#CamdenME - #SeedStarting Workshop

#MerryspringNatureCenter
April 4 @ 10:00 am - 12:30 pm

"Have you wanted to grow plants from seed but were not sure how to do it? This hands-on workshop will teach you how to work with different sized seeds, what materials you might need, and seed treatments. Saving your own seeds and testing their germination rates will be discussed.

"Following a step by step slide show, each participant will plant one flat of 6 six-packs in Merryspring’s Greenhouse to take home. You can choose flowers, vegetables, and herbs from seeds provided. Merryspring Program Director John Fromer will offer many pro tips and answer any questions. Fromer, a Maine Master Gardener Volunteer and professional grower has raised tens of thousands of seedlings over forty years.

"Meet in the Ross Visitors Center

"Pre-registration is required. Limit 10 people. Cost is $35 non-members, $30 for Merryspring members including materials. To register, please call 207-235-2239 by Wednesday, April 15th. Registration fee non-refundable.

"Merryspring is your community nature center offering walking trails, cultivated gardens, wildlife, and ecology and horticulture educational programs all year round. The park is located at the end of Conway Road, just off of Route 1 in Camden behind Hannaford Shopping Plaza."

FMI and to register:
https://merryspring.org/calendar/seed-starting-workshop/

#SolarPunkSunday #MaineEvents #Midcoast #Maine #Merryspring #GYO #GardeningForPollinators #GrowYourOwnFood #GardeningWorkshops

#RockportME - 2nd Annual SEED FEST

April 11 @ 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM

"The #RockportPublicLibrary will host its second annual SEED FEST on Saturday, April 11. This free, family-friendly event will take place on the upper and lower levels of the library. From 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., visitors can browse educational exhibits and activities covering #SeedStarting, #pollinators, #SoilHealth, #Composting, #NativePlants, #HeirloomVegetables, growing #rice and #grains in #Maine, #Wabanaki #FoodSovereignty, and much more!

"At 12:30 p.m., Petra Page-Mann of #FruitionSeeds will deliver an interactive keynote presentation. Page-Mann and her nonprofit seed company are strong advocates of 'gift culture,' which involves giving away seeds to promote food cultivation and community building. This ethos aligns perfectly with the theme of SEED FEST.

"The event is generously sponsored by the Rockport Library Foundation and is organized in partnership with several organizations, listed alphabetically: Herbal Hummingbird Hub, Knox Lincoln County Beekeepers, Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District, Maine Grains and Maine Grain Alliance, Maine Heirloom Seed Network, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association [#MOFGA], #MaineRiceProject at Ararat Farms, #MerryspringNatureCenter, #Niweskok: From the Stars to Seeds, Roots n Shoots, #UMaineCooperativeExtension, and #WildSeedProject.

"The exhibiting partners will provide valuable information, hands-on activities, items for sale, and an abundance of free seeds and seedlings. Additionally, #midcoast artist Katharine Cartwright’s beautiful #BotanicalPaintings will be showcased in the library’s lower level for a month-long exhibition titled 'In My Garden.' "

FMI:
https://www.rockportlibrary.net/event/2nd-annual-seed-fest/

#SolarPunkSunday #BuildingCommunity #GrowYourOwnFood #GYO #IndigenousFoodSovereignty #FoodSovereignty #LibrariesRule #SeedFest #WabanakiFoodSovereignty #SoilIsLife

#diy #gyo #growYourOwn #garden #gardening #sustainability #selfsufficience #selfsufficient #SelfSufficientMe

oregano, rosemary, thyme, mayoran, mint
sweet potato, pumpkins, cherry tomato, fruit trees and bushes
potato, beans and peas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dywn0IpIpos

Get kids digging! 🥕 School gardening clubs boost wellbeing, teach valuable skills, & connect kids with nature. From seed to harvest, they learn science, nutrition, teamwork, & how to collaborate while growing their own fresh veggies! #gardening #gyo

Our Schools page is here: https://vegplotter.com/schools

Nice going, got home to find the rest of the first tray of tomatoes have germinated... making it a 100% hit rate (a single germination in a pot is a "hit", I typically have 2-3 seeds per pot, in many cases they all germinate and a cull is required.)

The second tray went into soil yesterday... so I guess we expect to see them at the end of the week.

The source codes are:

• KY = our own seed
• CS = Chiltern Seeds
• NR = NR Tomatoes
• F = Fatalii
• VN = Victoriana Nursery
• NN = Nicky's Nursery

No tomatoes from Real Seeds this year oddly. I would normally have got Amish Paste from them but I forgot and luckily Nicky's also stocks it.

That is our last original Jersey Giant seed from Fatalii... precious. Though our own seem to be true to variety I will b hoping to harvest seed from the original. (This was a freebie with a chilli order, but is now one of my top-3 favourite tomatoes.)

Hoping to be better about own own seed for most of this lot for next year.

#GYO #Allotment #Gardening

Stop composting your harvest! 🥬 Discover 10 surprising edible leaves & shoots you’re probably throwing away. From carrot top pesto to sautéed sweet potato greens, unlock the full potential of your garden! 🥕✨

Read our guide to whole-plant gardening: https://vegplotter.com/blog/10-surprising-edible-leaves-and-shoots-from-your-veggie-patch #GYO