By Staff
NILES – Coming on Saturday, March 24 is a day filled with gardening ideas at Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve.
Fernwood's Spring Symposium, "Organic Gardening: How to Live More Lightly on the Land," will touch on organic gardening from lawns to vegetables and even how to have healthy soil.
Did you know that by changing your approach to gardening, you can make a difference in this world? Come to Fernwood on March 24 and learn how you can live more lightly on the earth through organic gardening. Enjoy a taste of delicious organic foods and discover local sources for organic products of all kinds. Browse for the latest book on native plants, natural landscaping and organic gardening. Presentations begin at 9 a.m. Registration fee is $50 for Fernwood members and $65 for non-members and includes all sessions, breaks and lunch. The symposium fulfills two hours of Michigan Master Gardener continuing education credits. Please call (269) 695-6491 to register or for more information.
Child's Play Organic Lawns:
Lawn Care You Can Live With, by Tara Ciszczon. Harsh chemicals are not necessary to grow a lush green lawn! Child's Play Organic Lawns of South Bend specializes in the use of non-toxic and pesticide-free products to create a yard that is safe to pets, people and the environment. Learn about those products and other techniques for a lawn you can live with!
Can Success Spoil Organic Food and Farming?
From Cassopolis to USDA and Back, by Merrill Clark.
Organic food growing has been going on as long as this country has been inhabited, but only in the past ten years have there been any concrete definitions applied to food and farming. Hear how those definitions came about and what they mean for a future where production and consumption are more in tune with the needs of the earth.
Victory Gardens for our Time:
Food and Beauty for Ourselves and the Common Good,
by Lee and Laurie Arboreal.
Since 2001, Lee and Laurie's Eater's Guild CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) have produced organically grown fruits, vegetables and flowers that are sold to the local community. Discover how their methods create both healthier people and a healthier environment.
The Bigger Picture:
Michigan State University's Student Organic Farm,
by Corie Pierce.
What is involved in operating a year-round CSA program? Hear how the Student Organic Farm at MSU grows organic vegetables, cut flowers, herbs and small fruits for purchase by the public. Corie also introduces the concept of permaculture, which focuses on applying ideas from ecology to gardening and food production, with the goal of humans living in harmony with the land.
It's Not Dirt, It is Soil!,
by Greg Vlaming.
Healthy soil is essential to producing healthy plants, and there are simple ways to achieve that without using harsh chemicals. Learn the basics of soil structure, chemistry and how to amend your soil by composting and using green manures.