Wednesday, May 22, 5:30 p.m.—RUTLAND—Gardening workshops are coming to Rutland’s southwest community garden this growing season. The series of five monthly programs is designed to help gardeners of all levels learn new techniques and skills throughout the growing season and address issues that may crop up in home gardens. The first workshop, “Making your Bed: Starting your Garden,” will be held Wednesday, May 22 at 5:30 p.m. at Southeast Community Garden, 101 Allen St.
Shrewsbury Institute for Agricultural Education (SAGE) is developing a demonstration garden at the Allen Street site and offering all five programs in order to inspire Rutland residents to utilize the city’s community garden spaces and their own homes, for gardening.
Workshop instructor Scott Courcelle, co-owner of Alchemy Gardens in Shrewsbury, believes gardening is an act of personal empowerment.
“I run a vegetable farm as my business and when I get home from the fields I am eager to stroll around my home gardens tending to whatever needs to be done and watching how all of these amazing plants are developing over the course of the season. There is so much to learn from the close observation of plants and so much peace and healing and satisfaction to be found in the act of gardening.”
Rutland’s three community gardens are maintained and operated by Rutland Recreation and Parks Department with the mission to create opportunities for a more vibrant community. Program director April Cioffi said she is excited to have SAGE offer educational workshops this summer.
“Learning from a seasoned professional is an amazing opportunity to provide the community. It is our hope that these workshops grow the gardening community by empowering individuals that have wanted to grow their own food, but do not know where to begin.”
Courcelle wants new gardeners to feel encouraged by their successes and their failures in the garden. “Don’t let your worries about whether you are doing something right or not paralyze you from just getting out there and giving it a try. If you watch closely your garden will tell you what works well and what doesn’t. If you feel like you don’t know where to begin, come to our workshop so that we can get you set up for success from the start!”
Attendance is not required at all workshops in the series. The programs are provided with no fee, with a suggested donation of $5. For more information on workshop dates and topics in the series, visit rutlandrec.com/gardens or follow Community Gardens of Rutland Vermont and Shrewsbury SAGE on Facebook.
If community members are interested in renting a plot at any of the three garden sites, contact April Cioffi at 802-773-1853 or aprilc@rutlandrec.com. Registrations are ongoing through the month of May for all sites.
