Under a bright blue sky on a mild winter day, the Spicewood Library's Pea Patch held an outdoor class on the selection planting and care of fruit trees, berries, grape vines and more. Class members filed into the Pea Patch and sat at folding tables and on wooden benches, eager to learn how to select, plant and care for fruiting trees and plants.
Ably presented by the very knowledgeable and engaging gardening expert Linda Wall, the class consisted of beginner and experienced alike. The eleven class attendees received instruction on planting and selection, an explanation of chill hours and why they are important, and handouts on the best varieties of fruits, nuts, grapes and brambles for the Spicewood area. Linda also demonstrated various pruning techniques, answered questions from the attendees, and as a bonus, class members could select from several types of fig tree cuttings to take home with them. "Even though I have had fruit trees for many years, I learned a lot from this class," said attendee Kelly Baty.
This successful class, with 11 people in attendance, was the first in a year-long series of Organic Gardening classes to be held each month at the Spicewood Library Pea Patch. Future class subjects will include basic organic gardening, seed saving, and preserving the harvest. The Pea Patch is an organic teaching garden where the public is invited to learn how to grow their own food organically and sustainably. Organizers expect it to grow from the current fenced patch of wide-row planting beds to a full-fledged demonstration garden with a greenhouse, cold frames, herb garden, grape arbor, raised beds and more. If you would like to donate materials, money or time to help them reach this goal, please contact Linda at the email address or phone number below.
The next class will be "Seed Starting: From Seed to Fork" on Saturday, February 26, at 2pm. Linda Wall, who grew up on a farm and is currently working at the Natural Gardener in Austin, will demonstrate how to start your own plants from seed, saving you money and allowing you to grow heirloom and hard-to-find varieties of veggies and flowers. "Seed starting doesn't just save you money," Linda says. "It lets you get started earlier, gives you access to varieties of plants you won't find in the nurseries, and is just plain fun!" A suggested donation of of $10.00 will go to support the Pea Patch, the Spicewood Library's community Organic Teaching Garden. Space is limited, so sign-up now! Contact Linda at: 830-220-0320
lindawall@gmail.com or visit:
spicewoodlibrary.org.
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