to plant when, starting from seed or direct sow, garden maintenance, extending the seasons and harvesting. You will have the opportunity to draw and plan your beds with an intensive planting plan and start some seeds for your own garden with your instructor. You will go home with tons of information and great handouts to refer to.
As this class is 5 hour course please bring a sack lunch and snacks, we also have a cafe availalbe to purchase food.
$145 member, $157 non-member.
Instructor: Patti O'Neal
Rocky Mountain Gardening Elective
The ecosystems of Colorado range from plains grasslands to the alpine tundra, mountain meadows to sub-alpine forests and all the points in between.
This field trip allows students to study the amazing diversity of plant and animal life that co-exist within these ecosystems and be able to identify each community by physical appearance and other site characteristics.
The class starts and ends in Morrison and we will survey the majority of ecosystems in the state.
The reference text for this course is From Grasslands to Glacier by Cornelius Mutel and John Emerick. The text is currently out of print, but used copies can be found online for purchase.
$72 member, $82 non-member.
Instructor: Sheridan Samano
The carpool will meet offsite and gas expenses for drivers will be shared.
Offsite meeting location for carpool will be be determined no later than 2 weeks before trip. Students will be notified via email.
Have you ever heard of The Three Sisters? Who are they? They are companion plants.
Companion planting has been going on as long as the earth has been growing plants. Nature knows how to grow - bringing complementary plants together and keeping antagonists apart. You can do the same in your garden and greatly increase the health and well being of your plants as well as your yields. Roses do love garlic and tomatoes do love basil and there is usually more than one reason why. Come and learn the science and the lore, and make companion planting a natural part of your garden.
If you are a vegetable gardener, companion planting can help you keep your home grown food fully organic. We will also cover crop rotation and soil building, a vital part of companion planting. From ancient techniques to recent experiments and 17 years of personal experience growing food, herbs and flowers together, the Parmenters will discuss a range of beautiful, diverse and often stunning combinations. Don't miss this one - it's never too late to plant companions!
Instructors:
Penn and Cord Parmenter.
Penn and Cord Parmenter are high altitude food growers. They live in the Wet Mountains in South Central Colorado and they apply a multitude of techniques to overcome the challenges of the high country. Their totally sustainable greenhouse provides food year round for them and their three boys.