This is the time of year that people start to ask us about local seminars, classes, and resources for gardening in our area. While we’ve lost our local Master Gardener program for a bit in El Paso County, there are other places new gardeners can look for help.

Pikes Peak Urban Gardens classes
This terrific program offers a series of classes throughout the year which are free for hopeful new veggie gardeners. Learn more about what’s coming up at www.ppugardens.org

Colorado Springs Utilities Xeriscape Garden classes
This organization offers a series of spring and summer classes (usually on Tues evenings and Saturday mornings). Right now there is only information on the upcoming Landscape Symposium, but information for other classes will be posted soon at www.csu.org/residential/greenback/classes/item1108.html

Horticultural Art Society Speaker Series This group offers a new speaker each month (usually the second Wednesday evening of each month at the East Library). Speakers address a variety of gardening topics. They also run a terrific plant sale every year (usually the weekend after Mother’s Day) in their demonstration garden at Monument Valley Park. Lots of expert gardening volunteers are always on hand to help with questions and suggestions. See what’s coming next at www.hasgardens.org

Other Gardening Groups and Clubs
Cheyenne Mountain Garden Club – Information is posted on the following page – www.coloradogardening.com/garden_clubs.htm

Colorado Federation of Garden Clubs
www.coloradogardening.com/garden_clubs.htm

Elmohr Iris Society
Email elmohriris@aol.com for information.

Falcon Garden Club
www.falcongardenclub.org

Pikes Peak Herb Association
www.herbassociation.com

Pikes Peak Rose Society
www.pikespeakrosesociety.org

Contributed by Carey Harrington, Certified Colorado Gardener

why, yes, that is one leaf

Spinach salads, broccoli, beet greens, pea shoots, and heaps of rhubarb right now. It is always so exciting after waiting and waiting, hoping and praying, when the food finally arrives in armfuls. We hope that you are starting to enjoying the beginning of your bounty and are happy to know that we have had a little tiny part to do with it. We hope that the things you have learned in a class, workshop, or event has broadened your gardening life, decreased your grocery bills, and enriched the variety and abundance of local, organic food on your table.

If you haven’t started putting them in, it’s time to start thinking about where your warm season crops will go. Remember, that May and June are wacky weather months so be sure to protect things like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant from cool nights (or days) and heavy rain.

We are excited about the upcoming warm weather months and all the wonderful things it will bring, tomatoes, beans, peppers, and cucumbers to name a few. We’ve already started canning (rhubarb of course) and can’t wait for the canning season to start in earnest in June with the onset of local strawberries and asparagas.

We hope to see you in a Canning Primer taking place throughout July so we can again help you on your journey towards greater food independence.

As always, thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Happy Gardening!

Going to list a bunch of Gardening and Lawn Classes that are throughout the Truckee Meadows this upcoming week ~ some I’ve been talking about for at least a month! I’m very excited about the Master Gardener’s sale! And if you miss that plant sale, catch the one at the Wilbur D. May Museum & Arboretum on 7 June 2008.

17 May 2008, Saturday
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener Plant Faire
5305 Mill Street
7:00 am
$1.50 to $5.00 Vegetables & Herbs
Many annuals, perennials and ornamental grasses will also be available.
Master Gardeners will be on hand for your gardening questions.

17 May 2008, Saturday
Greenhouse Garden Center
2450 S. Curry St., Carson City
Let’s Talk Tomatoes & Peppers
Learn how to grow the best tomatoes and peppers this summer.
9:00 am, FREE, no reservations needed.

24 May 2008, Saturday
Raised Bed Gardening
9:00 am, FREE

Greenhouse Garden Center Event Calendar

17 May 2008, Saturday
Organic Gardening
Garden Shop Nursery
475 Gentry Way, Reno
10:00 am, Free
Featuring: Giselle Schoniger, Category Manager from Kellogg Garden Products.
Learn the basics about natural and organic gardening and how easy and effective it is. Gisele Schoniger will explain the different soils, fertilizers, and amendments and just how they benefit your garden. There will be free Dr. Earth samples so that you can try them for yourself. Plus, there will be a free bag of Gardeners Gold potting soil for each of the first 50 people!

24 May 2008, Saturday
Veggie and Herb Gardening
Join veggie specialist Tom Munro. He will help you get your veggie beds ready and pick the right plants for the right area.

Garden Shop Nursery Newsletter.

17 May 2008, Saturday
Rail City Gardening Center
1720 Brierley Way, Sparks
11:00 am, Free
Learn how to control and prevent insects and other pests from damaging the garden.

24 May 2008, Saturday
Gardening in Small Places
11:00 am, Free

Rail City Garden Event Calendar

20 May 2008, Tuesday
Garden Photography with Mark Vollmer
Wilbur D. May Museum & Arboretum
1596 N. Virginia St., Reno
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Register in advance
Professional photographer, Mark Vollmer, covers techniques such as filters, lighting and composition.
Contact 775-785-4153

7 June 2008,
Annual Plant Sale
8:00am-12:00 pm, Arboretum

Reno Garden Society
Third Wednesday of each month
5:30 pm
Call for location ~ 775-826-9135
Learn aboug gardening and landscaping from society members and certified master gardeners.

SFG mini-series reader Ryan reports that over at the Home Depot in Lake Mary, square foot garden enthusiasts can buy 4 cu feet bags of vermiculite from the Home Depot  for $12.99.

When setting up my kitchen garden I was unable to find it near me in large quantity so I ordered from Home Harvest instead.

There is still time to throw a bed together and get some fast growers in before the summer heat wave kicks in an all veggie gardeners take a break before the fall season ramps up in late august/early sept.

Not that there is a lack of things do to for the organic veggie gardener in summer…

Over at the Orange County Extension Office, there’s a compost and rain barrel workshop in May. Details are

Date/Time: May 17, 2008 (Saturday) 9:00am-110:00am

Location: Magnolia Room at the

Orange County – UF/IFAS
Extension Education Center
6021 South Conway Road
Orlando, FL 32812-3604
Office: (407) 254-9200

Description: Learn how to turn your plant waste material into compost by conventional methods for homeowners and vermicomposting for apartment, condo, or trailer residents. Conserve water in your yard with the use of rain barrels. One Rain Barrel will be provided to each Orange County family, courtesy of Orange County Environmental Protection Division and Orange County Utilities.

Then in June you can learn about “Summer Landscape Pests” and July covers “Irrigation Auditing — Water Conservation in the Landscape.” Check them out!