Gardening Workshops at the Trials Garden

Free Saturday workshops, 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Gardens at Lake Merritt, 666 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland

May 25:  Great Compost Made Easy

This talk with cover all of the details of composting: mixing greens and browns, other good ingredients, composting container options, keeping your pile hot and how to use your compost in your garden.  Master Gardener Sam Foushee makes amazing compost and grows beautiful vegetables in 3 Bay Area community gardens.

June 22: Gardening 101: Get Your Hands Dirty

Join us at this hands-on workshop with Master Gardener instructors.  You will plant seeds, plant seedlings, build and turn a compost pile, prune perennials and learn how to plan your garden space.  Handouts and best practices for seed starting, composting, pruning and more.  Master Gardener Jacqueline Bruhn gardens extensively with children in local public schools and sees the benefit of experiential learning for all ages.

July 27:  Managing Pests in your Garden Safely

Want to learn more about what is eating your vegetables? Or what virus killed your tomato plants? And where to find out more when you do have a pest problem in your yard? This is the talk for you. Dennis will help you learn how to identify your bugs and manage them in the least toxic manner.  Bring leaf & bug samples!  Master Gardener Dennis Brown will help you see your way through aphids, ants, snails and slugs as you learn about common pests and diseases.

August 24:  Planning and planting a Great Winter Vegetable Garden

Why should you consider growing vegetables in the fall and winter? Sam will talk about benefits of a fall and winter garden and the wide array of vegetables you can grow in the cooler months. He will also cover the special needs vegetables have in the fall and winter as well as how to plan your garden and plant for success.  Master Gardener Sam Foushee grows beautiful vegetables during all seasons in 3 Bay Area community gardens.

Sept. 21:  Cover crops, mulching, pruning and planting: Fall Gardening in the Bay Area

Tips for how to put your garden to bed for winter: cleanup, compost, pruning and feeding.  Learn how to plant and integrate a cover crop. Both vegetable and perennial gardens benefit from these practices.  Master Gardener David Blood will share knowledge gained from years of careful winter preparation in his home garden in Oakland as well as in the community gardens he has tended.