Garden for the Environment will offer the following workshops in January, 2013. All classes will be offered at Garden for the Environment, San Francisco’s organic demonstration garden at 7th and Lawton Street. Since its founding in 1990, the garden has operated as a demonstration site for small-scale urban ecological food production, organic gardening, compost education and low water-use landscaping. For more information, call (415) 731-5627, or go to www.gardenfortheenvironment.org.
NATURAL PLANT CARE
Date: Saturday, February 9th, 2013
Time: 10am - 12pm
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave and Lawton Street, San Francisco
Cost: Free! Sponsored by the SFPUC
Planning ahead for low-maintenance design and sustainable products is a key element to a successful organic garden. Join us to learn about natural maintenance practices that will keep your garden beautiful and your labor to a minimum.
Topics covered include:
- Weed control
- Value of mulch
- Non-toxic weed control
- Moisture and weed seed germination
- Growing healthy plants
- Alternatives to chemical fertilizers
- Natural pest management
- Beneficial Insects vs. harmful Insects
This workshop is FREE, sponsored by SF Public Utilities Commission.
FRUIT TREE 101
Date: Saturday, February 9th, 2013
Time: 1pm - 3pm
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave and Lawton Street, San Francisco
Instructor: Matthew Sutton, Owner, Orchard Keepers, Ecological Fruit Tree Care
Cost: $25, or $15 GFE Members
Yes, you can grow organic, heirloom fruit trees in your garden in the San Francisco Bay Area! Get started with this workshop for fruit tree beginners in which you will learn the basics of organic fruit tree care for apples, pears and plums. As we dive into the world of organic fruit trees and organic fruit tree care, you will learn everything you need to know to care for your tree for the first year: how to plant your tree, irrigate properly, fertilize with organic fertilizer, manage pests organically and a brief overview of winter pruning (summer pruning is covered in a separate class).
This workshop will cover both ‘pome’ fruits and ‘stone’ fruits (apples, pears and plums) and will discuss varieties of apples, pears and plums best suited for San Francisco. While this class is intended for beginners, our instructor Matthew Sutton, Owner of Orchard Keepers: Ecological Tree Care, will be available to answer any and all advanced-topic questions.
LIFE AFTER LAWN
Lawn Alternatives
Date: Saturday, February 16th, 2013
Time: 10am - 12pm
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave and Lawton Street, San Francisco
Cost: Free! Sponsored by the SFPUC
Tired of watering, mowing and fertilizing your lawn, but not sure what attractive alternatives are out there? Explore dozens of ways to create a beautiful and sustainable landscape that conserves water and resources, while reducing your utility bill and maintenance costs.
This workshop is FREE, sponsored by SF Public Utilities Commission.
GARDEN TOUR: Natural Plant Care
Date: Saturday, February 16th, 2013
Time: 1PM - 2:30PM
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave and Lawton Street, San Francisco
Cost: Free! Sponsored by the SFPUC
Learn how to sustain your garden naturally as we tour the GFE with Hilary Gordon, GFE's Sustainable Landscape Education Manager. We'll discuss the natural plant care techniques we use and answer your questions.
PERMEABLE HARDSCAPES
Water-Efficient Hadscape Design Class
Date: Saturday, February 23rd, 2013
Time: 10am - 12pm
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave and Lawton Street, San Francisco Instructor: Deva Luna, horticulturist and principal designer, EarthCare Landscaping, BAWCSA Landscape Instructor
Cost: Free! Sponsored by the SFPUC
Learn how to incorporate hardscape surfaces into your water-efficient landscape design, and how to choose permeable surfaces that have water-conserving benefits which support a water-wise garden.
This workshop is FREE, sponsored by SF Public Utilities Commission.
GROW YOUR OWN FOOD
Date: Saturday, February 23rd, 2013
Time: 10am - 12pm
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave and Lawton Street, San Francisco Intructor: Carey Craddock, Organic Gardening Instructor
Cost: $25 or $15 for GFE Members
Year-round gardening is one of our favorite things about the Bay Area and now, as we find ourselves squarely in Winter, it's time to think about your spring vegetable garden. Join us for this class which we offer every month for seasonal-specific instruction for year-round vegetable gardening.
This month we'll cover:
- Vegetables to plant and what to harvest in Winter and Spring
- Winter Plant Care
- Soil Fertility and Cover Cropping
- Weeds, weeds, weeds! What to do about them
MARCH 2013
AVOIDING LEAD EXPOSURE FROM GARDENING
Date: Saturday, March 2th, 2013
Time: 10am - 12noon
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave at Lawton Street, San Francisco
Instructor: Instructors from the San Francisco Childhood Lead Prevention Program at the SF Department of Public Health
Cost: $5
Human and childhood exposure to lead is a well-documented and preventable environmental health problem. In the context of urban gardens, exposure to lead is most likely to come from contaminated soil. In this accessible and practical 2-hour class you will learn how to reduce the health risks for you and your family from exposure to lead through from urban gardening. (Image: BayCitizen)
You will learn:
- How and why lead exposure occurs in soil
- Best practices to reduce the risk of lead exposure through gardening
- How to assess the risk of lead exposure to you and your family
- How to have your soil tested for lead
- How to remediate lead paint and soil hazards
Offered in partnership with the San Francisco Childhood Lead Prevention Program at the SF Department of Public Health
WATERWISE GARDENING
Date: Saturday, March 9th, 2013
Time: 10am - 12pm
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave and Lawton Street, San Francisco
Cost: Free! Sponsored by the SFPUC
Water is vital to garden health. But, when is enough, enough? Join us to learn earth-friendly ways to water the garden and the most efficient practices for the Bay Area’s Mediterranean climate.
Topics covered include:
- Hand watering and automatic sprinklers
- Year-round schedules that conserve
- Hand watering—is it efficient?
- Eliminating runoff
- Spray vs. Drip irrigation
- What kind of plants are you watering?
- Sprinkler lifetime and care
This workshop is FREE, sponsored by SF Public Utilities Commission
INTRODUCTION TO RESIDENTIAL GREYWATER
Date: Saturday, March 16th, 2013
Time: 10am - 12noon
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave at Lawton Street, San Francisco
Cost: Free! Sponsored by the SFPUC
Interested in learning how to reuse your greywater in your own garden? Residential greywater, which is wastewater generated from domestic processes such as washing dishes, laundry and bathing, is a valuable water resource that can be recycled to irrigate plants! Join GFE and Greywater Action for this workshop where you'll learn about the best low-tech, low-cost systems, and how to maintain them. You'll also get practice with the components as you plumb a demo greywater system! (Images: Greywater Action)
This workshop is FREE, sponsored by SF Public Utilities Commission