Spring has finally arrived, and with it new gardening opportunities await! It's the season of beginnings, so why not try learning something new? This season at Diggin' It we are happy to be introducing the following classes for interested gardeners, spanning diverse but relevant areas including rainwater collection, cooking with your crops and crafting your own garden art! Please see the schedule below for more information and additional offerings this spring.
To sign up for a class, save the following form to your computer, print, fill out and mail or hand deliver with your check, cash, or credit card to Diggin' It, 507b North Tennessee Street, McKinney, TX 75069. Any questions, please call us at 469-952-3446.
Class Schedule Spring 2011
Vegetable Gardening
Saturday March 5th, 10am-11:30am
Class Fee: $15
March is a great time to garden but also to get prepared for planning your fall planting. Sandra Byrne will share tips on what you need to get ready for the best veggie garden ever - including how to prepare beds, building the perfect compost, and more! She will also provide tips on growing vegetable varieties suited to our Texas climate, along with harvesting and cooking information. Grow your own and live a healthier lifestyle!
Cooking for One Again
Saturday March 12th, 11am-1pm
Class Fee: $15
An empty nest means time to retrain yourself in cooking for
you and loving the
process, not just the food. Use fresh herbs from Diggin' It and simple spices to roast meats and vegetables. Get inspired to create new recipes every time you cook! Great sampling of herb roasted veggies and recipes to take home. Taught by Christine Lindsay.
Raised Beds for Backyard Organic Gardening
Saturday March 19th, 10am-12pm
Class Fee: $10
McKinney gardeners will have an opportunity to dig into raised bed gardening on March 19th. Learn how to produce high yielding, nutrient dense vegetable gardens in raised beds by enriching the soil with fertility and biology. Or blend your own potting mix to grow vegetables in containers and create a patio garden. Topics will address raised bed methods, organic fertilizers, building your own nursery mix, integrating minerals and biology for nutritious vegetables, gardening tips, and more!
The speaker, Steve Diver, is a former Extension Horticulturist with Oklahoma State University who has worked in organic agriculture the last 22 years. Steve has published and taught widely on permaculture, organic fruit and vegetable production, the soil foodweb, composts and compost teas, & soil fertility. He established Agri-Horticultural & Organic Consulting, an Austin-based firm, in 2010.
Broken Tile Mosaic Birdbaths
Saturday March 26th, 12:30pm-5:00pm
Class Fee: $85
In this class Fredda Perkins will guide you in lining the bowl of a small birdbath with broken china, giving a mosaic. In the process you will learn to use tile nippers, learn about the different glues and mastics used to adhere the pieces and how to grout your birdbath. All materials are provided.
Wear old clothes; it can get a little messy.
Rainwater Harvesting
Saturday April 2nd, 10:30am-12:00pm
FREE CLASS!
Free, fresh, rainwater is yours for the taking! Rainwater collecting is very easy to do in your own backyard. Rainwater is free, clean, has no use restrictions, and plants love it! Learn how to set up a simple rainwater collection system in your own backyard and find out how easy it is to collect and recycle one of nature's most threatened natural resources. Participants of this FREE program will be eligible for a door prize of a free rain barrel and downspout diverter! Additional rainwater harvesting products will be made available for sale at a reduced price.
Taught by Beth Mortenson, Chief Rainmaker of Catch the Rain, LLC, and a Licensed Texas Irrigator and Accredited Professional by the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association. Beth runs a local and internet-based company that specializes in residential rainwater harvesting systems. She specializes in composting, plant propagation, and sustainable gardening. She holds a BA in Government and Political Science. Beth has spoken on numerous occasions concerning rainwater collection, rain gardens, efficient irrigation, composting, sustainable gardens, and various other topics concerning eco-friendly gardening. Several of her articles on these topics have been published.
English Trough Pots
Saturday April 9th, 10am-12pm
Class Fee: $40
Speaker Fredda Perkins will teach you to mix and form the material needed to create your own trough. You will then take the trough home to cure and harden with instructions. This is a fun and creative process but also
messy, so dress accordingly. All materials are provided.
Tabletop Birdbaths
Saturday April 16th, 10am-1pm
Class Fee: $45
Christine Lindsay will guide you in prepping, staining, and pouring concrete into a form to make a tabletop pedestal and basin for your birds or an arrangement in your home.
Can be messy, so please dress accordingly.
Herb Gardening
Saturday April 23rd, 10am-11am
Class Fee: $10
Enjoy growing and using herbs in everyday life! In this class Sandra Byrne will discuss cooking, harvesting, drying, and other applications regarding herbs. We will also be sampling herbal treats at the end of class.
Broken Tile Mosaic Birdbaths
Saturday April 30th, 12:30pm-5:00pm
Class Fee: $85
In this class Fredda Perkins will guide you in lining the bowl of a small birdbath with broken china, giving a mosaic. In the process you will learn to use tile nippers, learn about the different glues and mastics used to adhere the pieces and how to grout your birdbath. All materials are provided.
Wear old clothes; it can get a little messy.
If you would like to make a suggestion for a future class please email Tracey Collins at tcollinstx@gmail.com.
