Join us for this year’s exciting line-up of virtual classes! Each class is $20 per person unless otherwise noted.
March
Mason Bees
with Tom Theobold
Sunday, March 7 from 1-2:30 pm
The importance of our native ‘solitary’ bee species to the pollination of our crops, flowers, and native plants is receiving increased attention. For over 30 years, Tom Theobald of Niwot Honey Farm has been propagating one of the most ‘useful’ species, Mason Bees (Blue Orchard Bees), and will teach how to attract and care for these gentle native pollinators. Mason Bees are not a replacement for honey bees, but they are excellent pollinators of the early fruits – cherries, apples, etc. They stay close to home, don’t sting, don’t require the year-round commitment of a colony of honey bees and provide a great way to introduce children to the world of pollinators.
Mason Bees
with Tom Theobold
Sunday, March 14 from 1-2:30 pm
The importance of our native ‘solitary’ bee species to the pollination of our crops, flowers, and native plants is receiving increased attention. For over 30 years, Tom Theobald of Niwot Honey Farm has been propagating one of the most ‘useful’ species, Mason Bees (Blue Orchard Bees), and will teach how to attract and care for these gentle native pollinators. Mason Bees are not a replacement for honey bees, but they are excellent pollinators of the early fruits – cherries, apples, etc. They stay close to home, don’t sting, don’t require the year-round commitment of a colony of honey bees and provide a great way to introduce children to the world of pollinators.
Worm Magix
with John Anderson
Tuesday, March 16th from 6-8 pm
Come learn the many ways worms can save the planet – they are nature’s gift that keeps on giving! Worm Man, John Anderson, will explain why and how you can create worm compost in Colorado and beyond. The hope and change we’ve been waiting for right under your feet! Worm Starter kits will be available at a $5 discount to attendees.
Getting Started with Vegetable Gardening
with Mimi Yanus
Thursday, March 18th from 7-8:30 pm
If you are new to Colorado, new to vegetable gardening, or have been unhappy with the results of your earlier attempts, this class is for you. Learn from Mimi what you need to know to make your new organic vegetable garden successful and bountiful, even in Colorado conditions! Mimi Yanus is a seasoned vegetable gardener with years of experience growing in our climate; she has also worked at Harlequins Gardens.
Introduction to Permaculture
with Amy Scanes-Wolfe
Monday, March 22nd from 7-8:30 pm
Have you heard about permaculture but aren’t sure what it’s all about? Come learn how we can use nature as a model to design systems that regenerate our planet, from farmland to suburbia. We will explore techniques for designing abundant food systems, saving water, making use of microclimates, integrating living spaces into our designs, and embedding it all into a social context. Amy Scanes-Wolfe is a permaculture homesteader, landscaper, and certified teacher with Boulder Permaculture. She is also a staff member at Harlequins Gardens.
Getting Started with Vegetable Gardening
with Mimi Yanus
Saturday, March 27th from 10-11:30 am
If you are new to Colorado, new to vegetable gardening, or have been unhappy with the results of your earlier attempts, this class is for you. Learn from Mimi what you need to know to make your new organic vegetable garden successful and bountiful, even in Colorado conditions! Mimi Yanus is a seasoned vegetable gardener with years of experience growing in our climate; she has also worked at Harlequins Gardens.
Successful High Altitude Gardening
with Irene Shonle
Tuesday, March 30th from 6-7:30 pm
Mountain gardening is a challenge, with the short growing season, cold winters, water rights issues, critters and more. In this class, Irene will talk about ways to work with these challenges, and will discuss a palette of good mountain-hardy perennials, shrubs and trees that are low-water and provide pollinator/bird benefits. Irene Shonle is currently the Horticulture Extension agent in El Paso County, but was the DIrector for Gilpin Extension for 17 years. She holds a PhD in Ecology from U. of Chicago. She teaches and writes about native plants all across the state and is very involved with the Native Plant Master Program. She has many years of mountain gardening experience.
April
Stay Tuned for More Classes in April!
Succession Gardening
with Mimi Yanus
Saturday April 3rd from 10-11:30 am
Learn from Mimi the techniques and timing to maximize your garden space and keep your veggie garden in continual production throughout the seasons. Mimi Yanus is a seasoned vegetable gardener with years of experience growing in our climate; she has also worked at Harlequins Gardens!
Permaculture for Small Spaces
with Creighton Hofeditz & Ainslie O’Neil
Tuesday, April 6th from 6-7:30 pm
Interested in growing your own food, but feel like it’s only an option for people with a lot of land? Nothing could be further from the truth! Creighton and Ainslie, longtime teachers with the Denver Permaculture Design Course, offer ideas and opportunities for those living in smaller or urban situations.
