Design, Build, and Plan Your Raised Bed Garden (Part 3)
Cost: $120/person for all 3 classes
When: Classes are held on 3 consecutive Saturdays from 3-5 pm: March 12, 19, and 26.
Where: Class takes place at the Columbus Garden School (1350 E. Cooke Rd. 43224) and is limited to 8 students.
Description: Creating a new raised bed garden is no easy task! This 3-part, workshop-style class is designed for gardeners of all levels that helps you navigate through the issues of starting a new raised bed kitchen garden.
Students receive a “Garden Journal” binder filled with resources, information, and worksheets that aids them throughout the 3 sessions. Simple “homework” between sessions helps students plan their new garden and sets them up for years of success.
FIRST SESSION (3/12): Students learn how to select a location for their raised bed garden and learn the basics of:
- Selecting the best spot for the garden for sun exposure, proximity to house, etc.
- Making a landscape sketch and deciding how to lay out raised beds, pathways, and other elements
- Different styles of gardens (cottage, modern, industrial, etc.) and how to choose style elements for a garden design
- How to ensure your garden design stays within your budget
SECOND SESSION (3/19): Students get one-on-one feedback about their garden design homework and learn:
- How to decide what soil mixture to use, how to calculate quantity, and from where to order soil
- How to calculate other materials needed for the garden installation
- How to install your garden, a step-by-step guide*
- How to decide what to do yourself, and what to contract out in your garden installation
THIRD SESSION (3/26): Students prepare for their first planting in their garden by learning about:
- Making a simple planting plan that will support garden health and help with organic pest control throughout the seasons
- Aligning a planting plan with Central Ohio’s seasons and their experience level
- Maintaining a vegetable garden organically, with tips & tricks for maintenance and planting
*NOTE: The instructor will offer guidance and advice on how to build raised beds, contacts for builders, and other information about the actual building and installation process.
INSTRUCTOR: Katie Carey is a certified Master Gardener, Master Urban Farmer, and Garden Educator on a mission to support her community in edible gardening. Katie is a Columbus-Native who fell in love with growing food in her late teens, planting basil in old plastic milk jugs and tomatoes in 5-gallon buckets. She’s worked at a variety of urban and rural farms, both in Ohio and internationally, and has tended her own “foodscape” for over 5 years. She started Columbus Foodscapes after seeing how many of her community members desperately wanted to garden, but came back from their local garden centers with their heads spinning. Her life’s work is to help her community grow their own fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables close to home, in any space, and at any level of experience.