Nervous new gardener?

Are you looking at the pictures longingly, but worried that you don't know how to garden in a greenhouse?

There are TWO awesome opportunities for you coming up right away!

First of all, Sharon McGettigan has graciously offered to host a workshop at her new venture,

Mother Earth's Medicine Chest,

on Saturday May 7th, from 2-4 p.m.

The building is at 227 Kelly Road, next to the SPCA.

She will talk specifically about greenhouse growing, having had a commercial greenhouse in the past, as well as experience here in town with her own private greenhouse! Don't miss out on a chance to ask questions from someone who really knows what plants grow best, what varieties work well in greenhouses, what about intercropping, companion planting, how to improve the soil for what you are growing... There is no charge for this workshop, but there will be a pot for donations for the use of the space...

Just a few days later, the library is presenting

The Urban Farmer

7-9 p.m. on May 10th -

Edson Recycling has sponsored him to be here, and i'm sure he'll have a ton to teach you about growing an "edible garden"! Check out his inspiring website here at http://theurbanfarmer.ca/ and come prepared with your questions - get ready to be challenged and educated by Ron Berezan!

The next workday is coming up, and we'll finish filling the plots that are already in the greenhouse, and then basically we are ready to start sowing seeds!

New faces, new season, countdown!

Well, i hope you've all found the www.hintoncommunitygreenhouse.org website we've also got, but just in case, i thought i would update here:

This Saturday was a beautiful sunny (but windy) day - I worried that i hadn't brought a jacket, just a vest over a long sleeved tee shirt, but it was so nice and warm working in the greenhouse! And the light is beautiful in there.

We worked from 10-3 p.m. and we're planning another workbee on Tuesday evening, too, to get the boxes filled.

We are hoping to have the portapotty ready to go that day as well, and we'll have some machine help from Caylor contracting, who have been a huge help to us in this project.

Meanwhile, on the board end of things - we are working on having and placing our sign to make the site more easily found, and also working on delineating our space in the property, which we share with two neighbours, NeighbourLink, and Barrow Safety.

We've also had some changes in our board positions with Casey Petkau stepping down to a directorship, allowing Jamal Nasrabati to take the position of secretary. I(Stephanie Fehler) am also stepping down as vice president, so at the next board meeting (tentatively April 16th), we will be looking to fill two positions of director, and one of the vice presidency. If you have been involved up to now and have some understanding of where we've been, that would be helpful, but this job includes overseeing workdays during the spring/summer, and attending board meetings, possibly organizing the volunteer hours (this may be a VP or a director's task). Bring your talents/time/ideas and come on out to the meeting!

(I'm still around! But with a husband working on his master's this summer, i didn't want to commit to more than i know i can handle...)

We've also added Jennifer Rinehart to the board as a director - make sure you introduce yourself to her if you see her around town or at the worksite - she will be gardening with a group of students in our greenhouse!

We are one third of the way through the month of April, and we *are* accepting registrations for plots - so if you haven't done it, or, more importantly, haven't heard from Mary Anne to confirm your plot registration, please phone her! We are also now taking payment for the plots. After the end of April, plots will be available on a "first come first served" type of basis.

Thank you so much to the wonderful volunteers who came out this Saturday! I hope to see more of you in the days to come!