HATTIE BRAUN SPECIAL TO THE DAILY SUN
Spring brings buds to your garden and there are plenty of gardening classes and events. We are introducing various events for the spring gardening season.
First, Warners Nursery is offering Saturday-only route camp sessions from March 11th through June 3rd. No pre-registration is required, but if you want to guarantee a spot (remember how popular last year’s camp was), visit: https://warnercompanies.com/warners-root-camp-2023/The class is from 10-11am and if you attend you will receive a $10 token to redeem at Warners.
March 11: Mick Henry and pruning. In this session, a local Flagstaff arborist will explain all the basics and benefits of tree pruning.
March 18: Seeds start with Jackee and Steve Alston. Learn hands-on how to start seeding herbs, vegetables, and flowers for the exciting gardening season ahead.
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March 25: Crops and Horticulture Projects with Tina Gustafson. Learn about choosing plant varieties suitable for our area, continuous planting, and when to plant.
April 1: Season Extender with Jackie and Steve Alston. Start gardening early by warming the soil or using a season extender that warms the air around the soil to create a more comfortable microclimate for your plants.
April 8: Creative landscapes for DIYers by Chris Dixon. Note: This class is at 2:00pm instead of 10:00am.
April 15: Growing vegetables at altitude with Jim Mast. Learn key concepts for creating a thriving garden in Flagstaff from a longtime master gardener.
April 22nd. Using and installing drip irrigation by Linda Guarino. This session will discuss the pros and cons of different irrigation watering systems.
April 29: Composting with Frank Branham. This class is designed to learn how to turn food waste and other materials into high quality, plant-loving compost.
May 6: Raised bed and container gardening with Janan Scott. If you’re dealing with limited space or poor soil, learn about the benefits and how-tos of container and raised bed gardening.
May 13: Native perennials in the garden by Gayle Gratop. Take a stroll through Warners Her Nursery with us to explore the available native plants, their needs and benefits, and how to incorporate them into your landscape.
May 20: Saving water for gardening with Emily Melhone. From drip irrigation to harvesting rainwater and using native plants, there are many ways to conserve water while growing a lush garden.
June 3: Organic pest control by Hattie Braun. stop! Don’t just reach for the spray bottle! There are other ways to get rid of pests in your home garden.
Next, the Coconino Master Gardeners Association will partner with Coconino Community College to offer four classes on vegetable gardening, all for $15. These will be offered Wednesday nights, March 22nd through April 12th, from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at the Fourth Avenue Campus (3000 N Fourth St, Flagstaff, Arizona). Zoom online option available.Please register at https://ccc-flagstaff.coursestorm.com/course/beginning-vegetable-gardeningIf you want to reserve a seat, be sure to check the face-to-face box.
March 22: “Planning Your Garden” by Jim Mast. Get great tips for planning your food garden from local experts.
March 29: Coconino County’s Best Vegetable Varieties by Hattie Braun. An introduction to short-season varieties, landrace varieties, and Grow Flagstaff. Seed library.
April 5: Start of seed and plant care by Gail Gratop. Breeding is explained in simple terms for all experience levels. Also included are tips for caring for saplings and starting a newly planted one.
April 12: Soil and Composting by Hattie Braun and Frank Branham. Learn about the type of soil you have and how to use compost to create, amend, and build garden soil.
Third, head to Viola’s Flower Garden at 610 S. State Route 89A in Flagstaff for a fun spring event. Both Pansy Party and Tomato Fest are his 2023 and are the perfect annual events to kick off the spring season. Check their website for updates. https://www.violasflowergarden.com/
Finally, mark your calendars for these great garden-related events.
May 3: Arboretum opening day: Spring comes when the arboretum opens. Check the website for details. https://thearb.org/
May 6, May 13, May 27: Growers Market at Pine Forest Charter School. 8am to noon. Local vendors sell starts, plants and gardening products. For more information, please contact us via email: flagstafflily@gmail.com.
May 20: Plant sale and garden festival at the Colton Community Garden at the Northern Arizona Museum. Seed swaps scheduled for April, East Valley Baptist Church Plant Give Away on June 3, Jackie Alston’s sustainable botany class offered through NAU, and so much more! There are opportunities for horticultural education. You can find these and more events on the Coconino Master Gardener Association’s blog calendar. http://coconinomgassociation.blogspot.com/.
Hattie Braun is County Director of the Coconino Cooperative Extension at the University of Arizona and program coordinator of the Coconino Master Gardener Program.
