Montgomery Botanical Gardens Hosts Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening and Tool Use Workshop

The Montgomery Botanical Gardens will host its second workshop of the 2023 season, Raised Bed Vegetable  Gardening and Tool Use, on Saturday, April 15, 2023, in the Wisdom Wood Outdoor Classroom of the Botanical Gardens at Oak Park. The workshop, to begin at 10:00 AM, will be conducted by Mike Forster, noted presenter and member of the Capitol City Master Gardeners Association.

Mike, a Geo-Sciences graduate of Auburn University, formerly served in the United States Air Force as a Minuteman Missile Launch Officer. He also worked at the Alabama State Energy office and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, as well as at Daughtry Engineering. He serves the community as missions chair of the Hope Hull Community Church and as grant writer for the Burkeville Fire Department.

Participants in the workshop will learn how to build and take care of raised beds, as well as how to grow vegetables successfully using this form of gardening. Mike will also offer tips on choosing the right tools and caring for them.

Montgomery Botanical Gardens offers the Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening and Tool Use workshop as part of a series of instructional opportunities for river Region residents. Additional topics will be introduced in the coming weeks.

In case of inclement weather, the workshop will be moved to the MBG greenhouse. Pre-registration is not necessary.

 

Pruning Workshop Kicks Off Initial Montgomery Botanical Gardens 2023 Educational Workshop

Bright blue skies and spring-like weather provided the perfect backdrop for a Pruning Workshop, Montgomery Botanical Gardens’ initial offering in a series of educational programs planned for the 2023 year. The workshop, held Saturday, March 4 and led by Capitol City Master Gardener Karen Weber, drew more than 45 participants.

Held in the Wisdom Wood outdoor classroom in the Gardens, the workshop offered tips on how and when to prune and the proper tools to use. Following the instruction period, participants were allowed to practice the skills taught in the workshop by pruning plants in the Gardens. Ms. Weber also invited them to join Gardens volunteers on volunteer days as they prune trees and shrubs throughout the Gardens.

Montgomery Botanical Gardens plans monthly workshops during the coming year, most of which already have been scheduled. Upcoming workshop dates include Container Gardening with Roosevelt Robinson, Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, on April 4; multiple special activities planned the Week of May 6-13 for National Public Gardens Week; Daylilies with Oliver Billingslea on June 3; Herbs with Janell Diggs on September 1; and Bulb Planting with Karen Weber on November 4. Plans for several additional workshops will be announced in the coming weeks.

NEWS FLASH !!!

Montgomery Botanical Gardens at Oak Park Reintroduces Education Workshops

Following a long hiatus due to COVID 19,  the Montgomery Botanical Gardens at Oak Park plans a series of educational workshops in the Gardens which will offer River Regions residents a variety of useful and entertaining sessions. The first workshop, Pruning Your Garden, will be offered Saturday, March 4, 2023, at 10:00 AM in the Wisdom Woods Outdoor Classroom. Registration is not required for this session.

Karen Weber, member of the Capitol City Master Gardeners Association, will present the workshop. Karen, a graduate of The Ohio State University, with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture, has experience as head gardener for Jack Niklaus in northern Palm Beach County. After moving to Montgomery, she became gardener for the Wynton Blount estate and later for the Alabama Shakespeare Garden located at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Workshop participants will receive instruction in the proper ways to prune a variety of shrubs and trees. They will also learn which tools and techniques work best. Weather permitting, they will also have time to practice the skills presented in the workshop.  In the event of inclement weather, the workshop will be moved to the Montgomery Botanical Gardens greenhouse, and a later time will be scheduled for allowing participants the opportunity to practice their skills in the Gardens.

Additional workshops planned for the remainder of the year include Container Gardening, Daylilies, Herbs, Bulb Planting, a host of additional activities for National Public Gardening Week in May, and several special programs which will be announced at a later date. Specific information on these workshops will be made available in the coming weeks.