Welcome to the Beginning of the 2012 Learning Garden Season

Well, here’s a little taste of winter finally. Not enough snow to be a problem, but with the soon-to-follow cold weather, a return to more normal conditions for this time of year.

That was one thing I heard a number of people talk about at the PASA Conference last week: the downside to the warm winter. While no one was nostalgic for the ice storm or foot of snow that hampered travel to and from the Conference the last couple of years, people who live close to the land think of the effects more broadly. Climate change and all its conundrums, a possible increase in insects that are usually winter-killed, and whether the apple trees have gotten enough cold were all topics I heard being discussed. (About the apple trees, Michael Phillips, author of The Holistic Orchard, said he thought they had.)

Personally, I worry about turtles. Box (and other) turtles hibernate, and when the weather is too warm, they burn more calories without being able to actually move or get food, so they can starve to death over the winter. The worst combination for them is, I believe, a warm winter followed by a late spring. So I have yet another reason to hope for an early, warm spring this year.

Speaking of the PASA Conference, which is, to the uninitiated, the Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture Conference and perhaps the most inspiring, energizing, and downright enjoyable 2-4 days of the winter, perhaps the whole year, upcoming blogs will share some of what I learned this year, for the Learning Garden was never far from my mind as I sat in workshops and lectures.

In fact, although I titled this blog entry the Beginning of 2012 Garden Season, I must confess the season began a few months ago for me, around about the time I received my first seed catalog. Exciting plans have been percolating through my mind and those of the rest of the organizing committee, and we’ve even already had a few meetings.

Speaking of the meetings, if anyone who is reading this blog is interested in being more involved, yet who isn’t currently receiving emails about planning, just shoot me an email and I’ll get you on the right list.

We are planning a very busy and very exciting year at the Learning Garden. Following is some of what is being planned:

ü  Finishing the rain water collection/drip irrigation system

ü  Expanding the garden to include a dedicated herb garden, an orchard, and bee hives as well as some permaculture designs

ü  A whole new list of Garden Talks that will include how to start a new garden bed through sheet mulching, trellising tomatoes, and attracting pollinators

ü  Weekly ongoing programs on Saturdays during Market hours that will include incorporating weeds in your diet and how to do daily inspections of your plants to forestall insect and disease

I really expect this to be a fantastically fun year, and I hope you’ll all join us as we

Buy it locally grown

    or Raise your own!