Keep those harvests coming with a plan that extends your season and keeps you eating from your garden well into winter. Learn about succession planting, what and when to plant and how to use cold frames and hoop tunnels to protect your new, late-season crops from the elements. You’ll also learn how to feed and protect your soil over the winter by using cover crops.

For the weekend warrior, the budding DIYer, and the gardener in all of us, this workshop focuses on how to build and install raised garden beds from scratch, using our Eastern White Cedar lumber. Predominantly a hands-on session, we will learn about measuring, cutting, assembling, and installing raised beds. No experience with woodworking and woodworking tools? No problem! We’ll show you how, starting with stringent safety procedures. By the end of this class, participants will have completed a full build and installation of at least one raised garden bed!

How is growing in containers different? Can I achieve a high yield on my balcony?

Learn how to create an abundance of beauty and food in small spaces. Learn about creative solutions to growing in a variety of formats, including vertical gardening, container gardening, microgreens, and more. Understand how to set up, maintain, fertilize, and winterize your gardens, and how to manage pests in small spaces. Yes you can have your balcony and your gardens too!

Participants will hone their powers of observation as they tour the BUFCO Yard gardens and assess what summer maintenance is required. We’ll explore everything from pest and disease identification and treatment to proper watering, weeding, mulching, and feeding techniques. Succession planting, sowing and planting techniques will be discussed, as will the use of accessories to increase yields and reduce pest pressure. Be prepared to get your hands dirty so bring your garden gloves!

Arlene demystifies the tomato pruning process in this hands on workshop that set participants up for success! We take a deep dive into tomato anatomy, provide opportunity for hands on pruning, staking and feeding practice, and learn important harvest tips and tricks. Each participant will leave with a properly pruned, staked and fed tomato plant that can be planted out or potted up at home. Bring your pruners and garden gloves. Everything else is supplied!

In our Northern climate, there are many reasons to get a head-start on growing plants for your vegetable or flower garden. In this workshop we explore a variety of methods for starting seedlings indoors. We cover soil and lighting requirements, planting schedules, feeding protocols, why how and when to “pot up” seedlings, organic pest controls and “hardening off” in preparation for planting outside.

Participants will have an opportunity for some hands-on practice, and will leave with their own seedling kit to get started at home.

Garden plans come in all shapes and sizes, from a rough, hand-drawn sketch to detailed computer generated drawings of entire landscapes. No matter how simple or elaborate, a planting plan will help determine what to plant, where, when, and how much. This then informs what garden inputs to purchase, and becomes an important reference in following years. Participants will learn how to create a planting plan that incorporates crop rotation, companion planting, and succession planting.

By the end of the two-part series, participants will be able to create a garden plan specific to their own site with greater independence, confidence, and joy.

Please sign up for Part 1 and Part 2 at the same time.

Get serious about growing food with this two-part intensive workshop. A carefully considered garden plan is the foundation of a happy garden. This two-part workshop explores the fundamentals of how to plan and plant a thriving vegetable garden starting with Special Guest Jocelyn Molyneux (she/her) of Wastenot Farms who reveals the basics of soil science and regenerative growing practices. BUFCO CEO and Garden Designer Arlene (she/her) then explores factors to consider include hardiness zones, garden location, planting schedules and frost dates.

The session culminates with a hands-on exercise where we develop crop lists based on what we’ve learned so far.

Please sign up for Part 1 and Part 2 at the same time.