The Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden is offering two how-to workshops in March, composting with Catherine Dale this Sunday, March 10, at 1 p.m. and how we grow so many vegetables on Sunday, March 17, at 11 a.m. Both workshops will be in the Sparling Pavilion, 5941 Mason Rd. in West Sechelt. Admission is by donation; $5 to 10 is suggested. Bring your notebook.
"Compost is the most critical element of a successful garden," said Dale, who ran the compost demonstration garden for Metro Vancouver.
She is a provincial soil technician and has taught widely in how to make compost work. She'll help you decide the best method for your situation and go over the basics. A compost pile will improve soil nutrition, soil structure and moisture retention, so it's the ideal soil amender. Plants just love it, and it's free. Questions are welcome, and resources will be suggested.
You'll also want to grow your own vegetables for the freshest, best tasting and healthiest meals possible. Come hear how the Botanical Garden's volunteers plan, plant and maintain the Garden's very productive vegetable patch. It's amazing how much organic fresh produce can be harvested in a year, even through the winter. The Garden sends almost all its vegetables to the food bank - more than 550 kilograms last year. Volunteers Harry Hill and Susan Blockberger will spill the beans about the techniques they used. This is a great demonstration of what you can do at home in the ground, in containers or in raised beds.
The question and answer part of the talk is bound to be lively.
The Botanical Garden is open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. this time of year. Support from Sunshine Coast Credit Union enables the Garden to open to the public every day and to offer more workshops. Admission to the Garden is free to Botanical Garden members and to the public by donation. There is always much to see and enjoy, including the vegetable garden, the rainforest garden and much more.
For more information about upcoming events, see www.coastbotanicalgarden.org.
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