Developing High Diversity Native Gardens with Seed (and Some Transplants!)
with Larry Vickerman, Director of Chatfield Farms
Thursday, April 8th from 6-7:30 pm
What gardener has not dreamed of creating a flower filled meadow in their back yard or other property? Tried wildflower seedings before and they were not that great? Don’t give up, you just did not have all the information you needed to be successful. We will go over the process from the ground up: site selection, soil preparation, weed control-pre and post planting, seed purchasing, seed cold treatments, sowing techniques, irrigated or dry, short and long term management of your seeding, and adding a few transplants for groupings of color. Planting large areas does not have to be super expensive. It just takes a little hard work and a modicum of patience! The payoff is a diverse planting that pollinators will adore, and you can enjoy for years to come.
For the past 16 years Larry Vickerman has served as Director of Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Farms, a 700-acre farm and public garden in Littleton, Colorado. His professional background includes more than 40 years in farming/ranching, landscape/production horticulture, prairie restoration and consulting. He has worked in Washington, Kansas, Colorado, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Larry serves on the United Nations’ WASAG, The Global Framework for Water Scarcity in Agriculture Committee. He is co-author of Steppes: The plants and ecology of the world’s semi-arid regions. His current focus is building farm soils water-holding capacity and fertility by using cover cropping and boosting microbial activity to support crop growth. The last 25 years, he has researched and developed seeding techniques for riparian and prairie habitat restoration to support a wide array of pollinators, beneficial insects, and wildlife. He currently serves as President of the San Isabel Land Protection Trust, based in Westcliffe, Colorado. He is a fourth-generation Coloradoan, having growing up on a large cattle ranch in the Wet Mountain Valley. Larry obtained a B.S. from Colorado State University in Landscape Management in 1990 and a M.S. in Non-Profit/ Public Garden Management from University of Washington in 1993.
Getting Started with Vegetable Gardening
with Mimi Yanus
Saturday, April 17th from 10-11:30 am
If you are new to Colorado, new to vegetable gardening, or have been unhappy with the results of your earlier attempts, this class is for you. Learn from Mimi what you need to know to make your new organic vegetable garden successful and bountiful, even in Colorado conditions! Mimi Yanus is a seasoned vegetable gardener with years of experience growing in our climate; she has also worked at Harlequins Gardens.
The Food Forest
with Amy Scanes-Wolfe
Sunday, April 18th from 10-11:30 am
Imagine a forest… but you can eat everything in it! Now learn how to make that vision a reality. Join Amy Scanes-Wolfe to learn about how we can design perennial landscapes that produce as much or more food than vegetable gardens–while providing beauty and habitat, sequestering carbon, and requiring significantly less water and maintenance. We’ll take a deep dive into how to combine fruit trees and shrubs, nuts, herbs, and medicinal plants for maximum success, with an emphasis on plants that thrive on the front range. Amy Scanes-Wolfe is a permaculture homesteader, landscaper, and certified teacher with Boulder Permaculture. She is also a staff member at Harlequins Gardens.
Foraging the Rocky Mountains: Mushrooms of Colorado
with Zach Hedstrom
Sunday, April 25th from 10-11am
At specific times of the year, Colorado is one of the most mycologically diverse places in the country. Between our riparian areas, pine forests, alpine zones, and other supportive habitats, mushrooms dwell in all corners of our state. Whether interested in foraging for wild food, or simply gaining an appreciation for our local fungi, it is crucial to understand both identification and ecology of mushrooms. In this 1-hour online seminar, we will discuss: 1) The role of the mushroom in an ecosystem 2) Introduction to Mushroom Identification and Taxonomy 3) Overview of 20+ local mushroom species found in Colorado 4) How to Read Landscape and Flora for Locating Mushrooms. Taught by mycology enthusiast Zach Hedstrom.
May
Stay Tuned for More Classes in May!
Growing Mushrooms on Logs and Stumps
with Zach Hedstrom
Sunday, May 16th from 10-11am
Cultivating mushrooms on logs is an ancient cultivation method, dating back as the earliest recorded way to grow mushrooms. Log cultivation is fascinating and easy but requires patience and attention to detail. Growing on logs is one of the closest methods to the way mushrooms grow in nature, so one must apply some basic knowledge of ecology and natural systems to be successful. Mushroom logs are beautiful, mysterious, and can be integrated into any myco-inspired landscape with some proper planning. With sufficient care, mushroom logs can fruit for up to 6 years or more! In this 1-hour online seminar, we will discuss: 1) An introduction to wood decomposing fungi 2) How to choose the right logs/stumps for growing mushrooms 3) complete methods for successfully growing mushrooms from logs/stumps 4) How to care for your logs/stumps and when to harvest mushrooms from them. Taught by mycology enthusiast Zach Hedstrom.